The Charles Street Trolley Is A Bad Idea

The Charles Street Development Corporation has been promoting a Charles Street trolley for the past few years. You can view the official idea here. The city (AKA the tax payer) is already contributing $620,000 toward a two-year study of the proposed trolley.

I do not think we need a trolley for this corridor. There is already plenty of bus service in this area. I was told that the project will end up costing $156 million! That money is better spent on other public transportation projects that are actually needed like a a heavy rail red line.

Have you ever driven up Charles Street in the middle of the day? It is a crowded mess and there are always trucks double parked unloading products in to businesses. A trolley would create a nightmare traffic scenario. The city already has plans to create a free downtown circulator shuttle that will overlap part of the southern section of the proposed trolley's route. I am pretty sure that most people would rather have a free service over one you have to pay to ride.

For more info: The Charles Street Development Corporation.

The creation of a fixed-rail trolley system on Charles Street would provide many benefits to the Charles Street corridor and the City as a whole.

• Economic Development – In the late 19th and early 20th century, streetcars became a major component of urban development in America’s cities, while the mid-20th century saw the decline of urban centers and a parallel decline of trolley systems. In recent years however, the streetcar has again become a catalyst for urban growth in cities as varied as Memphis, Portland, Seattle, Tampa, Dallas, and Little Rock. Importantly, the permanence of fixed rail helps mitigate the risk for developers, allowing higher densities and lower parking requirements, thereby making development projects more viable. Redevelopment not only increases economic development in already stable neighborhoods, but dramatically improves neighborhoods that have been neglected or targeted for change. Property values will increase along the trolley line, encouraging developers to invest in these areas as well as filling vacant residences and storefronts, which increases the tax-base in areas near the trolley. For instance, over $2.28 billion has been invested in Portland within two blocks of the trolley’s alignment, and since 1997, 55% of central business development has occurred within one block of the streetcar. A copy of the Portland Streetcar Development Oriented Transit report is attached. Development has been so significant in the McKinney Avenue area of Dallas (the area the streetcar was designed to promote) that property values there now exceed those of downtown Dallas. The 2.5-mile trolley line in Tampa, Florida has stimulated over $600 million in public projects and $700 million in private projects. Even a city as small as Kenosha, Wisconsin has seen great development since the advent of its trolley line - over $100 million in development along only two miles of track. Parking needs are decreased by the existence of a trolley line. New projects will be able to devote less of their valuable space to parking concerns and land that was previously used for parking lots may be redeveloped. This redevelopment will be particularly helpful to neighborhoods along the proposed Trolley route that are currently filled with parking lots, like Old Goucher and Charles North. One economist has estimated an $11 million total annual fiscal impact of the trolley in Baltimore City.
• Connectivity – The proposed trolley route would connect many of Baltimore’s neighborhoods and most prominent religious, historic, athletic, educational, and cultural destinations, including Johns Hopkins University, the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Station North Arts and Entertainment District, University of Baltimore, Maryland Institute College of Art, the Washington Monument and Mount Vernon Place, the Walters Art Museum, the Peabody Institute, the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Camden Yards, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Lyric Opera House, the Basilica of the Assumption, and Old St. Paul’s. The route would link the central city and regional rail with residential areas like Charles Village and Mt. Vernon, which would make it easier for residents to get to work and reduce the City’s parking needs. Thriving nightlife and entertainment areas like the Inner Harbor would benefit from a safe, easy transportation alternative. In addition to improving short-route urban circulation, the trolley would seamlessly connect riders to the City’s existing transit systems like Amtrak, the Metro, the Light Rail, and the City’s proposed Downtown Shuttle and future Red Line, allowing riders to easily connect with other means of transportation for longer trips and trips to other parts of town that would not otherwise be connected to Charles Street. Streetcar projects have typically been championed by cities because they provide the “last mile”: the connection that provides a way for people to get to their final destinations, be it work or home.
• Increased Transit Use Increases Pedestrian Traffic - The calming effect the rail system would have on the currently dense flow of traffic moving through the corridor would further enhance livability by allowing residents and visitors to leave their cars behind when navigating the north-south axis of the city. The presence of a smooth, high-quality alternative to private automobiles and the bus system would promote a vibrant pedestrian environment, since users of public transit are also pedestrians. In line with the Mayor’s goal of a “cleaner, greener, healthier, and safer” Baltimore, walkability and transit ridership will decrease pollution and increase use of City institutions, support entertainment venues and boost retail development. Streetcars are not like light or heavy rail, which are designed to carry many people over long distances at high speeds. Streetcars are smaller and travel at slower speeds. They are not like busses in that they are easier to board and do not lurch in and out of traffic because they run on fixed rails. As a result, they are less threatening to pedestrians, quieter, and have no exhaust fumes.
