Mayor Dave Cieslewicz announced earlier this month he will no longer pursue streetcars as a means of fixing the city’s growing transportation problem.

“There’s an old saying in politics: ‘When you’ve dug yourself into a hole, the first thing you do is drop the shovel,’” Cieslewicz said in a statement. “So I have decided that I will not continue to pursue the issue of streetcars in Madison. The issue is off the table.”

The mayor admitted one of the reasons behind backing off the plan was the lack of consensus throughout the city. He said it became clear this summer that Madison taxpayers were growing weary of the mounting bills the streetcar referendum was amassing.

Still, Cieslewicz does want to continue finding ways to address the Madison area’s transportation problem. In the next few years, estimates already congested roads will be filled with thousands more vehicles. But for now, the mayor said he will be turning his attention to more important matters, such as public safety and other issues plaguing downtown.