Yesterday the City Council took a step toward a sound policy regarding the proposed South Lake Union streetcar. They approved a "virtual ban on spending city money for the proposed $45 million project." This is a welcome development, especially given that the city has so many higher transportation priorities: city streets are estimated to need $500 million in repairs.

However, the council did not ban the streetcar altogether, which leaves open the door to a privately funded streetcar, or one funded by a special property tax levy on businesses near the line (which would supposedly benefit from the streetcar's presence).

Hopefully the council will follow up this ordinance with ones that require any streetcar to run without city subsidy and to pay mitigation fees to the city for use of city right of way.