Portland. Cincinnati. New Orleans. Denver. Houston. Salt Lake City. Charlotte.
These are just a few among at least 40 American cities exploring plans to restore, expand, and implement an olde city favorite into a new public transportation era. . .
An era that, with the assistance of government funding, will spark economic development, consumerism, ease traffic congestion and decrease air pollution, and provide convenient travel to city dwellers and tourists alike in busy downtown areas.
Streetcars seem like a viable solution to transportation problems that all cities face: lack and expense of parking, the cost of fuel, and the hassle of getting to and from work during the week. . . and to and from nightlife spots and the cultural hubs of cities during the non-work hours of the week.
And because streetcars can pick up passengers on two sides, they can make shorter stops than buses, as well as run on tracks separate from street traffic, so they don't add to congestion.
While the streetcar has been around in many American cities for decades, a revival for the systems that have been neglected, underdeveloped, or just plain don't exist yet where they could be a great help, are counting on federal dollars to help them get on track.
This week, it was officially announced that the city of Portland will receive $75 million for a major streetcar extension, per the federal government and the Obama Administration's initiative to support small-scale urban transport improvement. The U.S. Department of Transportation first announced in April of this year plans for federal funding to be awarded to Portland.
The new route, which is expected to carry about 8,700 passengers each day, is scheduled to begin running in 2011 and will operate every 12 minutes during weekday peak periods, allowing commuters more efficient work travel.
"Streetcars not only improve quality of life, giving people more transportation options, but they have real economic and environmental benefits," said Oregon Representative Earl Blumenauer (D) during the formal announcement alongside Federal Transit Administration Administrator Peter Rogoff.
Rep. Blumenauer introduced legislation to Congress regarding public transportation funding, specifically for streetcar projects, with both The Fast Starts Act of 2009 and The Streetcar Revitalization Act of 2009. So it seems only fitting that Portland should receive the first major funding reward as part of this initiative.
The $75 million awarded to the city comes from the transit administration's Small Starts program and will fund half of the project. To be eligible for the program in the first place, Portland's request for Small Starts funding could not exceed $75 million and the total projected cost had to be less than $250 million.
Portland's streetcar system, built in 2001, is considered the first major modern American streetcar system. In just eight years, the City of Roses has added new lines interlaced with a growing lightrail system, encouraging more than 10,000 residential units and more than $3 billion in property investments within two blocks of the streetcar line.
In August 2008, the city of Cincinnati began assembling financing for a $132 million system that would connect the city's riverfront stadiums, downtown business district, and neighborhoods further Uptown — a nearly eight-mile loop encompassing six hospitals and the University of Cincinnati.
The aim of this project was to not only revitalize this part of the city and make transportation as efficient and convenient as possible, but affordable as well: if not free, between 50 cents and one dollar for a ride.
Cincinnati had originally planned to pay for this system with existing tax revenue and $30 million in private investment. . . but in June, local authorities looked to the Fed for funding to reduce the cost for taxpayers. The city now awaits approval for federal grants, expected to be announced in January.
Also in June, Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker proposed a plan for Utah's capital city to receive federal funding for a $40-$50 million streetcar project connecting Sugar House with TRAX, which would eventually reach Westminster College and the University of Utah.
"Salt Lake City is really at the forefront of projects [nationally] that could use federal money if it were available today," Becker said in June regarding the matter. "We're so far along in our design and feasibility work we could move fairly quickly."
Officials believe the line will help reduce car traffic while bringing new life to the area. Salt Lake City will also have to wait to hear about funding until this winter.
Modern streetcars, like those Cincinnati plans to use, cost about $3 million and have passenger capacity of up to 130 people per car. The cars run an overhead electric wire on rails that are flush with the pavement.
Chairman of the American Public Transportation Association, Jim Graebner, says of streetcars, "They serve to coalesce a neighborhood. . . That's very evident in places like San Francisco, which never got rid of its streetcar system."
While critics question whether city money is best spent on streetcar projects during a time in which city wallets have grown much slimmer, other officials argue that streetcars are important to any city's growth. They serve to offer undeniable environmental and long-term economic benefits, as well.
Perhaps Congressman Blumenauer's website best expresses what it will take for streetcar projects to be welcomed with open arms — by citizens, local government, and the federal grant givers:
Congress and the Obama Administration have taken the steps needed to make streetcars a viable component of America's emerging low-carbon, economically sustainable future. Now it is up to our cities to embrace the Streetcar Renaissance, to make sure they capture the value of this proven technology for their own communities.
After 25 years of Blumenauer's streetcar advocacy, Portland has the funds necessary for their continued building of tracks. . . and of a vibrant city. May it be just the first of many projects to bring health and wealth to great American cities.
Brigid
P.S. Green Chip Editor Sam Hopkins wrote this week on location from New Orleans. The Big Easy is continuing efforts to redevelop post-Katrina transit in and around the city. With help from a private French company and hopeful federal funding in the future, New Orleans will finally get their historical streetcar systems back up and running efficiently. Click here to read Sam's on-the-scene coverage of New Orleans' streetcar revival.
