El Paso Streetcar: Difference between revisions
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| electrification = {{650 V DC|conductor=overhead}}<ref name="EPT-2018jan8">{{cite news |last=Perez |first=Elida S. |title=Don't get electrocuted by Downtown streetcar cables, officials warn |url=https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/local/el-paso/2018/01/08/dont-get-electrocuted-downtown-streetcar-cables-officials-warn/1013792001/ |access-date=2018-11-10 |newspaper=El Paso Times |date=January 8, 2018}}</ref><ref name="herald-post-2018jul13">{{cite news|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Streetcar No. 1504 Arrives This Weekend, Wearing Vintage Green-on-Green Colors|url=https://elpasoheraldpost.com/streetcar-no-1504-arrives-this-weekend-wearing-vintage-green-on-green-color-scheme/|access-date=2018-11-10|website=El Paso Herald-Post (website)|publisher=New Desert Media, LLC|date=July 13, 2018}}</ref> |
| electrification = {{650 V DC|conductor=overhead}}<ref name="EPT-2018jan8">{{cite news |last=Perez |first=Elida S. |title=Don't get electrocuted by Downtown streetcar cables, officials warn |url=https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/local/el-paso/2018/01/08/dont-get-electrocuted-downtown-streetcar-cables-officials-warn/1013792001/ |access-date=2018-11-10 |newspaper=El Paso Times |date=January 8, 2018}}</ref><ref name="herald-post-2018jul13">{{cite news|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Streetcar No. 1504 Arrives This Weekend, Wearing Vintage Green-on-Green Colors|url=https://elpasoheraldpost.com/streetcar-no-1504-arrives-this-weekend-wearing-vintage-green-on-green-color-scheme/|access-date=2018-11-10|website=El Paso Herald-Post (website)|publisher=New Desert Media, LLC|date=July 13, 2018|archive-date=2018-11-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181110133417/https://elpasoheraldpost.com/streetcar-no-1504-arrives-this-weekend-wearing-vintage-green-on-green-color-scheme/|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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[[File:ElpasoCL.jpg|thumb|left|A streetcar on the former El Paso–[[Ciudad Juárez|Juárez]] streetcar line in the 1960s]] |
[[File:ElpasoCL.jpg|thumb|left|A streetcar on the former El Paso–[[Ciudad Juárez|Juárez]] streetcar line in the 1960s]] |
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{{Main|El Paso City Lines}} |
{{Main|El Paso City Lines}} |
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Historically, the cities of El Paso and [[Ciudad Juárez]] relied on a unified streetcar system across the [[Rio Grande]] which initially consisted of horse and mule-drawn trolleys,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sunmetro.net/about/history|title=History|website=www.sunmetro.net|language=en|access-date=2018-11-14}}</ref> which were replaced by the first electrified street cars in 1902.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2017/01/the-case-for-restoring-el-pasos-transnational-streetcar/512672/|title=The Legend of El Paso's Transnational Streetcar|work=CityLab|access-date=2018-11-14|language=en-US}}</ref> In 1913, the first urban streetcar lines appeared.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/streetcarsatpass00rona|url-access=registration|title=Streetcars at the Pass: The Story of the Mule Cars of El Paso, the Suburban Railway to Tobin Place, and the Interurban to Ysleta| |
Historically, the cities of El Paso and [[Ciudad Juárez]] relied on a unified streetcar system across the [[Rio Grande]] which initially consisted of horse and mule-drawn trolleys,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sunmetro.net/about/history|title=History|website=www.sunmetro.net|language=en|access-date=2018-11-14}}</ref> which were replaced by the first electrified street cars in 1902.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2017/01/the-case-for-restoring-el-pasos-transnational-streetcar/512672/|title=The Legend of El Paso's Transnational Streetcar|work=CityLab|access-date=2018-11-14|language=en-US}}</ref> In 1913, the first urban streetcar lines appeared.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/streetcarsatpass00rona|url-access=registration|title=Streetcars at the Pass: The Story of the Mule Cars of El Paso, the Suburban Railway to Tobin Place, and the Interurban to Ysleta|last1=Dawson|first1=Ronald|last2=Dawson|first2=Ronald E.|publisher=iUniverse|year=2003|isbn=978-0-595-29623-1|location=New York|pages=[https://archive.org/details/streetcarsatpass00rona/page/71 71]|language=en}}</ref> Between 1920 and 1925, there were 52 miles (83 km) of trolley system, with 2.1 million passengers using the service in 1922.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.kvia.com/news/el-paso/el-paso-street-cars-then-and-now-1/672692403|title=El Paso street cars then and now|last=Najera|first=Jerry|date=December 14, 2017|publisher=KVIA|access-date=2018-11-14|language=en-US|archive-date=2018-11-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181114182226/https://www.kvia.com/news/el-paso/el-paso-street-cars-then-and-now-1/672692403|url-status=dead}}</ref> The increasing availability of the automobile led El Paso to abandon most of its streetcar infrastructure in the 1940s, with the exception of the international line, which was renewed with 20 PCC streetcars from [[San Diego]] in 1950.<ref name=":0" /> |
