As an epilogue to the Downtown Historic Railway story, TransitFan asked Dale Laird, Vice-President of the Transit Museum Society (TRAMS), about potential extensions to the heritage streetcar system.
TransitFan thinks that an obvious start would be to run the historic streetcars right onto Granville Island, a major destination for tourists and other passengers. Although one can still see tracks poking through the pavement, unfortunately the curves in the rails are too sharp for the streetcars to use and the flangeways have been filled in due to complaints from cyclists. The route still has great potential, but new track would need to be laid in order to make it a reality. Automobile traffic would also need to be restricted along the route so that schedules can be maintained.
The Arbutus Line from False Creek to the Fraser River has been the subject of much discussion over the past eight years since the CPR stopped using it for hauling freight. Laird says that the track looks like it would be usable by the historic streetcars as it is, but a few issues prevent this from happening at the moment. One is the building that was constructed over top of the railway tracks on W. 2nd Ave that prevents direct access by the trains. Another is that major street crossings at 4th Ave, Burrard St, W. Broadway, and other avenues heading south to 64th Ave would need added signaling in order to prevent accidents. The City of Vancouver has drawn up a plan for the DHR to access the Arbutus Corridor along Lamey’s Mill Road at 2nd Ave, crossing the intersection at Anderson St. along with the rest of traffic. Laird thinks that this could work, although he thinks that a tunnel under 4th Ave. from east of Anderson St. to west of Fir St. at 6th Avenue would allow for greater frequency in the future.
Hopefully any new streetcar line created by the City of Vancouver will be shared by the historic streetcars. The west coast of the United States has been a leader in this area. The Municipal Street Railway in San Francisco has created a historic streetcar line that has turned into a major tourist attraction. Running from Fisherman’s Wharf to the Castro district, it uses historic streetcars from all over the United States and cities as diverse as Moscow, Melbourne, Blackpool, and Osaka. Ridership is now double that of the bus lines it replaced. TransitFan rode the line last summer, and basically if you don’t get on at the first or second stop, it’s tough to get on because the cars are so full.
San Diego’s light rail system, the first modern LRT system in the U.S., will add three PCC cars on a loop from the Convention Centre to the downtown core called the Silver Line. And while Portland’s downtown streetcar has been a well-known success, on weekends from March to December they also run two replica Council Crest Trolleys on the line. Closer to home, Seattle’s historic streetcar line closed in November 2005, when its maintenance barn was torn down for a sculpture park, and is on hiatus at the moment.
The future for Vancouver’s historic streetcars looks bright thanks to all the work and countless hours that TRAMS has put into reviving this important legacy. If you’re interested in helping out with TRAMS in some capacity, just contact Dale Laird.
Many thanks to Dale Laird of TRAMS for his invaluable help with this series of articles. Check out the Transit Museum Society website for more information on the Society.
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John Calimente is the president of Rail Integrated Developments. He supports great mass transit, cycling, walking, transit integrated developments, and non-automobile urban life. Click here to follow TheTransitFan on Twitter.
