Northeast News
August 19, 2015

This newsdog said so from the get go. The toy-train streetcar is going to end up costing the city millions in cost over-runs and delays and its now coming to fruition in all of its bankrupting glory.

Last week, CAF USA Inc., the manufacturing company responsible for providing the city with the actual rail cars, said they would not meet the deadline for the city’s launch of streetcar service. To make matters worse, this is the third push back in delivery dates. This critical thinking news-dog also wants to know, who’s going to fix the streets that were torn to thunder for the rail installation? Third street through the City Market area is a nightmare hodgepodge of pavement, concrete and streetcar rails that is impossible to navigate without bottoming out the shocks in the car.

This canine wonders about the capabilities of the bid review committee when CAF USA Inc., was selected as a vendor when other, better qualified companies could have provided the cars at roughly the same price. Wichita, Kan., based Bombardier comes to mind for starters. Why was a company with such an abysmal track record for product delivery selected in the first place? Inquiring minds want to know, especially since Cincinnati is in the same boat with the same company. Certainly makes us wonder if there’s even an assembly plant in upstate New York at all, given we’ve seen no evidence that anything has been assembled yet.

Had this been a private sector vendor agreement, it would have been severed in short order and a new vendor would have been on board in a matter of weeks. As it stands right now, we’re 60 days overdue with no delivery date in sight. Upping the daily fine to roughly $3,300 a day is lipstick on a pig given these fines are rarely paid as part of an agreement. Streetcar proponents had hoped to have streetcars in place in time for the Big 12 tournament next spring. With this latest delay, however, it’s lookin’ more like ox-carts and rickshaws will be running on the rails instead of sleek, over-priced hipster streetcars. Seems almost fitting in a cow-town doesn’t it.