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Streetcars last plied the streets of this famous
Southern port city in 1946. A plan is now unfolding that will bring the
streetcar back as an urban circulator and tourist attraction. Following a
lengthy negotiation, the City purchased a lightly used 4.3 mile railroad branch line
paralleling the Savannah River near Downtown. Much of the line runs
in-street on River Street along the Savannah River, including a section of trackage in
cobblestone pavement passing directly through a bustling entertainment
district. An initial demonstrator line is planned to begin operation along
this segment in 2007 using an Australian W-5 streetcar that the City
acquired in 2000.
The Savannah streetcar concept has been brewing for
some time. In 2003, the local public transportation provider, Chatham Area Transit (CAT),
proposed restoration of streetcar service on a four-mile line along River Street and
Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Goals for the proposed system included aiding
visitor mobility within the downtown and riverfront areas, reducing
congestion in the city's historic district, and helping foster local
economic development.
A feasibility study was conducted by Team Inc. and Stone Consulting &
Design, including an examination of several different route options. All
of the proposed routes incorporated the trackage along River
St. With the sale of the trackage to the City, plans once again
began moving ahead, and it is hoped to begin demonstration service on
River St. in 2007.
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