Unprecedented activity for light rail and streetcars
By Paul M. Weyrich
April 24, 2008

At a time when the Bush Administration has rejected almost all light rail and streetcar projects, there is unprecedented activity in these arenas. Presumably a new Administration would be more sympathetic to rail. Certainly that is true of the two Democratic contenders. It is unclear what view Senator McCain will take regarding urban transit. We know he is very much opposed to Amtrak.

There are 16 streetcar projects currently under study. How many of these will actually see streetcars remains to be seen. Some surely will. The Mayor of Columbus, Ohio strongly backs a downtown circulator and some funding is available.

Studies are underway in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl., Santa Ana and Irvine, CA, El Paso, TX, Grand Rapids, MI. Reading, PA, Indianapolis, IN and Stamford, CT. Clearly lines will be built in Anacostia, D.C., the H Street Corridor and perhaps four additional locations. A streetcar up Columbia Pike from Arlington to Fairfax VA already has been funded to the tune of millions of dollars.

If a reform plan for Birmingham, AL goes ahead, it almost certainly will include a four mile streetcar line. And civic leaders are serous about instituting Red Car Style streetcar service for downtown LA. There are already streetcars operating in Seattle, WA and Portland OR. Both cities are looking to add more lines. In Seattle the Heritage car line has been shut down but might be re-located.

Meanwhile streetcar service has resumed in Charlotte, NC after an absence of two years. And Tampa’s streetcar line will be extended a few blocks and officials in Kenosha, WI are optimistic that their streetcar system will be extended uptown. In addition the Old Pueblo trolley in Tucson, AZ will be extended and a new four mile line will be built.

As to light rail, there are nine projects currently under consideration. The locations include Detroit, MI. , Jacksonville, FL., Louisville, KY. Raleigh, NC and Atlanta, GA. As well as Ottawa and Toronto, ONT. New Light Rail systems are under construction in Seattle, WA., Phoenix, AZ and Norfolk, VA

In addition extensions currently under construction are in LA, both the east side Gold line and the Expo line; Minneapolis, MN (the line to St. Paul). The Governor used his line item veto to remove funds for the line but suggested the funds might be restored. A very costly extension to the Pittsburgh light rail system bringing the line to the three rivers area is underway. In Dallas TX, the system will be doubled from 45 to 90 miles. Funds for preliminary engineering are in the bond issue to extend the Green line to Medford from Lechmere in the Boston area.

In Denver construction is now underway on the West side light rail line. Two light rail lines are under construction in Salt Lake City whereas in Houston, TX two of the five lines which were to have been Bus Rapid Transit are into preliminary engineering for light rail. All five lines will eventually be light rail, just as the voters had approved. But soon after the referendum took place then Majority Leader Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Houston) got the transit authority to scrap light rail in favor of BRT to the outrage of the voting public. Following DeLay’s defeat, the Authority went back to light rail.

In Portland OR the Green Line along with trackage in the downtown mall to Union Station should open late this year. With its triumph with its first light rail line, Charlotte is already planning for the second. And the Hudson Bergen light rail interurban, now carrying over 35,000 passengers a day, will go ahead with one additional mile. And the city of Chesapeake, VA wants to be connected to the Norfolk starter line and Virginia Beach, which had rejected light rail, now shows renewed interest

It hard to keep track of the cities considering streetcars. For a time Omaha, NE seemed almost certain to get a streetcar line. Today that project is dead. A few months ago, Roanoke, VA appeared ready to go. Now its status is not clear. In Cleveland, OH, the Lakeshore Electric Railway may get off the ground because a new housing development is including tracks in its plans. The line would hook up with the Waterfront light rail line. The situation is fluid enough that we have offered this website as a repository for new developments. We shall see if anyone takes us up on the offer.

Letter to the editor

Dear Paul Weyrich:

Always look forward to these as you are about as level-headed and realistic as anyone in this game. I think that Lancaster and Reading, PA should be linked together as the two mayors are joined at the hip on this (cities are 25 miles apart.) Would also include Sacramento where things are moving. As for the light rail list, I think Atlanta is a streetcar project only at this stage. Would also add Miami which is still on-going. You have mentioned Louisville but I cannot find anything on-line about this since they killed the project some years ago !!! Austin, Fresno, Milwaukee and Vancouver are possibles, especially the last as some real Canadian dollars have been approved for trackage and cars in that city, which is somewhat influenced by what it sees across the border in Seattle. Keep up the good work. J.M. Carter