Stamford, CT — Interim Report Favors Streetcars
Rail Transit Online, February 2009
A streetcar circulator connecting Stamford railroad station with the South End, High Ridge Road and Bulls Head areas could ease traffic congestion and stimulate redevelopment, according to an interim report from consultant URS Corp. The company is conducting a $141,000
study which began last August to determine what impacts the project might have on
the city.
"The rails that are installed are permanent in the road, while bus routes can change," planner Stuart Popper told the Transportation Committee of the governing Board of Representatives. "It seems that installation of streetcars attracts development to the areas where they are."
Popper suggested a two-mile (3.2 km)
starter line with three new streetcars that would cost up to $10 million. Using refurbished rolling stock could lower the price tag. "Construction costs depend on the route and where it is," he said. "There's a range of costs."
The final report from URS will contain a deeper economic analysis, route alternatives and more specific cost estimates.
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