Streetcar Frequently Asked Questions

We hope this list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) will help you learn what’s so great about modern streetcars, and why they’ll be so good for Fort Worth.

1.  Why can’t we just decorate a bus and paint a stripe down the street to designate the “streetcar” route instead of spending the money for an actual streetcar?

We could do that, and we might get a small transportation benefit from doing so, although we’d certainly miss the large group of riders that will ride a train but won’t get on a bus.  More importantly, though, we’d be missing the big picture – the economic development that results from a permanent improvement to the public realm.  People aren’t dumb.  They know that a bus line could be here today and gone tomorrow, as has been the case with some Fort Worth routes in recent years.  What’s the axiom about real estate investment?  Location, location, location.  It’s the same for sustainable economic development.  Think about highway interchanges and how well they attract new businesses that are interested in auto-oriented locations.  Would those businesses locate at a highway interchange if they thought that the thousands of customers driving by each day could be gone tomorrow?  Or what would happen to businesses located near DFW Airport if the airport changed locations?  It seems counterintuitive, but it’s the permanence of a transportation system that creates value, not its flexibility.  Other cities have shown that there are many businesses and residents looking for vibrant urban areas served by modern streetcars.  A modern streetcar will attract sustainable economic development; a decorated bus will not.

2.  I like the idea of streetcars in Fort Worth, but I don’t live in the central city.  How does this benefit my family?

We don’t know yet where the first phase of the streetcar will be located, but we do know that it will be within Fort Worth’s urban core, with Downtown, the Near Southside, the Cultural District, and Trinity Uptown on the short list of districts that could be served by a starter line.

Geographically, these central city districts may constitute a small section of Fort Worth.  Economically, however, their role is huge and their vitality is essential to our entire city’s financial health.  Despite constituting only a small amount of the city’s land area, these central city employment centers generate  a huge portion of the City’s tax revenues.  This pays for parks, street maintenance, police protection, and other services throughout the city.  In many ways, it is within these central city districts that Fort Worth competes economically with our peer cities for new investment, and we need to continue creating an appealing and exciting urban core if we are to compete successfully.  A modern streetcar system is unmatched as a catalyst in creating vibrant urban districts in cities throughout the world.

In addition, the first streetcar phase is just the start of a larger system, and that system is an important part of the regional rail system that will serve most of Fort Worth and the DFW region.  A modern streetcar system complements regional rail, and after the first leg is built, future phases will likely move forward and spread into additional neighborhoods.

3.  I’m disabled.  How can I ride the streetcar?

Very easily. The streetcar has saucer-sized buttons along its exterior and interior walls. If you are in a wheelchair or motorized scooter, or pushing a stroller or pulling a grocery cart, you simply push the button when the streetcar stops, and a level ramp extends to the curb for straight-on access. If you are blind, the streetcar operator can signal for the ramp to ease your access to or from the streetcar. Many disabled residents in cities with modern streetcar systems choose to live along the streetcar lines because the vehicles are barrier-free, which enables them to lead more independent lives.

4.  Aren’t the overhead wires ugly?

Modern streetcars use only a single, small wire for power – much smaller than the ones used on the streetcars of yesteryear.  On the tree-lined streets that are found across the central city, they get lost in the foliage.  You can see how unobtrusive they are for yourself by looking at some of the high-resolution photos of modern streetcar systems on our web site.

5.  Won’t the streetcar block traffic?

Actually, streetcars hold up traffic less than buses do.  Modern streetcars have six sets of doors (versus two on buses), three to a side, giving passengers plenty of ways to get on and off the streetcar.  Four of those sets of doors are barrier-free double doors enabling lots of people to board at the same time.  And for disabled riders, the streetcar’s curb-height floors and quick automatic ramps let them get on and off with ease (contrast with the electric lifts needed to board most buses).  Browse around our site to see videos showing how easy and quick it is to board modern streetcars.  Combine that with the quick acceleration of modern streetcars and the ability for them to have priority at traffic signals, and you can see how nicely modern streetcars fit into mixed traffic.  In addition, streetcars operate more frequently than buses, meaning that drivers get used to their presence and know to expect them.  And of course, all the cars that streetcars can remove from the road help free up the streets for all users.

6.  How does the streetcar impact the sustainability of Fort Worth?

Developers and investors are far more willing to build at higher densities with lower parking requirements where streetcar lines are located.  By encouraging development that is less dependent on the automobile, the streetcar helps the city attract new residents without the pollution impact of new suburban development.  In addition, streetcars connect to other transit systems like buses and commuter rail, opening up a larger area of the city to car-free transportation.  Streetcars also work seamlessly with our bicycle transportation system to further reduce the city’s need for car dependency.

