Dallas considers plans for downtown streetcar line (The Dallas Morning News)
By RUDOLPH BUSH
Dallas could have a downtown streetcar system up and running within five years if an ambitious plan being hashed out at City Hall becomes reality.
City Hall still hopes to build the line with the help of federal and state funds. But many City Council members appear ready to have Dallas go it alone, likely by issuing tens of millions of dollars in bonds backed by anticipated growth in downtown property tax revenues.
“That’s exactly what we’re investigating now. We have to figure out the route, the cost and the physical challenges. Then we have to figure out what level of development each
Under the plan, the bonds could fund construction of the line even as taxes from rising property values helped fund its operation.
It is unclear at this point, however, whether the city can raise enough bond money for the cost of building the line or whether it will have to seek outside funding to fill in the gap that city money can’t cover.
Linda Koop, chairman of the council’s transportation committee, appeared confident the funding question will be answered in a matter of months and the council can begin the process of ordering Dallas’ streetcars.
“We’re hoping to have it up and running in 4 ½ years,” Koop said.
Koop estimated the cost of building a downtown streetcar line at around $80 million, a preliminary figure that surely will change as details of the project are set.
So far, there is no money to build the line, but the city has received $10 million from the Regional Transportation Council to design it.
The design work has moved quickly, and though a final downtown alignment has not been set, Koop said it is largely complete and simply requires refinement.
The route under discussion would run in roughly a Z-shaped loop from the Woodall Rodgers Deck Park, past the Municipal Courts building to the city’s Convention Center hotel and back.
Among the remaining sticking points is whether to run the line down Main, Elm or Commerce streets, Koop said.
Building the line is a relatively quick process, involving digging trenches about 18 inches deep in streets for tracks and running electrical wires overhead for power.
The cars are a different matter, and Koop estimates that from the time Dallas places an order for its cars, it will take more than three years to design and construct them.
Hunt said Dallas is in discussions with Fort Worth, where a streetcar system is also in the works, to purchase cars with similar designs in an effort to minimize costs.
At a meeting of the transportation committee Monday, council members hashed out how financing might work for the proposed line.
It appears it would rely heavily on two funding sources: tax increment financing and public improvement district dollars.
Council members expect a streetcar line would significantly improve property values around its stops.
Additional tax revenue from growing values could be devoted to paying off bonds sold to fund the line.
Though the city would own the line, it is expected that DART will oversee its construction and operation and have a say in its governance through seats on a board of directors established specifically for the line.
While focus at City Hall is now on the downtown streetcar line, there is also movement to create a master plan to expand lines through downtown’s adjoining neighborhoods.
Koop is working to form committees for five districts around downtown to study possible routes and financing for an expanded streetcar system.
The committees will include a council member and representatives from businesses and neighborhoods in the corridors.
12:00 AM CDT on Wednesday, October 14, 2009
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