MATA: M-Line Streetcar

[CTroyMathis]

Haretip, that is some very interesting info on the PCCs! Thanks! I look forward to someday seeing those Toronto cars riding the rails. Hope it all can come together.

[Haretip]

MATA's final plans for turntable are being nailed down. Current ESTIMATED timeline for new construction start is October-November for turntable at Citiplace and January for St. Paul extension to DART Light Rail Station. Always unforeseen circumstances, so don't get too excited yet.

[psukhu]

How will the cars turn around at the St. Paul DART station?

Turntable or a loop around the block?

[Haretip]

Wye on Federal Street.


From Merriam-Webster.com
Main Entry: wye
Pronunciation: 'wI
Function: noun
Date: 1857
1 : a Y-shaped part or object


Wye: A track in the form of a "Y" which leads from a main line and is used in lieu of a turntable for turning engines, cars and trains around.

[Haretip]

Downtown Improvement District cut their MATA subsidy.

MATA laid off their Executive Director as of Aug. 8.

Will MATA cancel downtown expansion plans in retribution for subsidy cut?

-HT

[CTroyMathis]

Um, uh oh.

[markgilman]

Here is an interesting email I picked up from another discussion list, written by Russ Sikes, one of our local urban sages:

Mark

http://dallaslibrary.org/CGI/cui.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Russ Sikes wrote:

Urban friends,

Last year we [Dallas Institute of Humanities & Culture, Center for the City discussion group] invested considerable time together pondering Dallas' future. If no singular vision emerged, a shared consensus did: a vibrant urban core with distinct, pedestrian-oriented neighborhoods, transit and the elevation of the Trinity River and Forest into strategic assets.

We collectively sought a catalyst to deliver this future. I believe one exists that is proven, affordable, and well suited to our needs. In this case, the future lies in the past. It is the Streetcar.

The streetcar idea is of course not new. We already have the McKinney Ave. Trolley, and in fact, I may be on the caboose in citing its potential. But it strikes me that the match between streetcar traits and our unique characteristics is particularly congruous.

Streetcars are by far the lowest-cost rail option available to cities. They can be quick to install, using existing rights-of-way. They are appealing to both residents and tourists. And they link particular well to light rail, which Dallas already has. Light rail feeds commuters to the center; streetcars distribute them.

In addition to these generic benefits, (which I encourage you to explore at http://www.heritagetrolley.org/articleBringBackStreetcars.htm ), an extensive streetcar network would address Dallas' unique characteristics:

A Trifecta of urgent goals

---downtown livability

---convention draw

---the 24-hr. city, magnet for the "creative class"

These interrelated goals demand an urbanizing element Dallas lacks. Our great urban spots, from Uptown to Southside, Fair Park to the West End, are still not readily navigable without a car. Boeing noticed that. So do conventioneers and thousands of affluent potential residents.

Physically especially suitable dispersion of destinations, overly wide roads, relatively flat terrain, generally favorable weather.

Importantly, can't be duplicated by the suburbs.

Dallas has struggled for decades with the loss of business to the entropic suburbs. But Plano, Frisco and The Colony can't tie together 15 destination gems within 3 square miles, because they don't have them!

Final point: Cost. A fairly liberal estimate of $10 million/mile means we could build a 25-mile system for $250 million. While that sounds like a lot, consider that this is the same cost as the new high interchange at LBJ and Central! What enhances our city more? Another looping highway interchange, or a system that literally transforms the impression of Dallas from a bland also-ran to one of the nation's most tourist-friendly destinations?

Imagine changing convention-goers views from the well-worn truism "You can't visit Dallas without a car" Dallas. Love those streetcars. They take you anyplace you want to go

Let's recognize that we're already halfway there. San Francisco and New Orleans hold an identity as streetcar towns. Yet San Francisco boasts just 10 miles of track. New Orleans' has 6. We have 3.6 now, making the MATA a medium-size system. Plans for expansion are already underway, but a big push in the right direction is needed.

In tandem with expanding light rail and heavy rail to Fort Worth, we can build the nation's largest, most thorough streetcar system relatively inexpensively, and create a self-reinforcing virtuous cycle of urban regeneration that gives Dallas an identity to be proud of.

Best regards to all,

Russ Sikes

[gc]

Wow, interesting letter markgilman. Thanks for posting that...it has taken you long enough to post! j/k

When was that written and who was the audience?

