Count us among those excited about the idea of a viable streetcar system downtown. Our only major caveat: Don’t count on the federal government.

Central Texans are weary of runaway federal spending. With a crushing national debt, a proposed federal budget complete with record deficit and now our nation possibly on the verge of losing its AAA credit rating, it’s high time for us to go it alone.

How in this environment can we condone the idea of asking the federal government to undertake a significant part of the cost for a streetcar system viewed at least partially as fundamental for downtown development? Shouldn’t the sacrifice for such a project come from the downtown developers and local residents, perhaps in the form of a potent public-private partnership? We believe so.

Last week local developer Rick Sheldon and others whipped up plenty of enthusiasm about a streetcar system for downtown Waco. All Wacoans should seriously consider the compelling rationale for such a system, one that could readily link downtown, Baylor University and Elm Avenue, infusing the successful market dynamics of some areas such as the Baylor campus into other areas sorely needing them.

Triggering growth

If smartly managed so that service is frequent, punctual and comfortable, a streetcar system could neatly change the public mind-set of how we view getting around downtown. In that sense, a streetcar system isn’t just about transportation but could serve as a trigger for robust development by private investors. So argues Charlie Hales, the HDR Engineering official so pivotal in forging the successful streetcar system in Portland, Ore. Hales attended last week’s local meeting.

Since 2000, 10,000 housing units and $3.56 billion in tax base have sprung up along Portland’s streetcar line, Hales told our chamber officials and city leaders. The system is actually being expanded because of high public demand.

In an interview with a Trib editorial board member last week, John Fregonese, the Portland-based urban planning consultant contracted to lead our city in its plans to reinvigorate downtown Waco, echoed Hales’ argument for streetcars as strong economic tools to prompt growth. He noted that the streetcar system in Portland sparked a wave of investment in hard-hit parts of downtown to the tune of $4.4 billion.

Can it work here?

That $57 million streetcar system was constructed with precious little in federal funding. Instead, the community bought into the idea. Much of the cost was covered by local sources. Some Portland leaders heartily credit it with fortifying the city’s downtown core, making it one of the most appealing places to live and work in the nation. Fregonese tells us that he believes it can also happen in Waco.

We like what Waco City Manager Larry Groth and City Council member Jim Bush said during last week’s chamber meeting about streetcars. We need to sell the community on this idea — something that developers, business owners and city leaders would have to undertake with the sort of passion reserved for passing bond issues. It means getting community input since any public-private partnership means we’d all be invested to a degree. The cost of a streetcar system reportedly ranges anywhere from $5 million to $20 million a mile.

And the importance of all this to those who have businesses elsewhere in Waco or who never come downtown? Fregonese tells us that while some local folks might well resist the idea of improving our downtown, they should remember this: No city has long-term success if its downtown hasn’t undergone revitalization to the degree that, say, Fort Worth and Austin have.

And if we all help invest in it, rather than relying on the feds, any success will be wholly ours.