COLORADO SPRINGS
STREETCAR PROJECT AS OF 8/30/09
Describe the
feasibility study currently underway?
The study, using
Federal funding, was commissioned by the City of Colorado Springs and is being managed by
Mountain Metro Transit. The required 20% local match was put up by
private business interests (e.g. The Downtown Partnership, the Downtown
Development Authority) and both Colorado
College and the University of Colorado
– Colorado Springs.
The study will be conducted by URS Corporation’s Transit Planning Division
and is expected to last through Spring, 2010. Assisting URS is a task
force comprising a mix of downtown business interests, City and Utility
personnel, representatives from CC and UCCS, Pikes Peak Historical Street
Railway Foundation (the Foundation) members, and other interested parties,
including neighborhood organizations.
The study will
develop the rationale for a streetcar system, suggest a route with details
such as stops, provide an operating and car maintenance plan, a feasible
mix of car types and project a likely ridership and profit and loss
statement. It will also develop the costs of constructing and
implementing the system. Various means of financing the project will
be presented.
Final approval of the
study will be made by City Council.
What then follows?
Since Federal funds
are being used, an Environmental Impact Statement will be required.
This will take an estimated 6-8 months.
On approval of the
EIS, detailed design and engineering work will commence. The firm
selected for this will work closely with many City and Utility people and
others, to ensure the project construction proceeds smoothly with minimal
adverse impacts on businesses and residents along the route. This work
will probably consume most or all of 2011.
As the process
marches along, Federal, State and local funding sources will be
investigated. At this point, we estimated construction will not
commence until 2013 or perhaps later, dependant on finding funding sources.
What has been decided
at this point?
The route will
connect three destination points – downtown, CC and UCCS – which in itself
should ensure good ridership. In the downtown area, Tejon Street
both north and south will probably be the preferred route.
The streetcars
will operate in street traffic lanes unless there is an adjacent area
available to operate on. The cars may stop in these lanes for
passenger pick up and drop off, unless there is a convenient area for them
to pull out of the lane. The system will NOT be a light rail system,
with dedicated rights-of-way, such as Denver’s
system.
The cars will
use steel wheels on embedded rails and an overhead power source.
What about the North
End?
Three streets through
the neighborhood may be considered in the study – Cascade (probably the
least likely), Nevada
and Weber. If Nevada,
the cars would run in the outside lanes in both directions, leaving lanes
for parking intact. If Weber, the cars could run in the outside lanes
of a 4-lane street or down the center left turn lane of a 3-lane street
with parking and bike lanes towards the curbs. There would then be
center platforms for passenger loading/unloading and periodic passing
lanes, which could restrict some parking.
What are the benefits
of a streetcar system?
Streetcars attract
greater ridership than buses.
Streetcars encourage
development of retail storefronts and high-density residential in areas
already zoned to permit such development. Developers view them as
permanent additions to a street that will attract more people than
previously.
Retail sales rise
along streetcar routes, yielding more sales tax revenues. Property
values also rise, both in commercial and
residential areas.
Streetcars use
electricity generated from domestic coal rather than petroleum based
products that are imported. Streetcars themselves produce no
pollution. A streetcar can coast for long distances as there is
little friction between the rail the wheels, and on average today, can
operate for an hour on about $5-7 worth of electricity.
Streetcar systems
connecting remote parking areas with destination points can reduce traffic
and cut the need for parking in those points. Remote parking +
streetcar fares can be less than cars parking for the day in the downtown
area.
Streetcars tend to
slow traffic flows on the streets where they operate.
What role will the
Foundation play in the system?
As yet undecided,
pending the feasibility study conclusions.
The Foundation
currently has 13 streetcars built between 1901 and 1949, some of which are
on historic registers. It is in the beginning stages of a $5 million
fund-raising campaign, which will allow many of these cars to be restored
to their original look and to operating condition, using modern technology
such as electronic controls, safety glass and handicap lifts. As
restored, these cars can be valued at market values for comparable cars in
other cities and perhaps contributed to a public-private partnership as all
or part of the local funding match for Federal funding.
To this end, the Foundation
is seeking support from the community in the form of (1) memberships, (2)
cash or in-kind donations, or (3) sponsorship of a car. It is an El
Paso County Enterprise Zone business, meaning cash donations in excess of
$500 qualify for a 25% Colorado
State tax credit in
addition to the normal charitable deductions to a Sec. 501c3
organization. In-kind donations qualify for a 12 ˝% tax credit.
HELP WANTED
The following
positions are in need of qualified volunteers. Please contact Dave
Lippincott (719-330-4746) or Howard Noble (719-475-9508) if interested.
Membership
Chairman: Uses MS access to maintain membership, donation and sponsor
databases; produces renewal and renewal response materials, mailing and
email address media, special followup reports and
support for public relations and membership development strategies.
Contributes to letter and other media designs used for public contact.
- SINGING WIRE
Editor: Writes articles, edits submissions, prints, collates and
mails periodic newsletters. Produces SINGING WIRE EXTRA papers
when needed. Needed – a means of electronically transmitting the
newsletter to those who select that method of receiving it, or posting
it to the re-designed website.
- SINGING WIRE Photo
Editor: Records in photos, significant events and milestones of
the PPHSRF for use in its publications.
- Web
Designer/Webmaster: Totally redesign the current website www.coloradospringstrolleys.org and maintain the site
and links after redesign.
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