KANSAS CITYQuoteStreetcar line would help attract young creatives, Kansas City mayor says
Kansas City Business Journal by Austin Alonzo, Reporter
Date: Wednesday, October 31, 2012,
Kansas City Mayor Sly James says a proposed streetcar line would help make Downtown more appealing to young, creative people.
Downtown Kansas City needs more appeal for young creative people, and the proposed streetcar line would be a start, Kansas City Mayor Sly James said Wednesday.
During a speech at The Central Exchange, James said the city cannot continue “stealing†jobs from other parts of the metro area but must find a way to increase the “quality of place.†He lauded the success of past investments such as the Sprint Center but said incentives and investments must continue if the city wants to keep growing. That includes streetcars.
“You cannot have a comprehensive transit system if you don’t start somewhere,†James said.
A defined group of downtown residents is voting about financing mechanisms for the $100 million streetcar line, which would run from the River Market to Crown Center; the mail-in ballots are due Dec. 11.
Other cities with streetcar and light-rail lines have seen development along those routes, but Kansas City hasn’t seen development along its bus routes, James said.
“If you look at any of the cities who have a streetcar line or light-rail lines, they will tell you about the development,†he said. “Is it absolutely perfect? No. Is it better than what we’ve got? By far.â€
SOURCE: http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2012/10/31/streetcar-line-would-help-attract.html
ATLANTAQuoteDowntown streetcar construction on track
By Gregory Wallace
Work continues toward the completion of the Atlanta Streetcar in Downtown in late 2013. The East-West route, currently under construction, will run 2.7 miles beginning at the King Center and following Edgewood Avenue to Centennial Olympic Park before looping back around via Auburn Avenue. The route will provide a total of 12 stops that will connect major tourist destinations and local business alike.
The streetcars themselves are state of the art, low floor vehicles, powered by a single overhead electric trolley wire. The vehicle maintenance station for the streetcars will be located under the I-75/85 overpass along Edgewood Avenue.
Much work remains to be done on the project, according to City of Atlanta senior transportation advisor Tom Weyandt. One example cited by Weyandt: over 15,000 utility lines of varying types must be cleared or rerouted from the path of the rail line. Fortunately, the nature of the city’s contract with URS, the company building the line, allowed them to begin construction while design details were still being finalized. This greatly accelerated the process, as evidenced by the construction present along the future route.
The project has attracted enormous interest from both the corporate world and the local community. New ownership has taken over the Equitable Building along Peachtree Street in anticipation of the streetcars, and Waffle House plans to add a key location on the Centennial Park side of the route. There project is already generating “tremendous foot traffic†for local businesses, said Weyandt. “From the Purple Door Salon to Harold’s Pizza, the whole area is being completely revitalized,†he commented.
The ultimate goal of the project is to close the transportation gap between Downtown and the Atlanta BeltLine with the initial phase including a direct connection between the streetcars and the Peachtree Center MARTA Station. “As it expands,†said Weyandt, “we’re providing increased connectivity, and increased opportunities for educational institutions, jobs, and so on.â€
The streetcar project is a collaborative public-private partnership between the City of Atlanta, MARTA, the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, the Federal Transit Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation.
SOURCE: http://www.atlantaintownpaper.com/2012/11/downtown-streetcar-construction-on-track/
SEATTLEQuoteSeattle secures funds for streetcar extension's design phase
The city of Seattle has secured funding to plan and design the First Hill Streetcar line's Broadway extension, Mayor Mike McGinn announced Tuesday.
With $850,000 in federal funds secured and another $900,000 pending final approval, the city will have enough dollars on hand to design a half-mile extension into the Broadway retail area, which would better support residents by moving the terminus from Denny Way to Roy Street or beyond, city officials said in a prepared statement.
"This is good news for expanding transit in Seattle," said McGinn.
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is constructing the line with funding provided by Sound Transit from the Sound Transit 2 measure. The Capitol Hill community has called for an extension of the line to the north end of Broadway instead of its current terminus at the future Capitol Hill Link light-rail station.
