River Rail Streetcar

River Rail Streetcar
Two River Rail streetcars pause at the HAM stop in June 2005
Overview
Type	Heritage Streetcar
System	Central Arkansas Transit Authority
Locale	Little Rock, Arkansas
Termini	North Little Rock (north) Presidential Library (south)
Stations	14
Daily ridership	340
Operation
Opened	November 1, 2004
Owner	Central Arkansas Transit Authority
Operator(s)	Central Arkansas Transit Authority
Rolling stock	5 cars
Technical
Line length	3.4 mi (5.5 km)
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Minimum radius	(?)
Electrification	600 V DC, overhead trolley wire
Route map Legend Main St. at 7th Trolley barn Maple St. at 6th Main St. at 5th Maple St. at Broadway Verizon Plaza, 120 Main Main St. Bridge over Arkansas River Main Street Bridge stop Blue line only to North Little Rock Markham at Scott West Markham at Spring President Clinton Ave. at Commerce 2nd at Spring 2nd at Scott (Historic Arkansas Museum) Service to Presidential Library only until 5:45 pm Commerce at 3rd 3rd at Commerce Presidential Library/Heifer Intl. This route map:  view talk edit

The River Rail Streetcar is a heritage streetcar system operating in Little Rock and North Little Rock in the U.S. state of Arkansas. It has operated since November 1, 2004. As of February 17, 2007, the system is 3.4 miles (5.5 km) long after its first extension was put into service. River Rail Streetcar is operated by Central Arkansas Transit Authority.

History

Little Rock's first horsecar line (horse tramway) opened in 1876. Horsecars operated until 1895. Steam-powered streetcars operated between July 3, 1888, and 1889. Electric traction was introduced on December 23, 1891. Electric streetcars operated until September 1, 1947, extending as far west as the city's Hillcrest and Stifft's Station neighborhoods.

Streetcar crossing the Arkansas River

The River Rail Streetcar opened on November 1, 2004. Phase I consisted of a single 2.5-mile (4.0 km) long line that connects two cities, Little Rock and North Little Rock, situated on opposite sides of the Arkansas River.

The River Rail Streetcar carried 200,000 passengers in its first year of operation.

In January 2006, construction began on Phase II, which was a 0.9-mile (1.4 km) extension to the William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Heifer International headquarters. This section opened on February 16, 2007, with a ribbon cutting by Pulaski County Judge Buddy Villines, Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola, and North Little Rock Mayor Pat Hays. The extension increased the length of the line by about 33%, making the total mileage 3.4 miles (5.5 km).

Expansion

Additional extensions to the system are under discussion, the most ambitious of which is a 2.5-mile (4 km) extension to Little Rock National Airport. If the expansion is completed, the status of the line could take a role in some form of light rail line, instead of its current role as a heritage trolley. It, among others in Savannah and Tampa are considered a hybrid form of transport known as "rapid streetcar".^[1] The expansion of the River Rail Streetcar line, turning it into a more effective rail rapid transit line, would be the first example of such a system in the United States.

Rolling stock

River Rail Streetcar initially used three replica vintage electric trolleys. Two more streetcars were added as a part of the new Phase II extension. The design of these cars is generally similar to Birney-type streetcars used in Little Rock until after World War II. The original number series for those cars was 400–407. The present cars continue that number series, albeit 60 years later, with the current cars being numbered 408–412. All of the cars in the present fleet were manufactured by the Gomaco Trolley Company.

Stations

The trolley stops at many downtown attractions, from the Clinton Library to the historic River Market. The stops include the Peabody Hotel, Heifer Intl., and the Historic Arkansas Museum. Stations continue into the rapidly rejuvenating area of North Little Rock known as Argenta. Stops there include access to the USS Razorback (SS-394) WW II submarine, trolley barn, Verizon Arena, and the Dickey-Stephens baseball park (home of the Arkansas Travelers).

The stops are indicated with 10-foot (3.05 m)-tall black signs and yellow sidewalk "bumps" curbside with the system map posted at each stop. Trolleys cannot be hailed between stops.

Both stops and cars can be sponsored for a donation.

See also

• List of heritage railways

References

1. ^ rapid streetcar

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: River Rail Streetcar

• Central Arkansas Transit Authority: River Rail Streetcar
• Light Rail Now!: Rapid Streetcar

v t e Currently operating light rail and streetcar systems in the United States Arizona Metro Light Rail · Old Pueblo Trolley Arkansas River Rail Streetcar California MUNI: Cable Car, F Market & Wharves, and Metro lines · Metro Rail: Blue Line, Green Line, Gold Line and Expo Line  · Sacramento RT · San Diego Trolley · Sprinter · Santa Clara VTA · Waterfront Red Car Colorado Fort Collins Municipal Railway · Platte Valley Trolley · RTD Light Rail Florida TECO Line Streetcar System Georgia River Street Streetcar Louisiana New Orleans Streetcars Maryland Baltimore Light Rail Massachusetts Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line · MBTA Green Line Minnesota Como-Harriet Streetcar Line · Hiawatha Line Missouri /  Illinois MetroLink New Jersey Hudson–Bergen Light Rail · Newark Light Rail · River Line New York Buffalo Metro Rail North Carolina Lynx Rapid Transit Services · Charlotte Trolley Ohio RTA Blue and Green Lines Oregon MAX Light Rail · Portland Streetcar · Portland Vintage Trolley Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Light Rail · SEPTA Routes 15, 101, 102, and Subway–Surface Lines Tennessee Memphis MATA Trolley Texas DART Light Rail · Houston MetroRail · M-Line (McKinney Ave.) Utah UTA TRAX Virginia Norfolk Tide Washington Link Light Rail · Seattle Streetcar Network Wisconsin Kenosha Transit