[bloodandpopcorn]

Wow! That guy has some excellent points!! I hope Laura Miller and the City Council see this. Could you imagine??? a 25-mile trolley system in Dallas? Conceivably it could be built rather quickly, too, so it's all just a matter of funding and MATA/DART having the guts to go for it.

[psukhu]

What are the 15 gems within 3 square miles?

[evdallas]

A question:

In the renderings of the proposed Main St. redevelopment I see they have a Trolley in the picture. Are there plans to take the rail down main street? if so, anyone know what sort of timeline we are looking at?


another question:

I see above talk about taking the downtown light rail underground, which was proposed to be done by 2014 I think, anyone know if this is still the plan?

[bloodandpopcorn]

Hey! So glad you're here!!

Now that the formalities are done, I've got a few questions to bombard you with, if you don't mind! First, when do you hope/predict the next MATA expansion to begin, and where do you predict it to be? There was talk of an Arts District loop a while back, then just to St. Paul Station with a Y (is that correct?), and then slightly more recently abandoning southern expansion for the time being and going up to Knox-Henderson. But we've never really had official word on any of this -- can you share any on where the trolley is headed next?

Question two (I'll keep it to these two for right now, but I can promise other forum members will have their fill, too!): The Tandy car will be functioning this Spring, right? How do you plan to "celebrate" that, or will it just be seen on the tracks one day? It will be the only air-conditioned car, so I imagine it will be very popular this summer -- will route scheduals tell when this car will come, as opposed to one of the other, wind-cooling-only vechicles?

I apologize... that last question ended up being two semi-related questions. But I'm have a hard time restraining my curiosity!

Thank you so much in advance... And if you can't or don't want to answer these questions, I'll certainly understand :).

[CTroyMathis]

(And, welcome to the forum trolleygirl. Cheers!)

[psukhu]

Yes, we want to know!

How much do you think it will cost to extend MATA to Knox-Henderson?

[Quiz03]

Haskell Avenue Improvements
The City of Dallas and Dallas County are studying two segments of Haskell Avenue from Main Street to Fair Park and from Fair Park to East Grand Avenue to create a grand boulevard@ from US 75 to Fair Park. The northern section (Lemmon Avenue to Main Street) has a proposed 160-foot right-of-way, which includes a six-lane divided roadway with a median of sufficient width to accommodate the potential extension of the McKinney Avenue Trolley.
(from southeast corridor EIS)


I hadn't seen this before, what is the word on this?

[bloodandpopcorn]

WOW! yes! great news!

[drumguy8800]

YES! finally! that road looks so nice when its in the cityplace development, then it like.. delapidates.. horrendously. thats great news that they're going to do some work on it! =D

[CTroyMathis]

Hmm, can we call that one the H-Line? :)

Bring on some more letters.

[tamtagon]

As suggested, I took the liberty to copy comments from Jsoto to this thread:

I don't know about no auto traffic on McKinney, but I would be a bit more inclined to ride the trolley to work rather than the bus if the headway was shorter. There is a 10 minute headway with bus, given the choice of 2 routes at Bowen/Carlisle. However, the primary reason I take the bus is speed. I'll watch the trolley go by, catch my bus 5 minutes later, and then pass the trolley at Pearl (or sooner) on the way into downtown. On weekends, though, when I can live life at a more leisurely pace, I would certainly take the trolley into downtown rather than walk to Cityplace station and take the train if the headway was shorter. Maybe that's the ticket, just increase the frequency on weekends when locals and tourists alike are more likely to slow down and have the patience to wait even ten minutes for the trolley. I think part of the problem with the trolley is the location and length of the route itself. For most locals, there are no destinations along the route, except at either end (downtown and west village/cityplace), and thus little reason to ride. There are those few locals who ride the trolley into downtown to work during the week, for whatever reason (they hate buses, etc.). But most of us either drive or take the bus to work because of speed. On weekends, however, most locals would be willing to ride the trolley more often if there was someplace to go on it that was beyond walking distance, i.e. Knox/Henderson. Almost everyone who lives along the route is already within walking distance of most of the local destinations along the route. An extension up to Knox would double the ridership, on weekends atleast.

Anyway, simple point made unnecessarily long.

So why is the headway not shorter:
1. Not enough trolleys?,
2. Not enough volunteer drivers?,
3. or both of the above?

