July 25, 201410 yr Tucson streetcar up and running: Seems like it has a lot more turns that Cincinnati's. Yeah, you can see the route on google maps. It does a zig-zag through the street grid to connect points that are diagonal to one another. I think Cincinnati's will be known as the best of all of the new streetcar phase 1's.
July 26, 201410 yr Yeah, you can see the route on google maps. It does a zig-zag through the street grid to connect points that are diagonal to one another. I think Cincinnati's will be known as the best of all of the new streetcar phase 1's. The more I see other cities' Phase 1 streetcar routes, the more I think Cincinnati's is going to be superior in most ways. Our has very few turns by comparison (look at the Fort Lauderdale streetcar for an example of way too many turns) and has a basic out-and-back loop, not a giant one-way People Mover-esque circle
July 28, 201410 yr July 28, 2014 at 9:16 am Construction work begins on M-1 Rail streetcar project in Detroit Leonard N. Fleming The Detroit News Detroit— Work on the long-anticipated M-1 Rail streetcar line is underway in the city’s downtown as a large portion of Woodward Avenue was closed off Monday morning while workers began cutting concrete. From Grand Circus Park to Campus Martius, orange construction barrels, metal barricades and fencing blocked off access to the roadway as workers wearing yellow reflective vests and white hard hats prepared to begin the first phase of the public transit project, which is expected to last four months. At Woodward and Grand River, concrete-cutting machinery was rolled out while a bulldozer was parked just north of West Adams Monday. Work on the $137 million, 3.3-mile line project, which is expected to take two years and stretch from downtown to New Center, will at times shut down parts of Woodward and two interstate bridges. From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140728/METRO05/307280055#ixzz38m6myaJB Michigan By Rail @michiganbyrail 15m Historic day in #Detroit today, as construction on @M1RAIL officially starts "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 30, 201410 yr Streetcars Keep Winning Scramble for Federal Mass Transit Project Funding By Tom Curry Posted at 1:49 p.m. on July 29, 2014 In the competition for urban transit funding, light rail and streetcars are winning and buses remain runners up. Last week the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) celebrated the opening of the $196.5 million Sun Link Streetcar line in Tucson, Ariz., paid for in part by a $63 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant – a legacy of the 2009 stimulus act, and $19.7 million in other Department of Transportation money. Although more capital intensive than bus systems, light rail and street cars dominate the list of 53 mass transit projects being funded or under consideration in the FTA’s New Starts program. Of the 53 projects, 30 of them were light rail or street car projects, and only 18 were “bus rapid transit” (BRT) – that is, buses running in a dedicated lane which is closed to other traffic. The remainder were old-fashioned heavy rail projects. READ MORE AT: http://blogs.rollcall.com/the-container/federal-streetcar-funding-mass-transit/?dcz "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 6, 201410 yr This doesn't affect the first phase of the KC streetcar which is already under construction. I think it was too soon to put this on the ballot. The first phase should have been operational and demonstrating its benefits before asking voters for an expansion. The Kansas City Star @KCStar 17m KC voters defeat proposal to create a transportation development district for an expanded streetcar system. More at http://www.kansascity.com . "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 13, 201410 yr Now this is leadership! TransportationNation @TransportNation 9m The mayor of Phoenix wants to triple the city's light rail mileage: http://bit.ly/1p5Z7TN "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
September 3, 201410 yr Tuesday, September 02, 2014 Minneapolis grudgingly OKs Southwest LRT Written by Douglas John Bowen Despite publicly stated misgivings, the Minneapolis City Council has voted to approve a compromise package advancing the Twin Cities Southwest Light Rail Transit line, linking Minneapolis with Eden Prairie, Minn. The controversial line, essentially the fourth LRT route for the Twin Cities, has generated the most controversy within the region, as numerous parties sparred over a choice of routes, choice of infrastructure (tunneling vs. at grade), and other variables, including conflicts over light rail and freight rail priorities. But a compromise package was hammered out last July, with the Minneapolis City Council being in essence placing the final puzzle piece of approval into place late Friday, Aug. 29, 2014. READ MORE AT: http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/passenger/light-rail/minneapolis-grudgingly-oks-southwest-lrt.html?channel=61&utm_source=WhatCounts+Publicaster+Edition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=RGN+9.3.14&utm_content=Full+Article "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
September 4, 201410 yr So there's a group of us here in Louisville seeking to drum up support for a 5.5 mile loop between Main St in downtown Louisville and UofL's campus south of Old Louisville. Attached is a map I made of the route and attractions located along it. The group has a website with more information: http://ports90.wix.com/4th-st-streetcar I'm curious to hear/see what people may think of this?
