Community Streetcar Coalition News Clips

March 22 – March 29, 2018 COMMUNITY STREETCAR COALITION NEWS CLIPS

COMPILED BY

BROADCAST CLIPS

Charlotte WJZY March 29, 2018 LINK: https://bit.ly/2J5yD3o

We’re talking about the extension of the CityLYNX Gold Line, they’re doing some road work on Trade Street, near I77. If you’re in that area, Trade Street is closed until June 29; they’re extending the streetcar segment 2.5 miles on the east and west ends. You have a system of about four miles that will run from French Street all the way to Novant Presbyterian hospital, so this is expected to be completed in 2020. The cost of this phase two is about $150 million. It is a 50/50 project, 50% by the federal government, 50% by the City of Charlotte. They do expect about 4,100 riders a day on it; I think that’s ambitious for this four-mile stretch, at an average of about $2.20 per person. The annual operating cost of the streetcar is over $6 million. We’re definitely going to have to subsidize this with a lot of taxes, but they’re saying that it should improve transportation between the west side and uptown.

Seattle KIRO7 March 28, 2018 LINK: https://bit.ly/2pRNlC6

King County Metro says Seattle’s streetcar expansion will likely cost a lot more than what Seattle DOT is predicting. The difference is over staffing estimates. Seattle Times reports Metro thinks it will need twice as many employees as SDOT predicts to operate the streetcar system. KIRO7 is breaking down the numbers this morning to highlight the discrepancy. SDOT estimated the expansion will cost $16 million a year, but Metro’s estimates put it at $24 million. Metro is under contract to run the streetcars, with the expanded system set to open in 2020.

El Paso KFOX March 27, 2018 LINK: https://bit.ly/2uzYLjE

El Paso’s first renovated streetcar is being housed at a maintenance facility in downtown El Paso. Yesterday the local media got its first look inside. This is streetcar 1506. It has a vintage art deco look on the outside. The seats and handles were also repurposed from the original design, but most of the streetcar has been modernized with state of the art technology that includes TV monitors and a GPS system. When I look at the streetcars and I walk through them, it just fills me with joy to think about all the other El Pasoans that will be able to ride them and connect to those memories and our future. The next restored streetcar is expected to arrive here next month.

PRINT COVERAGE Downtown business leaders ready to ‘Hop’ on Milwaukee’s streetcar

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel By Steve Jagler March 29, 2018

Milwaukee’s first new streetcar rolled up to the Intermodal Station this week, sparking a buzz among downtown business executives.

Some are excited about riding the streetcar, while others simply will be relieved to see the completion of track construction on downtown streets.

Streetcar rides will be free the first year due to a $10 million sponsorship deal with the Forest County Potawatomi Community. As part of that agreement, the streetcar's official name is The Hop, presented by Potawatomi Hotel & Casino.

Let’s be honest ... “free” is Milwaukee’s favorite price. For anything. Ever.

So, two years from now, will Milwaukee’s business community be looking at The Hop as a wise, prudent investment that has improved the quality of life and the transit of residents and visitors alike? Or will the streetcar be viewed as Mayor Tom Barrett’s $128 million boondoggle?

Truth be told, I don’t know.

So, this week I conducted a completely unscientific email poll of prominent downtown business executives about Milwaukee’s streetcar, hoping to get a feel for how the prevailing winds are blowing on the street.

Here are their responses:

Mary Scheibel, CEO of Trefoil Group, Milwaukee

“I have to admit, at first I was not a fan. … But as the streetcars begin to arrive, I find myself enthused and optimistic about its future. In talking with people inside my business, most share that enthusiasm. We talk often of the importance of making Milwaukee a distinctive place to live and do business as a key to economic health and prosperity. As we grow, it’s important for us to stop the brain drain and attract talent from other cities. We need to attract businesses to plant their roots here, visitors to vacation here and even suburban residents to come downtown more often. The streetcar affords an opportunity to travel around our city much more conveniently. For city dwellers, this could become a way to work in those colder months when walking is not an option. Or to schedule a luncheon meeting somewhere off your beaten path.”

Jim Barry III, president of The Barry Co., Milwaukee

3 “Now that the construction is almost done and the streetcar is here, we should try to make the best of it and give it a chance to prove itself. My hope is that it will be embraced by residents of and visitors to Milwaukee. I certainly intend to try it out myself.”

Rick Barrett, CEO of Barrett Lo Visionary Development, Milwaukee

“We couldn’t be more excited about the launch of the streetcar. This is exactly the type of investment that will help our city attract and retain top-quality talent, foster new economic development and build our property tax base. That core belief is why we designed the Couture (a Milwaukee luxury high-rise apartment complex on the lakefront) around the streetcar. It will also help alleviate parking pressure downtown and make all of the great attractions in our city more accessible for residents, employees and visitors.”

Robert Monnat, partner and chief operating officer, Mandel Group, Milwaukee

“Thus far, people have reacted predictably to the construction disruption and the sight of overhead wires. I’m hoping we all keep an open mind and give this system a chance to prove its worth. The streetcar is one piece of a multi-modal solution for Milwaukee — a city which could be the most auto-centric urban center of its size. Be it streetcars, bike sharing or any other alternative to automobiles, I don’t expect Milwaukee’s ‘community conscience’ to adopt anything ‘new’ overnight. Given a chance, I think that people will come to appreciate the benefits of diversifying the ways that we traverse our most densely developed urban areas. The streetcar will be an important asset in creating this diversity.”

Matt Dorner, economic development director, Milwaukee Downtown Business Improvement District #21

“We are really excited that the first vehicle has arrived. Anticipation for the system to open is growing as track construction nears completion and vehicle testing is about to begin. As downtown and the city continues to boom with new development, The Hop will help unlock more of those opportunities to grow the tax base and create jobs while enhancing our multi-modal connectivity.”

Julia Taylor, president of the Greater Milwaukee Committee

“I've visited Kansas City twice since their streetcar started service. The streetcars are packed full and there were three parking lots on the initial route with new developments going up. We visited the University of Missouri-Kansas City Bloch School, and they were excited that the next extension would be out to their campus. I hope that Milwaukee will see the same acceptance, economic impact and connectivity. It’s made a big difference in downtown K.C.”

Julie Granger, senior vice president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce

“The Milwaukee streetcar will add a fun option for limited travel between downtown points of interest. Thanks to Potawatomi, people will be able to try it out for free for the next year. Why not hop on?”

4 Eve Hall, president and CEO of Milwaukee Urban League and former CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce in Milwaukee

“I supported (it) in my role at the chamber because of the jobs that were to result from the development. As the Urban League CEO, I continue to support it as long as it extends its route north to Bronzeville and south as originally proposed long-term and provides employment to include diverse communities. I also support it because it serves as an additional amenity attraction to our city even though it is an expensive endeavor.”

Jeremy Fojut, co-founder, NEWaukee

“We are in the time where cities are in competition for businesses and talent more than ever before. We don’t build cities for today. We build them for tomorrow, and a lot of times not understanding the needs of tomorrow is where the politics come into play. I hope that same mind-set doesn’t get in the way of advances in autonomous technology or even newer, more progressive forms of transportation. I can count over 30 times I would have used the streetcar this winter to move around downtown for meetings and events.”

Blair Williams, president of WiRED Properties, Milwaukee

“Great cities have strong transit. Transit is about starting in one place and going to another. The value of the streetcar won’t be realized until we expand the network of places to go and install its extended routes. In the near term, it may seem underutilized, but I’m hopeful that early ridership isn’t the standard against which we measure its long-term value.”

Not everyone is on board with the streetcar:

Craig Peterson, president and CEO of Zigman Joseph & Associates, Milwaukee has been a vocal critic of Barrett and the streetcar project.

“Public opinion polls have consistently shown roughly 70% of City of Milwaukee residents oppose the trolley. Tom Barrett and his followers on the Common Council have figuratively given ‘the finger’ to the voters who trusted them. They are tone deaf when it comes to listening to their constituents,” Peterson said. “This is a slap in the face to Milwaukee’s African American community who truly needs greater, more viable, transportation options. In addition, Milwaukee students can’t afford having over $40 million diverted from Milwaukee Public Schools just so a couple dozen riders don’t have to Uber to their favorite gastro pub.”

Steve Laughlin, executive chairman at Milwaukee-based Laughlin Constable, chose to have some fun with his response to my questions.