[tamtagon]

As suggested, my comments copied from another thread:

Running the trolley to Knox could easily stimuilate the area as much as light rail stops have stimulated their neighborhoods. Demographically, customers of Knox area businesses are probabally identical to WV customers. With the possible exception of Fitzhugh businesses, the trolley would effectively allow a very high density neighborhood to develop free of the retail/residential mix. North Dallas High School and the areas may churches would also benefit from uninterupted residential areas. From Central to the Katy Trail, south of Knox, north of Blackburn, this area could become a very very nice place to live; a residential oaisis sandwiched between retail/entertainment centers - united by a convenient trolley. Jsoto may have been conservative in stating that trolley ridership would double if extended to Knox. However, as the increased population density creates demand for more entertainment and retail options, the area could eventually experience the street parking, potentially illegally high concentrations of business permits, and resident dissatisfaction as Lower Greenville.

[bigtex]

This is my first post, but I have been following the board for quite some time. I have been especially interested in the MATA line since I live in the Knox Park area and I have an interest in trains in general.

I would love to see the trolley run all the way to Knox. It would be so much more convenient for me and I think it would bring more shopping and tourist traffic along the whole route. Hopefully, it would also spur some more interesting retail development at Fitzhugh, which seems to be an anomoly between Knox and the West Village. The continued growth along McKinney near Knox has been encouraging, and I believe the trolley line could ensure this trend continues.

I also think it would be great to eventually have the trolley run all the way to SMU. It would be great for the students to be able to go out in the trolley served area without driving, and maybe it would bring more community interest to the Meadows Museum on campus, as well as sports, etc.

Anyway, just a few thoughts.

[trolleygirl]

For most locals, there are no destinations along the route, except at either end (downtown and west village/cityplace), and thus little reason to ride.

I have friends who own condos and townhomes here in Uptown, and who also ride the trolley. They are empty nesters, and they see much to do along the route. They go to the Art Galleries and to the MAC and to the bars and to Albertson's and Blockbusters and Walgreen's, and they shop here and they can also afford to shop for a lot of the higher end retail stuff found in Uptown (bought a sofa at Jones Walker, anyone?). They just don't see any point in driving around in Uptown.


inclined to ride the trolley to work rather than the bus if the headway was shorter.

We did a passenger survey about a year ago and one of the things we discovered was that many passengers said they rode the trolley becuse we were more reliable than DART. I know DART did a markup last October and suspended it's headways on the 21 and the 36 (and the 29- they butchered that route) to 20 minutes during non-peak and to 15 minutes during peak communer traffic......which is exactly what the trolley runs. Yes the streetcars are a little slower, but we have to stop at yellow lights, and we are committed to the middle lane- which means that we have to wait for everyone else to turn left.

In the final anaylis, especially with the way the signal lights are programmed (and when you're operating a streetcar all day on the same route, looking at the same lights, you do get the rhythm), we talking about the difference of maybe 30 to 60 seconds in timing. I've had motor vehicles pass me in a hurry to get ahead only to arrive next to them at the same stop light.


An extension up to Knox would double the ridership, on weekends atleast.

Currently, or goal and our mission is get to a DART station in Downtown. We are looking all possibilities and looking at the feasibility of connection at each DART station. What you see at first glance, unforunately, seems to te be best way, to make the most sense. However, we can't even go up St. Paul due to the sheer amount of infrastructure (manhole removal). Add to the fact that we can't use the exsisting track under the asphalt, and we're looking at other options. Cost is another factor, which is why we cannot move up to Knox (there is original track on Cole). Even if we did, just think about how long that route would be. You'd have to go North to Knox, just to get downtown. There needs to be other, smaller and interconnecting options. Right now we work well because we are still small. 50 years ago when people actually took streetcars, they did so because they did not drive, not because it was an alternative to driving. So, people had no choice but to go downtown, do their shopping and go home. They didn't duck out on the streetcar for a quick bite at Burger King. Today's citizen is very different because of the automobile, and because of buses. Buses are faster, they can move around into different lanes. And most people who ride buses also have the option to drive. I do. You do. So, you see, the sort of ridership that we are looking for needs to be convinced of why they don't need to drive three blocks. And if our circulator route is 10 miles long, we will never get anyone to ride. We should consider many, smaller interconnecting routes. Like a stand-alone route to Knox with one connecting car every 30 minutes. At any rate, it still costs money that we don't have, but we did leave our options open, hence the swtches going north at McKinney and Blackburn.