September 4, 201410 yr http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/transportation/2014/08/31/new_ttc_streetcars_make_their_debut.html New TTC streetcars make their debut By: Kim Brown Staff Reporter, Published on Sun Aug 31 2014 Torontonians taking the Spadina streetcar might have noticed something different when they stepped on board today. That’s because the Toronto Transit Commission has finally launched the first of its new streetcars. For the first time in 30 years, a new generation of streetcars is being incorporated into the transit system in hopes of improving travel time and experience for customers. The low-floor streetcars, which are fully accessible, have a larger capacity, air conditioning and bright, easy-to-reach stop request buttons, were introduced on the 510 Spadina route Sunday. This route will also switch to a proof-of-payment system on old and new streetcars, meaning passengers with proof of payment can board at any door. “Customers will enjoy a smoother, quieter and more comfortable ride on the vehicle, which is jointly funded by the City of Toronto, Government of Ontario and Government of Canada,” the TTC said in a news release. In total, 204 streetcars will be deployed
September 5, 201410 yr So there's a group of us here in Louisville seeking to drum up support for a 5.5 mile loop between Main St in downtown Louisville and UofL's campus south of Old Louisville. Attached is a map I made of the route and attractions located along it. The group has a website with more information: http://ports90.wix.com/4th-st-streetcar I'm curious to hear/see what people may think of this? Downtown Louisville has a ton of potential, and besides the airport and hospital area I think downtown and UofL are the two largest employment centers in the metro area. The university seems to be becoming less of a commuter school, so it's nice to see that the growing on-campus student body has been connected to downtown jobs/entertainment/Yum! Center. Looks like the most realistic route I could think of. "SoBro" seems like it has a lot of potential for density, and Old Louisville is probably dense enough to make it worthwhile to connect through to the university. The more I look at it, the more I like it. And I may be wrong on this, but it seems like the Louisville political climate may be more open to the idea than Cincinnati is.
September 10, 201410 yr Actually a streetcar. And this is a larger expansion than Cincinnati's proposed Uptown extension..... Tacoma council selects seven stops for Link light rail expansion BY KATE MARTIN Staff writerSeptember 9, 2014 The Tacoma City Council unanimously approved a plan Tuesday that would study moving a Link light rail station from the Theater District to near Old City Hall. The decision was part of the council’s formal recommendation of seven possible stops for the 2.4-mile extension of the Link line. The council’s selection allows Sound Transit to apply for a $75 million federal grant to help pay for the roughly $165 million project. The seven stops will now be studied to see if the locations would serve enough riders, would present any construction obstacles or would cause environmental harm. Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/09/09/3370908_tacoma-council-selects-seven-stops.html?sp=/99/296/&rh=1#storylink=cpy "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
September 15, 201410 yr Actually a streetcar. And this is a larger expansion than Cincinnati's proposed Uptown extension..... Tacoma council selects seven stops for Link light rail expansion BY KATE MARTIN Staff writerSeptember 9, 2014 The Tacoma City Council unanimously approved a plan Tuesday that would study moving a Link light rail station from the Theater District to near Old City Hall. The decision was part of the council’s formal recommendation of seven possible stops for the 2.4-mile extension of the Link line. The council’s selection allows Sound Transit to apply for a $75 million federal grant to help pay for the roughly $165 million project. The seven stops will now be studied to see if the locations would serve enough riders, would present any construction obstacles or would cause environmental harm. Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/09/09/3370908_tacoma-council-selects-seven-stops.html?sp=/99/296/&rh=1#storylink=cpy Take note Cleveland they are going to Remove a station and move less than 1/4 miles down the line.
