What is modern streetcar? Get to know this transit mode with Sept. 18 vehicle display

METRO will host the ameriTRAM (TM) modern streetcar vehicle to show the local community what streetcar is and the value this mode will bring with the development of the Tempe Streetcar project in the Mill Avenue corridor.

Attendees will have the opportunity to walk on this vehicle and talk with staff about this transit mode and the Tempe Streetcar project. This is a free event and all are welcome!

Sunday, September 18

8 a.m. – 12 p.m. – stop by anytime

Veterans Way/College light rail station

Manufactured by Kinkisharyo, the ameriTRAM (TM) offers hybrid technology where both overhead electricity and battery power are used to propel the vehicle. However, this is just one example of a modern streetcar vehicle. METRO will conduct a formal search for the Tempe Streetcar vehicle in 2012.

Tempe Streetcar will be the region’s first introduction to modern streetcar. The line will run 2.6 miles between Rio Salado Parkway and Southern Avenue in the Mill Avenue corridor. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2013 with completion by 2016. It will be built using a mix of regional Proposition 400 and federal dollars.

For more information on Tempe Streetcar, visit http://www.metrolightrail.org/tempestreetcar. For more details on the ameriTRAM (TM) vehicle, visit http://www.ameritram.com.

About METRO

METRO is responsible for the development and operation of the region’s high-capacity transit system. The first 20-mile light rail line opened December 2008 and served 12.6 million riders in 2010, exceeding the prior year by 11 percent. METRO serves an average of 40,000 riders each weekday while also planning for six extensions that will create a 57-mile system by 2031.

Source: Metro Light Rail