Late last month, the Puget Sound Regional Council adopted its Regional Transportation Improvement program, which included $850,000 in Federal Transit Administration funds for the first phase of the Broadway extension. By securing these funds, SDOT can begin the extension design process in early 2013, city officials said.
SOURCE: http://www.progressiverailroading.com/passenger_rail/news/Seattle-secures-funds-for-streetcar-extensions-design-phase--33170
WASHINGTONQuoteSpingarn car barn design sounds good, but isn't public
by David Alpert • November 1, 2012 3:04 pm
DDOT has apparently been hard at work designing an attractive streetcar maintenance facility at the corner of Benning Road and 26th Street, NE. They've worked extensively with historic preservation officials on what sounds like a good design, but still have yet to release it publicly.
Today, DDOT presented the concept design to the Historic Preservation Review Board for comments. The staff report supports the concept so far (but doesn't include any pictures). It says:
Although the northwest corner of the Spingarn site was originally favored as the location most likely to minimize the car barn's overall visual impact, it was later agreed that the corner of Benning Road and 26th Street was preferable since it would allow the new facility to better conceal the necessary streetcar tracks and overhead wires, and because it would more closely relate to the orientation of the other buildings on campus, thus providing opportunities to design a more dignified, civic-minded building rather than an industrial structure that was being hidden from view.
The resulting concept design, and its subtle variations, consists of a large, brick-faced streetcar maintenance facility oriented on the same alignment as the rest of the campus buildings and projecting far enough forward to balance the easternmost projection of Brown Junior High School to the north. The street-facing façade of this component of the car barn will be articulated with large louvered openings, clerestories or other elements that will establish a visual connection to the regular fenestration of the Spingarn and other schools to the north. Solar panels will be incorporated onto the roof of the facility to maximize its energy efficiency.
To the south of the maintenance facility, offices, training facilities, public meeting spaces and related functions will be housed in a lower, sweeping arm of the building that curves to respond to the alignment of Benning Road and establishes a more pedestrian scaled public entrance at the prominent corner of 26th and Benning Road. Although the specific materials that will be used to complete this portion of the car barn have yet to be identified, they are likely to consist of light colored, solid cladding materials and curtain walls of translucent glass.
Through a combination of massing and orientation, the currently proposed concept design establishes a logical and complimentary relationship to the arrangement and hierarchy of buildings on the campus and to their open setting. The proposed red brick of the maintenance facility contrasted with the light colored solid materials and translucent glass of the office portion of the car barn also relate directly to the schools' predominant red brick and limestone color palette. In short, the concept as currently proposed appears to be generally compatible with its historic context. However, some further refinement of the building design and site features will likely be necessary to better relate the new facility to the historic schools and other historic properties in the surrounding area, including the landmarked Langston Terrace Dwellings which are located just to the west.
Board members had a number of general design comments. A few members expressed opposition to siting the maintenance facility at Spingarn at all; if a majority of the board wants to block the facility, they can agree to landmark Spingarn and then interpret any building closer to the street as being historically incompatible. This debate will rage at the board's hearing on the actual decision whether or not to designate Spingarn as a landmark, scheduled for November 29.
DDOT did not respond to a request I sent last night for the latest design. DDOT spokesperson John Lisle previously wrote on September 26 that, "Additional opportunities for public participation/feedback will be scheduled over the next 90-120 calendar days."
SOURCE: http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/16646/spingarn-car-barn-design-sounds-good-but-isnt-public/
GEORGETOWNQuoteANC Praises DDOT for O & P Street Restoration
November 1, 2012 | by Georgetown Saucer
The District Department of Transportation’s historic restoration of the old streetcar tracks and pavers on O & P Streets was lavishly praised on Wednesday by Georgetown Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner 2E, both for the final result and for the way the work was executed, particularly for the close working relationship with the community.