So why is the headway not shorter:

Not enough trolleys. We have many in storage in need of restoration. Again, money is the key. Also, our operators were pulled from our volunteer roster (we figured that if we were going to ask a volunteer to operate 40 hours a week, we probably should compensate him), so our volunteer base is shrinking. It takes a while to train people. And it costs money to pay them. Our bottom line is and always has been and will continue to be the lack of operating funds.

[gc]

Good ideas bigtex and thanks for finally posting!

Oh and thanks for the input trolleygirl.

[Columbus Civil]

It will also help if McKinney Avenue ever reached its full potential as a destination entertainment/dining/shopping area. Right now there are a lot of vacant spaces (trolleygirl mentioned a lot of property along McKinney is owned by one person who has been unwilling to sell it). A lot of restaurants along McKinney have struggled to stay open (O'Dowd's, Salve, Geode, etc.). I'm not sure what the catalyst for filling out the street would be, but the trolley would definitely thrive with more destinations along its current route.

[rantanamo]

I've seen the Haskell plans on the news a few times over the past year. There were even renderings. Basically it looked similar to Haskell at Cityplace. I believe Gaston/the new south turn/First/Exposition also had a similar rendering. I wish I knew where to find them, but they are definitely real.

[bigtex]

I think having two 20+ story residential buildings (Mondrian and Prado, I belive it's called) being built along McKinney should help sustain the lower McKinney area. At least, I hope this brings critical mass. You would think that with all the people living in the State-Thomas area, things would do a little better there, but I believe we will see a change within a year.

I think one of the major problems is parking, and this is where the trolley can hopefully help. Connecting to a DART rail station would also hopefully bring in some more people from the burbs who would then not have to drive to get around the area.

[drumguy8800]

renderings? sounds awesome.. if you find em, we'd all love to see them..

[mikedsjr]

funny. 9 posts and not one of the is trolleygirl

[bloodandpopcorn]

So trolleygirl, is there any expansion planned for the near future? Or will it be a few years before the possibility rises?

[trolleygirl]

Currently, or goal and our mission is get to a DART station in Downtown. We are looking all possibilities and looking at the feasibility of connection at each DART station. What you see at first glance, unforunately, seems to te be best way, to make the most sense. However, we can't even go up St. Paul due to the sheer amount of infrastructure (manhole removal). Add to the fact that we can't use the exsisting track under the asphalt, and we're looking at other options. Cost is another factor, which is why we cannot move up to Knox (there is original track on Cole). Even if we did, just think about how long that route would be. You'd have to go North to Knox, just to get downtown. There needs to be other, smaller and interconnecting options. Right now we work well because we are still small. 50 years ago when people actually took streetcars, they did so because they did not drive, not because it was an alternative to driving. So, people had no choice but to go downtown, do their shopping and go home. They didn't duck out on the streetcar for a quick bite at Burger King. Today's citizen is very different because of the automobile, and because of buses. Buses are faster, they can move around into different lanes. And most people who ride buses also have the option to drive. I do. You do. So, you see, the sort of ridership that we are looking for needs to be convinced of why they don't need to drive three blocks. And if our circulator route is 10 miles long, we will never get anyone to ride. We should consider many, smaller interconnecting routes. Like a stand-alone route to Knox with one connecting car every 30 minutes. At any rate, it still costs money that we don't have, but we did leave our options open, hence the swtches going north at McKinney and Blackburn.

[bloodandpopcorn]

No, I read that, but it didn't seem to say much of anything definitive. Any chance of expanding in the next couple of years, I should have asked, maybe. I know funds are very tight now, but I wondered if maybe they would grow enough in the next year or two for a small expansion.

[trolleygirl]

This is "The Plan" for MATA.......

But first some history: When we got the funds to build our current "expansion"- that's the one that moved us North on McKinney, to CityPlace and to Blackburn, around the West Village- it was part of a two-pronged expansion plan- the other being the West End Expansion, which would have taken us south on Ross Ave to Lamar, back north on San Jacinto to Olive, back to McKinney Ave. At that time, we had ~ 7.5 million is the "pot" for both expansions. By the time we finished figuring out the infrastructure issues on the West End portion, we needed to go ahead and move on the North End expansion. Bascically the City's water Dept. had decided that they needed to put a 72-inch storm sewer under McKinney Avenue in a few years, so we lobbied the City to do it all now instead of in the future, which would have required the City digging up our track. It was timing, unfortunately we had to spend the money on the northern route so we did. That ate up most of the 7.5 million. (inflation, etc., it had been years since we originally got the funds and started working City Hall).

