Category: streetcar

Streetcar seems to have momentum

Judging by the votes at a City Council transportation committee meeting this afternoon, the council is likely to vote Monday to apply for a couple of federal grants for transit. One would be for a $15 million project to add more buses on Central Avenue, Beatties Ford Road and out to the airport, essentially doubling the frequency to every 10 minutes. As Patsy Kinsey said – matching what an Observer editorial on Tuesday said – that decision is a “no-brainer.”

The other grant is trickier. It would be for $25 million to build a 1.5-mile section of the city’s proposed streetcar project. This part would go from Presbyterian Hospital down Elizabeth Avenue (where tracks are already laid) and East Trade Street to the Transportation Center. (If you’re not from around here you may not realize Elizabeth and Trade are the same street, with a name change).

The committee voted 3-2 to recommend the city go for the grant. Voting for: committee chairman David Howard, at-large rep Susan Burgess, District 1 rep Kinsey. Voting against: District 7 rep Warren Cooksey, District 4 rep Michael Barnes (who is running for district attorney in November).

Total project cost would be $37 million if the city decided not to buy new streetcars but to use three “replica” (that is, faux historic) trolley cars it owns. How to make up the $12 million difference from the $25M grant? City staff proposed that the council, if it wanted, could use $2.5 million still unspent from a streetcar planning budget line item, $4 million remaining in a “Smart Growth” fund that City Manager Curt Walton said was set up about 10 years ago but never completely spent, and it could take $5.5 million from $10.5 million that remains, unspent, in a reserve fund for economic development. The staff had also pointed to the option to reallocate $7 million from its business corridor revitalization program, but the council members at the committee meeting didn’t like that idea.

Barnes’ objection: Using the economic development money might mean less money available in the future for improvements to the North Tryon Street light rail corridor. Cooksey (who in 2009 voted against spending any city money for the streetcar project) said he worried that it would not be taken well by the city’s partner communities in the Metropolitan Transit Commission. Especially the North Mecklenburg towns still waiting, somewhat patiently, for money to be found to build their commuter rail line. He also said you could do just as much for transportation if you used the “found” money to build sidewalks and bike lanes.

I have to say, it always amazes me how city managers can find little pockets of millions of dollars just when their council member bosses need them. $4 million for “Smart Growth”? Who knew?

Counting likely votes Monday, I’d say the streetcar wins, 7-4. Mayor Anthony Foxx, remember, doesn’t vote on those sorts of things.

More federal streetcar bucks?

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, in New Orleans, announces $280 million in federal streetcar and bus money to be made available. Streetsblog.org has the story.

It isn’t new money, but unallocated funding for “New Starts” programs and buses.
Here’s what Streetsblog’s Elana Schor writes:

The money is set to be divided into two parts. The first would award $130 million to streetcars and “urban circulators,” with a focus on proposals that promote mixed-use development in local neighborhoods. No project can win more than $25 million from that pot, however, which would provide about 12 percent of the funding New Orleans needs for its ambitious streetcar expansion plan.

The second $150 million group of bus grants would go to proposals that “provide access to jobs, health care, and education, and/or contribute to the redevelopment of neighborhoods into pedestrian-friendly vibrant environments,” the U.S. DOT said in its announcement.

Obviously, there’s no way to know today whether Charlotte’s fledgling streetcar project might be eligible for any of that streetcar pot of money. Or what $25 million would pay for.

Politics and East Charlotte

Several things were clear at the candidates’ forum in East Charlotte on Tuesday night:

• Most of the candidates, Democrat and Republican alike, had figured out the P.C. answers for this crowd, for instance, “I support the streetcar.”

• Democracy is thriving in the City Council races: 15 candidates (seven Republicans, seven Democrats and one Libertarian) are running for four at-large council seats. In three council districts (1, 2 and 5) Democratic incumbents have Democratic challengers.

• Few candidates were willing (or knowledgeable enough?) to offer truly specific proposals on such issues as how you’d bring more economic development to the area.

The forum Tuesday included all the at-large candidates except Republican Jerry Drye, and all the candidates for districts 1, 4, and 5 except District 4 candidate Gail Helms, a Republican.

Because of the huge line-up of at-large candidates, the format didn’t allow much time for extensive answers, which in many ways was a blessing, though it left the audience with precious few specifics from candidates – not that many candidates typically offer them anyway.

Here’s a brief rundown:

• All but Libertarian at-large candidate Travis Wheat said they supported a proposed building code ordinance for nonresidential buildings.

• None supported the idea of requiring affordable housing in all developments as a way to ensure that it’s spread throughout the city. We have too much “affordable” housing already seemed to be the general sentiment.

• Everyone supported the proposed streetcar from Beatties Ford Road to Eastland Mall except Wheat, Bob Williams (D), Darrin Rankin (D), Craig Nannini (R) and Matthew Ridenhour (R).

• The proposed city landlord registry drew mixed responses with several candidates – Dave Howard (D), Edwin Peacock (R) and Jaye Rao (R) – saying “yes but with some work.” Others favored it except for Nannini, Rankin, Ridenhour and Wheat.

• The most fireworks came not from candidates but from the heavens. A torrential thunderstorm briefly knocked out the lights in the Hickory Grove Recreation Center, drawing more gasps from the crowd than any of the politicans’ remarks.

• Best slogan: Jaye Rao, trying to help people pronounce her name correctly (It rhymes with pow): “Vote now for Rao – like, wow!”

• Best schtick: Craig Nannini holding up a photo of his newborn son, who’s now 11 weeks old, as a way to talk about what’s important.