“I’m going to celebrate the opening of the Milwaukee’s new trolley by taking a railroad train from downtown Chicago to the beautiful Northwestern Railroad Station," Laughlin said. "I’ll hop aboard the new trolley and head west toward Borchert Field for a ball game. I’ve heard that someday we’ll be able to include an airplane ride in this odyssey! It’s 1918, and it’s great to be alive.”

LINK: https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/columnists/steve-jagler/2018/03/29/jagler- downtown-business-leaders-ready-hop-milwaukees-streetcar/467716002/

5 OCTA taps Siemens for eight streetcars

Progressive Railroading No author listed March 28, 2018

The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) on Monday approved a $51.5 million contract to acquire eight S70 model streetcars from Siemens Industries Inc.

The units will be used on the future 4.1-mile Orange County Streetcar line, which will run from Santa Ana to Garden Grove, California. Six vehicles will operate on the system at a time, with two spare cars to be used as needed, OCTA officials said in a press release.

The contract includes the option to purchase up to 10 additional streetcars at a later date. As part of the agreement, Siemens will provide systems support and training to operators and maintenance technicians after the vehicles are delivered.

The S70 model units, which can carry up to 180 passengers, are operating in eight other U.S. cities, according to OCTA.

"We're looking forward to making the vision for a modern electric streetcar here in Orange County a reality," said OCTA Chairwoman Lisa Bartlett, who was elected to lead the board earlier this year.

In late 2016, OCTA released a request for proposals for the manufacturing and delivery of the eight streetcar vehicles.

The $299 million OC Streetcar project will be partially funded through Measure M, Orange County's half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements. A mix of state and federal funding will cover the balance.

OCTA is working on planning and design with the Federal Transit Administration, which is considering a grant agreement to fund about half of the project's cost.

Construction on the OC Streetcar is slated to begin later this year, with testing and operations beginning in late 2020.

LINK: https://www.progressiverailroading.com/mechanical/article/OCTA-taps-Siemens-for-eight- streetcars--54281

6 The latest Tampa Mayoral candidate dishes on economic development strategies

Tampa Bay Business Journal By Janelle Irwin March 28, 2018

Tampa City Council member Harry Cohen officially entered the race to replace Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn. Cohen is running on a four-point platform with broad economic development implications surrounding transportation and transit, infrastructure and community amenities.

Cohen filed paperwork to enter the 2019 mayoral election Wednesday morning at the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections office.

One of Cohen’s top goals is attracting local, state and federal engagement – and along with it funding – for comprehensive, multi-modal transportation.

Cohen told the Tampa Bay Business Journal with an estimated 500,000 people expected to move to the region over the next 20 years, the current transit and transportation infrastructure is inadequate.

Cohen supports the existing regional transit feasibility plan Jacobs Engineering is establishing with Florida Department of Transportation funding, but also wants to ensure public dialogue continues and reasonable accommodations made to support community concerns.

The 41-mile bus rapid transit route currently proposed has been controversial because some people worry it won’t attract ridership or transit oriented development and will be a failed project.

Most of the criticism so far has stemmed from people who live in Hillsborough County. Cohen hypothesized many of those naysayers may not realize the regional bus route is an important project for people in Pinellas and Pasco counties and urged critics to look at the plan as a first step, not as a single solution.

Cohen also supports expanding the TECO Line Streetcar into the Heights. That project could serve regional transit users on the proposed BRT route by offering local transit connections to businesses and other popular downtown destinations that would be difficult to access without local transit corridors.

An extended streetcar would also offer relief to parking challenges downtown by making it easy for visitors to park in far-away parking garages when traffic is high.

“I recognize that when we have a couple of events at the same time in downtown these days it’s complete gridlock,” Cohen said.

The InVision Streetcar $100 million proposed project would extend the existing route through the downtown core and into the Heights along Florida and Tampa avenues.

7 Cohen said before he would commit any of the city’s limited budget to transportation projects though he’d want to evaluate all of the options on the table. That includes shoring up stormwater infrastructure to limit flooding during periods of heavy rain.

“If you want to attract companies here, what are the things that are going to standout?” Cohen said. “If they come here on a rainy summer day and they see we can’t handle it, that’s a big negative.”

Cohen would also shift economic development activities from Tampa’s downtown core to other neighborhoods throughout the city by improving things like parks and sidewalks.

“Children must be able to walk to school safely and have safe spaces to play,” he said.

Cohen faces several other challengers including attorney and former mayoral candidate Ed Turanchik, businessman Topher Morrison, who have already filed to run. Tampa City Council member Mike Suarez, former Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor and philanthropist David Straz are also expected to enter the race.

LINK: https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2018/03/28/the-latest-tampa-mayoral- candidate-dishes-on.html

8 OC Streetcar plans to roll forward with selection of vehicles

Orange County Breeze By the Orange County Transportation Authority March 28, 2018

Plans for Orange County’s first modern streetcar rolled forward when the Orange County Transportation Authority board of directors on Monday approved the purchase of the streetcars that will carry passengers on the route through Santa Ana and Garden Grove.

The contract with Siemens Industries, in the amount of up to $51.5 million, will provide eight streetcar vehicles and spare parts and tools. The OC Streetcar route will have six vehicles in operation and two spare cars that can be rotated into the system as needed.

“This is an important and exciting milestone for the OC Streetcar project as we have decided upon the vehicles that will provide Orange County residents another public transit option,” said OCTA Chairwoman Lisa Bartlett, also the Fifth District Supervisor. “We’re looking forward to making the vision for a modern electric streetcar here in Orange County a reality.”

The contract for the streetcars comes with the option to purchase up to 10 additional streetcars at a later date, if necessary. As part of the deal, Siemens will provide systems support and training to operators and maintenance technicians once the vehicles are delivered.

OCTA has been working closely throughout planning and design with the Federal Transit Administration, which is considering a full funding grant agreement to pay for about half of the project’s cost. Of that, $50 million was included in the President’s 2017 budget.

Because OCTA met all federal guidelines during the development of the project, FTA officials gave OCTA written pre-award authority to move forward with the purchase of vehicles. On March 23, Congress funded about $2.6 billion toward Capital Improvement Grants funding, which is a promising signal for the OC Streetcar project to receive the full funding grant agreement.

The OC Streetcar will operate from the busy Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center, along Santa Ana Boulevard and Fourth Street and along the Pacific Electric right-of-way to Harbor Boulevard in Garden Grove.

The route will serve Santa Ana’s thriving downtown and dense employment areas that include county and local government offices and courthouses in the Civic Center. The OC Streetcar route will also connect with many of OCTA’s busiest bus routes and Metrolink commuter rail. It is expected to carry more than 7,300 passengers per day within its first year of operation.

The model of streetcar that Siemens will provide, called the S70 model, has proven successful in other cities nationwide. At least 342 streetcars of that model are in operation in eight U.S. cities.

9 The vehicles are 88 feet long and have 70 seats, carrying up to 180 passengers at a time. The streetcars will have doors on each side, operator cabs in the front and back, and level boarding – meaning no steps are required to enter or exit the streetcar.

This summer, the OCTA board will review branding of the OC Streetcar, which is expected to be similar to the blue, orange and white branding of the OC Bus system.

Construction on the OC Streetcar is set to begin later this year with testing and operations beginning in late 2020.

For information on the project, visit www.OCstreetcar.com.

This article was released by the Orange County Transportation Authority.

LINK: http://www.oc-breeze.com/2018/03/28/119164_oc-streetcar-plans-roll-forward-with- selection-of-vehicles/

10 For Eligible Voters, Time To Apply For A Streetcar Extension Ballot Is Almost Out

KCUR By Lisa Rodriguez March 28, 2018

Time is running out for about 30,000 Kansas City, Missouri, voters who are eligible to vote on a southern streetcar extension.

Registered voters who live within the area roughly between the Missouri River and 53rd Street, and State Line Road and Campbell, have until April 3 to apply for a mail-in ballot.

Ballots will be sent to approved voters in May and due back on June 12.

This is the final step in a complicated three-election process that must be completed before any work on an expansion to the University of Missouri-Kansas City can begin.

The first step was a mail-in election last summer. More than 70 percent of voters approved the boundaries of a Transportation Development District, or TDD, a special taxing district that would serve as a major funding mechanism for the streetcar.

In October, voters in the district elected a board of directors for the TDD.

The final election asks voters to approve a special property assessment and a 1 percent sales tax within the district to fund the extension.

David Johnson, chairman of the Kansas City Regional Transit Alliance, says as of last week, fewer than 2,000 people had applied for a ballot. He's urging people not to wait until Tuesday to submit an application.

"As we've seen with this ballot application process, people wait until the last minute, and that of course, taxes the circuit court," Johnson says.

