Streetcar Revival Is Wavering in Some US Cities

[ukw]

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/18/bu...me-cities.html

WASHINGTON — First, suburban Arlington, Va., abandoned long-laid plans last fall to build a streetcar line its leaders hoped would help revitalize a neglected corridor.

Now, across the Potomac, the District of Columbia is rethinking the whole idea, after spending $160 million to bring the trolleys back to the nation’s capital, after more than half a century.

Just a few years ago, the streetcar revival was all the rage in cities across the country. Portland, Ore., seemingly set the trend with its 11.5-mile system, which opened in 2001 and was said to spur economic development while carrying 16,000 passengers on weekdays.

Elsewhere, New Orleans is extending its streetcar lines, while Atlanta, Tucson and Salt Lake City have also moved ahead with similar systems, almost always pegged to the promise of transit-related economic growth.

“The overall trend is very much on the side of streetcars,” said Art Guzzetti, vice president for policy of the American Public Transportation Association, an industry group. “That doesn’t mean every project in the planning stage is going to happen. In the long run, there will be a lot of projects built.”

Yet, while several cities inaugurate new systems or expand older ones, the streetcar revolution, faced with fiscal and operational challenges, has stalled elsewhere. Last July, San Antonio abandoned its planned streetcar system after a change in mayors, reallocating to other projects the $92 million it had set aside.

Even the most ardent streetcar supporters acknowledge that the challenges are daunting, though they argue that the rewards far outweigh the costs in terms of the economic development and quality of life that make cities more livable and attractive.

Comment:

Go spend a couple of days in Munich using its multi-layered public transportation system and you will understand what an awful public transportation system you have. Look at the dedicated bike lanes.

We are full of excuses and always hear we have no money to build a first-rate public transit system.

[dave8721]

We have not been able to get a single planned street car system actually going here in Miami Just busses designed to look like trolleys. Many plans, none have come to fruition. And of course lots and lots of studies done.

[UrbanImpact]

Originally Posted by dave8721

We have not been able to get a single planned street car system actually going here in Miami Just busses designed to look like trolleys. Many plans, none have come to fruition. And of course lots and lots of studies done.

Fort Lauderdale's streetcar system is going into construction this year!


http://wavestreetcar.com/yahoo_site_...571343_std.jpg

[the urban politician]

Milwaukee, St Louis, and (I think) Cincy's are all moving forward

[Cirrus]

This is totally an example of elitist east coast media bias. Streetcars are wavering in the DC area, so therefore there must be a national trend.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Milwaukee, St Louis, and (I think) Cincy's are all moving forward

kansas city's and detroit's streetcar projects are going forward as well.

that makes 5 cities in the midwest with active streetcar projects either under construction or soon to be.

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by Cirrus

This is totally an example of elitist east coast media bias. Streetcars are wavering in the DC area, so therefore there must be a national trend.

In fairness, the article doesn't seem to be claiming that the issues is some cities is a national trend. The title simply states that some cities' streetcar plans are having trouble, and the passage "Yet, while several cities inaugurate new systems or expand older ones, the streetcar revolution, faced with fiscal and operational challenges, has stalled elsewhere." also states simply that some cities are moving forward with streetcars and progress in some cities has stalled.

In fact, the article quotes an APTA official saying “The overall trend is very much on the side of streetcars,”

[Cirrus]

I suppose, but this is one of those times where the tone doesn't quite match the exact words. You are meant to read this and think "trouble."

[electricron]

"Some" cities surely doesn't mean "all" cities.

While the Times' article lists many recent disappointments, it didn't list all of them. Their article didn't mention many streetcar projects that are proceeding, but that wasn't the point of the article.
Propganda doesn't have to include false statements, it can be achieved by limiting the article's scope. We all have to get more familiar with the idea that most news reporters, editors, and publishers are more interested in expressing political viewpoints than just reporting the latest news. Almost every story you may read in them are slanted one way or another.

[LAsam]

Originally Posted by UrbanImpact

Fort Lauderdale's streetcar system is going into construction this year!


http://wavestreetcar.com/yahoo_site_...571343_std.jpg

Now they just need to run a line east down Las Olas to the beach

[philatonian]

SEPTA is upgrading its streetcars (the most extensive trolley system in the U.S.) and might even be reopening portions of the Germantown and Center City lines.

http://www.phillymag.com/citified/20...phia-trolleys/

[eleven=11]

is the Ft Lauderdale streetcar still coming??
I hear its being canceled for political reasons(not good ones)
just like the Miami mayor trying to kill the tri-rail expansion.......

