In response to this poll in the Cincinnati Enquirer, I wrote a letter to the editor. Since there's no guarantee it will be published, I thought I'd put it here:
The results of your poll about Cincinnati's proposed streetcar are a good reminder that popular opinion is not necessarily a good metric when thinking about what makes cities successful or the economics of infrastructure investments. For example, Paul Brown Stadium was a popular project, yet we've gotten back relatively little return on our $400+ million investment. Evidence from many other cities suggests that the streetcar, in contrast, would generate large financial returns for the city and its businesses. Cincinnati has a rich history of impressive achievements; let's get back our "can do" attitude and make the streetcar a reality.