Just over 10 percent of eligible voters received ballots for the last mail-in election. Applications for ballots as well as a map of the proposed taxing district are available here.

Efforts to extend the streetcar were complicated last year when Kansas City voters narrowly approved a ballot question in August that prohibited the city from taking part in any streetcar extension without a citywide vote. But the City Council amended that ordinance in January, saying that it was not legally sound as it was passed.

LINK: http://kcur.org/post/eligible-voters-time-apply-streetcar-extension-ballot-almost- out#stream/0

11 KCATA suite: Bad fences make bad neighbors on Trolley Track Trail [Subscription Locked]

Kansas City Business Journal By Elise Reuter March 28, 2018

The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority will go to trial in June against streetcar opponent and Brookside attorney Sherry DeJanes Donovan. This time, though, the dispute isn't over a streetcar, but over a fence.

A petition filed in January 2017 by KCATA lists DeJanes Donovan and her husband, Gerard Donovan, as defendants. According to the complaint, the Donovans built a 6-foot-tall wooden fence that extends 40 feet beyond their property line, enclosing 1,800 square feet of property owned by the KCATA along the Harry Wiggins Trolley Track Trail in Kansas City.

Adding insult to injury, "the Donovans have posted a sign adjacent to their fence — and plainly on the KCATA's property — which states: 'PRIVATE PROPERTY DO NOT TRESPASS,'" according to court documents.

KCATA acquired the 100-foot-wide tract of land for $1.5 million in 1981, where the historic Kansas City streetcar system operated until 1957. Since then, KCATA has installed a six-mile walking trail along the route, though the land still holds potential as a future right-of-way for transit.

The Donovans have ignored demands to remove the fence, according to the complaint. KCATA wants the court to declare that the Donovans do not have any right or title to the encroached property and that the Donovans must remove the fence, as well as cover the KCATA's costs.

This is not DeJanes Donovan's first legal crossing with ties to the streetcar. In August, she filed a lawsuit on behalf of four Kansas City residents against the Missouri, the secretary of state and more than 50 supporters of a petition to expand the streetcar south along Main Street. The lawsuit claims the mail-in election process used to form Transportation Development Districts is unconstitutional, by imposing an "undue burden" on voters. The suit was moved from the Cole County Circuit Court to the Jackson County Circuit Court in December.

DeJanes Donovan also is listed as the founder of "Be Smart KC," a group opposed to the formation of the TDD used to help fund the streetcar.

DeJanes Donovan did not respond to a request for comment.

LINK: https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2018/03/28/kcata-suit-bad-fences-make- bad-neighbors-on.html

12 Siemens selected for OC Streetcar

Railway Age By William C. Vantuono March 28, 2018

The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) has awarded a $51.5 million contract to Siemens Industry for eight S70 low-floor light rail vehicles for the OC Streetcar project, construction of which is expected to begin later this year.

Six LRVs will be in operation, with two spare cars that can be rotated into the system as needed. The contract with Siemens, which also includes spare parts and tools, comes with the option to purchase up to 10 additional vehicles at a later date. Siemens will provide systems support and training to operators and maintenance technicians once the vehicles are delivered.

The OC Streetcar project is estimated to cost $299 million, with funding coming from Measure M, Orange County’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements, and a mix of state and federal funding. OCTA has been working closely throughout planning and design with the Federal Transit Administration, which is considering a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) to pay for about half of the project’s cost. Of that, $50 million was included in the President’s 2017 budget.

Because OCTA met all federal guidelines during project development, FTA officials gave OCTA written pre-award authority to move forward with the vehicle purchase. On March 23, Congress funded about $2.6 billion toward Capital Improvement Grants funding, which OCTA said “is a promising signal for the OC Streetcar project to receive the FFGA.

The OC Streetcar will operate from the busy Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center, along Santa Ana Boulevard and Fourth Street and along the former Pacific Electric right-of-way, to Harbor Boulevard in Garden Grove. The route will serve Santa Ana’s central business district, which includes county and local government offices and courthouses in the Civic Center. It will also connect with many OCTA bus routes and Metrolink regional/commuter rail. It is expected to carry more than 7,300 passengers per day within its first year of operation, projected as 2020.

This summer, the OCTA board will review branding of the OC Streetcar, which is expected to be similar to the blue, orange and white branding of the OC Bus system.

LINK: https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/light-rail/siemens-selected-oc-streetcar/

13 TECO Line Streetcar overhaul is on track for federal funding

Tampa Bay Business Journal By Janelle Irwin March 27, 2018

Downtown Tampa’s TECO Line Streetcar System overhaul is following the same process as another transit project in St. Petersburg, and that could mean long-overdue good news for Tampa transit.

The city of Tampa and HDR, the consultants hired to facilitate the InVision Streetcar process, are making final preparations to send a preferred enhancement plan to the Federal Transit Administration for inclusion on its New Starts project development list, an early step in drawing down federal grant dollars to pay for the project.

Federal grants typically cover about half of a project's cost with local governments or agencies splitting the other half. The streetcar overhaul is a $100 million project.

St. Pete’s Central Avenue bus rapid transit project has already been included in the FTA’s New Starts list and was ranked medium-high in the agency’s evaluation, which positions the project well for federal funding. The Central Avenue project is the first in more than three decades to make it to the federal government.

Tampa’s preferred 1.3-mile streetcar route enhancement would connect the existing streetcar route from Ybor through the Channel District and on to the convention center through the downtown core and into the Heights. The project would serve 16,000 jobs and 5,500 residents.

But progress on the streetcar has much bigger implications than serving downtown businesses and residents. It’s an opportunity to create a crucial transit connection to a larger regional system.

The city’s original goal was to send its preliminary project goals to the FTA by the end of this month. Now the city and HDR are working to make sure the streetcar enhancements align with the Florida Department of Transportation-funded Regional Transit Feasibility Plan that currently recommends a 41-mile bus rapid transit route connecting downtown St. Pete to Wesley Chapel along Interstate 275.

“That connects areas of destinations. It doesn’t really connect to individual destinations,” said Steve Schukraft, section manager of transportation and community design for HDR.

To make the regional BRT initiative work, there will need to be local connections to take riders from the highway to their final destinations. The streetcar could serve that purpose into downtown and the Heights. St. Pete’s Central Avenue BRT and its downtown circulator could also meet local needs.

“We’re making sure we have a project with standalone value, but it would sure be great if they worked together,” Schukraft said.

14 In addition to preparing the streetcar project for inclusion in FTA plans, the city and HDR are working on preliminary funding and implementation strategies. Later this year and into next year Tampa will continue engaging the public on the project and fine-tuning route details and funding strategies.

The city hopes to have the project included in the FTA’s New Start project development this July with a goal of beginning service by 2024 if funding is obtained.

LINK: https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2018/03/27/teco-line-streetcar-overhaul-is- on-track-for.html

15 About Those Streetcar Stops

Urban Milwaukee By Tom Bamberger March 27, 2018

They swirl, zoom, flow, are lighter than air and glow in the dark. Travel portals are buoyant, happy places that sweep through space. Gas stations, train stations, bus stations and airports look forward rather than back.

The home town of TV’s “The Jetsons,” the space-age 1962 counterpart to the stone age Flintstones, looked like the “theme building” of the Los Angeles Airport built in 1961.

Which brings me to Milwaukee’s plans for our new transportation architecture. Here is Ashley Booth from HNTB, the national infrastructure firm handling the design work for our streetcar stops, making a presentation to at the historic Third Ward Architectural Review Board.

Ald. Bob Bauman, the chairman of that Board, “suggested the shelter could take its design cues from the Public Market itself, with its screens and exposed structural elements, adding that the building and the shelter in this instance could truly be integrated,” as Michael Horne reported for Urban Milwaukee.

The streetcar stations should have “maximum flexibility for the designs,” Bauman said, “which could incorporate neighborhood attributes …. sponsorships and custom design elements…. the sky’s the limit.”

Following this line of open-ended thinking Alderman Tony Zielinski oversaw the spending of $258,684.37 on a bus stop that was supposed to link Bay View to its industrial past. In this case “maximum flexibility” means no seats at all.

This atrocity offers a couple lessons to consider in designing the streetcar’s stops. First, a design process with no limits is no design process at all.

Second, grabbing symbols from the city’s past, industrial or otherwise, may be a mistake. Transportation systems are usually not nostalgic. There’re about looking forward, going someplace, the future.

Third, who’s in charge? Council members need supervision, especially when it comes to architecture and urban design.

