Fort Worth looks to its past as it considers modern streetcars

by PegNews wire

For more than 50 years, a streetcar system moved Fort Worth residents from their growing neighborhoods to the city’s bustling downtown.

By 1940, the city’s first public mass transit system was abandoned when the city limits began to expand and residents chose to favor the automobile. And now, time are changing again.

With gas prices peaking at more than $3.50 a gallon and more residents choosing to live, work and play in the Central City, streetcar transportation could see a rebirth.

In July, the City Council appointed a Modern Streetcar Study Committee to determine if streetcars should be a part of the city’s landscape once again. As part of their work, the 18-member committee was charged with:

• reviewing Fort Worth’s previous streetcar studies
• researching light rail and streetcar systems in other cities
• conducting a preliminary assessment of costs, benefits and possible funding sources
• making a recommendation to City Council on whether or not streetcars should be pursued and if so, the route for a starter corridor

A modern streetcar system would serve only the Central City — areas within Loop 820 — just like it did in its heyday during the 1920s and ‘30s when there were nearly two dozen streetcar lines that served areas such as Arlington Heights, Fairmount, Riverside, Rosen Heights and Poly. Back then, the streetcars were popular because people lived close to where they worked. Now, with Central City density increasing daily, frequent road congestion and high gas prices, residents took the opportunity through the Let’s Talk Fort Worth vision-planning initiative to ask for more user-friendly public transportation. Organizers reported that it was one of the most popular suggestions.

Because streetcar networks are intended for quick-stop, short-haul distances, city planners say that any proposed modern streetcar system would have to work in conjunction with the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The T) bus service and regional commuter rail. By design, streetcars use an overhead electric power source and can travel on either a dedicated right of way or share street lanes with automobiles. Stations typically are spaced two to four blocks apart, unlike light rail or regional rail, where they are generally farther apart.

Fort Worth first began to consider a modern streetcar system nearly a decade ago. A transit alternative analysis was conducted by the city and The T, which recommended such an intra-city system in 2002. The city and The T applied for federal funds to pay for it, but the project was withdrawn because Fort Worth’s population density and potential ridership wasn’t high enough to be competitive nationally. Instead, the city decided to support regional commuter rail efforts, which led to The T’s Southwest to Northeast Corridor project.

Although the modern streetcar plans were shelved at the time, the idea was not forgotten. In January the Fort Worth Central City Redevelopment Committee published a report that rekindled the effort. And, the city’s proposed Mobility and Air Quality Plan calls for an intracity rapid transit element. Further bolstering interest, the Greater Fort Worth Real Estate Council decided it wanted to focus attention on a streetcar system as well.

As part of its work, the study committee traveled to Portland, Seattle and Tacoma to see how modern streetcar systems recently implemented there improved mobility, spurred economic growth, promoted pedestrian friendly neighborhoods and created a more sustainable community.

Source: The City of Fort Worth