2010 [survey of streetcar cities]

The Charles Street Trolley Corporation (CSTC) is studying the feasibility of a 7-mile streetcar line on Charles Street to connect the Inner Harbor with Johns Hopkins University. Charles Street is the original main street of Baltimore and links historic neighborhoods, world-class cultural, religious and educational institutions, the convention center, and two stadiums. In addition, Charles Street has recently been designated a federal scenic byway.

CSTC, a private non-profit organization, is the primary project sponsor and includes representatives from the business and residential community, institutions, Baltimore City and Maryland Transit Administration. Work on the project, which began in 2005, includes a feasibility study, ridership estimate, alignment study, community outreach, plan of finance and preliminary engineering.
Massachusetts

Lowell

Contact: Christina Briggs, Planning and Grant Program Manager, Lowell National Historical

Park, 978-275-1725, Christina_Briggs@nps.gov

Adam Baacke, Assistant City Manager, City of Lowell, 978-446-7200,

ABaacke@ci.lowell.ma.us

Updated 8/30/2010

The Lowell National Historical Park (LNHP) is proposing to expand its historic trolley line to create a heritage trolley transit system in downtown Lowell, Massachusetts. The LNHP in cooperation with the Lowell Plan, the City of Lowell, Northern Middlesex Council of Governments, and Seashore Trolley Museum is currently undertaking a Phase 1 Trolley Extension Alternatives Development Study. The 1.5-mile Phase 1 extension will create a new linear transit corridor extending from Gallagher Transportation Terminal to the University of Massachusetts North, South, and East Campuses. The project will involve the development of two new alignments at two ends of the existing park transit system: 1) Swamp Locks to Gallagher Terminal, and 2) French Street to U. Mass South Campus This will serve as Phase 1 of a planned larger system that will serve multiple destinations in and around downtown Lowell.

The study objectives include: development of alternatives and service plan for Phase I extension of trolley service, identification of potential funding sources for the trolley service, and determination of the potential economic development impacts associated with the development of trolley service in Lowell in the Gallagher Terminal to Fox Hall (University of Massachusetts) corridor. TranSystems/Stone Consulting and Design was selected as the project consultant to undertake the feasibility study. Study completion is expected in October 2010. Funding for engineering design of the Phase 1 system is being sought through the National Park Service Alternative Transportation Parks and Public Lands Program (ATPPL).

The Lowell National Historical Park currently operates a 1.5-mile heritage streetcar line in downtown Lowell as part of its visitor transportation system. The Gomaco Corporation of Ida Grove, Iowa, built the Park’s fleet of trolleys. Two open-car trolleys were designed as replicas of trolleys build by the J.G. Brill Company for the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway Company. The third trolley is a closed-car, authentic reproduction of a 4100 series car built by the St. Louis and Laconia Car Company for the Bay State Railway Company. Through a partnership with the Seashore Trolley Museum, the Park also operates an historic New Orleans Streetcar #966 on its system. The current system is primarily used for Park interpretive tours.

From 2003 to 2007, the Interurban Transit Partnership (The Rapid) conducted an Alternatives Analysis in order to implement high capacity transit in Grand Rapids. The Rapid’s Alternatives Analysis identified two projects that formed a “first steps” strategy. One “first step” project identified was the South Division Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. The second project identified was a downtown streetcar circulator, just under 2 miles in length and located in downtown Grand Rapids. A study body, the Public Transportation Tomorrow (PTT) Task Force, was formed comprising of community leaders under the aegis of The Rapid. The Task Force undertook a study to determine the feasibility of a streetcar system in greater Grand Rapids.  In June 2008, The Rapid approved the Feasibility Report as recommended by the PTT. The Report reviewed ridership potential, development potential, possible alignments and destinations that might need to be served by such a system. Additionally, the Report identifies the need for the construction of the first segment of a streetcar system in Grand Rapids under a public/private partnership process, much like the Portland model. The Report also identified the first alignment, the cost and the economic development potential of the service, ridership projections as well as a timeline for construction based upon a financing model.  A Streetcar Nonprofit Committee operating under a Non-Profit organization continues to oversee the activities related to funding and construction of the initial 1.7-mile corridor as well as future extensions. In 2011, The Rapid will be conducting environmental analysis and further technical assessment of the Streetcar route based upon the recommendations of the completed Feasibility study.   