• Retail Visibility & Development – In the places where trolley systems have already been established, like Little Rock’s River Market District, restaurants and retailers have enjoyed large increases in clientele, making the district the city’s primary cultural, entertainment, retail, and residential neighborhood. Families and visitors fill the district by day, and crowds converge on the street in the evening to experience the booming nightlife. The same substantial increase in development intensity has occurred in both Portland and Seattle. Mixed-use areas like Charles Street attract a wide variety of pedestrians whose patronage is highly appreciated by retailers, restaurants and entertainment venues. Increased development would serve not only to benefit already established retail centers at the Inner Harbor, but also developing areas like Mount Vernon, Charles Village, and the Station North Arts and Entertainment District. More residents along the corridor will also add synergy to neighborhood retail districts on Read Street, around Lexington Market and the Westside. This retail activity will not only enhance real estate tax revenues, but also sales tax revenues, suggesting a major fiscal boost.
• Environmental Impact – Trolleys powered directly by electricity do not produce the exhaust that cars, trucks, and busses do, leaving a far smaller carbon footprint on the City and reducing the pollutants to which residents are exposed. With gas prices hitting record highs and dependence on foreign oil being a major political issue at the federal level, it only makes sense for cities to embrace greener forms of transportation like the trolley. Additionally, shifting travel from automobiles to transit has significant environmental benefits, as does the attraction of residents from suburban, automobile-oriented locations to a more urban, transit-supported corridor.
• Tourism – While over 11 million people visit Baltimore’s Inner Harbor each year, many do not experience all that the City has to offer. The long incline of Charles Street going north from the Harbor dissuades visitors from exploring the corridor. Historic Charles Street is rich with cultural destinations, as well as restaurants and entertainment venues that are ripe for tourism, if only they were better connected to the Inner Harbor by a convenient, reliable and enjoyable means of public transportation. A trolley is the ideal choice for this type of transit because of its predictable route, measured pace, and the romantic image associated with trolleys as a historic means of travel. Because of these qualities, the Charles Street Trolley - like the cable cars in San Francisco - would become a tourist attraction itself, all the while connecting the many destinations along the route, and providing nostalgic visitors and residents with an exciting link to Baltimore’s past when the streetcar was king.
• Permanence and Predictability – In other cities, the permanence of fixed-rail investment has proven to instill faith in residents and property owners, letting them know that the trolley will remain in place for years to come. The stability this knowledge provides will encourage investors and developers to move into the corridor and Baltimore in general. The predictable nature of a fixed-rail trolley system reassures new riders and, in particular, visitors from out-of-town. When a family or individual visits, they often lack sufficient understanding of the bus routes and schedules, as well as knowledge about the specifics of what Baltimore neighborhoods have to offer. Trolley tracks are visible and the route does not change, which helps newcomers orient themselves and get to know the City. Maps at each stop indicating the route and the locations of the major destinations in the corridor will reassure those who might not otherwise have an adequate sense of place in the City. Knowing that you can board at one point, go to another, board again and end the ride where it started will encourage both visitors and residents to explore parts of the City they might otherwise overlook.
• Image – Streetcars serve to create a positive image for the neighborhoods that surround them. As we have seen in places like Portland, Seattle, and Dallas, neighborhoods with trolleys develop a lively streetlife and booming businesses, becoming destinations for people from all over the area. Residents take pride in their trolleys and the trolleys become identifying features for the neighborhoods they serve. A high-quality trolley system is something in which a whole city can take pride, and provides physical evidence of a strong political and business commitment to overall economic health and vitality.
• A Growing Trend – Since 2001, when Portland launched its Central City Streetcar project, many North American cities have begun to take notice of the transit and development potential of the modern streetcar. A number of similar systems have been completed in that time including Tampa, Little Rock, Tacoma, Charlotte, and most recently, Seattle. All have seen dramatic economic growth and general redevelopment. As of spring 2008, at least forty-six cities in Canada and the United States, including major cities such as Atlanta, Miami, and Columbus, Ohio have embarked on streetcar planning initiatives. This trend in modern urban transit is growing and America’s cities are growing as a result.