September 15, 201410 yr Actually a streetcar. And this is a larger expansion than Cincinnati's proposed Uptown extension..... Tacoma council selects seven stops for Link light rail expansion BY KATE MARTIN Staff writerSeptember 9, 2014 The Tacoma City Council unanimously approved a plan Tuesday that would study moving a Link light rail station from the Theater District to near Old City Hall. The decision was part of the council’s formal recommendation of seven possible stops for the 2.4-mile extension of the Link line. The council’s selection allows Sound Transit to apply for a $75 million federal grant to help pay for the roughly $165 million project. The seven stops will now be studied to see if the locations would serve enough riders, would present any construction obstacles or would cause environmental harm. Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/09/09/3370908_tacoma-council-selects-seven-stops.html?sp=/99/296/&rh=1#storylink=cpy Take note Cleveland they are going to Remove a station and move less than 1/4 miles down the line. I wonder if they will physically remove the station or just remove it from maps and post signs saying that it is no longer in use.
September 18, 201410 yr Portland lays ground work for southwest expansion of High capacity transit. http://www.oregonmetro.gov/news/southwest-corridor-study-scope-expected-be-set-june-9 TriMet is suggesting a study of a first-of-its-kind transit line for the Southwest Corridor, a two-branch line that would end in both Tigard and Tualatin. It's just one of the suggestions coming in as leaders get set to decide what warrants further study as part of the Southwest Corridor, a conceptual high-capacity transit line that would run from downtown Portland to Tigard and Tualatin. A comment period on the proposed study is one chance for the public to offer feedback on what should be studied as part of the Southwest Corridor's DEIS – draft environmental impact statement. That's an in-depth study of the transit line, to whittle down what would be the best option for a transit project. The comment period on the study ends Friday, but the elected officials who will choose what to advance in the study won't make a decision until June 9. The study will examine what will happen if nothing is done – the so-called "No Build Alternative." It'll also look at various possible routes, and study whether trains or buses would best serve the corridor. The draft plan includes study of a tunnel under OHSU, Hillsdale, a variety of routes to Portland Community College's Sylvania Campus and the Tigard Triangle and a few routes running to Tualatin. It will study whether to build a tunnel under Hillsdale, or whether a surface-level bus route best serves that community. It suggested ending studies of a bored tunnel connecting OHSU and Hillsdale, and suggested planners stop looking at whether to run transit down Hall Boulevard in Tigard. "We're looking to balance the further study of the most promising design options with the cost of studying more design options," said Malu Wilkinson, Metro's project manager for the Southwest Corridor study. "The more design options we have, the more expensive the study will be. So we try to balance that and take the great ones forward." - See more at: http://www.oregonmetro.gov/news/southwest-corridor-study-scope-expected-be-set-june-9#sthash.p3g6phg4.dpuf http://rim.oregonmetro.gov/webdrawer/rec/270514/view
September 18, 201410 yr Actually a streetcar. And this is a larger expansion than Cincinnati's proposed Uptown extension..... Tacoma council selects seven stops for Link light rail expansion BY KATE MARTIN Staff writerSeptember 9, 2014 The Tacoma City Council unanimously approved a plan Tuesday that would study moving a Link light rail station from the Theater District to near Old City Hall. The decision was part of the council’s formal recommendation of seven possible stops for the 2.4-mile extension of the Link line. The council’s selection allows Sound Transit to apply for a $75 million federal grant to help pay for the roughly $165 million project. The seven stops will now be studied to see if the locations would serve enough riders, would present any construction obstacles or would cause environmental harm. Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/09/09/3370908_tacoma-council-selects-seven-stops.html?sp=/99/296/&rh=1#storylink=cpy Take note Cleveland they are going to Remove a station and move less than 1/4 miles down the line. I wonder if they will physically remove the station or just remove it from maps and post signs saying that it is no longer in use. Completely removed.
October 14, 201410 yr Hopes rise again for future of Philadelphia rail tunnel http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/philly-train-tunnel-abandoned-rail-line-use-park-brt "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
October 20, 201410 yr Anti-rail forces in the Portland suburbs have succeeded at passing a light rail ban, almost identical to what COAST proposed in 2009 for Cincinnati: Light rail in Tualatin: Residents passing ballot measure requiring public vote on projects Tualatin voters in a Tuesday night special election were overwhelmingly passing Ballot Measure 34-220, which would prohibit the city from using its resources on the financing, design, construction or operation of light rail without first getting voters' approval.
October 20, 201410 yr Anti-rail forces in the Portland suburbs have succeeded at passing a light rail ban, almost identical to what COAST proposed in 2009 for Cincinnati: From the article it is not a ban, but would require voter approval to use money towards a light rail line.
