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Central City Opinion recently wrote a good post about the proposed streetcar system that is being reviewed by West Sac and Sacramento as part of the Riverfront Master Plan.
This proposal is one of the aspects of the RiverFront Master Plan that we’re most excited about. Not only does the option of another mode of transportation targeted specifically at the urban core fit our eco-urban sensibilities, but route slated to run down West Capitol in West Sacramento is 2-3 blocks from the majority of our projects in the Washington Area. That entire neighborhood would benefit immensely from a stronger connection to downtown: not only would the area solidify its identity as a part of the urban core (stimulating further revitalization) but the streetcar itself would strengthen the pedestrian activity of the neighborhood, particularly with a stop at 3rd and West Capitol. Residents could literally walk to the streetcar to get to jobs and downtown life within minutes.
Central City Opinion has posted links to the proposal and information on upcoming presentations (the one in West Sac happened last night), past streetcar activity in the Sacramento blogosphere, etc. He’s also fielding answers to questions like “Are the streetcars going to prove themselves useful transportation options or tourist photo ops” (which I’ve tried to answer above).
Jason
P.S. The first image above is the Portland Streetcar.
5/9/07 Update: The West Sacramento streetcar presentation is actually tonight.
5/10/07 Update: The bottom image is a Tampa streetcar.
4 responses so far ↓
1 CentralCity // May 9, 2007 at 9:31 pm
I think that West Sacramento has the most to benefit from this idea . There are many things that divide Sacramento from West Sacramento - some natural , some manmade - that would be greatly minimized by the presence of such a system .
A Streetcar loop running through the downtowns of these two cities would do wonders on myriad levels
I certainly hope to see West Sac get involved in the discussion .
2 wburg // May 10, 2007 at 12:52 pm
As I commented on that weblog, it can be both! San Francisco’s streetcar line is a tourist destination, but it is also an important commuter line. There is no need to choose one over the other, and the efficiency resulting from multiple uses helps defray costs. It also promotes the system to a wide audience. If people are taking their own photos of a streetcar system home with them, they also function as advertising for the city and the transit system. Streetcars, like life, should have room for both business and pleasure, ideally both at the same time.
People like to ride streetcars. The experience is fundamentally different from that of a bus. After the initial investment, they are also cheaper to operate than buses, and are more energy efficient. Obviously I have a preference for restoring old cars, partially due to their historic appearance, but also because in my mind it’s a great expression of reduce/reuse/recycle in a transit paradigm: old cars operating on the street instead of rotting in a junkyard. Used in conjunction with new cars (which have the advantages of lower costs, ADA compliance and of course air conditioning) they become part of a bigger, complete transit picture.
3 Jason // May 10, 2007 at 3:27 pm
Well stated, wburg. I guess when I wrote this I was thinking that the tourist/photo op. was a given and the real question was whether or not it would be a viable transit alternative. But, I really appreciate how well you articulated the “both/and” thinking that needs to be embraced in multiple arenas of city development and growth.
In light of this, I’ve also posted another picture–this time of a historic streetcar option. You make a good case for having both simultaneously, each for different reasons. Yet another “both/and” example…
I also think CCO is right in his assessment that West Sac has the most to benefit…which is probably why they are the designated “project manager” for this particular part of the Riverfront Master Plan.
4 wburg // May 10, 2007 at 5:50 pm
Oh boy, a Birney Safety Car! We had those here in Sacramento. The Western Railway Museum down in Rio Vista Junction has several Sacramento Birneys. Currently only one is in restored condition (Sacramento Northern #62) but they have a couple of the PG&E Birneys out in the storage yard, as well as a couple of the two-truck cars. The profits from my last book are going to restore & maintain those, although it’s pretty much a drop in the bucket considering how much it can cost to restore an old streetcar.
Tampa’s system uses some old heritage cars and some reproduction two-truck Birneys made by a company called Gomaco. Those would be ideal here too, as local company Central California Traction used two-truck Birneys and PG&E used some very similar cars. The Gomaco cars are also ADA compliant and have air conditioning.
I went over this in some detail in a recent article, but the best thing West Sac can do is build smart and dense (not necessarily supertall, but in the vicinity of the magic 60 or so DUA people talk about) in the vicinity of the streetcar line in order to get the needed level of traffic to make the line cost-effective.
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