Joel Burns: Sights From The Streetcar
by Steve Smith(Note from Kevin: This post marks the beginning of a series of updates from District 9 City Councilman Joel Burns, sending us photos and perhaps even a little video from the Streetcar Study Committee’s trip to the Pacific Northwest to study the modern streetcar systems of Portland, Seattle, and Tacoma. I just want to thank Joel for taking the time from what will be a very busy few days to send us updates. You should be seeing Joel’s name under the post’s title each time he updates. And now, here’s Joel.)
Members of the Fort Worth Modern Streetcar Study Committee, along with the Mayor, seven Council members, a group of City planning staffers and other community leaders arrive in Seattle Thursday for the start of an intense two-day study tour of Pacific Northwest modern streetcar systems.
To date, the Study Committee has reviewed Fort Worth’s previous rail studies and the streetcar systems in peer cities, as well as conducted an preliminary assessment of cost and potential funding sources. The culmination of their Phase 1 tasks was to determine is a streetcar system is worth pursuing at this time. The answer to that question was a uniform “yes.”
The objective of this week’s fact-finding trip is to make first-hand observations of the systems in Seattle and Tacoma, Washington and Portland, Oregon and receive briefings from local experts in those cities so that Fort Worth stakeholders can assess the costs and benefits of a modern streetcar system, formulate the criteria for successful starter corridors, start to identify a funding strategy, and identify next steps for implementation.
ITINERARY
8-10 p.m. (Pacific): Arrive at the hotel for presentation from Seattle Streetcar Project Manager Ethan Melone and others from the City of Seattle on fast-tracking the development of a system and lessons learned in development of Seattle’s system.
7 a.m.: Additional presentations from local experts including Seattle’s Director of Transportation, the Mayor’s Office director of the project financial plan, and local developers.
8:30-10:30: Tour the Seattle system and explore development activity along the route.
11:45: Arrive Tacoma; Tour Sound Transit’s Operation and Maintenance facility.
12:15: Tour Tacoma’s streetcar line and meet with Tacoma staff, developers and local experts.
2:30-5:50: Amtrak from Tacoma to Portland
6:15-10:00: Tour Portland system and presentation by Vicky Diede, Portland’s Streetcar Project Manager and others.
7:30-10:00 a.m.: Meeting with local developers and other experts and presentations by Rick Gustafson, Portland Streetcar Director of Operations and others.
10:30 Light rail trip to Portland airport and return to DFW
A total of 47 participants will make the trip including the Mayor and 7 Council members, 12 Study Committee members; 10 City Planning staff; 5 member of the Greater Fort Worth Real Estate Council; 6 from other agencies such as The T, Downtown Fort Worth Inc., Tarrant County, and the North Texas Council of Governments; and a small group of consultants.
I would like to thank the Greater Fort Worth Real Estate Council for providing $10,000 to funding of this study trip. An additional $25,000 came from fundraising from Downtown Fort Worth, Inc, other agencies and individuals such as the participating consultants. I especially want to thank DFWI president Andy Taft, who chairs the Study Committee for his leadership of the Committee and helping to find the funding to pay for this trip. City staffers David Gaspers, Cinde Gilliland and Dana Burghdoff are also to be commended for all the work they did in preparation for this tour.
Lastly, I want to thank our friends at FortWorthology.com and WestandClear.com for allowing me to post updates from this study trip, focusing on what we learn along the way.
Cities across the country are looking to modern streetcars as forward-thinking future transportation solutions (see this post from earlier this week in Salt Lake City: http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10564326).
I am excited about the prospect of bringing such a high-quality transit service to Fort Worth to provide circulation in our downtown and urban core, reduce automobile trips, and connect and integrate into a more comprehensive transportation system in North Texas that includes light and commuter rail. I am also excited about the potential to revitalize historic neighborhoods and create sustainable development that accompanies such streetcar systems.
More tomorrow from Seattle.
Councilmember Joel Burns,
City of Fort Worth, District 9
Fort Worth Streetcar Study Committee: http://www.fortworthgov.org/planninganddevelopment/misc.aspx?id=57270
7 Comments, Comments or Pings
Suzette Watkins
Joel - for clarification, two simple questions: (1) Did taxpayers provide any funding for this trip? (2) Is fact finding including 1st hand observations of the costs and benefits of a modern streetcar system more important than fact finding and 1st hand observations of the costs and benefits of urban natural gas and oil extraction?
Not that I don’t agree with you on all the points you mentioned, but want to get some clarification on the two points above and to better understand my local government’s agenda. I applaud you for connecting with the tax payers and keeping us informed.
Oct 2nd, 2008
Pete Wann
I don’t speak for Joel, but I’ve been seeing the comments here and on FWO about who paid for this trip, and I’m confused/concerned/inquisitive…
Why WOULDN’T the City pay for this trip? We’re looking at spending an assload of money on a public transit project, other cities have done it before us, and I think it’s admirable that our City leadership is actively looking to learn best practices and ideas for doing it right. If Joel or the Mayor or whomever else gets some info that winds up saving us any amount of money when this is actually rolled out, then this trip was totally worth it.
Secondly, like presidential candidates, City Councilmembers need to be able to do more than one thing (policy-wise I mean) at once. Gas drilling is an immediate issue, but I applaud the council again for looking at the long term transit needs of the city and planning NOW for the future — something that should have been done 30 years ago but wasn’t.
Oct 2nd, 2008
Ross
I agree with Pete. I also hope that seeing a modern streetcar system in action will convince the unconvinced members of the Study Committee that we need this type of service in Fort Worth. Seeing this system in use should eliminate the concerns some have expressed.
Oct 2nd, 2008
Pete Wann
“I agree with Pete…” Man, I’ve heard that more in the last week than I have my whole life, I think.
What’s wrong with y’all?
Oct 2nd, 2008
Dena
Yeah, this is actually government activity I am actually interested in supporting and contributing to…
Oct 2nd, 2008
whattheheck
With a quorum of the Council there I guess they have posted all the meetings, have set aside time for public comments, and have minutes of everything discussed. Guess we will find out how everyone likes their fish.
Oct 2nd, 2008
Max
At least some of the members of the committee were asked to pay towards at least some of the cost of the trip. I do not know if the government officials (e.g., Joel) were among those asked to pay, nor do I remember the amount, nor do I know the percentage of the total cost that the amount would constitute.
Oct 2nd, 2008
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