Pamla Moore, chair of CAG's historic preservation committee, and Hazel Denton, a supporter of the DDOT award
The is a “model of rehabilitation and restoration,†said Commissioner Tom Birch, reading from the resolution endorsing the Citizens Association of Georgetown’s nomination of DDOT for the Mayor’s 2013 historic preservation award. “DDOT was continuously cooperative with the community [setting] the highest standard for a public works project,†he added.
Pamla Moore, chair of the CAG historic preservation committee, asked the ANC to support the DDOT nomination, which it did unanimously.
Other Commissioner was equally positive. “This is not hype,†said Jeff Jones. “DDOT deserves this award, from the management level to those who put in the pavers.†Ed Solomon, a small business owner on P Street, said that DDOT was “very sensitive to businesses…adjusting work times†to minimize the disruptions. ANC 2E Chair Ron Lewis stressed the historical accuracy and detail of the final result. DDOT’s staff and contractor walked the site with the members of the Old Georgetown Board discussing “brick-by-brick†how to deal with curb cuts, storm drains and sidewalks, “really listening†so that when “we looked at the detailed working drawings, it was there.â€
Solomon closed the discussion with the observation that because the tracks look good enough to use, he has had to answer questions about when are the streetcars coming back, that it won’t be “anytime soon.â€
The restoration work was completed in September and was marked with a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Mayor Vincent Gray and Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans.
SOURCE: http://www.thegeorgetowndish.com/thedish/anc-praises-ddot-o-p-street-restoration
LOS ANGELESQuoteOfficials Want $22.5MM "Cushion" on Downtown Streetcar Tax
Wednesday, October 31, 2012, by Neal Broverman
The proposed Downtown streetcar, which would run in a loop from LA Live to Bunker Hill, is supposed to cost around $125 million. An election will be held soon in which property owners near the route will be asked to be part of a tax assessment district that would pay for half of the project--$11 million is in the bank, and the rest will hopefully come from the feds. Originally, officials had said that the assessment would raise $62.5 million, but now the Downtown News reports, that the ballot question actually asks property owners, which includes condo-dwellers, to agree to be taxed up to $85 million. The extra money is a cushion for a "worst-case scenario" should construction and administration costs rise unexpectedly, according to Councilmember Jose Huizar and other streetcar proponents. Their hope is that it will actually cost closer to the original $62.5 million and that tax assessments discussed so far (around $60 per year for a condo-dweller) have reflected the $85 million figure, so folks might be pleasantly surprised to pay less. But the streetcar's website only started mentioning the larger amount after the DN story came out. Paperwork from Huizar's office has not always reflected the $85 million either and promotional materials for an October 20 Goonies showing/streetcar information/voter registration event at Grand Park referenced the $62.5 million. Cries of sketchiness abound. Meanwhile, the City Clerk tallies the ballots on December 3 and the measure will need two-thirds approval for passage.
SOURCE: http://la.curbed.com/archives/2012/10/officials_want_225mm_cushion_on_downtown_streetcar_tax.php
CHARLOTTEQuoteStreetcar Extension Debate Turns To Going Further
CHARLOTTE, NC - Construction on the 1.5 miles streetcar starter project is scheduled to start in December.
Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx hopes city council sees it his way by then and votes to extend that line by 2 and half miles. With members uable to even agree on funding, some want more.
"The issue revolves around using property taxes for this particular project," said Eastside Councilmen John Autry.
When discussing whether or not to move a public project further, Autry doesn't consider the cost but rather it's importance to Charlotte's growth.
"If it's a warranted and a viable project," said Autry, "and this is the way we can fund it, then lets get on with it."
Most of the funding to start a streetcar line - from Presbyterian Hospital to Uptown - came from the federal government.
Extending that line 2.5 miles, from Hawthorne Lane down Trade Street and around Johnson C. Smith University, would cost an additional $119 million.
The eventual 10 mile project would run from the Rosa Parks Transit Center to Eastland Mall. It's estimated cost would be $500 million.
"That's the next step to this," said Councilman Warren Cooksey, "which way do you build it out, East or West first."
Cooksey has opposed the streetcar project all along.
But even as council debates raising taxes to fund the current extension plan, Cooksey says other members are talking about going further, now.
