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Arizona Streetcar Systems


Tucson

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Old Pueblo Trolley
Began Operation: 1993
Miles of Line: 1.1
Stations:  9
Org: Non-profit 
Schedule: Fri. eve. + weekends
- Salaam Allah photo - click to enlarge -

The Old Pueblo Trolley (OPT) is an all-volunteer "operating transit museum" which provides streetcar service in central Tucson on Friday evenings, as well as a longer schedule on weekends. The line connects the University of Arizona with the Fourth Ave. business district.

The idea for returning streetcars to Tucson came out of the University of Arizona's 1985 Centennial celebration planning. Fundraising for a "bring back the trolley" campaign began in May 1983, and a formal feasibility study was completed in 1984. Although a 1984 ballot initiative for a bond issue to fund the project failed, the Old Pueblo Trolley group persisted in their efforts and pursued alternate plans. A single-truck Birney car was leased from the Orange Empire Railway Museum in 1985, followed by formal City approval for the privately-funded volunteer effort to construct the line in public streets.

OPT was able to utilize 6 blocks of vintage Tucson streetcar tracks, which the City uncovered in 1985. Following City approval of the complete track and overhead plan, track installation on the remainder of the route began in 1987 and was completed in 1992. Installation of historic light poles and overhead wire were also completed in 1992. In 1990, OPT had received a significant boost in the form of a $500,000 allocation from State Lottery transportation funding for support of the trolley as a demonstration light rail project. The money, which ensured completion of the project's initial phase, was administered to OPT by the City of Tucson.

Operations began in 1993, with the Birney car being joined by an Osaka, Japan double-truck car. In its first year of operation, the line saw 25,000 paying passengers. In 1995, the ten-year lease of the Birney car came to an end, and it returned to the museum who had leased OPT the car. To supplement their Osaka car, the group has also acquired a Belgium single-truck car (now in service, see photos below), a Toronto PCC, and two Los Angeles Railway streetcar bodies.

OPT is also seeking funding for their Downtown extension proposal which is covered in good detail on their website.  The extension would change the character of the line from a tourist attraction / museum to more of a transportation service, and would require the use of additional trolleys. 

 

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Belgian single-truck streetcar 1511, a 1936-vintage car acquired by OPT in 1995

OPT operates in mixed traffic on city streets.

This is the turn off of 4th St. to the OPT "carbarn".

The OPT "carbarn" The restoration of car 1511 was completed in 2002.

John Smatlak photos 

 


News and Updates

 

May 2002: OPT has completed construction of a wye on 4th Ave. and 8th St., adjacent to their carbarn. An article in the Arizona Daily Wildcat provides an overview of Old Pueblo Trolley's other expansion plans. The line extension into downtown is being supported by "Citizens for a Sensible Transportation Solution" who have included the project as a component of their ballot initiative, detailed on their website.  

 

tucson_underpass2.JPG (28140 bytes)4th Avenue Underpass- OPT's goal of serving the downtown core is about to take a major step forward. The 1916-vintage 4th Ave. underpass currently blocks access for the trolleys, but a new underpass is scheduled to be under construction by late 2002. The new underpass will accommodate both auto traffic and the trolley line, while the existing 1916 underpass will be converted to pedestrian and bicycle use. The excellent Tucson Downtown Alliance website includes coverage of this and other interesting projects, including the restoration of the historic Southern Pacific Railroad depot which is immediately adjacent to the underpass. John Smatlak photos- click to enlarge.


 

February 2003: OPT has acquired one of the ex-Libson single truck meter-gauge trams that the City of Aspen recently disposed of. Car 524 arrived in Tucson in January along with parts from a second car which was deemed to far gone to be saved. OPT staff are now working on re-gauging the car. In addition, the group continues to work on their yard track expansion plan. Thanks to Eric Sitiko for the news.

 
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Tucson Libson truck 2.jpg (262973 bytes)

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photo montage showing move of Libson 524

Brill truck which is to be re-gauged

OPT photos


March 2006: The City of Tucson is working through a major transit investment study for the urban core. Options studied in the initial alternatives analysis included both Vintage Trolleys and Modern Streetcars. The concept of a Modern Streetcar and a recommended alignment were unanimously approved by Tucson's Mayor and Council in January 2006.  The Tucson DOT has a very informative website, including details of the proposed alignment.   


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4th Ave. underpass rendering. Credit: Design Build Collaborative

January 2008: The long-awaited extension of the Old Pueblo Trolley is finally underway. The $26 million dollar reconstruction of the 4th Avenue Underpass is currently underway, and the project will include the addition of track and overhead for the trolley. Improved pedestrian walkways will also be added, including a walkway to the adjacent historic railroad depot. A short in-street trolley loop will be constructed on the other side of the underpass that will allow the trolleys to loop around and return. Although under a half-mile in length, the extension will bring the trolleys closer to the heart of downtown, and help create a more seamless linkage between the Fourth Avenue shopping and entertainment district and the rest of downtown. Project completion is currently scheduled for Spring 2009. Additional details are available in a 1/2/08 article in the Arizona Daily Star.

 

In other Tucson news, the city's Modern Streetcar project continues to move ahead. The new streetcar would travel over much the same route as today's Old Pueblo Trolley (the 4th Ave. and University Ave. corridors), as well as accessing the downtown and U of A campus areas. The project is presently in the environmental assessment and advanced conceptual design phase. More information is available on the project website.

 


 

Links

 

Tucson DOT Transit Investment Study website

 

Article on 4th Ave. Underpass project on Tucson Weekly website

 

Tucson page on the new APTA Heritage Trolley site

 

Official OPT website

 

Route Map

 

 

 

This page was last updated on 1/3/08


 

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