More trolley chat

Young Philly Politics has an interesting post and subsequent discussion about the politics behind the trolley melt-down, and extending into the relative power of local candidates and their responsibilities to their local regions versus the city as a whole. Worth a visit.

Update: and they get a letter from somebody a little closer to the middle of things. For me, the key bit was this:

The trackwork had been long completed and the announcement that the newly rebuilt cars were being supplied to SEPTA began in 2003. The Inquirer published photos of the cars, the station at the Zoo and related data, and now those involved say they were caught off guard --- not a chance. This was a political power play pure and simple, crafted to have maximum impact.

It is a bit hard to see how routing and station plans caught anybody off-guard...