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In late 2009, the City of Colorado
Springs began a formal Streetcar
Feasibility Study. Completed in June 2010, The study was conducted by
Mountain Metropolitan Transit to examine the potential feasibility and
costs of developing a streetcar system in the central business district of
Colorado Springs and surrounding areas. It recommended possible
initial alignments and operating and implementation plans, but
focused on determining if such a system is economically fundable by the
local community. The study explored the relationship between streetcars
and urban development in
Colorado Springs
by examining the feasibility of implementing a streetcar system for
downtown
Colorado Springs
and surrounding areas along with the associated economic impact.
History: The non-profit Pike's Peak Historical Street Railway Foundation
was founded in 1982 and originally envisioned operation of
a restored Colorado Springs trolley in a local park. The group broadened
its focus in the 1990s to encompass operation of a vintage trolley system
in the Colorado Springs area. In 1994, a restoration facility was located
and leased. In 1995, the foundation acquired nine surplus PCC cars from
Philadelphia, and has also acquired PCCs from Los Angeles and
Toronto. The group also owns several local street railway and
interurban car bodies which are being restored at their restoration facility. The
group has also received donation of several miles of track from a local
army facility.
In addition to assembling a group of rolling stock
and leasing a restoration shop, the foundation completed an initial
route feasibility study, obtained an operating franchise from the City of
Colorado Springs, and worked out most of the details of its proposed
operating system with City officials and neighborhood and retail
associations.
Equipment: The nine
Philadelphia PCCs were all acquired as broad-gauge cars, as was the
group's Toronto PCC. Their Los Angeles PCC car is 3'6" narrow gauge.
The plan is to reequip all of the cars with standard gauge trucks from
retired Boston PCC cars. The Toronto car has been designated as a parts
source. In addition to the PCCs, the group also owns several local
carbodies, being restored for potential special operations on the new
trolley line. These include two Colorado Springs wooden cars and a
single-truck "Birney" type car originally from Ft. Collins.
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