AP: Cities’ interest in streetcars reignited with stimulus transit funding
The Associated Press just reported an interesting article about how there is a revival among U.S. cities of interest in installing street car lines.
Click here to read it.
Bolstered by President Obama’s support for transit options, cities are lining up for federal economic stimulus grants to install streetcar lines, which they hope will provide transportation options and yield economic development benefits.
Opponents say the federal grants are just making the fact that the public will have to subsidize the operations of the streetcars, which aren’t a practical transportation option.
The article mentions the streetcar in Portland, which runs from Northwest Portland in the Pearl District down to the new South Waterfront.
What do you think?
Oh, in case you’re interested, here is a map of the old Bellingham trolley lines:
November 4th, 2009 at 11:42 am
Interesting!
Does this blog format allow forwarding of your posts to others on my email list?
November 4th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Sure, just click on the blog post headline and then copy to URL. You can send that out.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
So amazing to see the extensive streetcar system Bellingham once had. Imagine if that were still around.
In terms of cities subsidizing the operation costs: how do folks think we maintain our streets and bridges? One time federal grants support lots of projects, but the burden comes down to local gov’t to manage most projects that were once helped out by the feds. Streetcars are extremely expensive when you look at cost per-mile-of-track, but the benefits of the economic growth along streetcar lines is enormous. And, like in Portland, the economic growth and ridership levels keep on growing. They haven’t stopped growing– and a lot of the track was laid in some of the most depressed, undeveloped parts of town.
November 4th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
The line in NW Portland starts it looks like 21st Street, cross the west side freeway and then goes into the Pearl District.
The bigest expense is in acquiring right-of-ways, their are still a number of ROW’s that are intact. the The Cold Storage ROW from GP Site out to Hannigan by way of Squalicum Bvld. is one. We need to keep them.
November 5th, 2009 at 11:22 am
Ah, you’re right. When I looked closer at it it does indeed start up in Northwest Portland and then goes through the Pearl District. Have you had a chance to ride it? It rode it once while visiting a friend who lived up off of 25th Street. It was quite fun.
November 6th, 2009 at 8:48 am
No i haven’t rode it yet. glad to hear that it was fun. Haven’t been back to Portland recently.Describe what made it fun?
In the 60’s I rode the St. Charles Line in N.O. 4 times a day. Straight l ine, down a greenways. The ride was…comforting, that is the pleasure sustained the spirit.
ROW’s with natural buffer, few curb cuts, few sharp turns, welded track: these add to the experience.
Victor remarked, “Streetcars are extremely expensive when you look at cost per-mile-of-track.”
The major costs od laying track is the purchasing of ROW and creating a rail bed. The Dewey Valley to the GP site ROW has few curb cuts, has natural buffer, few sharp turns, rail bed. It needs to be preserved for future use.
In the meanwhile the WTA stuggles to hold on to the important improvements they recently added to the system.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Oh, I just thought it was nice to kick back and ride through town, rather than having to try to find parking when we got down to Pioneer Square area, where parking is tough and really expensive. It was also more modern when I heard the streetcar. I guess I was picturing something touristy like the San Francisco cars, but it was very modern and clean.