Red Hook Trolley Again?

A quick trip through Sunset Park, Gravesend, DUMBO or Red Hook will show anyone that there is still evidence of what was once a vast Brooklyn Streetcar, or Trolley, network. Basically the buses of yesteryear, streetcars are now making a comeback in many cities around the world, as their benefits are now clearly seen. Although the idea of a Brooklyn streetcar network has been raised from time to time, funding has never really been there for one. Well, it still isn't, really, but there's money for a study! 

From the New York Post:

"DOT plans to finally take advantage of a $300,000 federal grant that Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-Brooklyn) secured for the six-month study in 2005.

Velazquez said the project is crucial for Red Hook, since the isolated neighborhood is facing brutal service cuts to its already-limited bus service -- the B61, B77 and B71 lines. The neighborhood has no subway; its nearest train line -- the F -- is more than a mile away.

Bob Diamond, president of the Brooklyn Historic Railway Association, which has tried to create a trolley line since 1989, estimated the project would cost $10 million to $15 million to complete."

That's a low estimate. By a LOT.