Old Streetcars and Urban Transit

Image by christine.ricks via Flickr
Saturday the Transport Politic had an article about New York studying the concept of using historic streetcars in a section of Brooklyn:

New York to Study Red Hook Streetcars, But What Are the City’s Goals?

Also recently the Jacksonville Metro blog talked about San Francisco's historic streetcars and possible uses in Jacksonville:

Streetcars & Waterfronts: The F Market & Wharves Line

I was planning on doing a response to the Jacksonville entry but now the Transport Politic lets me add even more comments to the fire.

First of all, most people know that I believe in streetcars in providing effective Urban Transport. However as I was going to point out and Yonah has done in his blog entry, historic streetcars may not be the best way to go for most cities.

While San Francisco has been extremely successful in not only operating a line of historic streetcars, it is best known for its legendary cable cars that still ply the rails of the city. However, San Francisco is unique in the aspect that its transportation system is also a tourist mecca. While other cities such as Fort Collins, CO and Tucson, AZ among others have historic streetcars running down their streets, San Francisco is the only city I can think of that many people travel to ride historic transit vehicles.

Other cities need to decide what their goals are. Are they trying to provide a modern form of urban transport or are they trying to build a tourist attraction that will not be part of the transit network. Trying to be both is difficult at best.

If the goal is to provide modern urban transport, then you need to design it for those purposes. On the other hand if your goal is to develop a tourist attraction, then it should be totally separate from your transit system so that its success or failure will not affect the important operation of your other transit operations.

Philadelphia has used old PCC cars brought up to modern standards with wheelchair lifts and air conditioning but still have the limits of using rolling stock designed for another generation. Philadelphia did this more to save money over buying new rolling stock but in the long run buying modern equipment may have been the more prudent financial decision.

One thing I will disagree with Yonah about is why streetcars disappeared in the 1930's. He makes the case that buses were more modern than old streetcars and while that may have been true for some, it also fails to point out that streetcar systems were also heavily taxed. In fact many streetcar lines were still making a profit but the taxes they were having to pay not only would not allow them to upgrade their tracks, but it put them badly in the red.

To top it all off, many of their tax dollars were used to fund local roads which was their main competition. Of course is this any different than how many cities used the tax dollars from small businesses to pay for IKEA's, Cabella's, and Wal-Marts who in turn put small companies out of business.

Front Runner South Construction Update

Image by SP8254 via Flickr

Greetings,



Construction is progressing on UTA’s FrontRunner South Provo to Salt Lake Commuter Rail line.

Below is the FrontRunner South construction update for July 23 – 31. To learn more about the FrontRunner South project, click here.






Area 16 — Downtown Salt Lake City to 4500 South (Murray)



Construction Activity:

Crews will install fencing at the 3900 South wall and pothole at 2100 South and 4500 South.



Traffic Impacts:

There will be a lane closure at 4500 South on Monday while crews conduct potholing work.



Salt Lake Central Station:

Station complete.



Area 15 — 4500 South (Murray) to Wasatch Street/8000 South (Midvale)



Construction Activity:

Construction continues on bridges over eastbound I-215 and Center (7800 South) and Wasatch (8000) Streets in Midvale. These bridges will run parallel to existing Union Pacific Railroad main line bridges.



Crews will form and pour one of the piers at the bridge over eastbound I-215 and continue temporary shoring at another. At Center Street, crews will continue wall construction and install permanent pile on the north abutment, and at Wasatch Street, crews will continue abutment wall construction and form and pour another abutment.



Potholing will also take place at Wasatch Street this week.



Traffic Impacts:

Lane and sidewalk closures will take place in conjunction with bridge construction at Center and Wasatch Streets. At Center Street there will be lane closures in each direction with flaggers directing traffic.



Murray Station:

No station construction activities to report.



Area 14 — Wasatch Street/8000 South (Midvale) to 14600 South (Bluffdale)



Construction Activity:

Progress continues behind Salt Lake Community College’s Miller Campus at 9800 South as crews construct a bridge that flies over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. This is the area where FrontRunner will move from the east side to the west side of the tracks.



Wall construction will continue on the northeast side of the bridge and crews will begin excavation for walls on the southwest side of the bridge. Work will also continue on a crash wall at the bridge.



Traffic Impacts:

Flaggers will be stationed at 9400 South in Sandy to direct truck traffic delivering lightweight fill to the site of the flyover bridge. On Thursday, there will be a lane closure at 9400 South for potholing.



The outside northbound lane on South Jordan Gateway at approximately 10400 South will be closed as flaggers direct truck traffic moving lightweight fill.



South Jordan Station:

Lightweight fill for the flyover bridge construction is being stored at the site of the future South Jordan park and ride lot.



Draper/Bluffdale Station:

The location of this future station is to be determined.



Area 13 — 14600 South (Bluffdale) to Thanksgiving Point (Lehi)



Construction Activity:

Crews continue to establish access in the Jordan Narrows north of Lehi.



This week crews continue sub grade stabilization south of 146th South and will bring in a crane and set girders for the Jordan River Bridge. North of Clubhouse Lane in Lehi, crews will continue mass excavation work and begin construction on a wall at Union Pacific’s Mesa Siding.



Traffic Impacts:

There are currently no impacts to motorists in this area.



Area 12 — Thanksgiving Point (Lehi) to Main Street (American Fork)



Construction Activity:

Now that Union Pacific has been cutover temporarily to the UTA main line, work will begin again on the pedestrian tunnel located under the tracks. This week crews will begin excavating the portion of the tunnel under the former Union Pacific track.



Between 900 North and 500 West in Lehi, crews will continue clearing and grubbing work and sub grade stabilization. Utility work will take place at 1500 North, 500 West and Millpond Road.



Traffic Impacts:

There will be flaggers stationed at 900 North in Lehi to direct truck traffic. At Millpond Road flaggers will be directing truck traffic on and assisting with utility work on Tuesday and Wednesday.



Lehi Station:

At the Lehi Station Park and Ride, crews will work on the storm sewer system and drill light pole foundations.



Area 11 — Main Street (American Fork) to University Parkway (Orem)



Construction Activity:

Crews will be splicing cable near 100 East in American Fork and conducting utility work between 400 South and 800 South in Orem.



Traffic Impacts:

There will be truck traffic at Millpond Road on Monday.



American Fork Station:

No station construction activities to report.



Vineyard Station:

Crews will backfill the stem walls at the site of the future station.



Orem Station:

No station construction activities to report.



Area 10 — University Parkway (Orem) to Center Street (Provo)



Construction Activity:

Significant progress has been made in Area 10 along the Union Pacific Railroad corridor between University Parkway in Orem and West Center Street in Provo. Crews have prepared a path for FrontRunner by grading and clearing the right-of-way and relocating water lines. Drainage and irrigation installations are generally complete in this area.



Crews will construct track and place top ballast and conduct drainage work just south of University Parkway in Orem. In Provo from 600 West to just south of University Avenue crews will demo existing track. Utility work will also take place between University Avenue and Freedom Boulevard.



Sub grade stabilization work will take place between I-15 and 820 North and north of the Provo River Bridge crews will be installing permanent fencing and clearing and grubbing. Crews will also be placing sub ballast south of the Provo River Bridge to 900 West at 500 South.



Traffic Impacts:

Flaggers will be stationed in Provo at 820 North, 200 North, 900 West and 500 West to direct truck traffic. Tentatively, flaggers will also be at Freedom Boulevard on Tuesday.



Provo Station:

No station construction activities to report.