Tucson ― Downtown Streetcar

Rail Transit Online, March 2005

City officials believe better transportation is needed within the central city and are studying four alternatives: a modern streetcar, an extension of the Old Pueblo vintage trolley through downtown to the convention center, bus rapid transit or improved conventional bus service.  The impetus for a new circulator system, called Transit on the Move, is the planned construction of at least 2,000 new residential units over the next four years and the need to connect the University of Arizona campus to downtown.  Planning officials say they need strong student support for the transit line and will be relying on input from the university community.  The city is hoping to obtain $75 million from the TEA-21 reauthorization bill, which would provide a 50-percent match to the city’s share and would be enough to build one of the alternatives.  Once the environmental and economic issues have been resolved and a technology selected, the city council would have to approve the project and appropriate the money.