Are Streetcars Part of the Transit Network?

Next City recently published a piece by Aaron Wiener called "Why Streetcars Aren't About Transit." Wiener used the pending launch of D.C.'s system to consider the role that streetcars play in a city's overall transit network — if any. The story is behind a paywall, but the tease hints at the core question: "are they legitimate ways of transporting a city’s people, or novelty items meant to deliver gentrification to voguish neighborhoods?"

Whether streetcars are a tool for city mobility or economic development might seem like a needlessly nuanced discussion. In fact, it has very practical implications. America's streetcar renaissance is being paid for largely with money that would otherwise go to traditional forms of public transportation. So if money for transit is going to projects that chiefly promote economic development, city mobility is going to suffer.