build it again! 2012

Bringing the streetcar back to portland!

How they built it before and how they can build it again!

Presented by carfree maine

Saturday, September 15, 12

Part 1. They Built It BeforeSlides 1-12 The Streetcar Network of Portland Maine

1890s-1940s

Part 2. They can build it again!

Proposal A- “Heritage” Trolley Along Commercial St. Slides 13-22

Proposal B- Modern Streetcar along Congress St. Slides 23-28

Proposal C- Modern Streetcar Circulator and “Park Once” Strategy.

Slides 29-32


They Built it before...

Until the 1940s there were few places in Maine which could not be reached by

streetcar. Powered by electricity generated in

local hydrodams, a comprehensive network of

streetcars and “Interurbans”connected everything from regional

commercial centers to the smallest farming

communities.

Lewiston

Portland

Brunswick-Bath

Augusta


The growth of cities like Westbrook, Gorham and the outer districts in Portland followed the trolley lines as they reached as far as Lewiston, Biddeford and

Brunswick


A Wikipedia contributor created this modern map of how the

trolley network would look

today.


Wash./Cumberland

Monument Square

Bramhall Square

Union Station

Knightville Square

Woodfords Corner

Development concentrated along major streetcar junction

hubs shaped Portland’s landscape up to the present

day.


A Westbrook Bound Car Turning down Preble from Mounument Square Turning Down Temple Street

At Bramhall SquareCars Meeting on Spring St.


http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-omYAwAWPIQE/TyLETxRWKBI/AAAAAAAAAM8/S5PhIgzQsQc/s640/CongressSt1918.jpg

Congress St. Activity in the 1920s




Trolley Tracks at Monument Square


By the 1940s the trolleys were replaced by busses.

Planning has prioritized auto traffic ever since.

1972 Portland Master Plan

Currently the site of the Portland METRO Bus Garage

Former Trolley Shed on St. John St.


Knightville Village in South Portland

Knightville VillageTodayGrowth has been

stagnant since the time of the trolleys


They can build it again!


Proposal A- Commercial Street Heritage Line

3.44 Miles2.59 Miles


Commercial St. Heritage Trolley

Based on Nelson\Nygaard’s assessment of Commercial Street operations, the following

elements describe how streetcar service could be installed.

• By taking advantage of the wide Commercial Street right-of-way, a streetcar could be operated in the curb lane against the water-side sidewalk.

•On-street parking would be converted to a parallel configuration with loading zones, and the center loading lane (former railroad tracks) would be eliminated.

•With placement along the water’s edge, traffic conflicts would be eliminated and the streetcar alignment would be well-defined and easily accessible for riders.

•The streetcar could operated from the terminal, connect with the diesel light rail, and eventually provide service to and beyond the Casco Bay Bridge. Excerpted From Portland Peninsula Transit Plan Nelson

\Nygaard Consulting Associates Inc-.


KenoshaKenosha

Portland peninsula transit plan

Kenosha Wisconsin Population 99,000

BostonBoston

KenoshaKenosha

Streetcar service along the Commercial Street waterfront corridor would be visible

for most Portland residents and visitors, though utilization would likely be limited to

recreational and tourist uses.In the long-term, streetcar service could provide needed

transit connections between future waterfront developments, existing transit services, the Casco Bay Lines terminal and

possibly as far as the Portland Transportation Center. However, in the near future,

Commercial Street service would mostly serve only tourist traffic, as most of today’s

primary trip patterns are oriented to and from the waterfront not along it. Therefore, a

historic vehicle resurrecting Portland’s past system would be appropriate. Nonetheless, the waterfront is becoming an increasingly important destination for cross-peninsula movements, and a high level of activity is

present, especially north of Temple Street.- Nelson/Nygard Engineering

Red Zones showing two major developments, the Eastern Waterfront Development and Thompson’s Point.

Both sites already contain transportation terminals already.


Rendering of a Heritage Streetcar at Ocean Gateway

*Original Ocean Gateway Photo Credit- Cory TempletonSaturday, September 15, 12

PARKINGSTREETCAR ROUTESTREETCAR STOP

A County Administration BuildingB Kenosha County CourthouseC Kenosha Area Convention &

Visitors BureauD Dinosaur Discovery MuseumE Civic Center ParkF U.S. Post OfficeG Kenosha Public MuseumH Civil War Museum (Opens 2008)I Kenosha Municipal BuildingJ Veteranís Memorial ParkK Kenosha History Center A B C

D E F

HG

IJ

K

A two-mile streetcar line recently opened in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The total cost was just $4 million, or $2 million per mile, including five restored PCC streetcars. Thats nearly half of the average cost of a new parking garage!