This time around it’s Ghassan Korban, the Commissioner of Public Works. According to Bauman, because of the political hostility surrounding rail transit by state Republican leaders, the project was dumped on the Department of Public Works to get it done under the radar. The less design the better. The quicker the better.

Consequently, there is no review by the Department of City Development, as there routinely is for buildings. And no structured design process I have been able to understand other than Korban listening to various stakeholders who are likely to have no expertise or experience in transit architecture and design. 16 According to Korban, the stops start out as a simple shell for sponsorships and advertisements. The city is going to sell the name of the stations to the highest — or maybe only — bidder. So you could end up with something like the Panda Express or Gruber Law “One call that’s all” downtown stop.

Finally, the design of the streetcar stops will be determined by a lack of money for this, which might keep amateur add-ons at bay. Bauman still thinks he is going to get his doodads reflecting the Third Ward. Korban is not so sure. The Third Ward will need to ante up or some advertiser, say Broken Bat Brewery, may win the name.

This process, such as it is, leaves no place to ask the question — should a metropolitan light rail system have a uniform metropolitan design? After all, public transit is about weaving neighborhoods into a greater whole. A strong design could help do that.

But everyone knows the sky is not the limit in Milwaukee. Funding — and political goodwill — is limited. The future will have to wait for the expansion of streetcar system, if that ever happens.

LINK: https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2018/03/27/in-public-about-those-streetcar-stops/

17 Ding, ding! Tour the inside of El Paso Streetcar No. 1506

KFOX14 By Jamel Valencia March 26, 2018

KFOX14 got a look inside El Paso's first renovated streetcar Monday.

Streetcar No. 1506 is being housed at the El Paso Street Maintenance and Storage Facility, at 601 S. Santa Fe Drive in downtown El Paso.

Four streetcars will be stored inside the facility and two outside inside the gated area, said Carl Jackson, assistant director of El Paso Streetcar Operations.

No. 1506 has been fully restored for daily use and outfitted with modern amenities, including air conditioning and Wi-Fi, said Jackson.

The streetcar previewed on Monday is painted in teal and cherry red. Jackson says No. 1506 is one of the three original color schemes from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.

Each one will have a unique style and color scheme, he reassured.

No. 1506 smelled brand new and looked polished. The inside is equipped with seats for single, double and riders needing wheelchair access.

Riders who choose to stand have handles to get a grip on. The back of the streetcar features a bench for a group of people wanting to ride together. Every rider on board No. 1506 will have a view of the outside through windows installed throughout the vehicle.

Riders will be allowed to board the new streetcars by the end of the year. Riders are looking at paying $1.50 to ride along through downtown, central and west El Paso.

The 4.8-mile route will run in two loops between Father Rahm Avenue, near the Downtown Transfer Center; and Glory Road, near the Glory Road Transfer Center. Streetcar officials say there will 26 stops along the route.

No. 1506 is the first of six streetcars cars to arrive in El Paso from Pennsylvania.

The first streetcar will soon be seen riding along its track as crews began to test it out on the roadways.

LINK: http://kfoxtv.com/news/local/ding-ding-tour-the-inside-of-el-paso-streetcar-no-1506

18 City Presents First Streetcar

Urban Milwaukee By Jeramey Jannene March 26, 2018

The Milwaukee Streetcar is on time and on budget.

That was the pronouncement from a smiling Mayor Tom Barrett as he watched the delivery of the first of five vehicles for the city’s new, $128 million streetcar system. The delivery marks a major milestone for the long-debated project, now known as The Hop presented by Potawatomi Hotel and Casino, that is scheduled to begin operating later this year.

Barrett and a number of city officials, media members and interested citizens stood at the intersection of W. St. Paul Ave. and N. 4th St. as a crew from Silk Road Transport and vehicle manufacturer Brookville Equipment Corp. slid the streetcar off an oversized semi-trailer and onto the city’s newly installed streetcar tracks. Using the vehicle’s battery, it was driven onto the tracks in the middle of W. St. Paul Ave., marking the first time since March 1958 that a streetcar has operated on a city street. From there, the crew guided the vehicle a few short blocks west to the end of the line at the newly-constructed Operations and Maintenance Facility underneath Interstate 794.

The delivery of the vehicle, which left Pennsylvania Friday afternoon, also marks the first time the public has been able to see the system’s final branding. The vehicles, which weigh 40 tons and are 66-feet long, have been painted a mix of black, white, gold and blue. The cars are expected to last 30 years.

It will be weeks before the public sees the vehicle operating on city streets again, and months before they can take a ride. A crew from the city, Brookville Equipment Corp. and contracted- operator Transdev will complete final assembly and testing on the vehicle inside the maintenance facility before they begin testing the vehicle on city streets in mid-to-late April. In the meantime, streetcar construction manager Kiewit Infrastructure continues to build out the route, with the vehicles expected to operate over the entirety of the system’s initial line sometime in June.

Before the public can ride The Hop, Transdev needs to hire operators, technicians and other system employees, and complete a federally-mandated 1,000 kilometers of testing throughout the route.

The system is expected to begin operating in late 2018. The lakefront line expansion is scheduled to begin service in late 2019. Rides for the first year will be covered by Potawatomi as part of the casino’s $10-million, 12-year sponsorship deal.

Project proponent Alderman Robert Bauman told the large group of media members in attendance that the city anticipates receiving a vehicle roughly every month until all five have been delivered. Barrett said that he looks forward to the final product winning over many project opponents.

19 The delivery, which attracted a helicopter from TMJ4 following the vehicle as it made its way from Beloit to Milwaukee via Interstate 43, drew over 100 attendees, including Milwaukee County Supervisor Jason Haas.

Pennsylvania-based Brookville has supplied streetcars for a number of other streetcar systems including the new lines in Detroit, Dallas and Oklahoma City, as well as expansions in Portland and Seattle.

A public unveiling of the vehicle, cleaned up and ready for testing on city streets, is being organized for April. Notable missing parts of the vehicle today are the pantograph, which connects the vehicle to the overhead wire system and a “skirt,” which covers the lowest level of the vehicle.

LINK: https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2018/03/26/eyes-on-milwaukee-city-debuts-streetcar/

20 WA: Can Seattle’s Streetcar Project be Canceled if an Independent Review Finds Flaws?

Mass Transit By David Gutman (Seattle Times) March 26, 2018

As Seattle conducts a review of its plan to expand the downtown streetcar system, one obvious question presents itself: If the review shows troubling results -- costs much higher or revenues much lower than estimated -- is it too late to cancel the project?

The answer isn't clear, but the city has already devoted significant resources to the project over the last six years, and scrapping it would carry significant costs.

Millions of dollars have already been spent and Seattle has accepted $50 million in federal funding, money that would almost certainly have to be returned, potentially damaging the city's credibility when it seeks federal money in the future.

Seattle has already signed contracts for the project worth at least $90 million, including to buy 10 new streetcar vehicles.

Just how much of that money has already been spent, or obligated, is part of the ongoing review, which is to be completed within 90 days.

The first phase of utility work for the streetcar expansion began last fall, at a cost of about $13 million.

The second phase of utility work will begin soon -- the contract was awarded in January -- and is scheduled to be completed by July 2019, at a cost of $25 million.

The city's contract with CAF USA, the company building the new streetcar vehicles, does allow it to cancel the order, for any reason, provided it pays for work the company has already done.

The bids for another contract, to repave First Avenue and lay streetcar tracks, have all come in over projections, although that contract has not yet been awarded.

The $177 million project, known as the Center City Connector, has been in various states of planning since 2012. Once it is complete in 2020, a 1.2-mile streetcar line will run along First Avenue, connecting the city's two existing but separate streetcar lines on First Hill and in South Lake Union.

Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) officials expect ridership, which has previously failed to meet expectations, to grow exponentially.

"The Center City Connector is the missing link," SDOT writes in promotional materials, "that will allow for easy rail transit connections throughout the core of downtown."

21 Mayor Jenny Durkan ordered an independent review on March 19 after a Seattle Times report that SDOT may have significantly underestimated the costs of running the system, brushing aside concerns from King County Metro Transit, which operates the streetcars.

On Tuesday, Ben Noble, the city budget director who will help conduct the review, said it would examine whether there are "opportunities to look at a pause or slow things down."

But even delaying the project could prove cumbersome.

The city had planned to have First Avenue paved and tracks laid down by the end of this year so that cars and buses could use the roadway while the Alaskan Way Viaduct is being torn down.

