Tucson Modern Streetcar 2012

[KCKev]

Started moving the 4 football field long Streetcar rails today that are replacing the old trolly rails.
What a sight it was watching them turn the street corners heading to 4th Ave.

[warwickland]

neat!

[KCKev]

UPDATE 06-19-12

[smh]

Le sigh.

[KCKev]

UPDATE 08-16-2012

Congress to 4th Ave. up University Blv. to U of A Main Gate Square.
http://s63.photobucket.com/albums/h159/ ... =slideshow

[KCKev]

UPDATE 9-20-2012

Congress in Downtown











4th Ave






Getting closer ever week!

[KCKev]

Final rail welded. first streetcar delivered! It is getting close to ready.
http://www.tucsonstreetcar.com/

Broadway one of the last streets to be completed.















This is what it looks like now.





This is the streetcar stop by Access Tucson. I hope they put solar panels on the top.




4th Ave.

















walking up 4th to congress





new garage and student housing













new bars have opened.















The orange building on left is Access Tucson (public access where I used to work for 15 years) and channel 12 (city channel)

[KCKev]

UPDATE:

Final streetcar is here, Tucson's fleet is complete

Streetcar number 8 is now here in Tucson!

The road to get the streetcar project to where it is now has been years in the making. Early Friday morning workers got streetcar number 8 onto the tracks to get it into the depot. Workers will finish installing small parts and will soon start testing it to make sure it's safe to ride.

Six of the 8 streetcars have already been approved ready to carry riders.

In just the last few weeks, the City of Tucson has been busy making sure the streetcar is ready to go by the summer including having first responders train for emergencies. The last street car stop has also been installed.

Once the last two cars are approved for safety--including the 8th one that just arrived--the City says the streetcar will start operating July 25th.

Recently, the City approved allowing the street car to run until 2:00 am Thursday-Saturday.

http://tucsonstreetcar.org/

[DaveKCMO]

congrats!

[KCKev]

congrats!

Just been through what you all are about to experience! Some inferstructure got fixed (utilities and roads). Some people gripe that it doesn't go anywhere and not worth the money spent (most was a Tiger grant) but bet you are getting that also in KC.

[alejandro46]

Similar to Kansas City, Tucson has had a relatively successful run with it's streetcar starter line. The line is not free, but the large amount of students and professionals around the University Medical Center - University - and Downtown Tucson have provide a solid ridership base.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6syS5DELPAI

Now, Tucson hopes to begin study of expansion of their system by applying for roughly $1m in grant money to fund the study. The grant has so far gone un-awarded after a year or so.

Area of study, Tucson Mall to Tucson Airport

Although not a lot of greenfield, similar to KC, not an area of very high density. However, the proposed Phase 2 expansion would connect 3 major bus transit hubs along with the airport.

https://tucson.com/news/local/road-runn ... all%20area.


https://news.azpm.org/p/news-topical-bi ... in-motion/

A high capacity transit line could one day connect the Tucson International Airport to Tohono Tadai Transit Center near the Tucson Mall.

The cities of Tucson and South Tucson have applied for a grant with the Federal Transit Administration's pilot Transit-oriented Development Program. It would fund planning for the nearly 15-mile streetcar or bus rapid transit project.

The cities are requesting $950,000 from the federal government. The project total is $1.77 million. The planning process would last three years. Jennifer Toothaker, administrator of the planning division at the Tucson Department of Transportation, said the city is hoping to build on the success of the Sun Link streetcar, while addressing accompanying concerns about gentrification.

The streetcar has been credited with raising property values and spurring development along its 4-mile route along North Fourth Avenue, the University of Arizona, and downtown. But not everyone has welcomed the change. Critics say rising property values have pushed people out.

The study path would follow South 6th Avenue to downtown, then north on Oracle to the Tucson Mall. The project is intended to spur mixed-use development along a route that has seen little development activity. Toothaker said the grant will be used to create a plan that's equitable.

"There’s that kind of challenge when the market has its way and it does its thing, it can lead to situations where gentrification and displacement are happening and what we’re trying to do is get ahead of that," she said.

[normalthings]

Similar to Kansas City, Tucson has had a relatively successful run with it's streetcar starter line. The line is not free, but the large amount of students and professionals around the University Medical Center - University - and Downtown Tucson have provide a solid ridership base.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6syS5DELPAI

Now, Tucson hopes to begin study of expansion of their system by applying for roughly $1m in grant money to fund the study. The grant has so far gone un-awarded after a year or so.

Area of study, Tucson Mall to Tucson Airport

Although not a lot of greenfield, similar to KC, not an area of very high density. However, the proposed Phase 2 expansion would connect 3 major bus transit hubs along with the airport.

https://tucson.com/news/local/road-runn ... all%20area.


https://news.azpm.org/p/news-topical-bi ... in-motion/

A high capacity transit line could one day connect the Tucson International Airport to Tohono Tadai Transit Center near the Tucson Mall.

The cities of Tucson and South Tucson have applied for a grant with the Federal Transit Administration's pilot Transit-oriented Development Program. It would fund planning for the nearly 15-mile streetcar or bus rapid transit project.

The cities are requesting $950,000 from the federal government. The project total is $1.77 million. The planning process would last three years. Jennifer Toothaker, administrator of the planning division at the Tucson Department of Transportation, said the city is hoping to build on the success of the Sun Link streetcar, while addressing accompanying concerns about gentrification.

The streetcar has been credited with raising property values and spurring development along its 4-mile route along North Fourth Avenue, the University of Arizona, and downtown. But not everyone has welcomed the change. Critics say rising property values have pushed people out.

The study path would follow South 6th Avenue to downtown, then north on Oracle to the Tucson Mall. The project is intended to spur mixed-use development along a route that has seen little development activity. Toothaker said the grant will be used to create a plan that's equitable.

"There’s that kind of challenge when the market has its way and it does its thing, it can lead to situations where gentrification and displacement are happening and what we’re trying to do is get ahead of that," she said.

Wish we would look at Urban Rail again here in KC

[alejandro46]

Wish we would look at Urban Rail again here in KC

With a dedicated ROW, our streetcar vehicles can hit 50 mph, which is more than sufficient.

As much as I wish we could waive a magic wand and make metro rail a reality, we should really be proud of what our citizens have achieved so far with our main rail. Just thought the Tucson example is a good one to encourage people to dream big. I know my dream rail route runs from KCI>Zona Rosa>Metro North>North Oak> Burlington to and Main down Linwood to Truman Sports Complex, but these things take time and maybe that's not exactly the best use for rail or funding. Instead local streetcars through dense urban areas and actually funded usable LRT for our far flung suburbs.

Again, I do say this as a former Plaza resident now living in the Northland, and I know many others in this area wouldn't support such taxes.