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The international line formed a complete loop, which operated in one direction. This made it perhaps the only streetcar line in which a passenger boarding in either city, and returning later to his starting point, had to pass twice through customs and immigration between two countries. This line abruptly ceased operations on July 31, 1973 as a result of a labor dispute.<ref>Myrick, David, ‘’New Mexico’s Railroads, A Historic Survey’’, University of New Mexico Press 1990. {{ISBN|0-8263-1185-7}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | On May 4, 1974,<ref>{{cite web|last=Morrison |first=Allen |title=The Tramways of Ciudad Juárez |year=2003 |website=Electric Transport in Latin America |url=http://www.tramz.com/mx/cj/cj.html |access-date=2020-06-24}}</ref><ref name="TAUT-2019mar">{{cite news |last=Simons |first=Vic |title=El |
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| ⚫ | On May 4, 1974,<ref>{{cite web|last=Morrison |first=Allen |title=The Tramways of Ciudad Juárez |year=2003 |website=Electric Transport in Latin America |url=http://www.tramz.com/mx/cj/cj.html |access-date=2020-06-24}}</ref><ref name="TAUT-2019mar">{{cite news |last=Simons |first=Vic |title=El Paso's streetcar resurrection |date=March 2019<!--(date of online posting August 9, 2019)--> |magazine=[[Tramways & Urban Transit]] |pages=96–98 |url=http://www.tautonline.com/el-pasos-streetcar-resurrection/ |access-date=2020-06-24 |issn=1460-8324}}</ref> the last remaining cars in use made their final trips. They were taken to a desert area by the airport, where they eventually rusted and decayed. |
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=== Revival === |
=== Revival === |
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Construction began in late December 2015.<ref name="EPT-2016sep23" /> {{As of|2016}}, construction of the system was projected to cost $97 million.<ref name="EPT-2016sep23" /> 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.<ref>{{cite news|last=Perez|first=Elida S.|title=City, streetcar project scammed for $3.2 million|url=http://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/local/2016/11/02/streetcar-project-scammed-nearly-3-million/93174902/|access-date=2016-11-22|newspaper=El Paso Times|date=November 2, 2016}}</ref> By March 2018, construction was 95 percent complete.<ref name="EPTimes-2018mar11" /> The first of the refurbished streetcars was received on March 19, 2018,<ref name="KDBC-2018nov9">{{cite news |last1=De Leon|first1=Gloria|last2=Gonzalez|first2=Jessica|title=Streetcar takes passengers along routes for first time |url=https://cbs4local.com/news/local/streetcar-takes-passengers-along-routes-for-first-time |access-date=2018-11-10 |publisher=[[KDBC]] |date=November 9, 2018}}</ref> and the first test trip on the line under power was made on April 3.<ref name="EPTimes-2018apr3">{{cite news|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Newly restored streetcar tested in downtown El Paso|url=https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/local/el-paso/2018/04/03/restored-streetcar-tested-downtown-el-paso/482424002/ |access-date=2018-11-10 |newspaper=El Paso Times |date=April 3, 2018}}</ref> |
Construction began in late December 2015.<ref name="EPT-2016sep23" /> {{As of|2016}}, construction of the system was projected to cost $97 million.<ref name="EPT-2016sep23" /> 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.<ref>{{cite news|last=Perez|first=Elida S.|title=City, streetcar project scammed for $3.2 million|url=http://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/local/2016/11/02/streetcar-project-scammed-nearly-3-million/93174902/|access-date=2016-11-22|newspaper=El Paso Times|date=November 2, 2016}}</ref> By March 2018, construction was 95 percent complete.<ref name="EPTimes-2018mar11" /> The first of the refurbished streetcars was received on March 19, 2018,<ref name="KDBC-2018nov9">{{cite news |last1=De Leon|first1=Gloria|last2=Gonzalez|first2=Jessica|title=Streetcar takes passengers along routes for first time |url=https://cbs4local.com/news/local/streetcar-takes-passengers-along-routes-for-first-time |access-date=2018-11-10 |publisher=[[KDBC]] |date=November 9, 2018}}</ref> and the first test trip on the line under power was made on April 3.<ref name="EPTimes-2018apr3">{{cite news|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Newly restored streetcar tested in downtown El Paso|url=https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/local/el-paso/2018/04/03/restored-streetcar-tested-downtown-el-paso/482424002/ |access-date=2018-11-10 |newspaper=El Paso Times |date=April 3, 2018}}</ref> |
