As many readers of Broken Sidewalk know, public transportation—or the lack thereof—is one of the most important issues in Louisville today. “An Old Way Forward,” the idea to build a north-south modern streetcar line connecting Downtown Louisville, the University of Louisville, and Iroquois Park, has been proposed to shake up the transportation conversation and help move the city into the 21st century.
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An Old Way Forward Streetcar Happy Hour
Monday, August 17th at 7:00p.m.
Downtown BBC at 3rd and Main
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The group has had a great start, with the idea of a streetcar line receiving a warm welcome from both the general public and from the local press. However, it has now reached a point where is has to face a very significant challenge: making the transition from a virtual group to a physical one. Transforming a group that, up till now, has consisted largely of online articles and Facebook posts into a legitimate grassroots movement will be no small challenge. But it must be done if “An Old Way Forward” has any hope of having a real impact on Louisville’s transportation network.
As part of this process, we will begin hosting monthly “Streetcar Happy Hours” at different bars or restaurants along the proposed route. This will give supporters the chance to meet and greet, as well as informally discuss a certain topic related to the event.
An Old Way Forward’s first Happy Hour will take place Monday, August 17th, 2015 at 7:00p.m., at the Downtown BBC at Third and Main streets. In addition to enjoying delicious local food and drink, we will be talking about the group’s newly created intermediate goal: creating a fundraising campaign to assemble the resources needed to conduct a formal feasibility study of a north-south streetcar line (More details on that here). You can sign up for the event on Facebook here.
Additionally, An Old Way Forward is constantly on the lookout for people who want to get involved. We are looking for dedicated individuals who can help us plan events (like these happy hours), reach out to the community, and run the organization. If you would like to get involved in the movement to bring streetcars back to Louisville, send us a message at anoldwayforward@gmail.com.
See you all at the Happy Hour!
[Top image: A streetcar in Portland, Oregon, by Adams Carroll / Flickr. ]