The city signed the contract to purchase the new streetcars last September, about two weeks before SDOT delivered a report to the City Council on the project's finances.

The City Council had requested the report as a condition of continuing the project, after expressing concerns over potential future funding shortfalls. The council was unaware that SDOT had signed the streetcar contract before returning its report on the finances, Councilmember Lisa Herbold said.

"That's definitely a problem," said Herbold, a consistent foe of the project. "Not only should they have, I believe, not taken any further action to commit the city to what is essentially 2018 spending before the council received its questions back, but they should have actually ensured that the report did answer the questions."

The city has secured $50 million in federal funding for the project and the new federal budget signed by President Donald Trump on Friday boosts the odds that the project will get another $25 million.

Last October, as the City Council was weighing whether to move forward with the streetcar project, Chris Gregorich, then the city's director of intergovernmental relations, and Leslie Pollner, a D.C. lobbyist hired by the city, wrote to Herbold, warning that withdrawing funding from the streetcar would carry serious consequences.

The money, they wrote, could not be used for other city projects and would be returned to the federal government.

"Withdrawing support at this point could damage the city's credibility with the Federal Transit Administration, jeopardizing our other projects in the queue and putting future projects at risk," they wrote.

"Our federal delegation has long championed this project as a federal priority on behalf of the City of Seattle," Gregorich and Pollner wrote, saying that returning the money would put Washington's senators and members of Congress "in a difficult place."

The city estimated that it would cost $47 million to $49 million to repave First Avenue, lay down streetcar track and install stations and overhead wiring -- work it wants done by June 2020.

LINK: http://www.masstransitmag.com/news/12404656/can-seattles-streetcar-project-be- canceled-if-an-independent-review-finds-flaws 22 ‘It’s here!’ 1st of 5 streetcars arrives with fanfare to downtown Milwaukee

FOX6 By A.J. Bayatpour March 26, 2018

Milwaukee's first new streetcar vehicle arrived here Monday morning, March 26. A trailer hauling the streetcar from Pennsylvania pulled in front of the Intermodal Station on St. Paul Avenue around 11:30 a.m.

"We're excited to see how it looks," said Nicholas La Joie, who came out early to see the streetcar roll in.

"It's here!" exclaimed Mayor Tom Barrett, right after the streetcar was delivered on St. Paul Ave. "We recognize this is a significant step forward -- and you can sense the excitement growing as we get closer and closer."

The 67-foot long, 83,000-pound streetcar vehicle traveled from the Brookville Equipment Corp. through Ohio, Indiana and Illinois before arriving in Milwaukee.

"Steel wheels will again be running on steel rails in Milwaukee, Wisconsin -- and that is a truly historic occasion," said Milwaukee Alderman Bob Bauman.

The 67-foot long, 83,000-pound streetcar vehicle traveled from the Brookville Equipment Corp. through Ohio, Indiana and Illinois before arriving in Milwaukee.

"Steel wheels will again be running on steel rails in Milwaukee, Wisconsin -- and that is a truly historic occasion," said Milwaukee Alderman Bob Bauman.

"You can't always expect to get it on the first go-around. For example, the lakefront extension, it took us several requests to get it, so we are in no way discouraged by anything that's going on right now," Barrett said.

The cost of launching the project is $128.1 million. $69 million of it is coming from the federal government through a pair of grants. The remaining $59.1 million will come from a trio of Tax Incremental Funding districts. TIF districts keep all the property tax money in its area and fund a dedicated project. The hope is the project will spur more growth, leading to significant growth in property values which will generate more tax revenue for the entire city once the TIF expires.

23 Monday's streetcar arrival marks the first time the fleet’s color scheme was seen by the public. It is the first of a five-vehicle order with the remaining cars slated to arrive over the next few months.

On-street testing of the first vehicle will begin next month on between St. Paul Ave. and Plankinton Ave. with testing along the full initial route to begin this summer.

The goal is to have The Hop open for passenger service by November.

Rides will be free for the first year of service as part of a 12-year, $10 million sponsorship deal with Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. Potawatomi CEO Rodney Ferguson said he'd like to eventually see a route extension run past the casino to Miller Park. When asked, Ferguson said Potawatomi did not expect such an extension in return for the sponsorship deal.

LINK: http://fox6now.com/2018/03/25/milwaukee-or-bust-citys-1st-streetcar-vehicle-set-to- arrive-downtown-monday/

24 Can Seattle’s streetcar project be canceled if an independent review finds flaws?

The Seattle Times By David Gutman March 24, 2018

As Seattle conducts a review of its plan to expand the downtown streetcar system, one obvious question presents itself: If the review shows troubling results — costs much higher or revenues much lower than estimated — is it too late to cancel the project?

The answer isn’t clear, but the city has already devoted significant resources to the project over the last six years, and scrapping it would carry significant costs.

Millions of dollars have already been spent and Seattle has accepted $50 million in federal funding, money that would almost certainly have to be returned, potentially damaging the city’s credibility when it seeks federal money in the future.

Seattle has already signed contracts for the project worth at least $90 million, including more than $52 million to buy 10 new streetcar vehicles.

Just how much of that money has already been spent, or obligated, is part of the ongoing review, which is to be completed within 90 days.

The first phase of utility work for the streetcar expansion began last fall, at a cost of about $13 million.

The second phase of utility work will begin soon — the contract was awarded in January — and is scheduled to be completed by July 2019, at a cost of $25 million.

The city’s contract with CAF USA, the company building the new streetcar vehicles, does allow it to cancel the order, for any reason, provided it pays for work the company has already done.

The bids for another contract, to repave First Avenue and lay streetcar tracks, have all come in over projections, although that contract has not yet been awarded.

The $177 million project, known as the Center City Connector, has been in various states of planning since 2012. Once it is complete in 2020, a 1.2-mile streetcar line will run along First Avenue, connecting the city’s two existing but separate streetcar lines on First Hill and in South Lake Union.

Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) officials expect ridership, which has previously failed to meet expectations, to grow exponentially.

“The Center City Connector is the missing link,” SDOT writes in promotional materials, “that will allow for easy rail transit connections throughout the core of downtown.”

25 Mayor Jenny Durkan ordered an independent review on March 19 after a Seattle Times report that SDOT may have significantly underestimated the costs of running the system, brushing aside concerns from King County Metro Transit, which operates the streetcars.

On Tuesday, Ben Noble, the city budget director who will help conduct the review, said it would examine whether there are “opportunities to look at a pause or slow things down.”

But even delaying the project could prove cumbersome.

The city had planned to have First Avenue paved and tracks laid down by the end of this year so that cars and buses could use the roadway while the Alaskan Way Viaduct is being torn down.

The city signed the contract to purchase the new streetcars last September, about two weeks before SDOT delivered a report to the City Council on the project’s finances.

“That’s definitely a problem,” said Herbold, a consistent foe of the project. “Not only should they have, I believe, not taken any further action to commit the city to what is essentially 2018 spending before the council received its questions back, but they should have actually ensured that the report did answer the questions.”

Last October, as the City Council was weighing whether to move forward with the streetcar project, Chris Gregorich, then the city’s director of intergovernmental relations, and Leslie Pollner, a D.C. lobbyist hired by the city, wrote to Herbold, warning that withdrawing funding from the streetcar would carry serious consequences.

The money, they wrote, could not be used for other city projects and would be returned to the federal government.

“Withdrawing support at this point could damage the city’s credibility with the Federal Transit Administration, jeopardizing our other projects in the queue and putting future projects at risk,” they wrote.

“Our federal delegation has long championed this project as a federal priority on behalf of the City of Seattle,” Gregorich and Pollner wrote, saying that returning the money would put Washington’s senators and members of Congress “in a difficult place.”

The city estimated that it would cost $47 million to $49 million to repave First Avenue, lay down streetcar track and install stations and overhead wiring — work it wants done by June 2020.

LINK: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/can-seattles-streetcar-project- be-canceled-if-an-independent-review-finds-flaws/ 26 Portland officials approve plan to buy more streetcars

The Charlotte Observer By The Associated Press March 24, 2018

Portland officials have approved a $10 million deal to buy two new streetcars with the option to buy additional vehicles later.

The city council approved the agreement Wednesday to purchase the streetcars from Pennsylvania-based Brookville Equipment Corp., The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

The city will be entering into an existing agreement between the company and Sound Transit, Seattle's transit agency.

"Brookville is eager and excited to provide the city of Portland and its growing ridership with American-designed and manufactured Liberty Streetcars that we hope will enhance Portland's legacy and success with its innovative, proven system," Rick Graham, the company's president, said in a statement.

