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A Downtown Streetcar in Vancouver: Transit Trend or Transit Need Tzur, Ivy
Abstract
The modern streetcar is making a comeback throughout North America as an attractive mode of transit with claims to both reduce congestion and shape land-use. As the City of Vancouver plans for a streetcar in the downtown core, this professional project sets out to objectively inform the public of factors that necessitate consideration when pursuing this type of urban rail system. A discussion of the project proposal, related literature, and local context together provide a perspective of what these considerations are for the City of Vancouver. This report was formulated after an examination of research which reveals ridership levels and capital costs being discrepant to initial estimations in light rail systems currently operating. Literature also reveals that the development and land-use benefits that attract cities to pursue fixed rail systems are attributed more directly to the land-use measures that support them than the transit system itself. Streetcar infrastructure continues to be pursued, however, in dozens of North American cities for its ability to attract patrons, catalyze development and direct urban growth. Because a streetcar system is a significant public investment, the potential benefits must be weighed against the high costs. Most importantly, the citizens of Vancouver should understand the risks as well as the benefits accrued from the proposed system within a broader transportation context.
Item Metadata
Title |
A Downtown Streetcar in Vancouver: Transit Trend or Transit Need
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Creator | |
Date Issued |
2008-02-25
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Description |
The modern streetcar is making a comeback throughout North America as an attractive mode of transit with claims to both reduce congestion and shape land-use. As the City of Vancouver plans for a streetcar in the downtown core, this professional project sets out to objectively inform the public of factors that necessitate consideration when pursuing this type of urban rail system. A discussion of the project proposal, related literature, and local context together provide a perspective of what these considerations are for the City of Vancouver.
This report was formulated after an examination of research which reveals ridership levels and capital costs being discrepant to initial estimations in light rail systems currently operating. Literature also reveals that the development and land-use benefits that attract cities to pursue fixed rail systems are attributed more directly to the land-use measures that support them than the transit system itself.
Streetcar infrastructure continues to be pursued, however, in dozens of North American cities for its ability to attract patrons, catalyze development and direct urban growth. Because a streetcar system is a significant public investment, the potential benefits must be weighed against the high costs. Most importantly, the citizens of Vancouver should understand the risks as well as the benefits accrued from the proposed system within a broader transportation context.
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Extent |
8614340 bytes
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Genre | |
Type | |
File Format |
application/pdf
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Language |
eng
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Series | |
Date Available |
2008-02-25
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Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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Rights |
All rights reserved
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DOI |
10.14288/1.0102633
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URI | |
Affiliation | |
Peer Review Status |
Unreviewed
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Scholarly Level |
Graduate
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Copyright Holder |
Ivy Tzur
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Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
All rights reserved