Fort Lauderdale’s The Wave Streetcar project is in jeopardy

The fate of Fort Lauderdale’s Wave streetcar line could be determined today as city and county commissioners vote on the $195 million project, according to the SunSentinel.

It’s a project more than 15 years in the making: the streetcar would travel a 2.8-mile route around downtown with connections to bus stops and Brightline train service, and with plans for expansion to further afield stops like the Sawgrass Mills Mall.

But both of Fort Lauderdale’s mayoral candidates, City Commissioners Dean Trantalis and Bruce Roberts, are opposed to the Wave and protesters plan to rally at City Hall against what they’re calling a “train to nowhere,” ABC10 reports.

“The Wave is not a necessity. It’s simply a novelty, and for that reason, we can no longer move forward with this,” Trantalis said.

The federal government has already committed nearly $90 million to the project. The Wave is part of an urban rail car renaissance that’s happening in cities across the country.

• Support for Fort Lauderdale Wave Streetcar project dries up [Local 10]
• Wave streetcars face another obstacle [SunSentinel]
• 10 new streetcar lines taking shape across the U.S. [Curbed]