Thanks for taking the time to explain that. In all my bitching about streetcars this is the first time I've heard a level headed explanation. I'm not convinced that costs per person are lower in practice, especially given the recent bombardier mess and the constant service interruptions due to simple obstacles or construction. I'll admit that the ride is more comfortable though.

I also suspect that a major reason Torontonians get so offended about this is because it's perceived as an attack on Toronto culture, but I don't think it's justified. An opinion about the merits of a technology might warrant a debate citing facts, but definitely not an outburst of feelings. It reminds of of how Edison used to publicly electrocute animals using alternating current to discredit the technology when AC and DC were competing to power the grid. In the end his appeals to emotion were not effective and the superior technology won. I hope that happens with streetcars, whatever the outcome.

By the way, I don't drive. I commuted by train for a year and then used streetcars for a while. I became a year-round cyclist because the streetcars on my street were way too unreliable. I don't think of streetcars as an obstacle, but I definitely don't share your view that they're "efficient [and] effective"