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[[File:El_Paso_Street_Car.jpg|thumb|A streetcar on Stanton Street]] |
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The system opened on Friday, November 9, 2018.<ref name="streetcars return" /> On the three-day opening weekend, just six of the 27 stops were being served, from Santa Fe & 4th to Kansas & Mill, but all other stops were due to open on November 12, 2018.<ref name="herald-post-2018nov9">{{cite news|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Inauguration Ceremony Officially Restarts El Paso Streetcar Service Friday|url=https://elpasoheraldpost.com/inauguration-ceremony-officially-restarts-el-paso-streetcar-service-friday/|access-date=2018-11-10|website=El Paso Herald-Post (website)|date=November 8, 2018}}</ref> Fares are based on Sun Metro's fare structure, which means a $1.50 fare for riders not qualifying for any reduction; $1 for students and children; $0.30 for seniors. All rides were free on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays until January 5, 2019.<ref name="streetcars return" /> 24-hour passes are $3.50; 7-day passes cost between $2.50 and $12.{{cn|date=April 2020}} |
The system opened on Friday, November 9, 2018.<ref name="streetcars return" /> On the three-day opening weekend, just six of the 27 stops were being served, from Santa Fe & 4th to Kansas & Mill, but all other stops were due to open on November 12, 2018.<ref name="herald-post-2018nov9">{{cite news|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Inauguration Ceremony Officially Restarts El Paso Streetcar Service Friday|url=https://elpasoheraldpost.com/inauguration-ceremony-officially-restarts-el-paso-streetcar-service-friday/|access-date=2018-11-10|website=El Paso Herald-Post (website)|date=November 8, 2018|archive-date=2021-02-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225012845/https://elpasoheraldpost.com/inauguration-ceremony-officially-restarts-el-paso-streetcar-service-friday/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Fares are based on Sun Metro's fare structure, which means a $1.50 fare for riders not qualifying for any reduction; $1 for students and children; $0.30 for seniors. All rides were free on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays until January 5, 2019.<ref name="streetcars return" /> 24-hour passes are $3.50; 7-day passes cost between $2.50 and $12.{{cn|date=April 2020}} |
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Streetcar service was suspended on March 22, 2020, due to the [[COVID-19]] pandemic,<ref name="suspension">{{cite news |first=JC|last=Navarrete |url=https://kvia.com/news/el-paso/2020/03/21/el-paso-streetcar-stops-running-due-to-virus-outbreak/ |title=El Paso Streetcar stops running due to virus outbreak |newspaper=[[KVIA-TV]] |date= March 21, 2020 |access-date=2021-05-06}}</ref> but resumed on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays starting on July 29, 2021.<ref name=resumed>{{cite news|title=El Paso Streetcar is back|date=July 28, 2021|magazine=Mass Transit|url=https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/press-release/21232157/sun-metro-el-paso-streetcar-is-back|access-date=2021-08-23}}</ref> |
Streetcar service was suspended on March 22, 2020, due to the [[COVID-19]] pandemic,<ref name="suspension">{{cite news |first=JC|last=Navarrete |url=https://kvia.com/news/el-paso/2020/03/21/el-paso-streetcar-stops-running-due-to-virus-outbreak/ |title=El Paso Streetcar stops running due to virus outbreak |newspaper=[[KVIA-TV]] |date= March 21, 2020 |access-date=2021-05-06}}</ref> but resumed on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays starting on July 29, 2021.<ref name=resumed>{{cite news|title=El Paso Streetcar is back|date=July 28, 2021|magazine=Mass Transit|url=https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/press-release/21232157/sun-metro-el-paso-streetcar-is-back|access-date=2021-08-23}}</ref> |
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On September 3, 2023, Sun Metro announced extended hours for the streetcar, allowing the streetcar to run all week, and eliminated fares for both lines of the route.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-02 |title=El Paso streetcars to expand hours on mornings, weekends |url=https://www.ktsm.com/news/el-paso-streetcars-to-expand-hours-on-mornings-weekends/ |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=KTSM 9 News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=About Streetcars |url=https://sunmetro.net/streetcar/about-streetcars/ |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=sunmetro.net}}</ref> |
