Mayor Dave Cieslewicz announced Thursday he would require a binding referendum on his streetcar proposal in response to recent criticism from his opponents in the April mayoral election.

According to a release from the mayor's office, the referendum will occur after the Streetcar Study Committee completes its research on the costs and benefits of the system.

The mayor's ad hoc committee will discuss how the streetcar study fits in with both Madison Metro and Transport 2020, another city initiative seeking to help broaden public transportation, the release said.

"I won't go ahead with streetcars unless they make sense for Madison and have the support of the public," Cieslewicz said in the release. "We need to give the Streetcar Study Committee the opportunity to fully develop a proposal so that the public can make an informed decision about whether or not this is right for Madison."

According to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, the mayor is responding directly to a release from opponent Peter Muñoz, who asked for significant public input on the streetcar idea.

However, opponent Ray Allen said the referendum is unnecessary because the bottom line is Madison taxpayers do not want streetcars and the city cannot afford them, anyway.

"There will already be a referendum on trolleys, and it's the mayoral election," Allen said. "There's no need for a referendum — if you vote for me in April, it's a 'No' vote, and if you vote for Dave, it's a 'Yes.'"

Madison resident Mike Roach, who studies mass transit and founded the informal "Stop the Trolleys" campaign, said Cieslewicz's announcement of a referendum is "good news." The call for a referendum will show how the public feels about the hotly debated topic, Roach said.

He added the decision was a concession by the mayor, who has defended his streetcar idea since 2006.

Verveer said streetcars are not only a debated topic among Madison residents but in the City Council as well.

"Frankly, I don't know how much support there is on the City Council," Verveer said. "It's such a big deal because it's such an expensive proposal, … but it seems to me that it's probably too early to have an election on something that is still being discussed in committee."

Courtney Johnson contributed to this report.