Portland's current fleet of 17 streetcars is aging and seven are 17 years old, said Dan Bower, executive director of Portland Streetcar Inc. All but three of the cars are used daily.

"We're anticipating that we're going to have to do some repairs," Bower said. "Just to maintain existing service, we need more cars."

Under the agreement, Portland could buy up to five streetcars from the company. The city is also considering purchasing three used streetcars from another city.

The additional cars will be needed as Portland considers extending its northwest line 2.4 miles (3.8 kilometers) toward Montgomery Park. Bower said the $80 million extension is in preliminary planning stages.

The new streetcars are expected to arrive in 2020. The deal was funded by the city's transportation agency and $700,000 in parking meter revenue.

Portland last ordered streetcars in 2009. The city purchased six cars in a $20 million deal with United Streetcar, which Bower said is no longer in the streetcar business. The last one arrived in the city in 2014.

LINK: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/national- business/article206429844.html

27 Portland officials approve plan to buy more streetcars

The Register-Guard By The Associated Press March 23, 2018

Portland officials have approved a $10 million deal to buy two new streetcars with the option to buy additional vehicles later.

The city council approved the agreement Wednesday to purchase the streetcars from Pennsylvania-based Brookville Equipment Corp., The Oregonian/OregonLive reported .

The city will be entering into an existing agreement between the company and Sound Transit, Seattle’s transit agency.

“Brookville is eager and excited to provide the city of Portland and its growing ridership with American-designed and manufactured Liberty Streetcars that we hope will enhance Portland’s legacy and success with its innovative, proven system,” Rick Graham, the company’s president, said in a statement.

Portland’s current fleet of 17 streetcars is aging and seven are 17 years old, said Dan Bower, executive director of Portland Streetcar Inc. All but three of the cars are used daily.

“We’re anticipating that we’re going to have to do some repairs,” Bower said. “Just to maintain existing service, we need more cars.”

Under the agreement, Portland could buy up to five streetcars from the company. The city is also considering purchasing three used streetcars from another city.

The new streetcars are expected to arrive in 2020. The deal was funded by the city’s transportation agency and $700,000 in parking meter revenue.

LINK: http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/36578646-75/portland-officials-approve-plan-to- buy-more-streetcars.html.csp

28 Thirteen years after painful cut, First Hill still wants a light rail station

Capitol Hill Seattle Blog By Michelle MacKinnon March 23, 2018

Capitol Hill Station celebrates its two-year anniversary this week. First Hill is still waiting.

The First Hill Improvement Association remains determined to get a light rail station built in the heart of its neighborhood — though Sound Transit cancelled a site there in 2005 citing geological instability.

“There’s a difference between hard and impossible,” FHIA director Alex Hudson said.

West Seattle and Ballard rail alignments are scheduled to open by 2035 as part of Sound Transit 3, including a Midtown station in the shadow of the public library on 5th Ave. The planned stops for the West Seattle Alignment would be two blocks west, running parallel from the western border of First Hill but distance is less a concern than the slope of the hill itself. While the FHIA “doesn’t have a preferred location in mind,” according to Hudson, “there’s significant grade between 5th and the top of First Hill,” she said.

The neighborhood group is gathering signatures for a letter addressed to King County Council chair Joe McDermott and Seattle City Council transportation chair Mike O’Brien, requesting a comprehensive and good faith study of “Pill Hill” and, ultimately, a station east of I- 5.

“They may be wanting a geological study — I see that as a big ask,” said McDermott, Sound Transit board and Elected Officials Advisory group member. It would be Sound Transit who conducts the feasibility study, but McDermott isn’t taking the conversation off the table yet. “We would have to find out how expensive it would be and what the ridership would look like,” he said.

The third wave of light rail will span a total of 11.8 miles, adding 10 new and four expanded stations. West Seattle Alaska-Junction and Ballard routes will converge downtown by 2035.

The neighborhood group is hoping to qualify the region for a station up the hill from 5th and Madison. First Hill is home to Town Hall, the Frye Museum, St. James Cathedral, Seattle University, and Hotel Sorrento. “We are a major employment center with three hospitals,” said Hudson.

Sound Transit Central Corridor spokesperson Kimberly Reason says, though she is “aware the FHIA has a point of view,” in order for the alignment to run from downtown up to First Hill and back down toward the International District, construction would have to go through the I-5 underground thick retaining wall twice, which presents a stability concern for the infrastructure and budget.

“Construction cost is a key element as well as drilling feasibility,” said McDermott.

29 “There is obviously a First Hill Streetcar we nearly paid for all of as an investment Sound Transit has made, that does serve the hospitals,” said Reason of the 2.5-mile, ten station route which cost approximately $134 million.

The Sound Transit board of directors will cast the deciding vote for which new light rail routes will move on to the Environmental Impact Study phase in 2019, once the public, elected officials and neighborhood stakeholders weigh in on the current voter-approved representative map.

The plan for a First Hill station was introduced in 1996 with the first installment of rails, “Sound Move.” According to the Seattle Times in 2005, Sound Transit staff told the board that a deep- underground First Hill Station posed potentially expensive construction and schedule risks and would hurt the light-rail line’s prospects for badly needed federal grants.

“The First Hill Streetcar was supposed to be in lieu of the light rail station but currently faces efficiency challenges,” said Hudson.

A survey of ridership and construction costs is a lesser ask according to McDermott. “I’m happy to look at what the impact of the Midtown station would be,” he says of moving it to First Hill. While McDermott says “It is not too late,” and he sees First Hill as a “dense and vibrant neighborhood,” there is a lot at stake for ST3 which follows the first two rail projects that ran over schedule and over budget in the millions.

According to McDermott, between now and next spring, stations could move a few blocks in any direction but he is mindful that the designs that are built must ultimately resemble the budget that was put on the ballot. In reflection of his experience, McDermott is hoping to choose the winning line the first time. “It is our strong desire that the alignment that we direct for our EIS study is the alignment we build,” he said.

After the initial plan for a station in the center of First Hill became untenable, Sound Transit transferred the $8.64 million would-be station property at 1400 Madison to Bellwether and Plymouth Housing at no cost to build affordable apartments for the neighborhood, a move Hudson says “was not a gift.”

McDermott says while there will be a Midtown station, it has nothing to do with the previous light rail station near First Hill and whichever direction it goes. “It would not be an infill station for the First Hill one.”

Sound Transit planners moved on from First Hill long ago. “The Sound Transit Board-approved Motion M22006-13 confirmed that no further work would be advanced on the previous First Hill light rail station or alternative rail station sites,” the 2007 First Hill Transit Alternatives Report, prepared after the initial station plans were scrapped, reads.

The 2015 Alternatives Report supported the earlier conclusion: “in baseline projections of street cars in First Hill, conditions were assumed to be No-Build conditions, with no changes in the corridors under study from 2005 existing conditions.”

Sound Transit 3’s alignments are part of an undertaking that is planned to culminate in a 116- mile regional system by 2041.This 25-year program will expand the mass transit network to

30 connect 16 cities with light rail, 30 cities with Bus Rapid Transit and ST Express bus service and 12 cities with commuter rail, according to Sound Transit.

There are also lines coming sooner. Work is underway on the new Judkins Park Station. The Central District station, tucked into I-90 between Rainier Ave and 23rd Ave, will be the first stop on the 10-stop East Link light rail line that will connect Bellevue, Redmond, and Seattle across the I-90 bridge in 2023.

The current ST3 planning map, meanwhile, positions First Hill between, the Ballard, West Seattle and current alignments with two transfer hubs and seven stops. Hudson and the FHIA are concerned for the slope in the center of First Hill to the light rail and back for “the neighborhood’s elderly and poor people that don’t have cars,” said Hudson.

“Our biggest worry is that once again a First Hill will be promised an investment and then it won’t come to fruition,” Hudson said. “We are hoping to not have our hearts broken again.”

LINK: http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2018/03/twelve-years-after-painful-cut-first-hill-still- wants-a-light-rail-station/

31 Portland Officials Approve Plan To Buy Two Streetcars

KXL By Grant McHill March 22, 2018

Portland officials have approved a $10 million deal to buy two new streetcars with the option to buy additional vehicles later.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the city council approved the agreement Wednesday to purchase the streetcars from Pennsylvania-based Brookville Equipment Corp.

The city is entering into an existing agreement between Seattle’s transit agency and the company.

Portland Streetcar Inc. Executive Director Dan Bower says the city’s current fleet of 17 streetcars is aging and repairs are anticipated. He says the cars are needed in order to maintain the current level of service.