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== Rolling stock == |
== Rolling stock == |
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City officials expressed their desire to preserve the history of El Paso by refurbishing the old [[PCC streetcar]]s that once made their way through Downtown from 1949 to 1974.<ref>{{cite news |last=Flores |first=Aileen B. |url=http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_21521549/city-seeks-refurbish-old-trolleys-project |title=El Paso City Council seeks to refurbish old trolleys for project |newspaper=El Paso Times |access-date=2015-02-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130822075143/http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_21521549/city-seeks-refurbish-old-trolleys-project |archive-date=2013-08-22 }}</ref> The city had about eight streetcars, which were stored in a desert area at the El Paso International Airport.<ref>{{cite news |last=Torres |first=Ceasar |title=Blast from the Past: Streetcars Returning to Downtown El Paso |url=http://elpaso411.com/2015/11/blast-from-the-past-streetcars-returning-to-downtown-el-paso/ |newspaper=El Paso 411 |date=November 18, 2015 |access-date=2017-01-13}}</ref> These cars were originally manufactured in 1937 for service in [[San Diego, California]].<ref name=railwayage>{{cite news|last1=Worrell|first1=Carolina|title=Brookville to restore, modernize El Paso PCC streetcars|url=http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/passenger/light-rail/brookville-to-restore-modernize-el-paso-pcc-streetcars.html|access-date=2016-12-15|magazine=[[Railway Age]]|date=October 27, 2015}}</ref> |
City officials expressed their desire to preserve the history of El Paso by refurbishing the old [[PCC streetcar]]s that once made their way through Downtown from 1949 to 1974.<ref>{{cite news |last=Flores |first=Aileen B. |url=http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_21521549/city-seeks-refurbish-old-trolleys-project |title=El Paso City Council seeks to refurbish old trolleys for project |newspaper=El Paso Times |access-date=2015-02-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130822075143/http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_21521549/city-seeks-refurbish-old-trolleys-project |archive-date=2013-08-22 }}</ref> The city had about eight streetcars, which were stored in a desert area at the El Paso International Airport.<ref>{{cite news |last=Torres |first=Ceasar |title=Blast from the Past: Streetcars Returning to Downtown El Paso |url=http://elpaso411.com/2015/11/blast-from-the-past-streetcars-returning-to-downtown-el-paso/ |newspaper=El Paso 411 |date=November 18, 2015 |access-date=2017-01-13}}</ref> These cars were originally manufactured in 1937 for service in [[San Diego, California]].<ref name=railwayage>{{cite news|last1=Worrell|first1=Carolina|title=Brookville to restore, modernize El Paso PCC streetcars|url=http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/passenger/light-rail/brookville-to-restore-modernize-el-paso-pcc-streetcars.html|access-date=2016-12-15|magazine=[[Railway Age]]|date=October 27, 2015}}</ref> |
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Work to restore six cars to operating condition began in 2015 and was carried out by [[Brookville Equipment Corporation]]. The cars are painted in [[livery|color schemes]] used by the previous El Paso streetcar system from the 1950s until its closure in the 1970s, with three different versions – representing the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s,<ref name="herald-post-2018jul13" /><ref name="KTSM-2018nov4">{{cite news|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=El Paso Streetcar Project complete, to open soon|url=https://www.ktsm.com/news/local/el-paso-news/el-paso-streetcar-project-complete-to-open-soon/1573528683|access-date=2018-11-10|publisher=[[KTSM-TV]]|date=November 4, 2018}}</ref> – used on two cars each. Modifications to the cars included the installation of [[wheelchair lift]]s, to comply with the [[Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990|Americans with Disabilities Act]], half-diamond pantographs in place of trolley poles, and the addition of [[air |
