Originally Posted by
LesterOfPuppets
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.
The infrastructure may cost a lot, but when well designed they are cheaper to run per passenger mile than buses, faster than buses, cleaner than buses, and quieter than buses. On routes where there is high ridership, the extra cost of infrastructure and the lack of flexibility are made up for by those virtues.
Honestly, I fail to see the virtue of buses except on routes where the passenger load is very light or seasonal.