Light Rail/ Street Cars as an Auto Industry Bailout?

[Lrfox]

I was reading a blog entry by Bret Ancowitz on the Greater City: Providence ( http://www.gcpvd.org/ ) blog and he mentioned that a contributor suggested that maybe some of the struggling U.S. automakers could be deployed in building light rail and street cars to help meet the increasing demand for light rail in U.S. cities today.

I though that was a fantastic idea. Of course I don't know the logistics of it all, but It sounded like a really smart plan. It would keep workers within the auto-industry employed, keep the primary companies in the U.S. auto-industry afloat, and help expand on our light-rail infrastructure (and establish it in places that have no light rail). Since there are no current US manufactures of street cars, it sounds like a good idea.

Anyways, just an interesting tidbit (hate that word) I found on the net. To read the article, click the link on the top of the page, it's an interesting site.

[Lurker]

Three words kill the idea:
UNION WORK RULES

The Big 3 can't even get a relatively simple concept car like the Chevrolet Volt into production in less than 4 years or even change the production line for existing models in less than 3-6 months. Shifting production from cars to streetcars would be unthinkable by the slugs in management and the Union bosses, especially now that they know the government will continue to bankroll the gravy train on inefficient manufacturing.

[vanshnookenraggen]

Yeah, Comrade Ford, get on that! Cuz you know how easy it is to start cranking out a machine that hasn't even been designed in factories that are set up to build something completely different.

Why the hell should we force these companies to build something people aren't clamoring for? How many cars are sold a year? Millions. And if somehow all major cities had streetcar systems overnight how many streetcars would need to be built? A few hundred thousand? Do the math, even just making up numbers, and cars will win. The fact is there doesn't NEED to be an American trolley manufacturer since European and Asian companies make very nice trains and have much more experience.

Forcing the Big 3 to make streetcars would literally be repeating the mistakes of communism.

[Lrfox]

The Unions are what I thought would be one of the biggest obstacles. I had a feeling this was more of a pipe-dream than a realistic scenario, but I thing with a degree of effort on both ends it could work.

No, I don't think we should "FORCE" these companies to build something they're not able to, but approaching them with the idea before cities and towns expanding light rail systems go overseas to European companies wouldn't be a terrible idea.

Anyway, I know it's more than far-fetched, but I thought it was an interesting proposal. It seems like getting a little creative in these times could go a long way.

[Ron Newman]

I think the idea makes sense, and I don't understand the objections to it. Better to retool a plant to make something environmentally responsible (light-rail vehicles) than to abandon it and its employees.

[Lurker]

The companies aren't abandoning their employees and factories, the UAW has sucked the Big 3 dry, nibbled on the corpses, and looked to those tasty taxpayers to continue to feed them.

Do you think the Big 3 want to go out of business? They don't, but the UAW is doing nothing to help them stay in business. The union is a greedy parasite which is going to kill the host. They have a mentality of a child, who wants want wants, and doesn't care there is nothing left to be given. The UAW leadership is no better than those lab rats whom forsake food to keep taking shots of coke until it kills them. Survival doesn't matter, they want their goodies!

[Lrfox]

So Lurker, auto workers union-- good or bad? You were a little vague in your last post.