Work to restore six cars to operating condition began in 2015 and was carried out by [[Brookville Equipment Corporation]]. The cars are painted in [[livery|color schemes]] used by the previous El Paso streetcar system from the 1950s until its closure in the 1970s, with three different versions – representing the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s,<ref name="herald-post-2018jul13" /><ref name="KTSM-2018nov4">{{cite news|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=El Paso Streetcar Project complete, to open soon|url=https://www.ktsm.com/news/local/el-paso-news/el-paso-streetcar-project-complete-to-open-soon/1573528683|access-date=2018-11-10|publisher=[[KTSM-TV]]|date=November 4, 2018}}</ref> – used on two cars each. Modifications to the cars included the installation of [[wheelchair lift]]s, to comply with the [[Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990|Americans with Disabilities Act]], half-diamond pantographs in place of trolley poles, and the addition of [[air conditioning]].<ref name=railwayage /> They have kept their original fleet numbers of 1504, 1506, 1511, 1512, 1514, and 1515. |
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The first of the restored streetcars, No. 1506, was received from Brookville on 19 March 2018.<ref name="KDBC-2018nov9" /><ref name="EPTimes-2018mar19">{{cite news |last=Perez |first=Elida S. |title=Welcome home! Streetcar No. 1506 arrives in Downtown El Paso |url=https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/local/2018/03/19/pcc-vintage-streetcar-no-1506-trolley-tramway-arrives-downtown-el-paso/437676002/ |access-date=2018-11-10 |newspaper=El Paso Times |date=March 19, 2018}}</ref> By mid-October, all but one of the six had been received.<ref name="brookville-100th">{{cite press release |
The first of the restored streetcars, No. 1506, was received from Brookville on 19 March 2018.<ref name="KDBC-2018nov9" /><ref name="EPTimes-2018mar19">{{cite news |last=Perez |first=Elida S. |title=Welcome home! Streetcar No. 1506 arrives in Downtown El Paso |url=https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/local/2018/03/19/pcc-vintage-streetcar-no-1506-trolley-tramway-arrives-downtown-el-paso/437676002/ |access-date=2018-11-10 |newspaper=El Paso Times |date=March 19, 2018}}</ref> By mid-October, all but one of the six had been received.<ref name="brookville-100th">{{cite press release|title=Brookville delivers 100th streetcar vehicle and 50th PCC streetcar in 2018, a fitting commemoration of a century in rail equipment manufacturing|publisher=[[Brookville Equipment Corporation]]|date=October 15, 2018|url=https://www.brookvillecorp.com/50th-PCC-Streetcar.asp|access-date=2018-11-10|archive-date=2018-11-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181110200000/https://www.brookvillecorp.com/50th-PCC-Streetcar.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref> The last of the six streetcars to complete its restoration, No. 1511, was received on December 19, 2018.<ref name="EPTimes-2018dec19">{{cite news |last=Lambie |first=Mark R. |title=The final car in the fleet: PCC Streetcar 1511 arrives in El Paso |url=https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/2018/12/19/pcc-streetcar-1511-known-jose-cisneros-car-arrives-el-paso/2368737002/ |access-date=2018-12-21 |newspaper=El Paso Times |date=December 19, 2018}}</ref><ref name="KFOX-2018dec19">{{cite news |last=Valencia |first=Jamel |title=Last of six streetcars makes it to El Paso |url=https://cbs4local.com/news/local/last-of-six-streetcars-makes-it-to-el-paso |access-date=2018-12-21 |publisher=[[KFOX-TV]] |date=December 19, 2018}}</ref> |
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== List of streetcar stops == |
== List of streetcar stops == |
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Latest revision as of 05:46, 24 August 2024
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 A streetcar at the carbarn in downtown El Paso | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Locale | El Paso, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stations | 27 stops[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | sunmetro | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Streetcar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Services | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator(s) | Sun Metro | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rolling stock | 6 refurbished PCC streetcars | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Daily ridership | 800 (weekdays, Q3 2024)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ridership | 130,600 (2023)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | November 9, 2018 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line length | 4.8 mi (7.7 km) (round trip) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of tracks | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Character | Streetcar in mixed traffic | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electrification | Overhead line, 650 V DC[4][5] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The El Paso Streetcar is a streetcar system in El Paso, Texas, that uses a fleet of restored PCC streetcars[6] that had served the city's previous system until its closure in 1974.