A desire named streetcar

If you aren't on the Indianapolis Business Journal's email list for daily business updates, you should be. In today's email: a group wants to install streetcars downtown.

That's right. Streetcars.

Downtown Indianapolis Streetcar Corp. is looking at vehicles powered by overhead electrical lines connecting many points of interest downtown. They are in the very early stages, so details haven't been determined. But they expect to pay for this with a combination of public and private dollars. DISC's board is made up of representatives of downtown's big establishments and organizations.

I think this could be a good idea. The streetcars should be easily accessible to both residents and tourists. If this happens, I think it should incorporate the downtown circulator aspects that IndyGo has proposed to reduce the number of buses doing loops around downtown (this would require a downtown transit center, which is an important but completely different issue). And it should link to places of employment, commerce, and education, not just hotels and tourist destinations. Not only could the streetcars reduce the number of IndyGo buses congesting downtown, but also the shuttle buses that run from the convention center to downtown hotels and locations that are not considered within walking distance.

And the success that could come with the streetcars could feed into greater interest in the region's transit concerns, both trains and buses. Focus in recent years for rail transit has been on the northeast corridor between downtown Indy and Hamilton County. And with good reason. There is a large population in that region and, therefore, a large number of commuters. And there is a vacant rail corridor that would be a perfect fit for light or commuter rail. There has been some success with the motor coaches that shuttle commuters back and forth, so there is obviously some desire for transit options.

I understand that the initial cost per rider of rail vehicles are more expensive than a similar bus route, but there is an amount of permanence and marketability that comes from a rail-based system that no amount of money could achieve with a bus-based system. Because no matter what you do to a bus system, it will always have image/PR issues to deal with. Most think it is the system for poor people. It's not true, but that is the perception.

However, I won't say that rail is automatically the answer to everything. Aside from being expensive to build, if the route is unsuccessful, it is impossible to change the route without great expense. And there are plenty of alternatives that could be utilized. If INDOT would have had enough foresight, they would included HOV lanes along the rebuilt I-70 and I-465 portions that serves the northeast side, providing express buses a big one up to single occupancy vehicles. Definitely a missed opportunity.

All that being said, I don't think the answer is to put all our eggs into one basket. The solution is in creating a mix of transit options. While cost per user is one thing to consider in making decisions, it shouldn't be the only thing. Ultimately, the goal should be to provide more than one method of transportation to everyone.

I recognize that streets and highways need to receive continued maintenance and improvements, as they serve America's primary mode of transportation. And it will continue to be this way for the foreseeable future. So saying "we should take every highway dollar and invest it in public transportation". But we also shouldn't view highways as the only method of transportation. Nor should we think that owning/driving a car should be a necessity to survive.

I think that the city's bus system needs to see increased maintenance and improvements. I know from personal experience that IndyGo is a great service. New vehicles with better fuel efficiencies or alternative fuel options should be explored. Bus shelters should be installed in more places. And more and larger express buses should be added to connect downtown to outlying neighborhood centers, which then would connect to other local routes. The goal is making a system that is more efficient and user friendly.

At the same time, we need to look towards the future. Indy is blessed with many rail corridors, including a downtown corridor that is elevated. Commuter, regional, and high speed passenger rail could utilize these corridors and connect downtown Indianapolis not only to the airport, Fishers, and Greenwood, but to Muncie, Columbus, Lafayette, Ft. Wayne, Louisville, and Chicago.

And continue looking at streetcar and light rail service. I think for practical purposes, we should limit them to high density areas and corridors. I think their potential for success lies in using them in place of bus routes that have high ridership. Success of this kind of service relies on frequent stops and high riderships. I'm thinking specifically of the downtown circulator route, Washington Street, the north south corridor that includes Meridian, Illinois, and Capitol, College Avenue, and 38th Street.

In looking at all these potential solutions, we should look at the Downtown Indianapolis Streetcar Corporation for inspiration. Success with any of the options will require the partnership of the public and private sectors. And pardon the pun, but DISC looks like it may be on the right track.