Streetcars for Cincinnati

After Cincinnati voters indicated their support for a streetcar project last November by defeating a measure to halt the plans, the City Council voted on May 12 in favor of bonds that will serve as the local match for the planned system. The bond issue will produce $62 million in local investment for the total $128 million project to connect downtown Cincinnati with its riverfront and Over-the-Rhine neighborhood to reach the University of Cincinnati. The city will repay the bonds through a combination oftax increment financing, proceeds from the sale of the Blue Ash airport and the sale of the city’s streetlights to Duke Energy.

Proponents of the streetcar expect to attract federal investment to support the full cost of the project, which would utilize modern streetcars similar to those in use in Portland, Ore. and Tacoma, Wash. The streetcar is expected to be connected to the future 3-C Corridor intercity service to Columbus and Cleveland, and future efforts to establish light rail and commuter rail in the region (see map).

Numerous cities and communities around the country have developed plans for both modern and historic streetcars over the last decade, but relatively few have lined-up local investment to support the projects. Federal officials have been clear that those projects that have attracted local investment will receive federal support, given the number of projects requesting funding. Some of those projects were selected under the U.S. Department of Transportation's TIGER grants.  Given Cincinnati's recent actions, there seems to be a good likelihood that a formal streetcar project in the city would fare well for future federal investment.

A Presidential Rail Visit?

This Thursday, President Obama will travel to this blog author's hometown of Buffalo, N.Y. on his Main Street listening tour. According to reports in the Buffalo News, the president will visit Industrial Support, Inc., a manufacturing firm on the city's East Side. If he indeed heads there for a visit, he'll be within motorcade distance of one of the nation's largest, but most threatened passenger rail facilities: Buffalo Central Terminal.

The story of Central Terminal is recounted in numerous places, but perhaps you'll check out RAIL Magazine's Making Up for Lost Time from our 21st Edition for a full background. In much abbreviation, Central Terminal was built to the highest standards and largess by the New York Central Railroad before the Great Depression, and then was battered to the extreme both by the downturn in passenger rail traffic and Buffalo's nosediving economy. By sheer luck, none of the succession of owners who paid a pittance for the terminal managed to successfully tear the structure down, although they did manage to strip all of its valuable materials, including the famous stuffed buffalo and its four-faced clock.

Today, the station has found its way into the hands of the non-profit community organization, the Buffalo Central Terminal Restoration Corporation (CTRC), which has gradually repatriated the grand facility into an increasingly vibrant community destination. However, the costs associated with a proper restoration are massive and no viable ideas have emerged to fill the humongous space, although a combination of high-speed rail, hotel rooms, areas for community groups and events and other components could produce a cohesive approach.

This is where a visit from the president could do enormous good. The first round of TIGER grants made possible under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) supported redevelopment of transportation centers elsewhere, and Central Terminal would be a perfect candidate for similar investment in the future if the program is continued. As a president that has expressed knowledge of and interest in projects made real by the work of dedicated community groups and leaders, along with tangible investment in our nation's infrastructure, the recent work done by the CTRC is worthy of Obama's attention.

Down to the Wire

Over the last few years, Washington, D.C. has advanced plans for a fairly comprehensive streetcar network to augment the region's over-burdened and under-funded Metro system. Construction is now underway on two different lines: one in Southeast D.C. in the Anacostia neighborhood, and another in Northeast D.C. on H Street and Benning Avenue. Three streetcars manufactured in the Czech Republic have already been delivered to the region in anticipation of the forthcoming service.

However, the historical streetcar network in Washington – which was dismantled in 1962 – always operated under a unique traction structure: the absence of overhead wires. Because of the rigid urban design rules instituted by Congress in 1889 to protect the beauty of the nation's capital from rampant electrification at the time, DC's streetcars were forced to develop an alternative arrangement to the traditional overhead trolley wires used elsewhere to power the vehicles. That set-up turned out to be a slot in between the rails that contained electric wiring the streetcars would access by a pole underneath the car, presenting a similar visual look to San Francisco's iconic cable cars.

This arrangement worked fine when there were many manufacturers in the United States who built streetcars, and opportunities for customization were prevalent. However, as streetcars fell out of favor across the country, the streetcar manufacturing industry evaporated. The remaining cities that continued to operate the mode – such as Boston, New Orleans and Philadelphia – relied on holdover vehicles, such as PCC cars. And while communities in Europe and Asia continued to operate, and even expand, their streetcar networks, no similar civic codes required the use of underground streetcar wires. Even modern streetcar operations in Portland, Tacoma, Little Rock and Tampa required no such traction abnormalities.

And yet, the National Capital Planning Commission – the quasi-governmental body charged with maintaining the urban form of the capital city – seems intent on enforcing the 1889 code, at least in the so-called "federal city" designed by Pierre L'Enfant. That would prohibit the use of overhead-powered streetcars on the H Street and Benning Avenue line, although not on the Anacostia route. The Czech-built streetcars were constructed to use overhead power and cannot be retrofitted. Procuring and maintaining a streetcar fleet using different modes of traction would likely be costly and inefficient.

Thus, DC seems positioned for two options: convince the Planning Commission to approve waivers for overhead wires, or locate a manufacturer willing and able to produce a streetcar not powered by overhead traction, possibly such as a hybrid vehicle that could connect to overhead wires outside the federal city. Last month, the Department of Transportation approved investment to allow Oregon's United Streetcar to construct a prototype of such a vehicle.

Meanwhile, some architectural and preservation observers argue that overhead wires would not present a substantial enough aesthetic detriment to the capital city's sightlines to outweigh their mobility benefits, and also revitalize neighborhoods and historic districts. Additionally, many cities artfully weave streetcar wires into their urban fabric, enhancing – not damaging – the beauty of their streetscapes. Examples can be found here, here and here.