[7] It opened for service on November 9, 2018. The system covers 4.8 miles (7.7 km)[1][8] (round trip) in two loops from Downtown El Paso to University of Texas at El Paso. The system was constructed under the authority of the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority, but when the major construction was completed, around spring 2018, it was transferred to Sun Metro, for operation and maintenance.[7] In 2023, the system had a ridership of 130,600, or about 800 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024.
History
[edit]
Historically, the cities of El Paso and Ciudad Juárez relied on a unified streetcar system across the Rio Grande which initially consisted of horse and mule-drawn trolleys,[9] which were replaced by the first electrified street cars in 1902.[10] In 1913, the first urban streetcar lines appeared.[11] Between 1920 and 1925, there were 52 miles (83 km) of trolley system, with 2.1 million passengers using the service in 1922.[12] The increasing availability of the automobile led El Paso to abandon most of its streetcar infrastructure in the 1940s, with the exception of the international line, which was renewed with 20 PCC streetcars from San Diego in 1950.[10]
The international line formed a complete loop, which operated in one direction. This made it perhaps the only streetcar line in which a passenger boarding in either city, and returning later to his starting point, had to pass twice through customs and immigration between two countries. This line abruptly ceased operations on July 31, 1973 as a result of a labor dispute.[13]
On May 4, 1974,[14][15] the last remaining cars in use made their final trips. They were taken to a desert area by the airport, where they eventually rusted and decayed.
Revival
[edit]![[icon]](/enwiki/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2018) |
On June 5, 2012, the city council unveiled a new route, creating a narrow loop for the service; streetcars would travel north on Stanton Street, turn left at Glory Road/Baltimore, then south on Oregon Street. A downtown loop runs east on Franklin Avenue, south on Kansas Street, west on Father Rahm, and north on Santa Fe Street.[16] The El Paso City Council approved going forward with the project in July 2014.[17]
Construction began in late December 2015.[1] As of 2016[update], construction of the system was projected to cost $97 million.[1] 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.[18] By March 2018, construction was 95 percent complete.[7] The first of the refurbished streetcars was received on March 19, 2018,[19] and the first test trip on the line under power was made on April 3.[20]
The system opened on Friday, November 9, 2018.[6] On the three-day opening weekend, just six of the 27 stops were being served, from Santa Fe & 4th to Kansas & Mill, but all other stops were due to open on November 12, 2018.[21] Fares are based on Sun Metro's fare structure, which means a $1.50 fare for riders not qualifying for any reduction; $1 for students and children; $0.30 for seniors. All rides were free on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays until January 5, 2019.[6] 24-hour passes are $3.50; 7-day passes cost between $2.50 and $12.[citation needed]
Streetcar service was suspended on March 22, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[22] but resumed on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays starting on July 29, 2021.[23]
On September 3, 2023, Sun Metro announced extended hours for the streetcar, allowing the streetcar to run all week, and eliminated fares for both lines of the route.[24][25]
Rolling stock
[edit]City officials 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.[26] The city had about eight streetcars, which were stored in a desert area at the El Paso International Airport.[27] These cars were originally manufactured in 1937 for service in San Diego, California.[28]
Work to restore six cars to operating condition began in 2015 and was carried out by Brookville Equipment Corporation. The cars are painted in color schemes used by the previous El Paso streetcar system from the 1950s until its closure in the 1970s, with three different versions – representing the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s,[5][29] – used on two cars each. Modifications to the cars included the installation of wheelchair lifts, to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, half-diamond pantographs in place of trolley poles, and the addition of air conditioning.[28] They have kept their original fleet numbers of 1504, 1506, 1511, 1512, 1514, and 1515.
