Columbus — Streetcar Plan to be Revised

Rail Transit Online, August 2008

The city council on July 28 unanimously approved the award of a $300,000 contract extension to consultant HDR Inc. for a study of a 2.8-mi. (4.5 km) downtown streetcar route. The decision came more than two weeks after Mayor Michael B. Coleman agreed to seek cost reductions for the $103-million project because the city is facing a $75-million budget deficit.

HDR will look at different approaches to reduce the price tag and identify funding sources, but will also expand the scope of the analysis to determine how the streetcar would complement a proposed commuter rail system. Coleman now believes the trolley could eventually be part of a region-wide rail network.