At this point, it is nessecary to remind everyone that MATA does not own the track. The City of Dallas is the customer. Therefore, we can only lobby the City for any modifications, etc., and make adjustments on that front. We have close to zero political clout.

So we have about 3 million left over to do the West End route, which we all know at this point will not happen. We were working on an Arts District Loop in the last 18 months, but politically, because of the Nasher Sculpture Garden (and again, utility issues), we found it wasn't feasible. In the meanttime, the City "borrowed" ~ 0.5 million from our "pot" of money to pay for an unexpected issue with the sewer project in 2002, so that's another accounting issue with the City that we are currently addressing, again since we are the operator of the system and not the "client", it's a little difficult to decipher the political issues involved.

Since Sept of 2002, when our Board of Directors had our last retreat, we have encountered numerous problems with our then "5 Year Plan". In as little as 12 months, we discovered that our "5 Year Plan" had hit some serious barriers. Our next Board of Directors Retreat is scheduled for April of this year.

We decided to name Michael H. Anderson, general council for Chavez Properties and Star Parking, and MATA board member, as our "Expansion Czar". Our BOD realized the definition of insanity and we have spent numerous and countless hours deciding what MATA's next steps should be. We still have ~ 3 million, plus the 0.5 million that the City borrowed, plus another 0.9 million in another grant, and an additional $200,000 form the DID, for a total of ~ 4.5 million to spend on extending to Dowtown.

Where that is, no one knows at this time, we'll hash out our issues at our retreat. We are a private non-profit, governed by a Board of Directors comprised of various civic leaders in Dallas, so we get to decide our fate, at least until we have to put pencil to paper, if you will, or we have to put those numbers to compare with what the City has given us to go on.

CDA wants us downtwon, and for all practical referneces, I think I can safely say that everyone agrees that we should be there. We are being realistic, with crossing DART and with limited access on Main Street, to what our options- in reality- actually are. And they are indeed limited. We can't do Main St. and we know that. It's simply not possible. We may be able to cross it, but we cannot circulate on what is Main St. today, mostly because some portions are so thin they won't support rail or the weight of streetcars. That's why Anderson has assembled a team of professionlas to look seriously at ALL of our options, starting from each DART station, backtracking to where our line currently ends at Ross and St. Paul.

And for those of you who don't realize this, we go where the money is, and the DID has pledged $200,000 to MATA when the first shovel of dirt downtown flies for an extension there. We desperately need those funds now, for our other cars we would need to operate any expansion.

We have to focus on a Downtown connection first, there is no question about it. The political goodwill, the funds, the City, they are all with us going Downtown. So naturally, that is where our focus must be. Sure, our Board could say, "We want to go to Fair Park and Knox Henderson", and then begin the politiking, the fundraising, the marketing, the Major Investmest Study, whatever, but it would be a huge re-direction of resources already dedicated to making a Downtown connection happen.

We don't have any current Board members who are as politically engrained at Knox Henderson- or any other place in the City, for that matter- as we have who are the serious Downtown boosters we have now.

That's the picture.

That's our future. And I realize that there are a lot of New Urbanists who blog onto this site and I really really respect and admire that for alot of reasons, mostly because I believe in Smart Growth and Sustainable Development, but it's so difficult trying to make the "old guard" downtown understand it.

It's equally difficult trying to explain our political problems to a bunch of young, smart, educated, urban development, smart-growth proponents, like many of you, just exactly the why's and where's of MATA's current problems. To you (and to me) it should all be very simple. Then there's the politics, which in my experience, many visionaries simply do not understand, and for good reason. True visionaries don't seem to realize intangible obsticles such as municipal politics. That's why stuff seems to get done on beauracratic levels at a snail's pace.

It takes some one, or some group, understanding and seeing with equally both halves of the brain. See??? Doesn't happen often.

But we live in a City where 3% of the population recylces.....and the City Council votes agaisnt once a week trash pick-up AND once a week recycling pick-up, because they are afraid to educate their constituents..........so what about that streetcar expansion?????

That's telling..........so when are you all going to run for Council so that you can be instrumental in making some of these decisions?????

[bigtex]

Wow - I just wrote a long message and saw your reply as I was going back to the posts to check on some details. Luckily, you answered most of my questions, so I was able to delete everything and start over....

