1. Restoration of Historic Streetcar Services in Downtown Los Angeles APTA A quick overview August 2, 2011

2. Context: Downtown L.A.

3. Central Business District

4. Project
Study
Area (PSA)

5. Back to the Future

6. Original Los Angeles

8. Where Will it Go
Started with Core Service Area 8

9. Alternatives evaluated in Initial Screening

10. Vehicle Options Modern Replica Historic New Cars
Quiet, smooth ride, and ADA compliant
Best transportation vehicle
Portland, Seattle, Tacoma
New Cars Built to Antique Design
Good tourist attraction
Tampa, Little Rock, Charlotte, San Pedro
Actual Antiques
Very nostalgic
Expensive to maintain
Philadelphia, Seattle, Memphis, San Francisco

11. Introduction Key players
Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA)
Los Angeles Streetcar, Inc. (LASI)
City of Los Angeles (CLA)
Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
Metro (MTA)

12. Locally Preferred Alternative
Purpose and Need
Purpose and Need
Initial Screening
Final Screening
Locally Preferred Alternative
Project purpose?
Restore historic streetcar service
Connect activity centers and districts
Improve surface transit circulation
Support population and employment growth
Support economic revitalization
Support alternative modes of travel within downtown

13. Streetcar 101 What is a streetcar? Fixed-guideway electric rail system
Operates in mixed traffic or pedestrian zones
Can be articulated for tight radii turns
Compatible with on-street parking
Shares lanes and stops with buses
Can be low floor with multiple doors
Bicycles accommodated on board
Capacity ranges from 80 to 130 passengers/vehicle
..OR A BUS ON METAL WHEELS

14. Transit & More Last Mile Solution
Easily integrates with current and future transit systems
Community and Economic Development
24/7 Neighborhoods
Round the Clock Activity
Eyes on the Street / Safety
Less demand for parking

15. Advantages
The Streetcar is seen as a catalyst to increase investment in the older sections or underutilized sections of downtown LA.
It creates a permanent physical presence with in-street rail and catenary wires.
It supports the area bus system.
It’s a local circulator designed for short trips.

16. Locally Preferred Alternative
Initial Screening
Evaluation criteria:
Purpose and Need
Initial Screening
Final Screening
Locally Preferred Alternative
Planning
Implementation
Length
Connectivity
Travel time
Ridership potential
Transit integration
Economic development
Historic integrity
Expandability
Capital Costs
O&M Costs
Community support
Plans and guidelines
Local funding
Traffic and parking
Street grade
Risks
Fatal Flaws

17. Expectations
The proposed alignments should support 20,000 + riders a day. A big number for streetcars, a small number for downtown bus lines.
It will INCREASE bus and rail ridership. One more layer of transit service in an area heavily accessed through transit.

18. Economic Development

19. Cost & Funding Estimates
Capital Cost = $110MM
Operating Cost = $5MM

20. Development Perspective
Fixed rails promote investor confidence
Encourages, inspires, and attracts mixed-use development
Enhances resident and business owner sense of pride
Attracts visitors who normally would not travel through the area
Encourages multi-modal activity and exploration (and therefore discretionary spending)

21. Stimulating the Local Economy
Economic Development
35 million sf is entitled, approved, or planned in DTLA = 100,000+ additional permanent jobs
90 million sf of developed space within ¼ mile of alignment
DTLA needs “stimulus” of our own and a Streetcar is the vehicle to do it

22. The Changing Housing Market
¼ of Renters and Buyers will be Looking for Housing in Neighborhoods like Downtown LA Because of Demographic Changes and Traffic
Households are older and smaller
Single households are becoming the majority
Households are more diverse
Technology trends spur transit choices
Unending traffic and congestion

23. Affordability Translates to Demand
Living with One Less Car = $8,500 in Annual Savings
Median income households in Southern California spend $12,000/year on transportation and $12,240 on housing = 52% of household budget
Owning one less car per median income household could reduce housing plus transportation costs to 41% of budget

24. Instant Marketing Investment
Density of People and Activity = Will Increase Property Values and Sales Taxes Received
Projected 10,000 daily ridership used for financial analysis.
More Residents
More Businesses
More Visitors
More Activity

25. Portland Example In Portland’s Pearl District
140 projects worth $3.5 billion: 10,000 housing units with 5.5 million sf retail
City met 20-year housing goal in 7 years
25% of housing is affordable
11,000 Streetcar riders a day
400 new businesses along the line: 90% locally owned with mostly women and minority ownership
Major increase in pedestrian traffic

26. Public / Private Partnerships