El Paso Streetcar

El Paso Streetcar
Legend
Baltimore & Mesa Don Haskins Center Stanton & Robinson UTEP Oregon & University Stanton & Kerbey Children's Hospital Oregon & Rim Stanton & Rim Oregon & River Stanton & California Oregon & Rio Grande Stanton & Arizona Oregon & Yandell Stanton & Yandell I-10 / US 180 Oregon & Missouri Stanton & Missouri Franklin & El Paso Frankin & Mesa Amtrak to Union Depot Texas Eagle Sunset Limited Santa Fe & Mills Kansas & Mills Santa Fe & Overland Kansas & San Antonio Kansas & 1st Paisano Drive US 85 / US 62 Maintenance Facility Santa Fe & 4th Father Rahm & El Paso Father Rahm & Stanton

The El Paso Streetcar is a $90 Million streetcar project in El Paso, Texas. It is slated to run 4.8 miles (7.7 km)^[1] in two loops from Downtown El Paso to University of Texas at El Paso. The system is being constructed under the authority of Sun Metro.

History

On June 5, 2012 city council unveiled a new route creating a narrow loop for the service; streetcars will travel north on Oregon Street, turn east at Glory Road/Baltimore, then south on Stanton Street. A downtown loop will travel east on Franklin Avenue, south on Kansas Street, west on Father Rahm, and north on Santa Fe Street.^[2] The El Paso City Council approved going forward with the project in July 2014.^[3] In November 2016, the city disclosed that construction funds had been extorted in a phishing scam perpetrated by an entity posing as a contractor – most of the funds had been recovered by the time it was publicly announced.^[4]

Rolling Stock

City officials have expressed their desire to preserve the history of El Paso by refurbishing the old PCC streetcars that once made their way through Downtown from 1949 to 1974.^[5] The city had about eight streetcars, which were stored in a desert area at the El Paso International Airport. These cars were originally manufactured in 1937 for service in San Diego, California.^[6] The estimated cost to restore one vehicle was between $1.6 million and $2.5 million, compared with a price of about $1.2 million for a new replica streetcar. Restoration on six cars was carried out by Brookville Equipment Corporation starting in 2015 and will be painted in the livery of the traditional El Paso streetcar service from the 50's through the 70's.^[6]

References

1. "El Paso streetcar project on schedule, on budget". KTSM. 6 October 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
2. "El Paso Development News: Council Chooses Streetcar Route". Elpasodevnews.com. June 6, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
3. Ramirez, Cindy (July 22, 2014). "City Council moves forward on El Paso Streetcar Project". El Paso Times. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
4. Perez, Elida S. (2 November 2016). "City, streetcar project scammed for $3.2 million". El Paso Times. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
5. Flores, Aileen B. "El Paso City Council seeks to refurbish old trolleys for project". El Paso Times. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
6. Worrell, Carolina (October 27, 2015). "Brookville to restore, modernize El Paso PCC streetcars". Railway Age. Retrieved October 27, 2016.