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<br />Saltworks Proposal- Transportation Group Summary Report (22 January 2010) <br /> <br />7A - ATTACHMENT NO.4 <br />Page 29 <br /> <br />. Grades and Turns - Current best practices in the U.S. indicate that grades no steeper than 8.0 <br />percent are recommended, and curves with turning radii no greater than 60 feet (18 meters) can <br />be accommodated by streetcars, although many systems are designed to the 80 feet (25 meter) <br />standard corresponding to light rail standards. <br /> <br />. Transit Ridership - Ridership varies dramatically across modern streetcar systems, however, <br />there are applicable and instructive models in other West Coast cities, including Portland, Seattle, <br />and Tacoma, Washington. Portland's highly successful streetcar network (original 2.4-mile <br />segment completed in 2001, now expanded to a 4-mile route) served nearly 13,000 riders per <br />weekday in 2009, after eight years of operation. Seattle's first South Lake Union Streetcar <br />segment (1.3-mile route, completed in 2007) averages about 1,400 daily boardings for 2009, and <br />is projected to grow to 4,200 daily boardings in 2012 when a major employer (Amazon.com) <br />completes its new headquarters. The Tacoma Link Streetcar (1.6-mile route, completed in 2003) <br />averaged 3,200 weekday boardings in 2009. Ridership on any streetcar system is highly <br />dependent on the chosen alignment(s), adjacent land uses, future development realized, and <br />regional economic conditions. <br /> <br />. Major Crossings and Utilities - Modern streetcar systems enjoy a reputation for their low <br />design, permitting, and build costs relative to the costlier light rail, elevated monorail or heavy rail <br />modes. Some drawbacks to this cost-efficiency include running into unknown utilities, the need <br />for major bridge crossings, or integration into other fixed transportation modes. <br /> <br />. Economics - Modern streetcar systems are considered an important tool in shaping and <br />supporting economic growth, and a significant catalyst for private investment in urban <br />communities. Unlike bus routes, fixed rail systems such as light rail and streetcars, provide a <br />permanent infrastructure investment that can expand and concentrate private development of <br />housing, retail, and employment along the transit line. In Portland's case, the initial 2.4-mile <br />streetcar line, together with other public infrastructure investments, contributed to an estimated <br />$3.5 billion in private investment in the Pearl District, including 9,600 new housing units. <br />Additionally, there are proven benefits associated with the infrastructure construction in terms of <br />local jobs in the construction trades industry. Negative impacts of temporary disruption to <br />localized businesses affected by construction can almost always be mitigated; and the overall <br />long-term economic benefit from streetcar systems is net positive when gauged by metrics of <br />attracting and channeling private investment, spurring neighborhood redevelopment, increasing <br />property values and expanding the tax base, as well as reducing vehicle trips and carbon <br />footprint. <br /> <br />5.1.1 Key Issues <br /> <br />During a CEQA analysis, the following issues would need to be considered regarding the transit system. <br />Not all of these issues would need to be fully resolved during a CEQA process, but decisions would need <br />to be made related to development of and environmental clearance of a rail system (streetcar) or <br />alternative circulator system. <br /> <br />1. Transit Ridership - Ridership forecasts should be prepared for the proposed transit system <br />including both the City and Saltworks portions of the service. Consideration should be given to <br />the implementation of either a rail system (streetcar) and an alternative system (rubber tire) and <br />how the vehicle type would affect the ridership. Since neither of the available travel demand <br />forecast models has a validated mode choice model, transit ridership estimates should be <br />prepared using a model prepared for evaluating the project as described previously. <br /> <br />2. Alternatives Analysis - If federal funding for the transit system is pursued by the City, Applicant, <br />or both, an Alternatives Analysis would need to be undertaken. Major issues that would need to <br />be addressed in the analysis of alternatives include transit linkages; consistency with local, <br /> <br />22 <br />