Our consortium was as doubtful as anyone else about the potential for modern urban streetcars in Halifax, until about five years ago. A breakthrough moment came with the publication of this scholarly presentation in 2009. Communities and Residents for Sustainable Transportation (CREST), a group of Nova Scotians living and working in the Halifax Regional Municipality, presented this as senior thesis project in partial fulfillment of the Masters of Planning Program at Dalhousie University.
See for yourself why streetcars are going to change the face of Halifax. On Monday.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Streetcars coming to Halifax on Monday
Halifax has a rich history of streetcars, with trams rolling up and down our mighty hills in decades gone by. A conspiracy of factors led by the Detroit auto makers led to the untimely destruction of the rolling stock and its shameful replacement with diesel buses.
That era is over: Streetcars are coming back. On Monday.
You've no doubt noticed the ambitious construction projects under way around Halifax in recent years, and especially over the past month. Roads have been torn up, rails have been laid, and a thin layer of asphalt over top. It's all been in preparation for this.
A consortium of developers (anonymous, of course) has anticipated the current crisis and is ready, willing and able to offer the alternative Halifax has been waiting for. Short of an elevated monorail system (in development for 2018), streetcars are the ultimate solution to Halifax's commuter troubles. Now is the time. This is the place.
Streetcars carry more passengers than buses. They can go faster in straightaways than buses. They produce no fumes. Drivers are not required to turn -- it's simple stop and go. We've been able to train a shadow staff of operators (not "drivers", ew) and are ready to roll out. On Monday.
Fare and route information will be posted shortly.
We're not asking for your feedback, but you're welcome to leave some. Frankly, we know you want this, and we're ready to deliver.
This is not about scabs. This not about union-breaking. This is not about embarrassing the city. And this is not about views from Citadel Hill. This is about bringing a service people need and want in a time of need and want.
Monday.
Streetcars.
Halifax.
Infrastructure and Corporate Governance
Investors from Canada, the USA and an Eastern European nation that wishes not to be named are gathering to give Halifax its first tram-car system since 1948.
Negotiations with Emera for access to overhead power lines proved unsuccessful, so we have partnered with an alternate provider who shall deliver green, reliable electricity to power our CLRV cars through a network of alternating current overhead lines (OL) that, in future, could accomodate trolleybuses or hovercraft.
Many thanks to the unionized steelworkers who helped us lay down the track network over the past year. The economic downturn gave us an unprecedented opportunity to employ some of Atlantic Canada's finest metal-forging professionals at a terrific price. We're sure they're having second thoughts now that the network will be used to provide an alternate service to that provided by their brothers and sisters in the labour movement, but their hard work is appreciated.
The Halifax Streetcar Conglomerate (HSC) also extends its gratitude to the City of Halifax, particularly Public Works. The construction of the sub-asphalt rail network would have been utterly impossible had the road surface been entirely intact. As much as drivers of old-fashioned automobiles don't like potholes, they make tearing up the street for track installation as effortless as a pitbull tearing through a piece of store-brand paper towel soaked in warm orange juice. Without the City's cooperation, this would not have been possible.
Thanks also go out to Local 508 of the Amalgamated Transit Union. *wink* Say no more. We won't say if you won't.
Negotiations with Emera for access to overhead power lines proved unsuccessful, so we have partnered with an alternate provider who shall deliver green, reliable electricity to power our CLRV cars through a network of alternating current overhead lines (OL) that, in future, could accomodate trolleybuses or hovercraft.
Many thanks to the unionized steelworkers who helped us lay down the track network over the past year. The economic downturn gave us an unprecedented opportunity to employ some of Atlantic Canada's finest metal-forging professionals at a terrific price. We're sure they're having second thoughts now that the network will be used to provide an alternate service to that provided by their brothers and sisters in the labour movement, but their hard work is appreciated.
The Halifax Streetcar Conglomerate (HSC) also extends its gratitude to the City of Halifax, particularly Public Works. The construction of the sub-asphalt rail network would have been utterly impossible had the road surface been entirely intact. As much as drivers of old-fashioned automobiles don't like potholes, they make tearing up the street for track installation as effortless as a pitbull tearing through a piece of store-brand paper towel soaked in warm orange juice. Without the City's cooperation, this would not have been possible.
Thanks also go out to Local 508 of the Amalgamated Transit Union. *wink* Say no more. We won't say if you won't.
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