Comments

timmy 3 years ago

The creation of a fixed-rail trolley system on Charles Street would provide many benefits to the Charles Street corridor and the City as a whole.

• Economic Development – In the late 19th and early 20th century, streetcars became a major component of urban development in America’s cities, while the mid-20th century saw the decline of urban centers and a parallel decline of trolley systems. In recent years however, the streetcar has again become a catalyst for urban growth in cities as varied as Memphis, Portland, Seattle, Tampa, Dallas, and Little Rock. Importantly, the permanence of fixed rail helps mitigate the risk for developers, allowing higher densities and lower parking requirements, thereby making development projects more viable. Redevelopment not only increases economic development in already stable neighborhoods, but dramatically improves neighborhoods that have been neglected or targeted for change. Property values will increase along the trolley line, encouraging developers to invest in these areas as well as filling vacant residences and storefronts, which increases the tax-base in areas near the trolley. For instance, over $2.28 billion has been invested in Portland within two blocks of the trolley’s alignment, and since 1997, 55% of central business development has occurred within one block of the streetcar. A copy of the Portland Streetcar Development Oriented Transit report is attached. Development has been so significant in the McKinney Avenue area of Dallas (the area the streetcar was designed to promote) that property values there now exceed those of downtown Dallas. The 2.5-mile trolley line in Tampa, Florida has stimulated over $600 million in public projects and $700 million in private projects. Even a city as small as Kenosha, Wisconsin has seen great development since the advent of its trolley line - over $100 million in development along only two miles of track. Parking needs are decreased by the existence of a trolley line. New projects will be able to devote less of their valuable space to parking concerns and land that was previously used for parking lots may be redeveloped. This redevelopment will be particularly helpful to neighborhoods along the proposed Trolley route that are currently filled with parking lots, like Old Goucher and Charles North. One economist has estimated an $11 million total annual fiscal impact of the trolley in Baltimore City.
• Connectivity – The proposed trolley route would connect many of Baltimore’s neighborhoods and most prominent religious, historic, athletic, educational, and cultural destinations, including Johns Hopkins University, the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Station North Arts and Entertainment District, University of Baltimore, Maryland Institute College of Art, the Washington Monument and Mount Vernon Place, the Walters Art Museum, the Peabody Institute, the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Camden Yards, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Lyric Opera House, the Basilica of the Assumption, and Old St. Paul’s. The route would link the central city and regional rail with residential areas like Charles Village and Mt. Vernon, which would make it easier for residents to get to work and reduce the City’s parking needs. Thriving nightlife and entertainment areas like the Inner Harbor would benefit from a safe, easy transportation alternative. In addition to improving short-route urban circulation, the trolley would seamlessly connect riders to the City’s existing transit systems like Amtrak, the Metro, the Light Rail, and the City’s proposed Downtown Shuttle and future Red Line, allowing riders to easily connect with other means of transportation for longer trips and trips to other parts of town that would not otherwise be connected to Charles Street. Streetcar projects have typically been championed by cities because they provide the “last mile”: the connection that provides a way for people to get to their final destinations, be it work or home.
• Increased Transit Use Increases Pedestrian Traffic - The calming effect the rail system would have on the currently dense flow of traffic moving through the corridor would further enhance livability by allowing residents and visitors to leave their cars behind when navigating the north-south axis of the city. The presence of a smooth, high-quality alternative to private automobiles and the bus system would promote a vibrant pedestrian environment, since users of public transit are also pedestrians. In line with the Mayor’s goal of a “cleaner, greener, healthier, and safer” Baltimore, walkability and transit ridership will decrease pollution and increase use of City institutions, support entertainment venues and boost retail development. Streetcars are not like light or heavy rail, which are designed to carry many people over long distances at high speeds. Streetcars are smaller and travel at slower speeds. They are not like busses in that they are easier to board and do not lurch in and out of traffic because they run on fixed rails. As a result, they are less threatening to pedestrians, quieter, and have no exhaust fumes.
• Retail Visibility & Development – In the places where trolley systems have already been established, like Little Rock’s River Market District, restaurants and retailers have enjoyed large increases in clientele, making the district the city’s primary cultural, entertainment, retail, and residential neighborhood. Families and visitors fill the district by day, and crowds converge on the street in the evening to experience the booming nightlife. The same substantial increase in development intensity has occurred in both Portland and Seattle. Mixed-use areas like Charles Street attract a wide variety of pedestrians whose patronage is highly appreciated by retailers, restaurants and entertainment venues. Increased development would serve not only to benefit already established retail centers at the Inner Harbor, but also developing areas like Mount Vernon, Charles Village, and the Station North Arts and Entertainment District. More residents along the corridor will also add synergy to neighborhood retail districts on Read Street, around Lexington Market and the Westside. This retail activity will not only enhance real estate tax revenues, but also sales tax revenues, suggesting a major fiscal boost.
