What is this organization?

Downtown Indianapolis Streetcar Corporation is a public benefit, non-profit Indiana corporation chartered to advance the planning, engineering, financing and construction of a downtown circulator streetcar system for Indianapolis.  This system will promote economic development and improve public transportation in downtown Indianapolis.

Isn’t this something city government should be doing?

This corporation is the private-sector element of a future public-private partnership that we believe will be required to bring this project to fruition.  The purpose of this group is to gather interested parties together, explain the benefits of the proposed system, determine their needs and interests, establish initial goals and objectives, develop feasibility and funding studies based on those discussions, and facilitate action on behalf of the city and its citizens.  The individuals involved in the corporation serve as interested parties only,  They work as volunteer advocates for the advancement of the streetcar system and the economic and transportation benefits it can provide our city.

What does the project include?

The proposed system would be a zero emissions, practical, attractive and easy-to-use electric streetcar “circulator” system.  It would not be a traditionally-defined “light-rail system” linking downtown with suburban areas, although it should play an important role in supporting such a regional transportation system in the future.  Most importantly, the streetcar system would not simply be a cost-effective, environmentally-sound means of getting around downtown; it would be an important economic development tool, one that would continually stimulate downtown growth and redevelopment while helping create new jobs and generating additional tax revenue and consumer spending in the heart of the city.

Why does Indianapolis need streetcars?  We had them once and found they were outmoded after World War II.

American cities have undergone several dramatic transformations since World War II.  First, job growth, affordable automobiles and gasoline, and publicly-funded street and highway construction fueled the growth of postwar suburban housing.  Retail development also shifted to the suburbs, leading to the second transformation – the wholesale departure of retail businesses from the central business district.  This impacted public transportation.   Streetcars were still efficient and zero emissions, but they and their privately-maintained infrastructure were replaced by buses carrying fewer passengers on tax-supported streets.  The third transformation of downtown began in the 1980s, when more enlightened public policies again made substantial reinvestment in downtowns feasible and initiated a renaissance of America’s central business districts.  Indianapolis has been one of the most successful cities in redeveloping its downtown area, and yet much more can and should be done. 

Today, the trend for both citizens and businesses is to move back downtown.  Not only can a well-planned streetcar system support such increased density in a central business district -- it can help bring it about!

If this is such a great idea, why aren’t other cities doing it?

They are!  There are many, many cities currently evaluating, planning, constructing or operating similar systems.  Portland, Oregon is one of the most successful.  In 2001 that city opened the first new modern streetcar system in the U. S.   The original line has already been expanded.   A second loop is now under construction and a third loop which will cross the Willamette River into eastern Portland has been approved.   There is currently about $2.5 billion of new construction around these streetcar lines.  There are some very strong parallels between the Portland situation and Indianapolis. 

Others, ranging from large cities like San Francisco to smaller ones like Kenosha, Wisconsin, have enjoyed equally-impressive downtown growth from the development and operation of well-planned and executed streetcar lines.  The remarkable success of streetcars in helping revitalize dozens of American downtown areas during the past decade speaks for itself.

We have a bus system.  Why not use it?

Streetcars supplement existing transit routes with an exciting, permanent transportation alternative that is a proven stimulant to economic development.  While bus routes can be changed or eliminated, the permanency of streetcar routes establishes patterns for movement of people and encourages linear development.  In many instances streetcars can provide feeder services to bus routes and vice versa, expanding the productivity and utilization of existing transit services. 

Streetcars are quiet and zero emissions, an attractive feature in downtown areas already overburdened with automobile traffic.  The uniqueness of streetcars sets them apart from conventional transit systems and vehicles.  Streetcar systems create a novel addition to the cityscape that is both practical and fun.  People of all ages want to use streetcars and do so in large numbers in cities that have embraced them.  They quickly find that streetcar travel is enjoyable and it quickly becomes a sensible addition to their daily schedule. 

Streetcars are highly visible and are pedestrian and rider friendly.  The permanence of the streetcar line makes it an integral part of the city, and the practicality it creates in making interesting and important parts of the city accessible all the time quickly makes it a popular attraction and practical conveyance for citizens and visitors alike.

How do we pay for this?

Cost will be a very important factor in recommending a starter system.
Requiring that the system be designed to a budget and then building at that budget will be mandatory. Other cites are financing and operating systems and there is no reason to believe Indianapolis cannot also do this.  Several new and innovative financing alternatives are being used.  It is common knowledge that the operation of every public transportation system in the US has to be subsidized.  We expect that a public/private blend of financing will be required.

The final cost will be determined by the type of system selected, its route and its equipment and operating costs.  We are committed to designing and constructing the most effective system for the specific needs of downtown Indianapolis in a disciplined, cost-effective manner.

What are the next steps?

We are in the process of hiring consultants, which will include a consultant that worked with Indianapolis in 1998-99.  His name is Jim Graebner.  He is a nationally recognized expert on streetcar systems.  He lives in Denver but, by coincidence, he grew up in Indianapolis.

We are also particularly interested in the engineering firms that designed and built the Portland system.  They have developed new ways to construct the track system which reduces costs significantly and also shortens the time to install the track to only 3-4 weeks.  This is very important for adjoining businesses.

We will immediately start an in-depth study of possible routes, including a vision of what such a system should look like in the future.   This will assure maximum benefit to our current and future bus system and will also assure integration with light rail and high-speed rail when they come to Indianapolis.   The objectives will include:

• providing additional transportation in needed areas and supporting current downtown bus transportation routes,
• reducing demand for new parking spaces downtown,
• supporting existing major infrastructure and new planned major developments,
• stimulating new types of development more compatible with life styles of the future, and
• adding an attractive and very useful new feature to the downtown scene.

©2008, Indianapolis Downtown Streetcar Corp.