October 20, 201410 yr Anti-rail forces in the Portland suburbs have succeeded at passing a light rail ban, almost identical to what COAST proposed in 2009 for Cincinnati: From the article it is not a ban, but would require voter approval to use money towards a light rail line. ^ While it is not technically an all-out ban, it is effectively a ban. How would the city put a light rail plan on the ballot without spending any money to put together the plan in the first place? Since the ballot issue restricted any resources being used on the "design" of a light rail system, I bet anti-rail folks would sue the city if they even started to put together a basic, lines-on-a-map plan. I guess, theoretically, the regional transit agency or some other agency could put together the plan and then the city could put it on the ballot. Additionally, a nearby city passed a similar ban that also included all "high-capacity transit projects" ... meaning that the city could not even support a BRT project without going to a public vote first.
October 21, 201410 yr ^It just sounds like another typical anti-rail conservative maneuver … and in the Portland region, one of America’s leading, progressive transit/LRT metro areas. I’d love seeing similar voter pre-approval measures for highway/freeway extensions in cites (esp freeway-addicted places like Cleveland). Conservatives (esp at places like ODOT) would likely riot.
October 22, 201410 yr ^It just sounds like another typical anti-rail conservative maneuver … and in the Portland region, one of America’s leading, progressive transit/LRT metro areas. I’d love seeing similar voter pre-approval measures for highway/freeway extensions in cites (esp freeway-addicted places like Cleveland). Conservatives (esp at places like ODOT) would likely riot. Wow, so the left leaning liberal people of Portland vote to have a say so on future lite-rail projects, and you still want to blame it on conservatives. Shame on you! Not all conservatives are against public transportation projects, just as not all liberals are for public transportation.
October 22, 201410 yr The community that voted to prohibit the sending of any money on rail prior to a public vote is a wealthy conservative suburb about 25 minutes from downtown portland. Ie. It was west chester.
October 22, 201410 yr Is that a play on a pop song? Wait... are you joking? I was not. It sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it. I realize now it is a play on Bohemian Rhapsody.
October 22, 201410 yr ^It just sounds like another typical anti-rail conservative maneuver … and in the Portland region, one of America’s leading, progressive transit/LRT metro areas. I’d love seeing similar voter pre-approval measures for highway/freeway extensions in cites (esp freeway-addicted places like Cleveland). Conservatives (esp at places like ODOT) would likely riot. Wow, so the left leaning liberal people of Portland vote to have a say so on future lite-rail projects, and you still want to blame it on conservatives. Shame on you! Not all conservatives are against public transportation projects, just as not all liberals are for public transportation. It was not the "left leaning liberal people of Portland" that voted to approve this light rail ban. It was the residents of Tualatin and Tigard, two nearby cities that may be linked to Portland via light rail in the future.
October 23, 201410 yr I found this article about the plan for DC's streetcar system to be pretty interesting. Increasingly, it seems like the lack of a dedicated lane for streetcars has been called out as a real transit issue. Part of me wonders if this generation's streetcar obsession will be viewed in the same vein as the push to add monorails in places like Seattle and Detroit. I also found the ambitious DC streetcar plan to be striking, given the already extensive subway system that exists in the city. Getting around in DC is already really easy, I think. Between the Metro and the efficient bus system, coupled with the fact that DC is a very walkable city, I don't see a huge transit need that isn't being met. Whereas San Francisco has a huge streetcar/cable car/MUNI system, they also have extremely limited heavy rail service. Together, the systems work in concert to provide a good level of coverage for most of the city. Cincinnati is launching a streetcar system, with the hope that additional streetcar lines will be built, or that a light rail system will be constructed. I get the case for streetcars in these settings. In DC, I guess it's just a little harder to see the need. Will be interesting to hear the thoughts of other forumers. http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/key-questions-still-surround-planned-opening-of-dc-streetcar-line/2014/10/22/ed4d23f8-4f19-11e4-8c24-487e92bc997b_story.html
October 23, 201410 yr Is that a play on a pop song? Wait... are you joking? I was not. It sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it. I realize now it is a play on Bohemian Rhapsody. LOL I was positive you were joking! I couldn't even read the headline without hearing the song in my head.
