(The following editorial by Mike Norman appeared in the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram.) Time for a Fort Worth streetcar update -- or, as I call it, the local obsession that won't go away.

The latest: We've got cost and ridership projections from the city's consultant, HDR Engineering of Omaha, Neb. On Oct. 5, HDR is scheduled to give an update to the City Council, including the firm's recommendation for which of six proposed streetcar routes would be the best one to start with.

The routes, which HDR has been studying since April under an $821,000 city contract, all begin downtown. They are:

• Jennings Avenue to the medical district, 2 miles.

• North Main Street to the Trinity River Vision area, 1.4 miles.

• South Main Street to West Magnolia Avenue and Eighth Avenue, 3.2 miles.

• South Main Street to Rosedale Street and Evans Avenue, 2.2 miles.

• Trinity Bluff, along Pecan Street, North Elm Street and Samuels Avenue, 2.2 miles.

• West Seventh Street to Montgomery Street, 3 miles.

Charles Hales, HDR's project manager, says all would have enough ridership to make them viable routes, but that doesn't mean they all are equally desirable. If Fort Worth is to have streetcars -- the City Council won't answer that question until November -- it will have to start with the route that has the greatest chance of drawing riders and spurring development. Initial success is crucial, and cost is always a consideration.

HDR says the South Main/Magnolia route likely would attract the most people, about 3,300 to 3,600 a day at the expected startup in 2015. Next is Jennings Avenue, with 2,700 to 2,950 riders a day. Those two routes stand out in ridership because they run between the Trinity Railway Express stations downtown and the hospitals in the Medical District, which are big employment generators.

The West Seventh route comes in third, with 2,150 to 2,350 riders a day in 2015.

But even though South Main/Magnolia might have the most riders, it's also the longest and most expensive at $138.3 million. That figure is driven up by the expected $4 million cost of needed upgrades to the Main Street underpass at Interstate 30 and the Union Pacific railroad.

The West Seventh route is the second-longest and next most expensive, $128.8 million. Its cost is driven up by $1.25 million for both temporary and permanent upgrades to the railroad crossing just west of the Trinity River.

The South Main/Rosedale route carries an expected cost of $105.9 million, and the Jennings Avenue route $98.5 million.

So, do you pick the route with the most ridership or the one with the lowest cost? Neither, says HDR. Hales, who has worked on similar projects all over the country, has said that streetcars are "fundamentally an economic stimulus project."

That means the goal is to add to the tax rolls. How much real estate development could be expected within what Hales calls the streetcar "influence zone" extending out a quarter-mile either side of the tracks (about how far people typically are willing to walk to catch a ride)? HDR has worked the problem from that angle, too.

The prize for total value added within 15 years of startup goes to the West Seventh route, $925 million. South Main/Magnolia is second at $760 million and dark horse Trinity Bluff hits $745 million.

Then comes the real bottom line. Fort Worth doesn't have the money to build any of these routes. A $25-million federal grant is still on the table to help with the downtown circulator portion shared by all, but the city still can't afford the rest. Enter Hales again. Between now and November, it's his job to see if the money can be found. Rightfully, he's talking with landowners and developers, the people who stand to make a lot of money if streetcar lines are built. How much are they willing to pay to get on board?

And which route would get the most financial support from deep-pocket individuals should it be chosen as the starter route? For any of those folks who are interested, it's time to contact Hales.