The first of the restored streetcars, No. 1506, was received from Brookville on 19 March 2018.[19][30] By mid-October, all but one of the six had been received.[31] The last of the six streetcars to complete its restoration, No. 1511, was received on December 19, 2018.[32][33]
List of streetcar stops
[edit]from Downtown El Paso to UTEP, then back to downtown based on Figure 8 Loop order
Downtown Loop Uptown Loop
| No. | Stop | Intersection | Direction | Loop | Destination(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Downtown Transit Center | Santa Fe Street & Fourth Avenue | north | Downtown Transit Center Streetcar Maintenance & Storage Facility | |
| 2 | Overland | Santa Fe & Overland Avenue | north | ||
| 3 | Convention Center | Santa Fe & Sheldon Court | north | Williams Convention Center | |
| 4 | Cleveland Square | Franklin Avenue & El Paso Street | east | Cleveland Square Park Southwest University Park | |
| 5 | San Jacinto | Franklin & Mesa Street | east | San Jacinto Plaza | |
| 6 | Missouri | Stanton Street & Missouri Avenue | north | ||
| 7 | Montana | Stanton & Yandell Avenue | north | ||
| 8 | Arizona | Stanton & Arizona Avenue | north | ||
| 9 | Cathedral | Stanton & California Avenue | north | Cathedral High School | |
| 10 | Rim | Stanton & Rim Road | north | ||
| 11 | Kern | Stanton & Kerbey Avenue | north | Kern Place | |
| 12 | Cincinnati District | Stanton & Cincinnati Avenue | north | ||
| 13 | Baltimore | Baltimore Drive & Mesa | west | ||
| 14 | Glory Road Transit Center | Oregon Street & Glory Road | south | Glory Road Transit Center | |
| 15 | Boston | Oregon & Boston Avenue | south | ||
| 16 | University | Oregon & University Avenue | south | University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) | |
| 17 | Hague | Oregon & Hague Road | south | ||
| 18 | Schuster | Oregon & Rim Road | south | ||
| 19 | Cliff | Oregon & Cliff Drive | south | ||
| 20 | Rio Grande | Oregon & Rio Grande Avenue | south | El Paso Community College | |
| 21 | Yandell | Oregon & Yandell | south | ||
| 22 | Arts District | Oregon & Missouri | south | El Paso Public Library Museum of History | |
| 23 | City Hall | Kansas Street & Mills Avenue | south | El Paso City Hall | |
| 24 | Courthouse | Kansas & San Antonio Avenue | south | El Paso County Courthouse | |
| 25 | 1st Avenue | Kansas & First Avenue | south | ||
| 26 | Stanton | Father Rahm Avenue & Stanton | west | ||
| 27 | El Paso | Father Rahm & El Paso | west |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Ramirez, Cindy (September 23, 2016). "Streetcar work remains on time, budget". El Paso Times. Retrieved 2016-12-14.
- ^ "Transit Ridership Report Third Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. November 20, 2024. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
- ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ Perez, Elida S. (January 8, 2018). "Don't get electrocuted by Downtown streetcar cables, officials warn". El Paso Times. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
- ^ a b "Streetcar No. 1504 Arrives This Weekend, Wearing Vintage Green-on-Green Colors". El Paso Herald-Post (website). New Desert Media, LLC. July 13, 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-11-10. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
- ^ a b c "El Paso streetcars make their return after 45-year absence". El Paso Times. November 9, 2018. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
- ^ a b c Perez, Elida S. (March 11, 2018). "Downtown El Paso streetcars roll closer to completion; Sun Metro prepares to take over". El Paso Times. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
- ^ "El Paso streetcar project on schedule, on budget". KTSM-TV. October 6, 2016. Retrieved 2016-12-14.
