It's no secret that Telstar Logistics has a thing for streetcars -- especially the vintage ones. We like the way they look, we appreciate their historic value, and we love them as interactive time-machines. But is this fetish rational? Or to put it another way, do streetcars make economic sense in the cities where they operate?
It's a fair question, given the significant expense involved laying track and restoring old streetcars -- often at a cost of $600,000 or more per car -- to operate as stable part of a modern mass transit network.
Here in San Francisco, where Telstar Logistics is headquartered, the vintage streetcars of the F Market Line have become the backbone of a thriving surface transportation system that connects the tourist fantasyland at Fisherman's Wharf with the gay fantasyland of the Castro District. In New Orleans, streetcars from the 1920s still ride the rails, even though much of the city's fleet was ruined during Hurricane Katrina. Kenosha, Wisconsin and Boston operate short lines with PCC streetcars from the 1940s.
Is all this just a porkbarrel nostalgia trip?
According to the Wall Street Journal, the answer is yes and no. Few will get rich operating a vintage streetcar line; in fact, many lines actually lose money when evaluated strictly on a revenue basis. But if you're willing to take a step back and look at the big picture, vintage streetcars may be a sound investment for the communities where they operate. The Journal sez:
Like stadiums, convention centers and aquariums, streetcars have emerged as a popular tool in the effort to revitalize downtowns in the U.S. About a dozen cities, from Madison, Wis., to Miami, are planning lines. But while research shows that big-ticket projects such as ballparks largely fail to spawn economic development, evidence is mounting that streetcars are indeed a magnet.
Streetcar systems are slower, less expensive and smaller than light rail, with cars that carry a maximum of 125 people and the average line 2-3 miles long. The cars are powered by electricity and run on tracks, which developers tend to favor because they suggest a sense of permanence, unlike bus routes, which can be changed overnight. [...]
Streetcars are especially popular among urban planners because they encourage the sort of density that allows for offices to be developed alongside homes, shops and restaurants.
"Streetcars are not designed to save time," says Mr. Blumenauer. "They're designed to change the way neighborhoods are built."
While streetcars lack speed and mobility, proponents say the role they play in urban development makes them a worthy transportation choice. They argue that by helping to draw development to urban areas such as downtowns, and by providing a transportation link in those areas, streetcars reduce the need for extra lanes of highways to the suburbs and limit the need for cars in and around downtowns.
A Streetcar Named Aspire: Lines Aim to Revive Cities (Wall Street Journal; subscription required)
PREVIOUSLY:
San Francisco's Streetcar Revival
Lost Streetcars of Lake Tahoe Fated to Become Diners and Sushi Bars in Missouri
(Photo above: Vintage streetcar in Tampa, Florida by joerosh1675)
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