Modern Street Car Opinions (Phoenix, Tucson: sales, real estate, city hall)

[Prodigal Native]

Assuming it is a success and ignoring all of the issues with expanding it (and since it is NOT light rail and my ideas fit light-rail better we have a whole different set of issues to deal with) I would say expand it to the airport (via 6th Ave most likely) and north to at least the Tucson Mall; maybe as far as Magee & Oracle.

Head east along ideally Broadway to Park Place or maybe to Kolb (save Houghton for later and put a big Park & Ride in there). Speedway is another option, but I think Reid Park and the mall on Broadway makes it the winner.

Somewhere you need a link to the base; perhaps down Alvernon? You could then take it a few more miles and link the base to the airport and you get a loop.

This leaves a LOT of the city unsupported, but hey, we can't even get a cross-town freeway so we aren't going to get this in under 30 years if ever. Also, as I said above light rail would work a lot better than our hokey street car solution, so maybe we have transfer stations...

[marcusd]

$200 Million dollars for this?

Cat-tran links UMC with U of A for FREE, no streetcar bus fair. So UMC to UofA, check. U of A to downtown? Who actually goes to downtown from U of A? A few students once in a while? fail.

And that about wraps up the streetcar.

Sure if it went from a huge park and ride lot to UA then to downtown it would have a purpose. You could park at the (hopefully cheap and large) lot and then take the streetcar to school or work. But this doesn't do that. It does practically nothing.

I estimate that it will be really useful for about 200 people. A million bucks a pop if my math checks out.

[Roli]

On nights when a big band is at the Rialto, downtown is swamped. I literally could not find a place on the sidewalk one night. The crowds were swarming everywhere. Congress will become a very active place due to the high rise living nearby right now. I think the young crowds will want to be down there where it's happening. This is a different scene than the more staid parts of town. If you think the streetcar is a boondoogle, you probably don't go clubbing downtown, right? And you don't drink. And you aren't twenty five. It's about a different set of people.

[Prodigal Native]

Soo... on the nights when the Rialto is full (which is what, a couple dozen a year), AND school is in session so everyone is out clubbing AND all of those people in the nearby high rise living (?) are wanting to go where (they live so close after all)... for this we spend $200,000,000?

Yup, we are a different set of people.

[robabeatle]

I see it now as a huge investment that is going to lose money for a while, if not longer. But, and this is a big but, Tucson needs to implement infrastructure that the younger generation is looking for when choosing a place to live and work. I think that this will help but really I think it would be much better if the line extended much further around the city. <fingers crossed>

http://www.insidetucsonbusiness.com/...9bb2963f4.html

[acatalanb]

Originally Posted by robabeatle

I see it now as a huge investment that is going to lose money for a while, if not longer. But, and this is a big but, Tucson needs to implement infrastructure that the younger generation is looking for when choosing a place to live and work. I think that this will help but really I think it would be much better if the line extended much further around the city. <fingers crossed>

Early planning may promote infill, benefits streetcar - Inside Tucson Business: News: rta,

robabeatle, thanks for posting that link. Yes, this modern streetcar is a long term investment project and I believe, will be extended all over Tucson. Wherever this streetcar runs, new construction projects follow. Also, it does makes sense to build all those brand new good quality student and non-student housing considering the shortage of good housing all over Tucson.

Most of the posters in this forum seek the same question over and over - Where can I find a nice and safe place to live? Answer: the brand new mixed use high or mid rise (apts/condos on top, offices and retail/grocers bottom) complexes along the modern street car route. I've rented most of my life and good quality rental housing in Tucson is extremely minimal.

Thanks to the modern streetcar , Tucson can build more of these



notice the rail tracks below


so we don't have to destroy these


The modern street car is Tucson's piped piper of progress to the 21st century and protector of the desert.

[flexw1]

All I can say is that I would hope that there are plans to expand the rail service beyond downtown and the UofA. As far as helping folks from the Eastside and Northside to get to the Downtown area. Otherwise it's a large waste of money

[acatalanb]

Originally Posted by flexw1

All I can say is that I would hope that there are plans to expand the rail service beyond downtown and the UofA. As far as helping folks from the Eastside and Northside to get to the Downtown area. Otherwise it's a large waste of money

I agree. There's talk of expanding the rail service route --> link

One of three possible route is Broadway going east (which I prefer since that's where Reid Park and other shops are). Other routes are Campbell Ave and 6th Ave.

[tumamoc]

For the 18 years I've lived in Tucson, I've heard people complain that Downtown was dead. And they were right! This project seems like a good way to help breathe life back into it. Years from now, we will probably look back and realize it was a worthwhile investment.

[robabeatle]

On the Phoenix forum, it seems that the street car there is generally given the thumbs up.

Sure, it may not be utilized fully at first, nor is the route the most encompassing but it is very forward thinking of Tucson. A nice change for once.