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Streetcar Implementation Policy Analysis: A Survey and Observations of Streetcar Institutional Structures

In the last 20 years urban streetcar rail circulators have been developed across the United States to fulfill various roles in transportation and economic development. One thing that has been common among all of these streetcar systems has been that the institutional structures used to fund, implement, and operate these streetcars have not been the typical structures that are used for Federal Transit Administration (FTA)-type projects. Following discussions with the industry through the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Streetcar Subcommittee, the Community Streetcar Coalition, FTA, and many project sponsors it became clear that there was no clear model for implementation of a streetcar project. Also, FTA faced some challenges in applying its standard project development process to streetcar projects, particularly with regard to how FTA holds grantees accountable for the liability (“federal interest”) for a grant. The authors determined—in conjunction with the members of the APTA Streetcar Subcommittee, with collaboration from the Community Streetcar Coalition and FTA—that these factor warranted investigation and could inform future policy making. The best methodology was determined to be a survey of all of the streetcar projects across the United States that either are in planning, development, or implementation, or are currently in operation. This paper is intended to provide the status of the research to date as of the drafting of this paper, given that the research is ongoing and may lead to additional conclusions. The methodology of the research is to conduct a national survey of all streetcar projects and to summarize the results. From these results the investigators will draw observations and preliminary findings. Using the APTA Streetcar Subcommittee, the staff of the Community Streetcar Coalition, and the FTA, the investigators will publish observations and potential areas of policy development that may assist in the implementation of current and future streetcar projects. It is intended that this research will primarily focus on three areas: to act as an introduction or preamble to the efforts of the APTA Streetcar Subcommittee to develop a Guide to the Implementation of Modern Streetcar Vehicles, to assist APTA in engaging with all of the nontraditional institutions getting involved with rail transit (through its Urban Circulator program), and to assist FTA in engaging with nontraditional grantees and other institutional arrangements engaging in federally funded rail transit project development. This paper summarizes the responses to date, primarily through observations of trends with future publications and updates that will provide additional information and analysis as the survey is completed.

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Media Type: Digital/other
  • Features: References; Tables;
  • Pagination: pp 21-36
  • Monograph Title: Sustaining the Metropolis: Light Rail Transit and Streetcars for Super Cities
  • Serial:

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01514792
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
  • Created Date: Feb 20 2014 10:19AM