Roughstuff, streetcars around here aren't deboarded into the middle of the street, they have platforms where they stop. But, yeah those tracks are pretty gnarly. Luckily I rarely go into the parts of town with streetcars.

I'm not sure what makes streetcars better than buses in some cities' eyes. They're much more expensive, screw up the streets for many months during construction and do make cycling more tricky. They don't have flexibility either. Cities change and need more transportation in certain areas of the city at different times. Buses' flexibility make them better able to accommodate.