Spotlight on Birmingham
Atlanta's southern neighbor makes strides toward streetcar system

The Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham (RPC) is planning to have streetcars running through the city by 2010. The Jefferson County Commission is contributing $20 million to get things started, and RPC is already on its way to winning federal dollars for the startup cost.

Birmingham is one of the 65 U.S. cities looking to revive streetcar systems. Almost two dozen cities already have them running.

The benefits streetcars bring to a city are many. In Tampa, the city has already seen $650 million in new development along the path of its 26-month-old streetcar line. Atlanta Streetcar's completed study estimates economic development in Atlanta to reach $4.4 billion by 2015.

Click here to read another article about Jefferson County’s commitment to streetcars

Click here to read an article about Birmingham’s plan to bring streetcars back

Source: www.atlantastreetcar.org

A study by Reconnecting America’s Center for Transit Oriented Development shows that demand for compact housing near transit is likely to more than double by 2025. “Hidden in Plain Sight: Capturing the Demand for Housing Near Transit” finds that across the U.S. more than 14.6 million households are likely to want to rent and buy housing near transit by 2025, double the number that live in these neighborhoods today. Meeting this demand would require building 2,100 residential units near each of the 3,971 stations included in the study. CTOD Director Shelley Poticha calls this, “a staggering figure considering that only a small portion of housing is being constructed in these locations today. It means that transit could become the armature for a significant amount of regional growth and help increase transit ridership.”

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Aaaarrrggghh! 

Help Henry County prevent inCARceration on the highways and byways as the region grows: Join Trail + Rail Action Coalition [TRAC]. Visit www.trailrail.org for membership information.

Strong Trolley Trend in Southern Cities

Four cities either are inaugurating, reviving or extending their streetcar lines this year, bringing to 25 the number of metro areas in North America that are keeping alive the early 20th-century approach to mass transit.

Among the latest places to hop on board:

+ Charlotte. On June 28, the city opened an extension of its trolley line to provide daily service from the historic South End neighborhood to the new Convention Center and the city's center. This fall, three vintage replica cars will be added to the fleet, which now consists of one restored car from 1927.

+ New Orleans. After a 40-year absence, streetcar service was restored to Canal Street in April. The line runs the length of the street along the edge of the French Quarter and includes a spur to the New Orleans Museum of Art in City Park. Unlike the cars on the famous St. Charles Streetcar Named Desire line, the Canal Street cars are air-conditioned and handicapped-accessible.

+ Memphis. In March, the city opened a 2-mile extension to its downtown trolley loop that runs along Madison Avenue and serves the new FedEx Forum.

+ Little Rock. The city gets its first streetcar line in early October, the 2.5-mile River Rail route that crosses the Arkansas River and connects the city with North Little Rock. Stops for tourists include the River Market entertainment district, Alltel Arena and the Statehouse Convention Center. Late next year, the line will be extended to the new William Jefferson Clinton Library.

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