I guess my biggest question is - what can we do to help? I saw your suggestion of running for council, but other than that, who are the major players involved in this? And if you happen to have info about running for council, I would be interested in hearing about that, too. I've always wondered what it take to get involved and try to make a difference in this city.

And before you respond to my questions, let me first state that I unfortunately don't have millions to contribute, but if I win the MegaMillions one of these days, I would be more than happy to contribute large sums of cash.

[gc]

Holy cow trolleygirl! That was a helluva an answer! Thank you for sharing that information.

I agree with bigtex....other than the millions of dollars that we do not have to contribute...what can we do to help?

[trolleygirl]

You don't need to have millions of dollars.......although it would certainly help. Knowing how to write grants, market and leverage money is a plus. We need political boosters. Mostly, we need time and money.

If you want to run for City Council, you need to know your constituents, you need to be involved in you neighborhood on somel evel, or you need to have some sort of "politics of expertise" which would allow you access to voters for a reason ( i.e., planners, lawyers, civic activists, etc.)

Most important, you need to know your City Council Rep or district. And a little about city politics.........but, obviously not that much.

As far as helping MATA, I guess at this point, awareness is key. I just told you what rour problems are. Not many people know what our problems are. Our volunteers are even unaware of what I just explained to you.

You cannot elect yourself to our board, you need to be nominated. Which means that you need to know someone who knows someone, etc. It's not fair, it's an inner-circle, but if you're in a powerful position in downtown.......well you get the picture.

Perehaps that will change in the future. We have many issues on our board level, which I am unfortunately, not at liberty to discuss.

Just that you all understand what our problems are and what our board is doing......if you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

[zigwamo]

I noticed at the trolley stops that the trolley comes around every 20 minutes now, instead of 10. Is this due to financial problems?

Based on my experience, I feel that there is a chicken-egg problem with the trolley. I find myself walking to wherever i am going, instead of taking the trolley, because there are not enough trolleys. I will get there faster by walking instead of waiting for the trolley. If a trolley showed up while I was walking by a stop, I would certainly get on board. My guess is that there are others in this situation, and that is why I almost always see the trolley with virtually noone on board. Solution--more trolleys that come around more frequently (every 5 minutes or so). But since few ride the trolley now, there is not sufficient demand to justify the cost.

I agree with what was said earlier in the thread. By extending the line to places that are less walkable, more people would use the trolley. I would *love* to be able to take the trolley up to knox street. Knox street is just far enough away that walking there (from lower on Mckinney) would take far far longer than riding the trolley. And it would be fantastic if it went all the way to SMU. There are quite a few students living in uptown, and some faculty. [And maybe SMU could be talked into helping to pay for part of that....I believe they pay for the Mustang Express Dart shuttle from Mockingbird station and Lovers Lane station/Village to SMU.]

The trolley has so much potential, and I hate seeing empty trolleys. It makes me worry that eventually civic leaders will abandon it.

[jsoto3]

I live at Hall & Carlisle and usually take the bus to work (at Republic Center). Sometimes I miss my bus and just start walking down McKinney. I usually make it to Pearl before the trolley comes by. More often than not, the next bus catches up with me before the trolley does.

[bloodandpopcorn]

Hopefully the new trolley will help with that, right? Or will it not move faster at all?

[Haretip]

Zigwamo, the current level of service is not due to finances (or at least not that they are broke). Sure, they could do more with more money, but the current service issues are related to maintenance issues and an inadequate fleet.

It is very difficult to outfit a 3 car sevice schedule when you only have 2 cars in service. No. 122 has been down for a long time with motor difficulties. No. 636 went down a few months back with a broken axle that is probably related to the improperly installed switches at West Village (although 636 went back into service yesterday after a thorough truck rebuild). Add into all this the need to do regular maintenance and you will see that MATA has a distinct shortage of rolling stock. Unfortunately, they also have a distinct shortage of carbarn space without a whole lot of room for additional equipment.

Regarding the ex-Tandy car, it is getting very close to completion. The majority of the paint has been finished, windows have been replaced, new doors fabricated, and I think it looks a lot better than when it arrived. I am in disagreement about what they will be doing on the speed of the new car. I think the car should have been re-wired to its original specifications. They are concerned that the car will be too fast for McKinney Avenue with the original wiring and have designed a new control circuit that will slow the car down some. I am supposed to assist with the testing of the new motor control circuit this week and will get the opportunity to find out just how slow it will be.