October 23, 201410 yr I found this article about the plan for DC's streetcar system to be pretty interesting. Increasingly, it seems like the lack of a dedicated lane for streetcars has been called out as a real transit issue. Part of me wonders if this generation's streetcar obsession will be viewed in the same vein as the push to add monorails in places like Seattle and Detroit. I also found the ambitious DC streetcar plan to be striking, given the already extensive subway system that exists in the city. Getting around in DC is already really easy, I think. Between the Metro and the efficient bus system, coupled with the fact that DC is a very walkable city, I don't see a huge transit need that isn't being met. Whereas San Francisco has a huge streetcar/cable car/MUNI system, they also have extremely limited heavy rail service. Together, the systems work in concert to provide a good level of coverage for most of the city. Cincinnati is launching a streetcar system, with the hope that additional streetcar lines will be built, or that a light rail system will be constructed. I get the case for streetcars in these settings. In DC, I guess it's just a little harder to see the need. Will be interesting to hear the thoughts of other forumers. http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/key-questions-still-surround-planned-opening-of-dc-streetcar-line/2014/10/22/ed4d23f8-4f19-11e4-8c24-487e92bc997b_story.html There have been surprising number of pro-transit "experts" coming out against streetcars in recent years. They usually get hung up on the fact that streetcars usually don't have a dedicated lane. It's like they can't comprehend that streetcars still offer significant improvements over buses, even if they share a lane with automobile traffic. Additionally, there is nothing preventing us from converting the streetcar lane to a transit-only lane in the future. Imagine if Walnut and Main in downtown Cincinnati had the streetcar lane converted to a streetcar-and-bus lane. These "experts" also seem to have an obsession with speed. But speed is not always the most important factor. Most cities' downtowns have seen their two-way streets converted into one-way in order to speed up automobile traffic. In recent years, many cities have been converting these one-way streets back to two-ways because they have found that slower traffic is actually better for dense urban areas. The same can be true for transit. A slower streetcar running at street level can have benefits that you would not get from a subway or elevated rail line that doesn't allow riders to see the activity at street level. This is why I like Toronto's transit so much. You can take the streetcar when you are traveling shorter distances and want to experience the street life, and you can take the subway when you want to zip from one neighborhood to another.
October 23, 201410 yr I found this article about the plan for DC's streetcar system to be pretty interesting. Increasingly, it seems like the lack of a dedicated lane for streetcars has been called out as a real transit issue. Part of me wonders if this generation's streetcar obsession will be viewed in the same vein as the push to add monorails in places like Seattle and Detroit. I also found the ambitious DC streetcar plan to be striking, given the already extensive subway system that exists in the city. Getting around in DC is already really easy, I think. Between the Metro and the efficient bus system, coupled with the fact that DC is a very walkable city, I don't see a huge transit need that isn't being met. Whereas San Francisco has a huge streetcar/cable car/MUNI system, they also have extremely limited heavy rail service. Together, the systems work in concert to provide a good level of coverage for most of the city. Cincinnati is launching a streetcar system, with the hope that additional streetcar lines will be built, or that a light rail system will be constructed. I get the case for streetcars in these settings. In DC, I guess it's just a little harder to see the need. Will be interesting to hear the thoughts of other forumers. http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/key-questions-still-surround-planned-opening-of-dc-streetcar-line/2014/10/22/ed4d23f8-4f19-11e4-8c24-487e92bc997b_story.html This is why I like Toronto's transit so much. You can take the streetcar when you are traveling shorter distances and want to experience the street life, and you can take the subway when you want to zip from one neighborhood to another. Minus the coins and punch cards lol
October 23, 201410 yr I found this article about the plan for DC's streetcar system to be pretty interesting. Increasingly, it seems like the lack of a dedicated lane for streetcars has been called out as a real transit issue. Part of me wonders if this generation's streetcar obsession will be viewed in the same vein as the push to add monorails in places like Seattle and Detroit. I also found the ambitious DC streetcar plan to be striking, given the already extensive subway system that exists in the city. Getting around in DC is already really easy, I think. Between the Metro and the efficient bus system, coupled with the fact that DC is a very walkable city, I don't see a huge transit need that isn't being met. Whereas San Francisco has a huge streetcar/cable car/MUNI system, they also have extremely limited heavy rail service. Together, the systems work in concert to provide a good level of coverage for most of the city. Cincinnati is launching a streetcar system, with the hope that additional streetcar lines will be built, or that a light rail system will be constructed. I get the case for streetcars in these settings. In DC, I guess it's just a little harder to see the need. Will be interesting to hear the thoughts of other forumers. http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/key-questions-still-surround-planned-opening-of-dc-streetcar-line/2014/10/22/ed4d23f8-4f19-11e4-8c24-487e92bc997b_story.html I think you're pretty spot-on. Whether streetcars are the right transit tool depends on the context. DC's streetcar is probably the most suspect of the modern crop. In a transit-poor city with a densely built, somewhat downtrodden downtown like Cincinnati's, they are a fantastic idea. Most of the critics are unfamiliar and/or unrealistic about the political climates in tier-3 urban America, as well as the urban economic and real estate contexts in those cities. Contexts are likely to shift, too, though -- in fact that's largely the point of streetcar projects. So cities building them should keep an eye to how to keep the infrastructure relevant in the long term. For example, designing lines with the possibility in mind of making the ROW exclusive and carrying longer, heavier vehicles in the future. (One example where I think Cincinnati's streetcar maybe missed this mark is in not planning for one-way to two-way street conversions.)
