The Oregon Hill Streetcar Circulator
Adam Socki
Virginia Commonwealth University – Urban and Regional Planning Department
1901 Photograph of Oregon Hill Streetcar on Cherry St. Hill near origional enterence to Hollywood
Cemetary. (Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/deadrichmond/2338680814/)
Introduction
This proposal is for the introduction of streetcar/trolley passenger rail service through the neighborhood
of Oregon Hill in the City of Richmond. Facilitating economic development, increasing accessibility,
environmental preservation and alleviating vehicular traffic in the area are among the main driving
factors for the re-development of this streetcar corridor. This streetcar will provide direct access from
the center of the VCU Monroe Park Campus to the James River Waterfront and Dominion Resources
Corporate center through the Oregon Hill neighborhood.
The streetcar will operate on a single one-way track operating southward on Laurel St., curving East
along the Riverfront access road of Oregon Hill Parkway. The car will turn and continue north on Pine
Street. The streetcar will then turn left on Idlewood Avenue and take a right going North on Cherry
Street where it will arrive at Cathedral Place, the heart of the Virginia Commonwealth University
Monroe Park campus. The streetcar will turn on Cathedral and turn again on Laurel where it will
continue the route from where it began. The proposed track length is 1.88 miles. Figure 1 at the end of
this proposal represents the proposed route in green.
In order to ensure a low capital costs for implementation of the project, a heritage style streetcar will be
used. These low-cost systems are easy to implement by requiring much less right-of-way space than
what is traditionally required in modern light rail projects. Heritage streetcars also provide a method of
maintaining the local character of a neighborhood by using refurbished historic period style vehicles.
Maintaining the historical preservation of Oregon Hill has been identified as a major concern of
residents in the neighborhood’s attempt to promote economic development.
Client
This plan is presented to the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Organization (OHNO), Greater Richmond Transit
Company (GRTC), and the City of Richmond. These three organizations are stakeholders in the
community whose missions are to improve the quality of life through the organization, investment, and
implementation of programs and resources.
OHNO is a neighborhood level organization whose focus is to improve and maintain living conditions for
people who live, work, study, or play in the Oregon Hill neighborhood. The organization holds monthly
meetings in which they discuss current conditions and pending area projects. Recently, there has been
strong opposition from Oregon Hill residents against the planned construction of the 2nd Street
Connector Road, a project that has already destroyed several historic landmarks such as sections the
Canal Wall and has worried residents of an increase in vehicular traffic through Oregon Hill. The
streetcar circulator will mitigate the issues the proposed 2nd Street Connector Road attempts to solve by
providing a sustainable, low-cost, and low-impact mode of access to the riverfront. Overall, working with
OHNO is one of the only viable ways to implement this much needed project. It offers a wide variety of
resources concerning local conditions, perspectives, values, and needs.
GRTC has seen declining ridership levels in recent years and has been looking for new and innovative
ways to increase ridership levels across its system including a Bus Rapid Transit corridor along Broad
Street. The development of a low-cost passenger rail transit project is an easy way to attract a currently
untapped segment of potential transit riders and will be the method in which it can seize the growing
interest in non-vehicular transit modes. Furthermore, current capital investment projects that GRTC has
proposed are high in capital costs and are lacking a secured funding source. A low capital cost project
that could attract new riders such as the proposed Oregon Hill Streetcar Circulator will be an attractive
project for the transit company.
The City of Richmond and other civic organization in the city have shown interest in increasing the level
of regional transit accessibility specifically through the revival of the city’s streetcar network. This
project acts as a starting point for increasing the interest and future expansion of passenger rail across
the region. With the successful implementation of this project, the city will further promote and invest
in the expansion of passenger rail across the region. This can also act as a way of promoting Richmond
as a ‘Tier One’ city, a goal highlighted in their recently published capital improvements plan. Cities across
the U.S. are attempting to improve their attractiveness through implementing passenger rail. This
project will put the City of Richmond on the map to those who are interested in progressive modes of
passenger transit.
Purpose of Plan
This project will directly benefit the desires of the community of reducing vehicular ‘cut through’ traffic
by providing non-vehicular riverfront access for visitors, residents, and area employees. The streetcar
circulator service will offer an increase in non-vehicular traffic to the neighborhood which will facilitate
economic and commercial development while preserving the existing character of the area. All of these
concerns have been raised by local residents in the area. This will be implemented through facilitating
non-vehicular traffic from the VCU area, through Oregon Hill leading to the waterfront.
Oregon Hill is a vibrant community that is isolated from other areas of the city. Based on GRTC transit
accessibility standards the area is currently a ‘level 3’ transit area classified as ‘underserved’ meaning an
average of 30-45 min headways between buses that are within ¼ mile. The implementation of a
streetcar network circulator service will increase the level of mobility for Oregon Hill residents.