[Doady]

I think streetcar should be modernized (i.e. "light rail transit"). Look at the new streetcars in Toronto. 100 feet long, all-door boarding... and before that some existing lines were upgraded to operate in ROW. Even in Toronto, it is 21st century now.

Streetcar should be for actual transit riders. Look at the convoluted routing of that Ft. Lauderdale streetcar. Who is that supposed to serve?

[tayser]

^ that was going to be my comment... it's like dog's leg bus route trying to do too many things at once, but on rails....?

[Nexis4Jersey]

The St. Louis line also is strange , a modern BRT bus would do the job. Either build a large scale tram network or don't even bother. These tiny lines often have low ridership and are used by the right to demonize and make it harder for future expansions. Tacoma is another junk line that has sat stagnant for over 10 years with no expansions intill recently.

[202_Cyclist]

DC's streetcar lives on for another day! The American Public Transportation Association expert panel that was reviewing the feasibility of the H Street streetcar for DDOT found no overwhelming flaws that would prevent it from operating.

Breaking: Review says H Street Streetcar will be able to open
http://greatergreaterwashington.org/...-able-to-open/

[soleri]

Streetcars function very well in some cities, particularly in Europe. In most American cities, streetcars share the road with cars, which in terms of traffic management makes their construction significantly more expensive than 100 years ago. I marvel at how effective they were as a transportation mode before cars completely dominated cities and how cheap they used to be. Even here in Portland, the success of new lines is still incomplete. Maybe someday the pay-off will come when density gets high enough, and driving more onerous, that streetcars will transition from urban bauble to a necessary public good.

[hipster duck]

A streetcar system is a bit like a house with a pool. It's useful if you buy a house that already has one, but it's not worth building one from scratch.

There are two obvious shortcomings to introducing a new transportation mode in a city that doesn't already have it. The first are physical and logistical shortcomings; you have to build a separate maintenance center and have a dedicated team of maintenance staff and drivers, as well as parts, electrical substations, etc.

The second, more overlooked drawback is that if you don't already have a streetcar system, you don't have a streetcar operation culture, and you also have a target for political attacks and interference.

Toronto is just as likely as any American city to use transit as a political football. But because streetcars have been operating continuously for 120 years, rebuilding an existing streetcar line, or making small additions to the existing network, doesn't come under political fire. Streetcar tracks are continuously being rebuilt, and given the economies of scale, and the lack of political interference, construction engineers in that city have streetcar construction down to a science. They can remove and replace miles of streetcar track within one construction season; they can close down a busy intersection and rebuild an interlocking with 8 switches in 2 weekends. This is not unlike any other non-political construction project, like widening a road or replacing a sewer line.

[philatonian]

Originally Posted by soleri

Streetcars function very well in some cities, particularly in Europe. In most American cities, streetcars share the road with cars, which in terms of traffic management makes their construction significantly more expensive than 100 years ago. I marvel at how effective they were as a transportation mode before cars completely dominated cities and how cheap they used to be. Even here in Portland, the success of new lines is still incomplete. Maybe someday the pay-off will come when density gets high enough, and driving more onerous, that streetcars will transition from urban bauble to a necessary public good.

Good point. And it's not just the cost of construction. In older east coast cities, trolleys can be a bit burdensome when they share the road with cars because some of the streets are really narrow. Buses can better maneuver through and around traffic, but trolleys are fixed. It's kind of a pain to get stuck behind them.

[philatonian]

Originally Posted by Doady

I think streetcar should be modernized (i.e. "light rail transit"). Look at the new streetcars in Toronto. 100 feet long, all-door boarding... and before that some existing lines were upgraded to operate in ROW. Even in Toronto, it is 21st century now.

Streetcar should be for actual transit riders. Look at the convoluted routing of that Ft. Lauderdale streetcar. Who is that supposed to serve?

The modern streetcars look like a combination of a trolley and a light rail, like the ones Portland uses. Philadelphia's getting rid of the old one-car trolleys that are essentially buses on tracks and replacing them with longer, flexible, lowering ones.

I could see the vintage ones operating in the tourist areas, but the bus-sized ones get very crowded and aren't very accessible.

I don't know what's going on in FTL. The state is very anti-public transportation, especially rails, and the Miami area is far more progressive. The state seems to keep screwing them over for political reasons.