history of streetcars in NYC
Working notes, still a work in progress.
DOT plans to finally take advantage of a $300,000 federal grant that Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-Brooklyn) secured for the six-month study in 2005. — "Trolley good news for Red Hook rail plan" by Rich Calder, NY Post. May 18, 2010
- 5 years between securing the six-month study's funds and it's start? Why?
DOT has determined a streetcar system would be better suited in a neighborhood with fewer physical constraints and potential conflicts (i.e. wider streets). In addition, in implementing a comprehensive planning approach, the neighborhood should be a higher density mixed-use zone, or have the potential for accommodating these supportive land uses. At the present time, these conditions do not exist in Red Hook. — Brooklyn Streetcar Feasibility Study, 2011, p 1
- Do the conditions of "higher density mixed-use zone" and "have the potential for accommodating these supportive land uses" now exist in Red Hook?
- Has the Red Hook / DTBK connection improved in the intervening years?
- If so, in what ways? through what strategies?
- If not, what went wrong? would a streetcar have been worth it in retrospect?
Although the B61 offers frequent peak period service in Red Hook (every eight to nine minutes), — Brooklyn Streetcar Feasibility Study, 2011, p 3
- this is not frequent by modern standards elsewhere in the world
Nearly 50 percent of residents commute more than 45 minutes to work. More than 50 percent of its employees also commute more than 45 minutes to work. — Brooklyn Streetcar Feasibility Study, 2011, p 3
- Where is this data?
wow there are two Dan Wiley's working in public infrastructure advocacy here, one on each side of the Hudson. NJ Dan Wiley, NY Dan Wiley (collaborator on the BK streetcar feasibility study)
gotta find out how to get Christopher Hrones' retrospective thoughts on this. He was project coordinator. - It looks like he also worked on this
While this system is not the only example of PCC cars in operation today, it does demonstrate the lessons learned, both positive and BROOKLYN STREETCAR FEASIBILITY STUDY 5 negative, of returning a former streetcar line into regular revenue service using heritage streetcar equipment. — Brooklyn Streetcar Feasibility Study, 2011, p 4
- Oh is this assuming a historical streetcar equipment? That could be a huge difference between today and then, right? Like this feasibility study assumed that the equipment was a given, and "historical" at that (read: out-of-date). This might be a key aspect that would need reassed.
Streetcars provide a historic, romantic appeal and have transformed blighted districts into vibrant areas — Brooklyn Streetcar Feasibility Study, 2011, p 5
- Bewildering take. Streetcars are practical, not "romantic"
- Might be informed by the nostalgia-fueled historic apparatus approach?
- Really shows how choosing case studies matters. AMSTERDAM? AS A CASE STUDY FOR NEW AMSTERDAM? MAYBE? The Philly line is infamously bad because it has no dedicated ROW.
TRANSIT DEMAND ANALYSIS TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM The Transit Demand Analysis Technical Memorandum projected future demand for higher capacity transit service in Red Hook. Existing met and unmet demands (existing transit riders and those not currently riding, respectively) were first determined using available information and travel patterns in peer New York City neighborhoods. — Brooklyn Streetcar Feasibility Study, 2011, p 5
- I wonder what NYC Open Data would have meant for this study? The law was passed in 2012 and the website created in 2017. It's wild to me that NYC Open Data, one of the best and most obviously-needed things I think the city has done in the 21st Century, was considered a "new data literacy pilot". I made this note to capture that: [[people are smart with tools]]
it is assumed a future Brooklyn streetcar would operate in mixed traffic (no nexclusive lanes), which would restrict travel speeds to those generally experienced by buses. — Brooklyn Streetcar Feasibility Study, 2011, p 6
- Welp. There's your problem.
Manufacturing zoned district. — Brooklyn Streetcar Feasibility Study, 2011, p 6
- I wonder if this holds anymore, given the industry retreat from Euclidean zoning?
Reading list
- [ ] Wikipedia's page cluster on lists of NYC streetcars
- [ ] Google Map of routes! TODO: find how to get in touch with Alexander Rapp.
- [ ] Brookyn-Queens Connector Wikipedia
- [ ] Brooklyn Streetcar Feasibility Study 2011
- [ ]
- [x] The Power Broker. Moses defunded the streetcar network in favor of busses, which were then perennially underfunded.