Another purpose of this proposal is that it is a low cost method to facilitate Transit Oriented
Development in Oregon Hill through channeling economic development into the area while facilitating
equitable growth. Through promoting Transit Oriented Economic Development as a means for
increasing more commercial presence in Oregon Hill, this will prevent the high volume of cars that often
can accompany mixed commercial corridors such as is seen in Carytown. The corridor can also be
characterized as a place to go ‘to ride the trolley’ which will attract other non-Oregon Hill visitors or
other tourists into the area.
Another purpose of the project is that the streetcar will act as a starter line for the reconstruction of a
larger streetcar or passenger rail network across the remainder of the Richmond area. This philosophy
has been applied to other cities in which low-cost or ‘low hanging fruit projects’ are quickly
implemented to spark interest and increase demand for the city to implement more rail projects.
Review of Relevant Literature and Plans

Golem, Ron, and Janet Smith-Heimer. "A Synthesis of Transit Practice. Relationships Between
Streetcars and the Built Environment.” Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C.: 2010.
This study details the impact that the installation of a streetcar or trolley system in cities across the U.S.
has had on the built environment such as their effects on land use, the physical environment, and
economic development. It uses case studies and analysis of various US streetcar systems. It describes
several reasons why introducing a functional trolley system is an effective means of increasing transit
ridership levels and can have a positive impact on improving and implementing commercial corridors
through the implementation of these transit projects.

Modern Streetcar Study Peer Review. Presented to the Modern Streetcar Study Committee.
Compiled by the Fort Worth Planning and Development Department August 11, 2008.
(http://www.fortworthgov.com/uploadedFiles/Planning_and_Development/Miscellaneous_%28
template%29/Peer%20City%20Handout%20for%20distribution.pdf)
This document offers a detailed list of similar low-cost streetcar/trolley networks that have been
implemented in recent years. A breakdown of funding, planning timelines, operation schedules, TOD
information, vehicle data, network maps, potential network expansion data and ridership numbers are
detailed for 10 different streetcar systems across the U.S. This document allows for an analysis of
different systems by looking at how the relationship between cost and network size has had an effect on
overall system performance.
APTA Streetcar and Heritage Trolley Site. American Public Transportation Association.
(http://www.heritagetrolley.org)
This site is a dated but useful source of information concerning what is known as ‘Heritage Trolley
Systems’. It goes into great detail and offers a wide variety of resources on streetcar revival systems. The
Kenosha, WI system is of most importance. It has been identified as one of the systems with the lowest
initial capital costs to construct. It is important to replicate the methods used in its implementation. This
project, with a capital cost at a very relatively low $2.2 million/mile, had led to a development
investment rate in the area of nearly 2400% of the capital costs.

Aurelius, John. January 2010. Urban Circulators-Streetcar Electrification. Transportation
Research Board Committee AP075, Subcommittee AP075(1).
This publication looks at ways to determine different forms of electrification that is intended to guide
cost estimates for early stages in the planning process for ‘urban circulator projects’. The document
helps to distinguish the differences between the two different forms of contemporary urban rail project
types, one of the more common light rail projects that are often more expensive (similar to The Tide in
Norfolk, VA) versus a cheaper system similar to the ‘Heritage style’ systems such as the Kenosha,
Wisconsin Streetcar Circulator mentioned previously.

Proposed Capital Improvement Program for the City of Richmond -- FY13-17.
This document presented by the Mayor Dwight C. Jones offers a detailed list of several hundred capital
improvement projects across the City of Richmond. Several projects are located in Oregon Hill including
the 2nd Street Connector project intended on connecting 2nd Street with Tredegar Street which will
provide a means of connecting people to the waterfront. This project has drawn strong opposition from
Oregon Hill residents due to concerns of the loss of historic landmarks such as the Canal Wall and
increased vehicular traffic from visitors to the James River waterfront. The purpose of this plan is to
remediate these two concerns while facilitating the demand for proper access to the waterfront.
Data gathering and Analysis
In order to meet the needs for the proper implementation of a streetcar, it is important to conduct a
comprehensive evaluation of both existing conditions and projected future conditions. These future
conditions will be both an analysis of what will change in the area due to the implementation of the
network and an analysis of a ‘do-nothing’ alternative whereby no streetcar network is constructed. For
the creation of a coherent existing conditions analysis, it is important to collect as much data of the
areas with direct access to the proposed rail corridor along with the surrounding areas to understand
the overall effect the project will have on the region.
