Funding for two streetcars to run on H Street will be included in the 2008 budget. It's my understanding, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it's supposed to take about three years from the time that we order a streetcar before it can actually be constructed and make it to the street. So, though this is only a commitment for two cars, it is still a big step in the right direction. Streetscape improvements (and tracklaying) under the Great Streets program is set to begin this summer.
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UPDATE
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It now appears that the budget includes funding for five streetcars (presumably [hopefully] to be somehow split between Anacostia and H Street).
Check out Richard's earlier post on
using historic cars for trams and trolleys.
23 comments:
so if there are only 2 streetcards for a while..how long would the intervals be between arrivals? anyone wanna be dorky enough to try an calculate this? anyone? anyone? bueller?
I asked that question elsewhere, and I don't think we have that yet, but probably DDOT does have some idea. You've got to account for fun things like traffic (will people doublepark and block the streetcar?). Traffic generally is going to slow things down.
Have the mayor or DDOT considered purchasing used streetcars/trams from other cities? There are plenty of cities around the world that use trams. It seems likely there'd be a market for used ones.
Presumably they could be bought more quickly and for a cheaper price than buying them new. In fact, for the price of two new ones we could get more of them on the street so we wouldn't have to wait as long between them. Buying them new could also serve as a pilot program to determine whether DC should invest money in buying new trams.
Also - what's the latest plan for how the trolley tracks will link into Union Station?
Having the tracks simply end at 3rd St, NE is asking for this project to fail before it even begins. Linking into the metro at some location is critical.
I know that Richard Layman at one point suggested buying an historic replica (they make ones that actually run), but DDOT wasn't having it.
I thought the idea was that they would purchase more cars each year, since it is going to be a few years until it is ready... Do we know what the cars might look like? I too was hoping they might bring back the green and white street cars that used to run in DC, but am not surprised they have not (lack of imagination).
Is this supposed to be a street car with rails below and wires above, or just a glorified bus? Either way, I'm not clear what the advantage is over a standard metrobus.
The budget for the streetcars can be found in Section Two: FY 2008 - FY 2013 Capital Appendices, WMATA budget (Mass Transit Subsidies) at the following link:
http://www.dc.gov/mayor/budget_2008/pdf/WEB_DC_Gov_Volume_5_Capital_Book_2.shtm
On page KE0-4.
The budget funds 5 streetcars for Anacostia and H Street. The cost is $3M per car. The budget doesn't list the streetcar distribution between these two corridors.
The budget for the streetcars can be found in Section Two: FY 2008 - FY 2013 Capital Appendices, WMATA budget (Mass Transit Subsidies), page KE0-4.
The budget funds 5 streetcars for Anacostia and H Street. The cost is $3M per car. The budget doesn't list the streetcar distribution between these two corridors.
The end stations have not yet been planned. There are a few options for the street car at Union Station. Assuming that this part of the budget passes unchanged, I would expect DDOT to start planning for the infrastructure and termination points for the streetcar.
Getting the tracks funded, led to getting the streetcars in the budget. Now that we have the streetcars in the budget, we will start to work with DDOT and WMATA on the terminal infrastructure plans to include how the streetcar system will interact with Union Station. This section of the track is part of the larger DDOT plan to link Minnesota Ave to Georgetown – the cross town streetcar.
From DC Transit Future Website:
Corridor 4: Georgetown/Crosstown to Minnesota Ave Metro. Option A of this transit route would begin at Georgetown University, go east down Canal Street and M Street NW, turn south on Wisconsin Avenue NW, and east on K Street NW. At Mt. Vernon Square, the alignment would head southeast on Massachusetts Avenue NW, turn east on H Street NW/NE, merge onto Benning Road NE, and turn north on Minnesota Avenue, terminating at the Minnesota Avenue Metrorail station. Corridor 4B: Friendship Heights Metro via Georgetown/Crosstown to Minnesota Ave Metro follows the same route except that it would begin at Friendship Heights Metro station and travel the length of Wisconsin Avenue NW before turning east on K Street NW
While the incremental approach is not the best way to budget or plan, it is how we have come this far. This is the equivalent of just-in- time transportation planning....
DORK ALERT:
In an ideal world (ie, if the bus is running on time), the X2 makes the trip from the Minnesota Ave. Metro station to North Capitol in 18-23 minutes depending on the time of day.