It has been my contention for quite some time that MATA needs to revamp itself as a modern transit authority whose primary customer is the commuter. Sure, keep the antique stuff for the tourists on the weekend, but Monday thru Friday, bring on the low-floor streetcars with air conditioning and all modern conveniences.

The preceeding commentary does not reflect the official views or policies of the McKinney Avenue Transit Authority.

[jsoto3]

I couldn't agree more Haretip!

[vfib]

I think having two 20+ story residential buildings (Mondrian and Prado, I belive it's called) being built along McKinney should help sustain the lower McKinney area. At least, I hope this brings critical mass. You would think that with all the people living in the State-Thomas area, things would do a little better there, but I believe we will see a change within a year.

I think one of the major problems is parking, and this is where the trolley can hopefully help. Connecting to a DART rail station would also hopefully bring in some more people from the burbs who would then not have to drive to get around the area.
I agree, the Prado and that other structure under construction by the golf driving range (i think it will be an apt) should help out the M-Line (and DART indirectly) in the future. What is the Mondrian? I have heard the Ritz-Carlton and W? hotel by the AAC will also bring some visitors.

-ak

[jsoto3]

The Mondrian is the tower under construction by the driving range.

[vfib]

Wow - I just wrote a long message and saw your reply as I was going back to the posts to check on some details. Luckily, you answered most of my questions, so I was able to delete everything and start over....

I guess my biggest question is - what can we do to help? I saw your suggestion of running for council, but other than that, who are the major players involved in this? And if you happen to have info about running for council, I would be interested in hearing about that, too. I've always wondered what it take to get involved and try to make a difference in this city.

And before you respond to my questions, let me first state that I unfortunately don't have millions to contribute, but if I win the MegaMillions one of these days, I would be more than happy to contribute large sums of cash.
I agree. Let us know about any other info on what we can do to help if anyone thinks of any. I probably won't be much help w/ writing grants or running for City Council. I notice that the driver always counts the number of passengers so perhaps the increased numbers will help. We've brought friends and relatives with us. Maybe if we brought all of our friends and family when we can?


I believe they pay for the Mustang Express Dart shuttle from Mockingbird station and Lovers Lane station/Village to SMU. Are these shuttles free like the one from West End to the AAC (during events)? What other connections are there to DARTs/MRE

[zigwamo]

Are these shuttles free like the one from West End to the AAC (during events)? What other connections are there to DARTs/MRE

Yes, the SMU shuttle is free. I know there is also a shuttle from Park Lane station to Northpark mall, and I think (?) one from some Plano station to Collin Creek mall.

[CTroyMathis]

It has been my contention for quite some time that MATA needs to revamp itself as a modern transit authority whose primary customer is the commuter. Sure, keep the antique stuff for the tourists on the weekend, but Monday thru Friday, bring on the low-floor streetcars with air conditioning and all modern conveniences.


Um, yes. I can't help, but, agree with your unofficialness haretip.

[CTroyMathis]

Oh, and did I just see you sponsor the vacuums running the streets or just a more boxy low-floor gig? :)

[Haretip]

At this point, bring on the vacuum cleaners. I don't care. Just something that runs reliably, is accessible without building loading platforms, and has air conditioning.

[psukhu]

At this point, bring on the vacuum cleaners. I don't care. Just something that runs reliably, is accessible without building loading platforms, and has air conditioning.


How much does one of these modern cars cost?


Can you post a picture of a model you'd like to see MATA purchase?


Thanks!

[Haretip]

Well, it could be

New Old Look Cars (http://www.gomacotrolley.com/Resources/photos/tampagrandopening/preparations/PA191396.jpg)

maybe the CKD T6C5 streetcar from Checkoslovakia (which has been used in New Orleans):

T6C5 in New Orleans (http://spz.logout.cz/gif1/t6a5c1.jpg)

or even the hoover below:

Portland Car (http://www.portlandstreetcar.org/news/photos/streetcar_full_length.jpg)

Articulated cars are not necessary, and pantographs are not compatible with MATA's trolley wire. I am sure there are examples of others that would be suitable.

[gc]

I just returned from a long weekend in San Francisco. Among the many things of note in SF, one thing stood out relative to this thread. The SF streetcar system is not nearly as loud as ours. Can someone explain why that is? They are the same basic technology, correct? Why does ours squeel and squeek so much compared to theirs?