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IS ALBUQUERQUE THE RIGHT PLACE FOR A STREETCAR? THAT IS THE QUESTION TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS ARE TRYING ANSWER. SOME NEW IDEAS WERE KICKED AROUND TODAY ABOUT THE PROGRAM - WHICH HAS YET TO GET ON TRACK. JEFF MAHER IS LIVE NEAR 1ST AND CENTRAL TO TELL US WHAT'S BEING DISCUSSED. JEFF? THE INITIAL PLANS FOR THE STREETCAR PROGRAM WERE BIG - TO HAVE IT RUN UP CENTRAL FROM THE RIVER TO U-N-M AND EVEN OVER TO THE SUNPORT. BUT NOW THERE'S TALK OF SCALING IT BACK - TO BETTER HELP THE STREETCAR BECOME A REALITY IN ALBUQUERQUE. 'the streetcar has never gone away entirely, the idea is still out there, it's still supported by quite a few people, we as a task force are trying to analyze whether the conditions for the streetcar exist here in Albuquerque'CITY COUNCILOR ISAAC BENTON SAYS ALBUQUERQUE'S STREET CAR PROGRAM WOULD LOOK A LOT LIKE THE ONE IN PORTLAND. IT'S NOT AN OLD FASHIONED-LOOKING TROLLEY. IT WOULD HAVE MODERN EQUIPMENT, AND BE A HIGH CAPACITY, HEAVY VEHICLE THAT WOULD RUN ALONG WITH REGULAR TRAFFIC JUST LIKE A BUS. AND IT WOULD BE COSTLY TO BUILD - ABOUT 28 MILLION DOLLARS PER MILE. BUT WITH GAS PRICES SO HIGH, BENTON SAYS THE COST MAY BE WORTH IT. 'we may be presenting alternatives to the original proposal but the idea of a streetcar may still be on the table'THE ORIGINAL PLAN THAT WAS PUT ON HOLD BY THE CITY COUNCIL CALLED FOR A 12 MILE ROUTE. NOW, THE PLANS FOR THE ROUTE HAVE BEEN SCALED BACK TO GO FROM DOWNTOWN TO THE UNIVERSITY AREA - OR DOWNTOWN TO THE RIVER. PROJECT PLANNERS ALSO NEED TO FIGURE OUT IF ENOUGH PEOPLE LIVE ALONG THAT ROUTE TO MAKE IT WORK. 'there does need to be a minimum amount of density in the area - walkable to the streetcar in order for it to be successful''the money can be used on other things - there's a lot of people who need work, need to be fed before we get a streetcar out here''I think it would be instrumental for everyone, I think it would be helpful with gas prices being what they are and trying to get around in this city is hard enough as it is - even with the buses' COUNCILOR BENTON SAYS PROJECT PLANNERS ARE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO FUND THE THE STREETCAR SYSTEM... THEY HAVE UNTIL SEPTEMBER TO COME UP WITH A PROPOSAL. LIVE DOWNTOWN. JEFF MAHER. EYEWITNESS NEWS FOUR.