• Environmental Impact – Trolleys powered directly by electricity do not produce the exhaust that cars, trucks, and busses do, leaving a far smaller carbon footprint on the City and reducing the pollutants to which residents are exposed. With gas prices hitting record highs and dependence on foreign oil being a major political issue at the federal level, it only makes sense for cities to embrace greener forms of transportation like the trolley. Additionally, shifting travel from automobiles to transit has significant environmental benefits, as does the attraction of residents from suburban, automobile-oriented locations to a more urban, transit-supported corridor.
• Tourism – While over 11 million people visit Baltimore’s Inner Harbor each year, many do not experience all that the City has to offer. The long incline of Charles Street going north from the Harbor dissuades visitors from exploring the corridor. Historic Charles Street is rich with cultural destinations, as well as restaurants and entertainment venues that are ripe for tourism, if only they were better connected to the Inner Harbor by a convenient, reliable and enjoyable means of public transportation. A trolley is the ideal choice for this type of transit because of its predictable route, measured pace, and the romantic image associated with trolleys as a historic means of travel. Because of these qualities, the Charles Street Trolley - like the cable cars in San Francisco - would become a tourist attraction itself, all the while connecting the many destinations along the route, and providing nostalgic visitors and residents with an exciting link to Baltimore’s past when the streetcar was king.
• Permanence and Predictability – In other cities, the permanence of fixed-rail investment has proven to instill faith in residents and property owners, letting them know that the trolley will remain in place for years to come. The stability this knowledge provides will encourage investors and developers to move into the corridor and Baltimore in general. The predictable nature of a fixed-rail trolley system reassures new riders and, in particular, visitors from out-of-town. When a family or individual visits, they often lack sufficient understanding of the bus routes and schedules, as well as knowledge about the specifics of what Baltimore neighborhoods have to offer. Trolley tracks are visible and the route does not change, which helps newcomers orient themselves and get to know the City. Maps at each stop indicating the route and the locations of the major destinations in the corridor will reassure those who might not otherwise have an adequate sense of place in the City. Knowing that you can board at one point, go to another, board again and end the ride where it started will encourage both visitors and residents to explore parts of the City they might otherwise overlook.
• Image – Streetcars serve to create a positive image for the neighborhoods that surround them. As we have seen in places like Portland, Seattle, and Dallas, neighborhoods with trolleys develop a lively streetlife and booming businesses, becoming destinations for people from all over the area. Residents take pride in their trolleys and the trolleys become identifying features for the neighborhoods they serve. A high-quality trolley system is something in which a whole city can take pride, and provides physical evidence of a strong political and business commitment to overall economic health and vitality.
• A Growing Trend – Since 2001, when Portland launched its Central City Streetcar project, many North American cities have begun to take notice of the transit and development potential of the modern streetcar. A number of similar systems have been completed in that time including Tampa, Little Rock, Tacoma, Charlotte, and most recently, Seattle. All have seen dramatic economic growth and general redevelopment. As of spring 2008, at least forty-six cities in Canada and the United States, including major cities such as Atlanta, Miami, and Columbus, Ohio have embarked on streetcar planning initiatives. This trend in modern urban transit is growing and America’s cities are growing as a result.
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Ed Hopkins 2 years ago

Timmy's comment is just propaganda from the Charles Street Development Corporation!
www.charlesstreet.org/trolley/index.cfm?page=benefits

This is just a sales pitch--and should be treated accordingly.
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Christian H. Wilson 2 years ago

It is time that the CSTC understand that a transportation system needs to be subsidized and that the fares generated will not meet the operational requirements. How can they operate this system without constant infusion of cash? Certainly the destroyed businesses along the corridor will not be able to fund this as they will have to leave the area because of construction delays, costs and transportation nightmares. To even think that the construction will be $156,000,000. is foolish and a double factor should be considered, with a few million more for charges unknown. A budget therefore of $312,000,000.00 for construction of this trolley plus untold millions in subsidy costs, for a privately owned trolley system.
Outrageous!
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