Fifty-one years since the last streetcar ferried commuters down Sparks Street and 44 years since traffic has been allowed on the historic road, representatives from the various authorities responsible for the street met Friday to co-ordinate efforts of running a streetcar-line down its length.
The National Capital Commission, Queen’s Park, and the city sat down with the Ottawa Streetcar Committee which aims to draw people back to the beleaguered shopping district by bringing back historic street cars and to reduce bus congestion downtown.
The group estimates it will cost $16 million to get the project on track, a capital investment that David Powers, a city economic development consultant, said would require some integration with the city’s transit plans.
With the NCC and STO dusting off a 2001 proposal to build an inter-provincial rail loop, Powers suggested that the committee try to integrate its efforts.
Ideally, the group wants slow-moving electric street cars extend from the old Union Station to the National War Museum at LeBreton Flats as a first phase, but was receptive to the idea of incorporating its plans with those of Gatineau and Ottawa.
David Jeanes, of Transport Action Canada, said that the due to the type of rail used by heritage street cars, the rail installation can be done fairly quickly – within a few months.
Holly Layte, chairperson of the Ottawa Streetcar Committee and owner of the Marvelous Mustard Shop, said that during the 10 years she’s owned her business she’s seen Sparks Street businesses suffer due to harsh winter weather, limited parking and the absence of evening clientele.
“If we want vitality we need a wow project, and heritage streetcar lines can wow, in Tampa the project has had a return of 1,000 per cent on the investment,” said Layte.
Communications has become the focus of the committee’s effort lately as it gets ready to launch a website and distribute literature to gain public support for the project.
Layte said she admits that the project has had its fair share of setbacks but she is adamant that it will take the streetcar to get more feet on the ground on Sparks Street and revitalize the once prosperous shopping district.