The Loop Trolley: The Loop Trolley Company is in final engineering for a 2.2-mile historic trolley line from Forest Park to the Loop, an entertainment, retail, and restaurant district on the western edge of St. Louis and in University City. The City of St. Louis was a recipient of a $24.9 million urban circulator grant for the project.

The total cost of the project is projected to be $44 million. The project reached 30 percent engineering in January 2010. In addition in 2008 voters approved a transportation development district along the corridor which assesses a 1 percent general sales tax to support local funding of the project. Construction could start in 2011 with projected opening of the line could be as early as late 2012.
Nebraska

Omaha

Contact: Gerald Kopiasz, Executive Commissioner, Omaha Streetcar, 402-598-6641,

Gerald@omahastreetcar.com

Updated 12/9/2008

Omaha Streetcar: The proposed Omaha Streetcar is a rail project. A study funded by Heritage Services, an Omaha-based philanthropic foundation, was recently completed, entailing a downtown alignment and tasking the local government with following up on next steps. The local government supports the study; however, there is no anticipated completion date yet this early in the project. The City Council recently approved a financial study for the proposed streetcar system in conjunction with an update downtown master plan. Federal funding will not be sought on the first phase. Omaha Streetcar is the grassroots organization behind the effort to bring streetcars to Omaha. There is no streetcar currently operating in Omaha.
Nevada

Reno

Contact: David Jickling, Director of Public Transportation, Regional Transportation Commission, 775-335-1902, djickling@rtcwashoe.com

Information Provided by: David Davies, Shiels Obletz Johnsen, 503-242-0084, david@sojpdx.com

Updated 9/27/2010

The Washoe County Regional Transportation Commission and the City of Reno are studying the 5.7 mile South Virginia Street Corridor and the feasibility of bringing streetcar service back to the Reno area.  Connecting the University of Nevada, Reno at north end of the corridor to downtown, the convention center, over 8,800 hotel rooms and a regional mall at the southern end, the potential alignment would likely be built in multiple phases with a mix of local and federal funding sources.  An economic analysis of the corridor, land uses and development patterns predicts the corridor would see over $1.5 billion in new investment along the alignment from new streetcar service.  The modern streetcar service could supplement existing Bus Rapid Transit service (BRT) or replace the BRT and allow that service to serve another transit corridor in the area.  The feasibility study is underway and is expected to be completed Spring 2011.

Planning and design is underway for Albuquerque’s Modern Streetcar project.  This system will move people along the Central Avenue corridor between the BioPark and Nob Hill, and from the University of New Mexico to the Albuquerque International Sunport.  This exciting project will feature state-of-the-art electric streetcars running along these routes.

The Modern Streetcar project will allow Albuquerque to continue moving forward as a premier destination city by creating more walkable communities, connecting neighborhoods, stimulating the local economy, and providing a direct route from the Sunport to the Alvarado Transportation Center.  There, people can connect to the Rail Runner and City of Albuquerque Public Transit System. Albuquerque is still in the conceptual stages of this project. The project is currently on hold. 
North Carolina

Charlotte

Contact: John Mrzygod, Project Manager, 704-336-2245, jmrzygod@ci.charlotte.nc.us  

Updated 10/14/2010

Charlotte Streetcar Project: The 10 mile, 37 stop, streetcar transit line will connect East and West Charlotte to Uptown.  Reminiscent of Charlotte’s trolley lines in the early 20^th century, the Charlotte Streetcar is conceived to be an electric-powered, steel-wheeled streetcar system utilizing modern vehicle technology based on the European "tram", capable of operating in the street with mixed traffic.  The streetcar line would replace three of the four highest ridership bus routes, including the Gold Rush Red Line, and interconnect four transit centers while improving overall operational efficiency.

In early 2009, Charlotte City Council decided to advance the 10 mile project in an effort to not only better prepare the project for any federal funding that might become available, but to better understand how design elements such as subsurface utilities, propulsions systems and alignment affect the project. That effort will be complete by the end of 2010. Advancing the project further will depend upon future funding and coordination with other City transit projects.

In the upcoming years, the City will implement its first segment of streetcar made possible by the Urban Circulator Grant awarded in July 2010. The alignment will go from Presbyterian Hospital to the Charlotte Transportation Center, a 1.5 mile project that includes a ½ mile of track already constructed. Six stops will serve nearby transit, business, health care, educational and entertainment facilities including Central Piedmont Community College (the state’s largest community college) and Time Warner Cable Arena (Charlotte Bobcats). The total cost of the project is $37 million.