The streetcars are expected to arrive in 2020.

The streetcar deal was funded by the city’s transportation agency and $700,000 in parking meter revenue.

LINK: http://www.kxl.com/portland-officials-approve-plan-to-buy-two-streetcars/

32 Portland Officials Approve Plan to Buy 2 Streetcars

U.S. News By The Associated Press March 22, 2018

Portland officials have approved a $10 million deal to buy two new streetcars with the option to buy additional vehicles later.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the city council approved the agreement Wednesday to purchase the streetcars from Pennsylvania-based Brookville Equipment Corp.

The city is entering into an existing agreement between Seattle's transit agency and the company.

Portland Streetcar Inc. Executive Director Dan Bower says the city's current fleet of 17 streetcars is aging and repairs are anticipated. He says the cars are needed in order to maintain the current level of service.

The streetcars are expected to arrive in 2020.

The streetcar deal was funded by the city's transportation agency and $700,000 in parking meter revenue.

LINK: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/oregon/articles/2018-03-22/portland-officials- approve-plan-to-buy-2-streetcars

33 Portland officials approve plan to buy 2 streetcars

The Union-Bulletin By The Associated Press March 22, 2018

Portland officials have approved a $10 million deal to buy two new streetcars with the option to buy additional vehicles later.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the city council approved the agreement Wednesday to purchase the streetcars from Pennsylvania-based Brookville Equipment Corp.

The city is entering into an existing agreement between Seattle's transit agency and the company.

The streetcars are expected to arrive in 2020.

The streetcar deal was funded by the city's transportation agency and $700,000 in parking meter revenue.

LINK: http://www.union-bulletin.com/news/northwest/portland-officials-approve-plan-to-buy- streetcars/article_df05921c-82fc-5e00-8f74-af5effdbcff5.html

34 Portland Streetcar to Add Two Streetcars, Allowing for More Frequent Service

Mass Transit No author listed March 22, 2018

The City Council gave Portland Streetcar the green light to purchase two new streetcars, allowing for more frequent service on the system’s A and B Loops connecting Downtown and the Central Eastside. The additional vehicles will improve Portland Streetcar’s ability to connect people to housing, jobs, and services in the Central City when the new cars enter the fleet in 2020.

“As the first modern streetcar system in the United States, Portland Streetcar has been an important part of building the city’s international reputation as an exceptionally livable city,” said City Commissioner Dan Saltzman. “I’m glad to see Portland Streetcar continue to add capacity and improve service as the need for transportation options in the Central City grows.”

The new cars will come equipped with a host of quality-of-life improvements, including additional seating, extra room for mobility devices, and improved signage.

“Portland Streetcar fills an important transportation need in the Central City, connecting Portlanders to jobs, services, and educational opportunities,” said Portland Bureau of Transportation Director Leah Treat. “These new vehicles will make Portland Streetcar even more valuable and reliable as an option for getting around the city.”

“We’re constantly looking for ways to improve service for streetcar riders,” said Portland Streetcar Executive Director Dan Bower. “In the past couple years, we’ve added service to the North/South line and consolidated stops to save time and enhance safety. The addition of these two new cars from Brookville will help us take that next step and further reduce the time Portlanders are waiting to board the streetcar.”

The new streetcars were funded in-part by $700,000 in contributions from Go Lloyd, the Central Eastside Industrial District, and Northwest Portland parking meter revenue.

“Brookville is eager and excited to provide the City of Portland and its growing ridership with American-designed and manufactured Liberty Streetcars that we hope will enhance Portland’s legacy and success with its innovative, proven system,” said Rick Graham, president.

“Go Lloyd is proud to support Portland Streetcar by contributing funds toward the purchase of additional vehicles,” said Go Lloyd Executive Director Own Ronchelli. “More streetcars will support Lloyd’s ability to welcome new residents and businesses by providing more frequent service to and from Lloyd destinations and the greater Central City.”

LINK: http://www.masstransitmag.com/press_release/12404165/portland-streetcar-to-add-two- new-streetcars-allowing-for-more-frequent-service

35 Charlotte eyes $5B to $7B rail transit expansion

Construction Dive By Kim Slowey March 22, 2018

Dive Brief:

Even though the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) just last week presided over the opening of a new $1.1 billion light-rail extension, CATS system chief John Lewis is pushing for construction of three new lines, an initiative that is expected to cost between $5 billion and $7 billion, according to The Charlotte Observer. Lewis also wants to develop a streetcar system, which would be an additional cost.

Rather than phasing in each line, Lewis said he wants to build all three at the same time, which leaves open the question of how CATS will pay for such an ambitious plan. Funding possibilities include a special transit sales tax, state and federal contributions, rental car taxes, higher vehicle registration fees, special "value capture" property tax districts, public- private partnerships (P3s), or a strategy that incorporates more than one of these options.

The Federal Transit Administration paid for approximately half of the newly opened Lynx Blue Line Extension, but the president's infrastructure plan would reduce federal funding levels to approximately 30% for future transit projects. State financing could pay for 10%. Lewis is open to a P3, but, according to The Observer, Charlotte doesn't have the revenue base to pay a private partner if the P3's structure requires guaranteed annual payments.

Dive Insight:

One of the ways Charlotte could pay a P3 developer would be to increase taxes, but that's a tough option to get past taxpayers. Even so, as a recent Moody's Investment Group report said, President Donald Trump's infrastructure proposal has the potential to grow the P3 market in the U.S. as long as state and local governments are willing to open up new revenue streams like additional taxes or tolling in order to pay for these initiatives. Reduced federal funding might also force transit agencies to turn to private investment through P3s.

Overall, P3s are considered to be a way for public agencies to shift the risk of design, financing, construction, operations and maintenance to the private sector, which can often offer efficiencies that the public sector cannot. Also, private sector expertise can also benefit public projects by using P3s by introducing the latest building techniques.

One of the biggest P3 rail projects currently underway is the$5.6 billion Purple Line project in Bethesda, Maryland, which is part of the Washington, D.C. Metro system. After a year of legal wrangling over ridership and environmental issues, which stalled construction, the courts at the end of last year authorized construction to move forward.

LINK: https://www.constructiondive.com/news/charlotte-eyes-5b-to-7b-rail-transit- expansion/519724/

36 Portland officials approve plan to buy more streetcars

The Miami Herald By The Associated Press March 22, 2018

Portland officials have approved a $10 million deal to buy two new streetcars with the option to buy additional vehicles later.

The city council approved the agreement Wednesday to purchase the streetcars from Pennsylvania-based Brookville Equipment Corp., The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

The city will be entering into an existing agreement between the company and Sound Transit, Seattle's transit agency.

Portland's current fleet of 17 streetcars is aging and seven are 17 years old, said Dan Bower, executive director of Portland Streetcar Inc. All but three of the cars are used daily.

"We're anticipating that we're going to have to do some repairs," Bower said. "Just to maintain existing service, we need more cars."

Under the agreement, Portland could buy up to five streetcars from the company. The city is also considering purchasing three used streetcars from another city.

The new streetcars are expected to arrive in 2020. The deal was funded by the city's transportation agency and $700,000 in parking meter revenue.

LINK: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article206429844.html

37 Portland officials approve plan to buy more streetcars

The Kansas City Star By The Associated Press March 22, 2018

Portland officials have approved a $10 million deal to buy two new streetcars with the option to buy additional vehicles later.

The city council approved the agreement Wednesday to purchase the streetcars from Pennsylvania-based Brookville Equipment Corp., The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

The city will be entering into an existing agreement between the company and Sound Transit, Seattle's transit agency.

Portland's current fleet of 17 streetcars is aging and seven are 17 years old, said Dan Bower, executive director of Portland Streetcar Inc. All but three of the cars are used daily.

"We're anticipating that we're going to have to do some repairs," Bower said. "Just to maintain existing service, we need more cars."

Under the agreement, Portland could buy up to five streetcars from the company. The city is also considering purchasing three used streetcars from another city.

The new streetcars are expected to arrive in 2020. The deal was funded by the city's transportation agency and $700,000 in parking meter revenue.

LINK: http://www.kansascity.com/news/business/national- international/article206429844.html

38 Downtown Tucson Grows Up

The Arizona Daily Star By David Gutman March 21, 2018

Growth offers new opportunities for urban living

Downtown Tucson has grown up over the past 8 years. Thanks to extensive development, the city is now unrecognizable compared to how it looked in the mid-2000s. Nearly a billion dollars in private and public investment were poured into the city, transforming the downtown area into a hub of culture, entertainment, and, of course, great food. As of January of this year, an additional $300 million in investment projects have also flowed into downtown Tucson, involving everything from low-income and market-rate residential projects, to hotels and museums.

