Streetcar on display in downtown Salt Lake City

Streetcar on display in downtown Salt Lake City

December 5th, 2010 @ 5:03pm

By Marjorie Cortez

SALT LAKE CITY -- A gleaming red, white and blue streetcar pulled into Salt Lake Sunday -- atop a semi-trailer -- as a demonstration of possible transit options in downtown Salt Lake City.

The streetcar, manufactured by United Streetcar in Clackamas, Ore., was on display at the Gallivan Center for public tours. The car, about 66 feet long and 9 feet wide, can carry up to 170 passengers. The top speed for the electrical-powered vehicle is about 44 mph.

"What communities across the country are finding now (is that) bringing streetcars back into their communities is an excellent way to reinvigorate their downtowns and their adjacent neighborhoods to create a very pedestrian, lively, vital environment," said Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency director DJ Baxter.

In Portland, streetcars have significantly contributed to economic development along their lines, some $3.5 billion over the past decade, said Corey Yraguen, president of Oregon Iron Works, of which United Streetcar is a subsidiary.

Unlike light rail systems, such as Utah Transit Authority's TRAX system, streetcars make more frequent stops. "Street cars are integral to moving people around the city," Yraguen said.

Streetcars are fully accessible to people with disabilities. They are able to plow snow and drop sand if needed. This particular car had also been on display in Boston, Fort Worth and Cincinnati.

In October, UTA and city officials announced that a $26 million federal grant had been awarded to move forward with a streetcar project in Sugar House. The proposed 2-mile line will run from the old Granite Furniture building to the 2100 South TRAX station.

E-mail: marjorie@desnews.com