The return of streetcars to western American cities : reintroducing streetcars in Denver's historic streetcar neighborhoods

Modern streetcars are making a comeback in the United States after their disappearance in the mid twentieth century. They resemble their distant relative, also known as the trolley, in many ways but express a contemporary, provide modern conveniences, and act as a magnet for redevelopment within the city. Modern streetcars build on the theory behind the European tram systems and provide desirable transportation options to support a range of densities in urban living. Currently in the United States, Portland, OR and Seattle,WA operate one modern streetcar line and have plans to expand their singular line into a network. Using these two routes, the plans for system expansion, and the individual cities that support them as case studies, this thesis analyzes the potential for streetcars to return to Denver, CO.The analysis for the Mile High City was conducted using my knowledge of and research on Denver and the surrounding metropolitan region, its historical skeleton that developed around the streetcar, and the City's current trends in public transportation and planning processes. Based on a multifaceted analysis that includes studying the relationship of potential streetcar route length, multi-modal connections, major destinations, high bus ridership routes, projected residential density, projected employment density, and redevelopment potential based on use and zoning, Denver is in fact an appropriate city for the return of streetcars.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2009

Author dc:creator

• Snider, Sarah E. (Sarah Elizabeth)

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Sam Bass Warner.

• Urban Studies and Planning.
• Urban Design Program.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/50106

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/50106