Streetcars and light rail bits and pieces

1. Next year, the Columbia Pike streetcar project moves into the design and engineering phase. And they expect to have the system in service in 2012.

2. They decided not to try for federal money, becuase the road has good bus service, and the economic development value of a streetcar doesn't count in the scoring criteria. The system will cost approximately $165 million for not quite 5 miles of trackage.

3. Fairfax is looking into extending streetcar service beyond Baileys Crossroads. And a transitway is being constructed within the Potomac Yards development, which includes land in both Arlington and Alexandria, allowing for the possible construction of a streetcar line between Alexandria and the Pentagon City Metro Station.

4. Someone mentioned that DC's Department of Transportation has retained a consulting firm to move forward the streetcar project in DC.

5. Light rail for Norfolk is under construction and should go into service in 2010. It will go up to the Virginia Beach city border "taunting them" to respond and come up with the financial commitment to extend the service from Norfolk to the ocean.

6. Hampton Roads Transit has a nice simulation of how the light rail service, called the Tide, will look. And one of the Norfolk City Councilmembers, Randy Wright, received an award from the Virginia Transit Association, for his commitment and involvement over the many years the light rail system has been in development.

8. The HRT light rail is getting $130 million of "New Starts" FTA money, $30 million in other federal funds, $30 million from NOrfolk, and $30 million from the State of Virginia.