- ^ "History". www.sunmetro.net. Retrieved 2018-11-14.
- ^ a b "The Legend of El Paso's Transnational Streetcar". CityLab. Retrieved 2018-11-14.
- ^ Dawson, Ronald; Dawson, Ronald E. (2003). Streetcars at the Pass: The Story of the Mule Cars of El Paso, the Suburban Railway to Tobin Place, and the Interurban to Ysleta. New York: iUniverse. pp. 71. ISBN 978-0-595-29623-1.
- ^ Najera, Jerry (December 14, 2017). "El Paso street cars then and now". KVIA. Archived from the original on 2018-11-14. Retrieved 2018-11-14.
- ^ Myrick, David, ‘’New Mexico’s Railroads, A Historic Survey’’, University of New Mexico Press 1990. ISBN 0-8263-1185-7
- ^ Morrison, Allen (2003). "The Tramways of Ciudad Juárez". Electric Transport in Latin America. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
- ^ Simons, Vic (March 2019). "El Paso's streetcar resurrection". Tramways & Urban Transit. pp. 96–98. ISSN 1460-8324. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
- ^ "El Paso Development News: Council Chooses Streetcar Route". Elpasodevnews.com. June 6, 2012. Retrieved 2015-02-21.
- ^ Ramirez, Cindy (July 22, 2014). "City Council moves forward on El Paso Streetcar Project". El Paso Times. Archived from the original on 2015-01-26. Retrieved 2015-02-21.
- ^ Perez, Elida S. (November 2, 2016). "City, streetcar project scammed for $3.2 million". El Paso Times. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
- ^ a b De Leon, Gloria; Gonzalez, Jessica (November 9, 2018). "Streetcar takes passengers along routes for first time". KDBC. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
- ^ "Newly restored streetcar tested in downtown El Paso". El Paso Times. April 3, 2018. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
- ^ "Inauguration Ceremony Officially Restarts El Paso Streetcar Service Friday". El Paso Herald-Post (website). November 8, 2018. Archived from the original on 2021-02-25. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
- ^ Navarrete, JC (March 21, 2020). "El Paso Streetcar stops running due to virus outbreak". KVIA-TV. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
- ^ "El Paso Streetcar is back". Mass Transit. July 28, 2021. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
- ^ "El Paso streetcars to expand hours on mornings, weekends". KTSM 9 News. 2023-09-02. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ "About Streetcars". sunmetro.net. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ Flores, Aileen B. "El Paso City Council seeks to refurbish old trolleys for project". El Paso Times. Archived from the original on 2013-08-22. Retrieved 2015-02-21.
- ^ Torres, Ceasar (November 18, 2015). "Blast from the Past: Streetcars Returning to Downtown El Paso". El Paso 411. Retrieved 2017-01-13.
- ^ a b Worrell, Carolina (October 27, 2015). "Brookville to restore, modernize El Paso PCC streetcars". Railway Age. Retrieved 2016-12-15.
- ^ "El Paso Streetcar Project complete, to open soon". KTSM-TV. November 4, 2018. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
- ^ Perez, Elida S. (March 19, 2018). "Welcome home! Streetcar No. 1506 arrives in Downtown El Paso". El Paso Times. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
- ^ "Brookville delivers 100th streetcar vehicle and 50th PCC streetcar in 2018, a fitting commemoration of a century in rail equipment manufacturing" (Press release). Brookville Equipment Corporation. October 15, 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-11-10. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
- ^ Lambie, Mark R. (December 19, 2018). "The final car in the fleet: PCC Streetcar 1511 arrives in El Paso". El Paso Times. Retrieved 2018-12-21.
- ^ Valencia, Jamel (December 19, 2018). "Last of six streetcars makes it to El Paso". KFOX-TV. Retrieved 2018-12-21.