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The West Main Streetcar study and educational materials are
a project of the Alliance for Community Choice in Transpor-
tation, and have been made possible through a generous
grant from the Blue Moon Fund.

The Alliance for Community Choice in Transportation is a
network of citizens and groups dedicated to promoting bal-
anced transportation options and transit-oriented communi-
ties through education and leadership in the Charlottesville
area.

This document summarizes a full report on Charlottesvilles
streetcar potential submitted to ACCT in March 2005.

For additional information, contact:

Alliance for Community Choice in Transportation
info@transportationchoice.org
434.295.6554
SHAPING COMMUNITY WITH TRANSIT
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CHARLOTTESVILLE AREA
The Challenge


Before cars, most development occurred where it could be
served by trains, trolleys, and walking. This made compact,
mixed use towns, with qualities that many still admire. With
the dawn of the automotive age, low-density, single-use, auto-
oriented developments emerged.

A growing segment of the public now voices disfavor with
existing patterns of growth. Charlottesvilles reputation as a
good place to live attracts newcomers and development, but
most of it is in the form of suburban sprawl, threatening the
qualities that make Charlottesville an attractive place.

A new transportation network, based on improved public tran-
sit is needed. A streetcar system, particularly its stops and sta-
tions, can be used to shape and strengthen neighborhoods,
employment areas, and business districts.


Community Readiness


Charlottesville and the University of Virginia have made a se-
ries of commitments to urban development and alternative
transportation over the past 30 years.

The City
Initiated City Bus service in 1975
Established Downtown Pedestrian Mall in 1976
Introduced free trolley service between Downtown and
UVA in 1999
Adopted new zoning ordinance in September 2003, allow-
ing for greater density
Hosted Summit on Transportation and Transit in October
2003.
Welcomes new downtown event venues
Plans to open new Downtown Station transit center in
September 2006

The University
Prohibited cars on grounds for first year students
Encourages satellite parking at Ivy Garage, with bus links
to employee and student destinations
Plans future hospital expansion on West Main
Plans future University Avenue Arts Precinct

An improved transit connection between Downtown and the
University would extend progressive development to the entire
West Main Street area. A streetcar system is an efficient, attrac-
tive, and appropriately-scaled way to establish a permanent
circulator between the Citys two primary magnets, while serv-
ing as a catalyst for new dense, walkable, and attractive devel-
opment.
McIntire West Streetcar Stop
Development Study

Available development parcels and recent changes to the citys zon-
ing ordinance have created opportunities to increase residential and
commercial spaces in the area along West Main Street. Residential
development can provide university and downtown workers access
to their jobs without adding large numbers of additional cars to
streets, while commercial development can serve these new resi-
dents, as well as students, city residents, county residents, and visi-
tors. The streetcar is a tool to shape this new West Main develop-
ment by providing for many daily trips without the need for an auto-
mobile. Investing in a streetcar system signals the communitys
lasting investment in the West Main area.

The case study pictured above shows the potential for development
around the McIntire West streetcar stop. This case retains and in-
corporates historic structures, while illustrating the eventual devel-
opment of empty and underused parcels to a density allowed under
current zoning, as property owners determine that a higher use is
appropriate. Incorporating principles of transit-oriented develop-
ment, parking is placed behind buildings and away from the street.
This case also incorporates the streetcar route proposed by this
study, as well as streetscape improvements and pedestrian spaces
specified in other city plans. The result is a dense community with a
mix of shops, services, offices, and residences that can be navigated
by car, or by transit, walking, or biking. This potential is much like
extending the character of the existing downtown all the way down
West Main.
SUMMARY
Charlottesville streetcar - 1914
Photosimulation - future Charlottesville streetcar
MTA Light Rail
[Baltimore, Maryland]
Type: Light Rail
Year established: 1992
Service length: 30 miles
Stops: 32 stations
Riders: 36,000 daily



MAX BRT
[Las Vegas, Nevada]
Type: Bus Rapid Transit
Year established: 2004
Service length: 7 miles
Stops: 10 stops
Riders: not yet available














Portland Streetcar
[Portland, Oregon]
Type: Streetcar
Year established: 2001
Service length: 4.8 miles
Stops: 32 stops
Riders: 5600 per day
Technical Preview

In August 2004, transportation engineer Roger Millar of
DMJM+Harris Planning visited Charlottesville to assess the feasibil-
ity of a streetcar for West Main. He concluded that the corridor be-
tween Downtown and the University can support a streetcar system.
A 1.23 mile route from downtown to the corner of West Main and
Jefferson Park Avenue would be the first streetcar phase, with exten-
sions past The Corner District or on JPA to be added. For now,
improvements to the schedule reliability of CTS buses should con-
tinue, including signal priority at traffic lights, to provide a first step
toward a streetcar. New and existing parking within walking distance
of the streetcar line could reduce the number of cars traveling on
West Main.
Site Visit

In October, 2004, ACCT took Charlottesville delegations for short
visits to successful streetcar systems in Portland Oregon and Tacoma
Washington. The trips were an opportunity to experience streetcar
systems in person, explore developments associated with them, and
meet with elected officials, consultants, and planners who had
worked to build the Portland and Tacoma systems. Following the
trip, participant shared their observations with the ACCT organizers.
This trip was also covered by the C-Ville Weekly newspaper, which
published an article about the trip in their October 19 edition.
Light Rail
A small-scale electric railway, usually used to
connect a city to its suburbs.
Facts:
Cost: $20 $100 million per mile
Capacity: 15,000 60,000 riders per day
Stop spacing: 1-2 miles
Bus Rapid Transit
A system using a variety of methods to mimic railed transit
systems using only rubber-tired vehicles.
Facts:
Cost: $1 $10 million per mile
Capacity: 5000 15,000 passengers per day
Stop Spacing: 0.5 1 mile
Streetcar
A smaller variant of light rail used to move around
within the city rather than connect to suburbs, of-
ten running within existing streets.
Facts:
Cost: $10 - $15 million per mile
Capacity: 2,500 15,000 riders per day
Stop Spacing: 3-4 blocks optimum
TOD
Moderate to higher density development, located within an easy walk
of a major transit stop, generally with a mix of residential, employ-
ment, and shopping opportunities designed for pedestrians without
excluding the auto. TOD can be new construction or redevelopment
of one or more buildings whose design and orientation facilitate tran-
sit use.
Court House Square
[Arlington, Virginia]
A concentration of government
buildings for Arlington County
Virginia, as well as housing and
commercial spaces, served by a
Metro stop.
Tools: Higher density, Mixed
use


Portland State University
Urban Center
[Portland, Oregon]
Academic building with book-
store and cafes at ground-level.
Portland Streetcar is routed
through the building and plaza,
creating a transit gateway to
PSU.
Tools: Higher density, public
space, mixed uses, access to mul-
tiple transit modes


Tacoma Dome Transit
Center
[Tacoma, Washington]
A high density parking garage
and transit center with retail
space, connected to the down-
town by LINK Streetcar.
Tools: Shared parking, access to
multiple transit modes, mixed
use
T r a n s i t O p t i o n s

Transit Oriented Development [TOD]
Progress Toward a Streetcar
TOD tools:
Higher density
Mixed use
Pedestrian amenities
Public spaces
Access to multiple transit modes
Reduced or