A group of local traction enthusiasts are developing a heritage trolley
line as part of the city’s waterfront development project at Black River
Landing. Phase 1 will be a mile (1.6 km) of track, with loops at each end,
linking areas where summer festivals are held and their parking lots. These
celebrations draw 300,000 to 400,000 visitors annually, causing heavy
traffic congestion. Phase Two would expand the line into a three-mile (4.8
km) loop serving the festival area and an expanded waterfront development at
the B&O dock area, continuing down Broadway Avenue from 16th Street to the
lake with street running. The final phase will expand the trolley line
along the waterfront to further tie the whole project together. Initial
equipment will consist of Lorain Street Railway No. 83, Lake Shore Electric
No. 167 and two PCCs, all of which will be extensively renovated. The PCCs
will handle routine traffic while the older cars will be available for
special charters. Operation will be turned over to a community improvement
corporation. The expansion plan calls for increasingly frequent service and
additional rolling stock, probably PCCs, as the waterfront becomes more
popular. Lorain Street Railroad abandoned its trolley lines in 1938.