The City of Charlotte is the primary sponsor of the project.  Design and construction will be implemented by Engineering and Property Management (EPM) while operations and maintenance will be performed by Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS). EPM and CATS are both business units within the City of Charlotte organization.

Winston-Salem is currently operating a limited-route trolley on vintage-looking rubber-tire vehicles. The rail streetcar project should replace the limited-route trolley, a van shuttle system that is currently used between the Medical Center and Research Park, and some other shuttle services between various major downtown employers with multiple sites.

The Cincinnati Streetcar Project will transform the City’s urban core by connecting the Central Business District to two redeveloping neighborhoods just north of Downtown: Over-the-Rhine (OTR), a low-income, minority community; and Uptown, the region’s second largest employment center and home to the University of Cincinnati. Phase 1 consists of seven modern streetcars operating at 10-minute peak and 20-minute off peak headways along a 3.9 mile Downtown/OTR circulator route with a one mile connector to Uptown. Future phases would include a circulator in the Uptown area and connections to other City neighborhoods and intercity passenger rail station.

Approximately 90% of the $128 Million Phase 1 cost has been identified. This includes up to $64 million in City bond proceeds, funding through the Ohio Department of Transportation, and local MPO funding. In July 2010, the Cincinnati Streetcar received $25 Million in federal funding as one of six streetcar projects to be awarded a grant through the Urban Circulator Grant Program. The project will be delivered by Cincinnati Streetcar Development Partners, a team of nationally recognized transportation professionals and local small businesses including Parsons Brinckerhoff, HDR Inc., Stacy and Witbeck Inc., and PNC Bank. The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) is partnering with the City to operate the system. Review of the Environmental Assessment for the project is currently underway by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), with completion expected by early 2011. Operations are expected to begin in early 2013.

Depending on the level of fares, ridership is estimated between 3,000 to 6,000 trips per day. The 2007 Cincinnati Streetcar Feasibility Study conducted by HDR, Inc. estimated that the Cincinnati Streetcar will aid in the redevelopment of up to 1,135 housing units and 92 acres of land currently devoted to parking. In addition, it will allow for the development of up to 7.4 million square feet of new office and retail space.

The project consists of a 7.7 mile demonstration center city streetcar circulator designed (i) to connect the downtown government and business district (with over 100,000 workers) with seven nearby mixed use districts and (ii) to serve as a catalyst for over $500 million in new development. North, south, east and west loops are planned, with the four loops sharing double track on High Street. A streetcar specific TOD strategy has been completed for a concurrent economic development program based upon the renovation of over 800,000 sq. ft. of existing building space as well as form based new construction. Ridership is conservatively projected at over 5000 people daily. More than 4000 new permanent jobs will be created.

Initial evaluation, preliminary design, and project cost estimates were completed during 2006-2007 in conjunction with Mayor Coleman’s Streetcar Working Group. Through private sector initiatives, planning for project implementation and developing of financing strategies have been ongoing since that time. A public/private partnership that includes the State of Ohio and the City of Columbus is required. Construction costs are estimated at $120 million. The project would seek approximately one third of these costs from FTA’s Small Starts Program. The project could be operational in 2013.

Dayton

Contact: Mark Donaghy, Executive Director, Greater Dayton RTA, (937) 425-8390,

mdonaghy@greaterdaytonrta.org

Updated 9/20/2010

Greater Dayton RTA has taken the lead on the project. A new study was completed in August 2008 revising the original planned alignments and focusing on a starter segment of 2 miles. The proposed alignment connects the University of Dayton Campus with the Central Business District of Dayton through a corridor recently designated as Ohio’s Aerospace Hub. A review of capital cost projections was completed in January 2009. Dayton’s existing and active electric trolleybus infrastructure is a key advantage for the proposed system.

The project is one of several transportation improvements recommended for action by a local group of business and community leaders in the recently released report titled the “Greater Dayton Downtown Plan”. The plan was developed to guide the city in a revitalization of its downtown through a set of actionable goals and objectives which will spur growth and redefine a future direction.

Focus at this point is on identifying support for operational funding of the project due to the continued decline of the local dedicated transit funding source (sales tax). Research is planned in early 2010 to assist in that effort.