"What if the proposed streetcar construction plan, went beyond 2.5 miles; what if it went further up Beatties Ford Road or Central Avenue?"
One suggestion is extending the line beyond JCSU by another 1.5 miles to The House of Prayer on Beatties Ford Road, which would help economic development in the area.
Autry says if council wants to have that discussion, why not extend it the other way.
"It would certainly benefit those restaurants and business along Central Avenue just like it would benefit the other businesses that are up Beatties Ford Road."
Extending the extension - East or West - could cost $80 million. That's roughly the estimate council could get next year from the Carolina Panthers football team to upgrade Bank of America Stadium.
SOURCE: http://www.foxcharlotte.com/news/top-stories/Streetcar-Extension-Debate-Turns-To-Going-Further-176519701.html
ANAHEIMQuoteAnaheim City Council OKs streetcar proposal
Written by Douglas John Bowen
The Anaheim, Calif., City Council, in a split 3-2 vote, has advanced a 3.2-mile streetcar plan that would serve, among other points, the original Disneyland.
Anaheim already has $24.6 million in transportation funds for the $319 million project, and expects to tap some federal "New Starts" funding, and funding from Measure M2, a half-cent sales tax for transportation projects in Orange County.
The plan at present is opposed by Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait and Councilwoman Lorri Galloway, who on Tuesday questioned the solidity of such funding plans and the potential operating costs involved.
But the Council majority was satisfied with the studies done to date, which included evaluations of other transport modes, including monorail and route-specific bus services.
The streetcar route would run mostly east-west, from the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC), past Angels Stadium, GardenWalk Mall, and Disneyland, with a western terminus at the Anaheim Convention Center. ARTIC is served by Amtrak and regional rail services on the LOSSAN Corridor (Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo), and is expected to serve the state's high speed rail network should HSR be built.
SOURCE: http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/passenger/light-rail/anaheim-city-council-narrowly-oks-streetcar-proposal.html#.UJLuhkJOTdk
JACKSONVILLEQuoteStreetcars are no longer a unique Jacksonville idea, they are spreading at whirlwind speed in metropolitan areas all around the globe. In Jacksonville, we have a phase 1 study that says the idea would work well here and help us trigger a massive building boom. There has never been a further study.
"Time to pull your head out Jacksonville!"
Yours Truly
OCKLAWAHA
The New Orleans Loyola Ave. street car extension (from the Central Business District to the Amtrak/Greyhound terminal) should be finished November 5th, and not later than the end of the year for sure.
Having viewed some of the precious few maps and little information available regarding our original streetcar routes, I would wish to respectfully submit a question.
Where do we start.again?
It seems logical to reconnect all of our inner ring, and grid neighborhoods, regional assets , and parks within 5-7 miles of the CBD bound by McCoys & Hogans Creeks; using SR111 as a connector for disrtrict/ pocket neighborhood loops on the northbank, and University Blvd similarly on the South.
Possibly connected circulators would be in the areas of 45th/Moncrief, 67th/Pearl, Main St@Rivercity Marketplace, a repurposed Ford assembly plant, Talleyrand, Evergreen, Brentwood, A.Phillip Randolph, University@JU, to University@US1, to SR13 townbound, 103rd/Tampico, connecting to SR21@Wesconnett/Harlow, townbound via Park St., EWC, FSCJ, Annie Lytle, etc.,
Meanwhile in Tampa, the TECO streetcar pays $400,000 a year in insurance liability to CSX to cross at grade in one location. Word to the wise, don't build an at grade streetcar or LRT crossing on a CSX or any other Class I carrier track. Lessons for us to follow.
http://www2.tbo.com/news/business/2012/oct/31/namaino1-for-tampa-streetcar-crossing-one-csx-rail-ar-549563/
Well, you simply start off with a viable corridor such as Downtown to King Street in Riverside, passing through Brooklyn and 5-points in the process.
Wonder how much CSX 'charges' every time a city bus crosses it's tracks? Law suit anyone?