If we make three assumptions
1. The tracks allow for a continuous loop with minimal turn-around time
2. The two cars run diametrically opposite to each other, so one reaches Minnesota Ave. as the other reaches North Capitol
3. The streetcars make the trip in roughly the same amount of time as that scheduled for the X2
we can make a reasonable guess that the streetcars will arrive at any given stop in the direction you want once every 20 minutes or so. It's not great, but it's a step in the right direction.
It seems like the route would be well served with four streetcars - their runs would end up being spaced roughly ten minutes apart.
And if I've completely overlooked something here, I apologize (though it will make me feel just a bit less dorky if I did miss something technical).
Joe,
Just to be clear, I agree that getting some cars in the budget is far better than none. Thank you for the leadership you have provided on this issue.
Best,
Alan Kimber
Commissioner, ANC 6C05
I'd guess the cars would look something like the fugly light rail trams that run in Baltimore. Typical DDOT thinking, just put a subway car above ground, regardless of impact. DC's old streetcars were still running in parts of Prague up until a few years ago (they bought them back in the 1960s). So instead of nice compact user-friendly streetcars like those in New Orleans or San Fran, we get roadhogging behemoths. Just what we need, an SUV on rails.
The cars will be the same Skoda/Inekon cars used in Portland, Oregon and Tacoma (and soon Seattle).
The headway for the Portland Streetcar is about 15-17 minutes.
But they are one car vehicles.
We should get two-car vehicles here, because many more people ride transit.
Found a link to the Skoda streetcars. They look pretty fugly but I suppose they could be worse. Cant see how a single car would carry that many people.
http://www.lightrail.com/photos/portland/portlandstreetcar/portlandstreetcar.htm
While I guess I would agree with the comment that the cars are not particularly attractive, I wouldn't go so far as "fugly". I do think they are needed to get additional traffic onto and along H Street NE.
I've always said that I think a great idea would be to have the cars decorated to reflect some of the history of H Street. My suggestion would be to have a competition among art students for the design, then wrap the cars like they do some of the Metro cars. It would be one more way of branding H Street in a memorable way.
Best,
Alan Kimber
Commissioner, ANC 6C05
Yeah, I don't think they're fugly at all. They look pretty cool. But I'm still having trouble conceptualizing their advantageousness over standard metrobuses. Since they don't seem to be elevated above street level, what's the value added? Do they have appreciably more capacity? Are they faster because they have a dedicated lane? Are there less stops? Is it easier to get on and off? Do they require less maintenance? Sell me on the concept!
They will look like [url=http://www.heritagetrolley.org/IMAGES/planDC01.jpg]THIS[/url]. Basically, the Circulator livery on the streetcar frame.
Also: These 5 are not the first LRVs to have been purchased. IIRC, the city already has 2 or 3 coming as part of a joint order with Portland last year.
^
Oops. Just copy & paste the URL.
> I'm still having trouble conceptualizing their advantageousness over standard metrobuses...
1. Higher capacity - carries many more people than a bus.
2. Runs on electricity rather than gas.
3. Lower operating cost per passenger.
4. Better image - people who look down on buses as "loser cruisers" are generally willing to ride trains. Toronto, which has the largest remaining streetcar network in North America and where streetcars are the backbone of the transit system, has the highest per capita transit ridership in the US or Canada - even higher than New York. Streetcars are a big reason why.
5. Rail tends to spur positive real estate investment. There are no bus Transit Oriented Developments; at least not in the US.
6. MUCH more comfortable ride - trains run much more smoothly than buses. This doesn't get talked about much, but in my opinion its importance cannot be stressed enough. Gliding along a rail is noticably smoother than rumbling along on tires.
Thanks, beyonddc.com, I think I'm sold. Maybe I'll take a closer look at a blue rowhouse I've seen at 1316 Florida NE that's been on the market for like a year. The train's a comin'!
hehe.. you better start looking at the blue houses rather soon.
i know of two couples that are seriously interested, and planning on relocating there.
just a heads up.
Also, in response to Richard's post about one-car or two-car LRVs: The Skoda cars CAN be coupled. Portland doesn't do it just as a policy; there's no reason we couldn't if the need presented itself.
skodas can be coupled.
that was part of the rationale for choosing this particular brand/model.
dc government may be a lot of things, but we do know a little bit about planning.
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