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THE CHALLENGE
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View of West Main Street |
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Before
cars, most development occurred where it could be served by trains,
trolleys, and walking. This made compact, mixed use towns, with
qualities that many still admire. With the dawn of the automotive age,
low-density, single-use, auto-oriented developments emerged.
A
growing segment of the public now voices disfavor with existing
patterns of growth. Charlottesville's reputation as a good place to
live attracts newcomers and development, but most of it is in the form
of suburban sprawl, threatening the qualities that make Charlottesville
an attractive place.
A
new transportation network, based on improved public transit is needed.
A streetcar system, particularly its stops and stations, can be used to
shape and strengthen neighborhoods, employment areas, and business
districts.
ABOUT STREETCARS
A
streetcar is a transit vehicle that runs on tracks and is powered by an
overhead wire. Streetcar vehicles are similar in size to a city bus,
and are designed to circulate people inside a city between popular
destinations. Examples of modern streetcars similar to the one that
Charlottesville might consider are located in Portland, OR and Tacoma,
WA.
Streetcars
are designed to shape communities in two ways: by encouraging transit
use and by stimulating "transit-oriented development" along their
route. Since streetcars run along a set of rails in the ground,
citizens view them as a permanent transit investment by the City. This
encourages people to adapt their daily habits by learning to rely on
transit. Also, the sleek vehicles are renowned for attracting diverse
riders, including those who do not traditionally rely on transit as
their primary mode of transportation.
Also,
as more people easily access West Main, it becomes more attractive for
developers to locate businesses and residential units along that
corridor. Since a large portion of travelers are on transit and foot,
these new developments are likely to be pedestrian-friendly and
"human-scale" in design. Shaping growth with a streetcar system would
allow our city to deal with our expected population growth while
maintaining a strong economic base in the city center.
For more information about streetcars, please read
our
Summer
2005 Newsletter - (PDF 946K)
PROGRESS
TOWARDS A STREETCAR
Technical Preview
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| Technical
Preview August 2004 |
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In
August 2004, transportation engineer Roger Millar of DMJM+Harris
Planning visited Charlottesville to assess the feasibility of a
streetcar for West Main. He concluded that the corridor between
Downtown and the University can support a streetcar system. A 1.23 mile
route from downtown to the corner of West Main and Jefferson Park
Avenue would be the first streetcar phase, with extensions past The
Corner District or on JPA to be added. For now, improvements to the
schedule reliability of CTS buses should continue, including signal
priority at traffic lights, to provide a first step toward a streetcar.
New and existing parking within walking distance of the streetcar line
could reduce the number of cars traveling on West Main.
Site Visit
In
October, 2004, ACCT took Charlottesville delegations for short visits
to successful streetcar systems in Portland Oregon and Tacoma
Washington. The trips were an opportunity to experience streetcar
systems in person, explore developments associated with them, and meet
with elected officials, consultants, and planners who had worked to
build the Portland and Tacoma systems. Following the trip, participant
shared their observations with the ACCT organizers. This trip was also
covered by the C-Ville Weekly newspaper, which published an article about the trip in their October 19
edition.
Public Outreach
ACCT
continues to build the public and political support needed to
bring an advanced mode of public transportation to Charlottesville.
In the past year, we conducted a series of public presentations
on the topic, sharing our vision for the potential benefits that
a streetcar might bring to our downtown. We are now working on
Charlottesville's "Streetcar Task Force" to expand our research
efforts and move the project forward towards implementation.
Get Involved
To learn
more about ACCT's Streetcar Initiative, please e-mail
Zachary Shahan or call ACCT at (434) 295-6554. We would be pleased to
schedule a presentation with your organization or inform you of
upcoming public gatherings related to this effort. Another great way to
offer your support is to become
a member of ACCT.
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