This Week in Passenger Transport
March 31, 2003
U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) recently introduced
legislation in the U.S. House designed to help fund streetcar projects
across the country. He is currently seeking co-sponsors for the Community
Streetcar Development and Revitalization Act, H.R. 1315.
According to Blumenauer, more than 40 U.S. communities
have expressed an interest in small-scale, rail-based transit lines to
serve central cities and connect neighborhoods. He pointed to the new
streetcar line that opened in 2001 in his hometown of Portland, Ore.,
which he said demonstrates "the ability to capitalize on lower project
cost, a minimally disruptive construction process, and the opportunity
to attract significant urban redevelopment. Built at almost half the per-mile
cost of light rail, Portland's new streetcar line has generated over $1.3
billion in economic development, resulting in a development-to-transit
ratio of 18 to 1."
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