October 23, 201410 yr LOL I was positive you were joking! I couldn't even read the headline without hearing the song in my head. What can I say, I need to listen to more Queen!
October 24, 201410 yr I found this article about the plan for DC's streetcar system to be pretty interesting. Increasingly, it seems like the lack of a dedicated lane for streetcars has been called out as a real transit issue. Part of me wonders if this generation's streetcar obsession will be viewed in the same vein as the push to add monorails in places like Seattle and Detroit. I also found the ambitious DC streetcar plan to be striking, given the already extensive subway system that exists in the city. Getting around in DC is already really easy, I think. Between the Metro and the efficient bus system, coupled with the fact that DC is a very walkable city, I don't see a huge transit need that isn't being met. Whereas San Francisco has a huge streetcar/cable car/MUNI system, they also have extremely limited heavy rail service. Together, the systems work in concert to provide a good level of coverage for most of the city. Cincinnati is launching a streetcar system, with the hope that additional streetcar lines will be built, or that a light rail system will be constructed. I get the case for streetcars in these settings. In DC, I guess it's just a little harder to see the need. Will be interesting to hear the thoughts of other forumers. http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/key-questions-still-surround-planned-opening-of-dc-streetcar-line/2014/10/22/ed4d23f8-4f19-11e4-8c24-487e92bc997b_story.html I think you're pretty spot-on. Whether streetcars are the right transit tool depends on the context. DC's streetcar is probably the most suspect of the modern crop. In a transit-poor city with a densely built, somewhat downtrodden downtown like Cincinnati's, they are a fantastic idea. Most of the critics are unfamiliar and/or unrealistic about the political climates in tier-3 urban America, as well as the urban economic and real estate contexts in those cities. Contexts are likely to shift, too, though -- in fact that's largely the point of streetcar projects. So cities building them should keep an eye to how to keep the infrastructure relevant in the long term. For example, designing lines with the possibility in mind of making the ROW exclusive and carrying longer, heavier vehicles in the future. (One example where I think Cincinnati's streetcar maybe missed this mark is in not planning for one-way to two-way street conversions.) With DC they keep getting hung up on the Starter Segment. Which represents only 2 miles. Of then one city line, which will travel from George town to union station and across the Anacostia river to predominately minority part of DC. Connecting the 6 metro stations to areas of the city without metro service. Unfortunately, that is lost on the few and their lemmings screaming it's too short and too slow, and ignore the facts that dedicated lanes are planned in the follow on segments. The truth is no one knows what these systems will become over the next 30 years.