7.  How can I use my bicycle with the modern streetcar system?

Bicycling for transportation in Fort Worth is on the rise, and the modern streetcar system would integrate perfectly with our bicycle transportation infrastructure to extend the reach of bikes throughout the central city.  Modern streetcars have a large center section with curb-height floors and few seats, allowing bicycles to roll straight onto the streetcar from the curb with plenty of room to stand.  It’s even easier than the bike racks on our buses – there’s no loading and latching of your bike.  Just roll it right into the streetcar.

8.  What’s the difference between streetcar tracks and light rail tracks?

Streetcars and light rail, like virtually all modern railway systems, use the same width of track – 4 feet, 8 1/2 inches, measured between the inside surfaces of the two rails.  This is called “Standard Gauge” track.

While streetcars and light rail share the same width of track, the requirements for the installation of track are very different.  Light rail trains, like those used by DART in Dallas, are much heavier than streetcars, and so they require deeper foundations.  Light rail track takes longer to build (utilities, pipes, and other items below the track have to be moved) and costs a lot more.

Streetcar tracks, on the other hand, are embedded in a 12-inch concrete slab, and the utilities underneath are usually left in place.  Building a block of streetcar track can take as little as one week, and it blocks only one lane of traffic during that period.  In many ways, it’s less disruptive to businesses along the line than sidewalk reconstruction.

Streetcar construction is much less expensive than light rail construction, making it perfect for creating central city neighborhood circulator lines (light rail serves a different purpose, usually running longer distances with fewer stops).

9.  How far apart will the streetcar stops be?

Typically, streetcar stops are located every 800 to 1,100 feet, usually around 2-3 blocks apart in Downtown and perhaps less close together in other areas.  Some stops could be “Call Stops,” where you need to request the streetcar to drop you off with a simple button press.  The stops will likely be sponsored  by businesses and have electronic notification systems displaying the arrival times of the next two or three streetcars.  You may also be able to get streetcar arrival times on your iPhone or other smartphones.

10.  Where is the streetcar going to go?

The recommended initial route of the streetcar, as determined by study consultant HDR, Inc., is a route linking the Trinity River Vision, Downtown, and Near Southside districts.  The route would run from near LaGrave Field in the Trinity River Vision area, down North Main into Downtown, through Downtown to the Intermodal Transportation Center, then from the ITC down Jennings, Vickery, and South Main into the Near Southside, with the southern terminus at John Peter Smith Hospital.  See this graphic:

This route offers an outstanding combination of ridership (current and future), development opportunity, mobility, and funding sources.  It would also serve as a “spine” to build a potential larger streetcar system off of, with potential expansions down Magnolia, 7th Street, East Rosedale, and others.  In addition, this route links to commuter rail (both the existing Trinity Railway Express and the future Southwest-to-Northeast line) at the Texas & Pacific Station and Intermodal Transportation Center, as well as linking to city bus service and Amtrak service.

For more, see the post Recommended Phase One Streetcar Route.

11.  How can we pay for a streetcar?

The recommended Phase One route seen above can be funded by a business plan put together by study consultant HDR, Inc.  HDR’s recommendation for Phase One involves funding from a combination of sources:  the $25 million Federal streetcar grant that Fort Worth has already won, combined with funding from the Tax Increment Finance (TIF) districts along the route, in particular the Trinity River Vision and Near Southside TIFs.  Despite their name, TIF districts do not involve taxing the citizens of Fort Worth to pay for the streetcar.  Rather, the streetcar would be funded by the money the TIF districts already generate from increased property values in their districts.  In other words, the Phase One route could be built with money from the districts participating – no money would come from the city’s general fund, and the cost wouldn’t be passed on to the citizens of Fort Worth.

As for operations, The T (the Fort Worth Transportation Authority) has already made clear their intention to commit up to $2 million per year for operations funding, which easily covers the projected operating costs of the route.  Combined with other potential private funding sources, such as sponsorships and potential fare box revenue, the streetcar’s construction and operating costs have a variety of funding sources that don’t involve taxing the citizens of the city or taking money from potholes, parks, or anything else.

12.  If we build the first phase of the streetcar, aren’t we committing to building the entire proposed $600 million network?

Absolutely not.  The Phase One streetcar route, which would cost approximately $80-83 million dollars, does not obligate us to build any further expansions.  The “$600 million” figure thrown around by streetcar opponents is extremely misleading in this sense.  We could build Phase One (with funding we already have in place) and it would be totally viable from a financial and ridership perspective on its own.  We’re not obligated to spending any more on expansions.  If the streetcar is as successful as it’s thought it would be, it’s likely other areas of the central city would want an expansion to their location.  If so, funding for those sources can be discussed as they are needed – we’re not committing to anything but a simple Phase One.