The types of qualitative data that will be collected are current traffic analysis, demographic data of
residents who reside within and surrounding the corridor, housing conditions and types of housing, and
a profile of current economic conditions which will include restaurants or other established
neighborhood businesses. The traffic analysis will be of most importance in order to understand how
the streetcar circulator will work to alleviate current and future traffic patterns.
Cost estimates on the capital and operating costs for the streetcar circulator would also have to be
completed. These costs can be based on similar projects in the United States that have already been
constructed or those that are currently in their planning process.
Data Analysis (including S.W.O.T.)
As defined by OHNO, the boundaries of Oregon Hill are Belvidere Street to the East, Cary Street to the
North, Hollywood Cemetery and Harrison Street north of the Downtown Expressway to the west, and
the southernmost point of Oregon Hill Park in the South. These boundaries make Oregon Hill an
isolated area to both residents and those who are unfamiliar with the neighborhood. Introducing a rail
that connects non-residents will reconstruct people’s ideas of Oregon Hill while maintaining and
promoting its actual cultural identity.
To calculate the capital cost of the project, the same capital cost formula used for the Kenosha, WI
streetcar circulator line will be used. When constructed in 2000, the circulator was constructed at price
rate of $2.2 million per mile. Using this formula, the 1.88 mile Oregon Hill Streetcar Circulator capital
costs will be $4.14 million.
S.W.O.T. Analysis:
Strengths – Oregon Hill has a population of 1,147 persons (2010 U.S. Census) and an area of
0.174 square miles giving the area a density of 6,592 persons per square mile1, a relatively high density
area when compared to other existing or planned rail transit corridors.
Furthermore, an examination of the city’s layout of its historic streetcar system in Richmond, VA
illustrates that Oregon Hill was a part of the original streetcar network.2 Besides the lack of direct access
to a public transit network, the neighborhood is fairly multi-modal. Pedestrians and cyclists are frequent
users of the area.
Weaknesses – Citizen opposition towards the re-implementation of passenger rail has
historically been quite strong and still may persist in urban neighborhoods. For this reason, it is
important to involve community members from the beginning of the project and to clearly illustrate the
importance of implementing this project. Traditionally, projects that involve the community members
early on are those that are going to be implemented. Some of the streets are relatively narrow. This
may cause a conflict between the on-street vehicles and the circulating streetcar.
Opportunities – The culture exists within Oregon Hill that there must be a plan that will lower
the level of vehicular traffic that is expected to rise in the area. Matched with the rising density is the
growing concern of cross through traffic of non-residents attempting to reach Oregon Hill Point, the
Riverfront, and the large employment site of Dominion Energy. Residents are further worried that once
the construction of the new 2nd Avenue Connecter in the neighborhood will facilitate more vehicular
congestion.
This worry towards the growth of car traffic can be utilized in creating a common community
consensus that non-vehicular infrastructure projects are appropriate alternatives to current trends of
expanding automobile based infrastructure projects.
Having the first revitalized streetcar corridor in the region located in Oregon Hill has massive
potential to spur much needed commercial economic growth in the neighborhood. There are many
abandoned buildings appropriate for adaptive reuse along with vacant lots that can facilitate sustainable
infill. Local businesses such as Mamma-Zu could profit from this project. The local restaurant could
become an advertised route destination in order to both bring people to the restaurant and to ride the
trolley.
Threats – The project could face large levels of opposition. Revitalization of rail is often seen as a
means of ‘taking people’s cars away’ or threats that rail will decrease the level of traffic a business may
receive. Further threats to the project are potential financing issues. The city and GRTC are currently
1
2
http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Oregon-Hill-Richmond-VA.html
See attached map - Figure 2.
focusing a majority of its capital improvement financing on the construction of the Bus Rapid Transit line
down Broad Street. This BRT project is currently facing a budget shortfall of $17 million dollars. Having
said that, the proposed capital costs for the Oregon Hill Streetcar Circulator project are much less than
the BRT project having a preliminary estimated capital costs below $5 million.
Conclusion
The construction of the Oregon Hill Streetcar Circulator will facilitate transit oriented growth in Oregon
Hill while maintaining its current cultural character. The area is quite diverse with several schools, a
community center, waterfront access, restaurants, and several places of worship. There is a historical
precedent in the construction of the circulator; Richmond was once the world capital of the streetcar.
Looking towards the future, the Oregon Hill Streetcar Circulator will act as an incubation point from
which passenger rail can expand across the greater Richmond region and provide an alternative to the
automobile.
Figure 1. Satellite Imagery of proposed Oregon Hill/VCU/Belle Isle Circulator. (Belle Isle is located
directly south of this image).
Figure 2. Oregon Hill Streetcar Network located in the Orange box.