October 31, 201410 yr RAIL Magazine @RAILMag 15m15 minutes ago Transit study deal preserves funding for North Side project | @pittsburghpg – http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2014/10/23/Deal-guarantees-future-funding-for-North-Side-project/stories/201410220196?ClearCache=1 … #Pittsburgh #PGH #TOD #rail "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
November 18, 201410 yr Bad news from inside the Beltway: Arlington County announced today that they are canceling the Columbia Pike Streetcar project. http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/arlington-officials-major-announcement-on-columbia-pike-streetcar-project-at-noon/2014/11/18/ce2a8170-6f38-11e4-8808-afaa1e3a33ef_story.html
December 10, 201410 yr Calgary’s soaring transit use suggests high ridership is possible even in sprawling cities Yonah Freemark December 10th, 2014 Calgary is a boomtown — the center of Canada’s resource economy, whose explosion in recent years has led to big gains in Calgary’s population and commercial activity. It’s the sort of place that might seem completely hostile to public transit; 87 percent of locals live in suburban environments where single-family homes and strip malls predominate; surrounding land is mostly flat and easily developable farmland; the city is almost 10 times bigger than it was in 1950, meaning it was mostly built in a post-automobile age; and big highways with massive interchanges are found throughout the region. Even the transit system it has serves many places that are hostile to pedestrians and hardly aesthetically pleasing. It’s an environment that looks a lot more like Dallas or Phoenix than Copenhagen. And yet Calgary is attracting big crowds to its transit system, and those crowds continue to increase in size. Like several of its Canadian counterparts, Calgary is demonstrating that even when residential land use is oriented strongly towards auto dependency, it is possible to encourage massive use of the transit system. As I’ll explain below, however, strong transit use in Calgary has not been a fluke; it is the consequence of a strong public policy to reduce car use downtown. It provides an important lesson for other largely suburban North American cities that are examining how to reduce their automobile use. READ MORE AT: http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2014/12/10/calgarys-soaring-transit-use-suggests-high-ridership-is-possible-even-in-sprawling-cities/ "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 30, 201410 yr The Atlanta Streetcar opened today. The Journal-Constitution's website had a pretty funny video of a (freelance?) photographer trying to race the streetcar. I wonder if someone there had said that it would be faster to walk/run than to ride it.
December 30, 201410 yr The Atlanta Streetcar opened today. The Journal-Constitution's website had a pretty funny video of a (freelance?) photographer trying to race the streetcar. I wonder if someone there had said that it would be faster to walk/run than to ride it. That's priceless. A former Enquirer reporter insisted he could speed walk faster than streetcar. http://www.ajc.com/videos/news/photojournalist-gets-schooled-by-the-atlanta/vC8Jtg/
December 30, 201410 yr Oof, well, if you count wait time, walking is probably pretty competitive with the Atlanta streetcar as of now. Looks like the entire line is only 1.25 miles or so (one way, not round trip). Though I guess walking is pretty miserable in the summer. Hopefully there are future phases in the works. I don't know either city so well, but the Cinci route looks much more useful to me.
December 31, 201410 yr Cincinnati's alignment is much more like a spine that can serve as the foundation for additional streetcar or light rail extensions. In many of the other cities building streetcars, they've added way too many twists and turns to try and reach every possible destination. Ft. Lauderdale's streetcar map looks like it will be terrible as a mode of transportation (although it could still have an economic development impact).
December 31, 201410 yr I have to think the economic development potential of these systems is at least proportionally related to their effectiveness as a transit mode. I don't believe in magic, so I don't think rails are magic either. That's why we must run the Cincy streetcar with high frequency and long span, or else it will be useless and fail. That's also why I've been pushing for this bus circulator system for Uptown to feed into the streetcar. ( http://goo.gl/awheu8 for folks who haven't seen it yet.) But I do think the downtown system will succeed in its own with high frequency and long span. www.cincinnatiideas.com
January 5, 201510 yr In Detroit, old streetcar tracks that have not been used since the 1950s are being removed during the installation of new streetcar tracks. Very similar sight at the Elm St. streetcar construction in Cincinnati.
January 20, 201510 yr Looks like a big week for the Milwaukee streetcar, with a big vote on Wednesday. Interesting article on the entire thing here: http://expressmilwaukee.com/article-permalink-24722.html
January 20, 201510 yr The DC streetcar is finally going to be op..... oh wait, no. It's delayed.... again. http://dcist.com/2015/01/opening_of_dc_streetcar_delayedagai.php
January 20, 201510 yr Sen @chuckschumer pushes for feds to enhance Buffalo-Amherst transit corridor | @TheBuffaloNews – http://t.co/3m4ZW2x8TS @WNY #TOD #Niagara "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 21, 201510 yr Milwaukee's streetcar generally wins a vote, but it is delayed, and it sounds like there may be a ballot referendum on it: http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/council-backs-streetcar-9-6-but-final-approval-delayed-b99430093z1-289309501.html
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