I am so thrilled to see your City restore Streetcar service! I rode that VERY SEPTA PCCC to my Mom Mom's (Grandmother's) house nearly every weekend, growing up in Philly! Kudos and all the good fortune to everyone there for making this happen! SHAME ON SEPTA for re-living the 1950's. Lastly, GREAT JOB, on simulating the tour/ride along the future alignment! Well-done!
Great to hear the expansion was approved! It so good to see a streetcar system being reinstalled and used! My hats off to you folks for all your hard work! The wife and I hope to come spend a weekend in Kenosha and ride the streetcar numerous times! Keep up. The great work!
History repeats itself for sure!!! I knew that some day these lines that were abandoned decades ago would make a comeback in one way or form or another. Look what happened out in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, and Sacramento in California! Light Rail systems galore; some running on the approximate alignment of their predisesors. San Francisco, Philadelphia, have retained most of their trolley lines. You still have the New Orleans trolleys that have looked the same for decades!
I don't really care for the one way (counter clockwise only in this case) giant loop system. It forces people making a round trip between two stops (like a commuter) to go around the whole indirect loop. The bigger the loop, the less convenient it gets. Having a route that takes the existing short loop would mitigate this. I see most people who would use the streetcar as serious transportation, wanting to go directly to or from the Metra station. Especially as the system hypothetically gets bigger.
Here in Arlington, VA voters nixed a planned streetcar/trolley line mostly because it didn't do anything or go anywhere most commuters needed to go. Most believe the line was basically a gimmick to help boost sales and rentals of condos along its main route, Columbia Pike. Nearly all development in Arlington has been based along the Metro route and having that is key to developer gold. Since there is no Metro along Columbia Pike, shady insiders figured this trolley plan would work as a gimmick of sorts to attract people to fill up the dozens of brand new condo/rentals and 'use' the trolley. People had a hard time figuring why they needed a trolley running in competition with Metro buses which already overcrowd Columbia Pike traffic. What's bad is that the trolley line concept is great and would work here, but only in the right place and with the proper metrics. Although a new trolley project is being studied, the cat is out of the bag now and developers are avoiding backing a trolley line fearing more backlash against them. I read a study about trolley lines in other US cities and nearly all are having major problems with ridership, operations, size and costs. They're finding that unless the trolley lines augment commuter needs and (instead focusing on routes running in circles and appealing mostly to tourists) actually 'go some where' they will not be used by locals. Trollies were the primary source of urban (and even rural) transportation until the 1950s when they were replaced by buses and cars. Today, only a few cities have serious trolley services that augment commuter transportation and are used in great numbers by locals. They offer great promise for the future of public transit nationwide. But they are investments and will not start to pay off for years, so cities need to consider them long term projects and not gimmicks to promote developers real estate schemes.
Unfortunately, it is. Trolley was used as a developers tool to encourage public support for their various antics. There was no long range plan, just a bunch of crap. We certainly wanted a trolley around here to augment Metro services, but the plans I noted weren't going to do that.
Very interresting cab ride. Also in a tractor. Thanks for sharing your beautiful line to the world.
I am so thrilled to see your City restore Streetcar service! I rode that VERY SEPTA PCCC to my Mom Mom's (Grandmother's) house nearly every weekend, growing up in Philly! Kudos and all the good fortune to everyone there for making this happen! SHAME ON SEPTA for re-living the 1950's. Lastly, GREAT JOB, on simulating the tour/ride along the future alignment! Well-done!
Great to hear the expansion was approved! It so good to see a streetcar system being reinstalled and used! My hats off to you folks for all your hard work! The wife and I hope to come spend a weekend in Kenosha and ride the streetcar numerous times! Keep up. The great work!
Thanks for your interest! Be sure to check out the VisitKenosha.com for events and more info.
GREAT TO BRING BACK HE STREET CARS I LOVE THEM, BRILLIANT IDEA...CHEERS
History repeats itself for sure!!! I knew that some day these lines that were abandoned decades ago would make a comeback in one way or form or another. Look what happened out in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, and Sacramento in California! Light Rail systems galore; some running on the approximate alignment of their predisesors. San Francisco, Philadelphia, have retained most of their trolley lines. You still have the New Orleans trolleys that have looked the same for decades!
Vey happy to hear this! I cannot wait!
4:56 You had me spooked, until I read again that you were using a tractor (as opposed to a draisine)!
put your town on the map of the USA with your streetcars!!!!
Very interesting
Some of those streets are extremely narrow. Are they going to evict street parking?
It seemed as though part of the system did not have tracks underneath.(starting at 13.33)..is that correct? If so, then are track necessary?
The video shows the existing track and the route of the the expansion. The expansion will have track and overhead wire.
+Rob S Of course, tracks are necessary. What a stupid question.
+Kinopanorama Widescreen Preservation Association Incorporated he has a point at 5 min and 1333 there are no tracks
I don't really care for the one way (counter clockwise only in this case) giant loop system. It forces people making a round trip between two stops (like a commuter) to go around the whole indirect loop. The bigger the loop, the less convenient it gets. Having a route that takes the existing short loop would mitigate this. I see most people who would use the streetcar as serious transportation, wanting to go directly to or from the Metra station. Especially as the system hypothetically gets bigger.
Was the expansion ever done?
No it was not. Cost were higher for utility relocation than installing track and wire. Original 2 miles still in operation.
Bradley Preston it’s still being used? We have some original tracking left here in Janesville but it’s been long out of service.
Here in Arlington, VA voters nixed a planned streetcar/trolley line mostly because it didn't do anything or go anywhere most commuters needed to go. Most believe the line was basically a gimmick to help boost sales and rentals of condos along its main route, Columbia Pike. Nearly all development in Arlington has been based along the Metro route and having that is key to developer gold. Since there is no Metro along Columbia Pike, shady insiders figured this trolley plan would work as a gimmick of sorts to attract people to fill up the dozens of brand new condo/rentals and 'use' the trolley. People had a hard time figuring why they needed a trolley running in competition with Metro buses which already overcrowd Columbia Pike traffic. What's bad is that the trolley line concept is great and would work here, but only in the right place and with the proper metrics. Although a new trolley project is being studied, the cat is out of the bag now and developers are avoiding backing a trolley line fearing more backlash against them.
I read a study about trolley lines in other US cities and nearly all are having major problems with ridership, operations, size and costs. They're finding that unless the trolley lines augment commuter needs and (instead focusing on routes running in circles and appealing mostly to tourists) actually 'go some where' they will not be used by locals. Trollies were the primary source of urban (and even rural) transportation until the 1950s when they were replaced by buses and cars. Today, only a few cities have serious trolley services that augment commuter transportation and are used in great numbers by locals. They offer great promise for the future of public transit nationwide. But they are investments and will not start to pay off for years, so cities need to consider them long term projects and not gimmicks to promote developers real estate schemes.
Another 'anti' trolley rant. Not based on real statistics.
Unfortunately, it is. Trolley was used as a developers tool to encourage public support for their various antics. There was no long range plan, just a bunch of crap. We certainly wanted a trolley around here to augment Metro services, but the plans I noted weren't going to do that.
In Philadelphia where I live are streetcar lines are doing very well
Why not just use buses? The infrastructure required for streetcars is prohibitively expensive...