Tucson ― Streetcar Order Announced

Rail Transit Online, June 2009

United Streetcar has announced that it has been chosen to supply seven modern U.S.-made streetcars to the city of Tucson for its planned 3.6-mi. (5.8 km) line connecting the University Medical Center, the University of Arizona campus, downtown and the Rio Nuevo cultural center.

United, a subsidiary of Oregon Iron Works located in the Portland suburb of Clackamas, on May 15 rolled out its prototype car, the 10 T3 based on a design from railcar manufacturer Skoda in the Czech Republic. However, United's product contains approximately 70-percent U.S. Conte more than meeting Buy America requirements.

"We basically traded out all these parts and pieces from Europe and have found local vendors from all over the United States," United Streetcar President Chandra Brown told Inside Tucson Business. The company's aim is to produce an American-made streetcar that will qualify for federal funding.
Work on the Tucson order — which includes an option for up to seven additional cars — will begin when a contract is signed, which must await
FTA and local approvals, according to Brown. Tucson's order is for model 10 T4, which is an upgrade designed for cities with a hot climate that offers increased cooling capacity, improved air distribution and a new and more efficient HVAC system.

The prototype, the first American-made streetcar in 57 years, is now undergoing exhaustive testing on the Portland Streetcar system and will enter revenue service this summer.

www.unitedstreetcar.com