DOT Says "No Thanks" to Red Hook Trolley

From The L Magazine:

Last year we got really excited when the city's Department of Transportation set aside some cash and contracted transportation consultants to look into a plan to install streetcars in Red Hook to connect the isolated 'hood to the Smith-9th Street subway station and Downtown Brooklyn. But according to a DOT report released last week (PDF here) the project isn't viable.

Read the rest here.

Red Hook Street Car Study: Interim Reports Available

The consultants for the Red Hook Street Car Feasibility Study have released two interim reports:

Case studies of  street car systems in Portland, Seattle and Philadelphia is a detailed look at how these cities have implemented new systems into existing cities.  The section on Portland includes terrific detail including photos of how the rails were constructed, bicycle coordination issues, handicapped accessibility and graphs of ridership.

The existing conditions report is a must-read document for the level of detail it goes into regarding Red Hook.  The report covers land use, demographics, public policy affecting the neighborhood and includes a wealth of illustrations and tables.  It is a fascinating overview of the neighborhood.

The consultants have identified potential routes (which includes Columbia Street within the Waterfront) and are now working on evaluating their feasibility.  Next steps will include cost estimating and evaluating constructibility issues.  Their findings will be presented in a public meeting to be held sometime early 2011.

If you are new to this subject, please visit the DOT Street Car website here for a general overview of the Study.