Case Studies


Lowell Mass. is currently undergoing a study to expand an existing heritage streetcar line to

better serve downtown regions. The streetcar system is planned in partnership with the

SEASHORE TROLLEY MUSEUM OF KENNEBUNK-BIDDEFORD MAINE


The Seashore Trolley Museum was founded in 1939 with one open trolley car, No. 31 from the Biddeford & Saco Railroad Company. Over the years thousands of members have followed the founding fathers by helping the Museum grow to be the premier electric railway museum in the world.

Today, our collection contains over 250 transit vehicles, most of them trolleys, from all over the United States, Canada, and many other countries. We are the oldest, and largest electric railway museum in the world.

The APTA Streetcar and Heritage Trolley Subcommittee (of the APTA Rail Committee) was formed to promote the development of vintage/heritage trolley lines and modern streetcar lines in urban centers, to foster information exchange among those planning or operating such lines, and to encourage reasonable technical and safety standards.

As a member subcommittee, the Seashore Trolley Museum has helped a number of heritage trolley operations by providing parts, historical reference, technical consulting, and safety/operational training. It is currently working very closely with the City of Lowell, Lowell National Historic Park, and Lowell Regional Transit Authority to plan a major extension of the heritage trolley system.


Tampa, Florida, a 2.3 mile line built for $13.7 million per mile including eight Heritage streetcars. The cars themselves, replicas of 1920’s Birney streetcars, cost $600,000 each (compared to up to $3 million for a modern Light Rail Vehicle).

San Pedro, California, a 1.5 mile line that recreates the old Pacific Electric “Red Cars” for $4 million per mile, including three streetcars, one Vintage and two Heritage.

Little Rock, Arkansas, a 2.1 mile line built for $7.1 million per mile, including three streetcars.9

Other Heritage Linesand cost per mile

LA Waterfront $4 million per mile

Tampa $13.7 million per mile


http://www.heritagetrolley.org/artcileBringBackStreetcars15.htm#Note09

http://www.heritagetrolley.org/artcileBringBackStreetcars15.htm#Note09

City Urbanized Area Population

Mode Cost per Passenger-Mile

Memphis 972,100 Streetcar $2.26

Tampa 2,062,300 Streetcar $2.19

Seattle 2.712,200 Streetcar $3.47

Detroit 3,903,400 Rail AGT $6.75

Miami 4,919,000 AGT $3.02Seattle 2.712,200 Monorail $1.1Jacksonville 882,300 Monorail AGT $17.85


Proposal B. Modern Streetcar Congress St. Extension

3.44 Miles= 6.03 Miles2.59 Miles+


PORTLAND STREETCAR RESULTS• $3.5 billion in private investment.

• 12,000 riders per day.

• 10,000 new housing units.

• This housing in high density reduces by 70 million the annual vehicle miles traveled in the region.

• Density of Development


Bicycle/Pedestrian Friendly Design

Bicycle Lane with Streetcar Stop-Portland Ore.

Run-Through Trackage in Pedestrian Plaza- Portland Ore.

Streetcar Stop in Pedestrian Plaza- Portland Ore.

Streetcar alignment through Pedestrian Plaza- Portland Ore.


http://portlandmainehistory.blogspot.com/2012_01_01_archive.html

Original Track Alignment in Monument Square




Current alignment in PSU Urban

Center

Possible alignment in Monument Square


Rendering of Modern Streetcar on Monument Square


Circulator with multimodal gateways

Thompson’s Point

Gateway

Bayside Gateway

Ocean Gateway

Intercity Bus/Rail to Boston, Brunswick,

BangorPark Once Facilities

Commuter/University Bus Connections

Park Once Facilities

Ferries-Casco Bay Lines, Nova Scotia

Cruise Liners Intercity Rail Portland

North to Auburn-Montreal


The Cost of ParkingDowntown Portland has 15 Parking Garages and almost twice as many surface lots. The cost of building a parking garage is estimated to be roughly $7,000,000 each. Surface

parking costs even more in the long run as it deprives the city of needed

revenue.

Downtown Real Estate Dedicated to Parking

http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/rsmeans/models/garage/maine/portland/




“Park Once” Parking Garages

and Urban Circulator

A “Park Once” strategy would concentrate construction of new parking

facilities around dedicated multimodal gateways at critical points around the urban perimeter. This would maximize urban density within the peninsula and

save on garage construction costs. Revenue generated from construction on lots formerly used for parking could

be used to fund operations.


Rendering of Modern Streetcar on Commercial St.


www.carfreemaine.org www.humblehackers.wikispaces.com

CarFree Maine

facebook.com/carfreemaine

@carfreemaineyoutube.com/user/carfreemaine

flickr.com/user/carfreemaine

Presented by carfree maine


http://www.carfreemaine.org

http://www.carfreemaine.org

http://www.humblehackers.wikispaces.com

http://www.humblehackers.wikispaces.com

http://www.youtube.com/user/carfreemaine




build it again! 2012

Business

heritage streetcar

streetcar alignment

commercial street service

proposal b modern streetcar

street parking

temple street

portland residents

portland transportationcenter