After the revitalization of downtown and the introduction of the Sun Link Streetcar, the surrounding barrios have also experienced their own renaissance. This fits a trend of growing urban centers across the country, as young professionals are increasingly eschewing the suburbs to enjoy the convenience and amenities of urban living. Despite the changes, Tucson still retains the unique charm and Southwest flair that makes the city so special.

The Sun Link Tucson Streetcar—the artery of downtown

The birth of the Sun Link Streetcar in 2011 became a catalyst for a new crop of businesses opening up along the route. Covering nearly 4 miles, the streetcar’s path runs from Campbell Ave. and Speedway Blvd., to bustling Congress St. and Cushing St. In between, the streetcar passes through a cross-section of Tucson’s various neighborhoods, from the laid-back charm of 4th Avenue and the gorgeous University of Arizona campus, to the vibrant colors and old-world architecture of Barrio Historico.

The streetcar has also increased the value of homes located in the surrounding neighborhoods beyond downtown, such as Dunbar Spring, Armory Park, and Barrio Santa Rosa. As the city becomes even more connected, growth has expanded outward, with new businesses and residential units in construction.

Entrepreneur Central

A relatively low-cost of living combined with the presence of the University of Arizona has made Tucson an ideal city for aspiring entrepreneurs. To make space for these budding creators, downtown Tucson currently hosts four co-working spaces: Connect Coworking, CoLab Workspace, Regus, and Xerocraft.

Each space features a different mood, character, and set of amenities. For example, at Connect Coworking, you can enjoy your workday on their outdoor patio, or take a break with a little foosball. Alternatively, at Xerocraft, you can create models with their 3D printers, attend a coding class, or use a variety of carpentry and steel-making tools.

Co-working spaces offer an affordable alternative to renting office space and provide open-area common spaces for entrepreneurs to bounce ideas off of one another. These spaces show the 39 degree to which the city is catering to young entrepreneurs by offering a comfortable venue for their ideas to come alive.

Vantage West can help you move downtown (and beyond)

The growth of downtown Tucson is just beginning, and looks to continue to be strong going into 2018. Whether you’re interested in downtown or any other Tucson area, now is a prime time to buy. But you need to be ready because property is moving quickly and others are out there looking, too.

Vantage West’s team of local loan officers can help you find the right financing for the home that best fits your needs. It is a good idea to get pre-approved, so you know your ideal price range. This will also help ensure you are able to move quickly once you’re ready to make an offer. Pre- approval takes only a few minutes. Visit VantageWest.org/mortgages for more information on available home loan programs and to apply. All loans subject to approval. Certain restrictions apply.

LINK: https://community.tucson.com/financial/downtown-tucson-grows/

40 Portland will buy two streetcars for $10 million, with potential plans to buy more

The Oregonian By Andrew Theen March 21, 2018

Portland approved a $10 million plan Wednesday to buy two streetcars from a Pennsylvania- based company with the option to later buy additional vehicles.

The City Council unanimously approved the deal with Brookville Equipment Corp., a company from the town of the same name 80 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. Portland is piggybacking on an agreement between Sound Transit, the Seattle metro area's transit agency, and the company in Brookville.

The streetcars are expected to arrive in 2020 and will allow the city to increase streetcar frequency on its loop connecting downtown and the Central Eastside.

Dan Bower, Portland Streetcar Inc.'s executive director, said the vehicles are also crucial because seven of the city's existing streetcars are 17 years old.

"We're anticipating that we're going to have to do some repairs," Bower said in an interview, "Just to maintain existing service, we need more cars."

Portland has 17 streetcars, all but three of which are used every day on routes stretching from Northwest Portland to South Waterfront and the Central Eastside.

"Brookville is eager and excited to provide the City of Portland and its growing ridership with American-designed and manufactured Liberty Streetcars that we hope will enhance Portland's legacy and success with its innovative, proven system," Rick Graham, the company's president, said in a statement. "This is a very big moment for our century-old organization and, we hope, the beginning of a long-lasting partnership between Brookville, the City of Portland, and Portland Streetcar, Inc."

Portland's component of the deal calls for up to five streetcars from the company. Bower said the agency is in the preliminary planning stages for a potential 2.4-mile, $80 million extension of its Northwest Portland streetcar toward Montgomery Park.

The transit organization is also seeking three used vehicles from another city to further boost its fleet. Bower said Portland was waiting for Seattle to receive new streetcars before it could buy its used vehicles. That could be sometime in late 2019 or early 2020. "It's unclear what the price might be," he said.

The Brookville deal was funded by the city's transportation agency and a combined $700,000 in parking meter revenue from the Lloyd District, Central Eastside Industrial District and Northwest Portland neighborhoods.

The additions come as the streetcar ridership continues to grow as more apartments open near streetcar lines, particularly on the eastside route and in the South Waterfront. 41 The system saw a 10 percent ridership increase in 2017 while other public transit in the region stayed flat or declined. In February 2017, average daily ridership eclipsed 16,352 passengers, more than some bus lines and MAX ridership figures. According to its annual report, 32 percent of streetcar riders make less than $30,000 a year.

Commissioner Dan Saltzman, who oversees the Portland Bureau of Transportation, said Wednesday the streetcar is "one of the best ways to reduce automobile congestion" in the Central City.

It's the first time the city has ordered streetcars since 2009, when Portland commissioned six vehicles from United Streetcar, the now defunct Clackamas subsidiary of Oregon Iron Works.

Oregon Iron Works merged with Vigor Industrial, a ship repair and steel fabrication company, in 2014.

Bower said the last of the six vehicles in that $20 million deal arrived in late 2014.

Bower said United Streetcar was not an option for the city this time. "They're fully out of the streetcar business at this point," he said.

LINK: http://www.oregonlive.com/roadreport/index.ssf/2018/03/portland_will_buy_two_new_stre.html

42 Portland Streetcar to add 2 brand new streetcars

KOIN6 No author listed March 21, 2018

Two new streetcars with more seating, extra room and better signage will be added to the fleet of Portland Streetcars after the City Council OK'd the purchase.

Adding these 2 streetcars in 2020 will allow more frequent service, officials said in a release. The streetcars are made by Pennsylvania-based Brookville Equipment Company and were in part paid for by $700,000 in contributions from Go Lloyd, the Central Eastside Industrial and Northwest Portland parking meter revenue.

City Commissioner Dan Saltzman said he is glad to see the Portland Streetcar -- the first modern streetcar system in the US -- "continue to add capacity and improve service as the need for transportation options in the Central City grows.”

In a statement, Portland Streetcar Executive Director Dan Bower noted they've added service to the North/South lines and consolidated services in the past few years. “The addition of these two new cars from Brookville will help us take that next step and further reduce the time Portlanders are waiting to board the streetcar.”

Officials said the Portland Streetcar serves 15,000 riders each day but ridership is expected to grow to 20,000 each day by 2025.

LINK: http://www.koin.com/news/civic-affairs/portland-streetcar-to-add-2-brand-new- streetcars/1066531938

43 City council approves expansion of Portland Streetcar

KPTV No author listed March 21, 2018

The Portland City Council approved the purchase of two new streetcars for the Portland Streetcar Wednesday.

The purchase will allow more frequent service on the system’s A and B loops connecting downtown and the Central Eastside.

The new cars are set to be introduced in 2020 to improve the streetcars “ability to connect people to housing, jobs, and services in the Central City.”

According to Portland Streetcar, the new cars will come equipped with improvements including additional seating, extra room for mobility devices and improved signage.

“Portland Streetcar fills an important transportation need in the Central City, connecting Portlanders to jobs, services, and educational opportunities,” Portland Bureau of Transportation Director Leah Treat said. “These new vehicles will make Portland Streetcar even more valuable and reliable as an option for getting around the city.”

The new streetcars, manufactured by Brookville Equipment Company, were funded in part from Go Lloyd, the Central Eastside Industrial District and Northwest Portland parking meter revenue.

“This is a very big moment for our century-old organization and, we hope, the beginning of a long-lasting partnership between Brookville, the City of Portland and Portland Streetcar, Inc,” Rick Graham President said.

According to Wednesday's news release, the Portland Streetcar serves 15,000 riders each day and ridership is expected to grow to 20,000 daily riders by 2025.

LINK: http://www.kptv.com/story/37778893/city-council-approves-expansion-of-portland- streetcar