Link:  http://savannahnow.com/node/684029 

After years of planning and development, all three components for Savannah’s system of downtown transit - affectionately known by its shorthand name as “Dot” - are in place.

That was reason enough for city leaders and transportation officials to celebrate Thursday with a ride on a shuttle to the River Street trolley, followed by a ferry ride to Hutchinson Island. The trolley, which was the final component, began operating last month.

Check it out:  http://bicyclecampaign.org/2009/02/24/dump-the-pump-returns/

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Tourists visiting Savannah’s historic riverfront can now take a free 1930s streetcar.

The shuttle began running Feb. 11, covering 10 blocks along the cobblestone promenade of shops and restaurants facing the Savannah River.

The city spent about $1 million to buy the tracks used by the streetcar and to restore its vintage look. But the streetcar also has a 21st century hybrid engine that runs on electricity and biodiesel fuel.

Savannah’s streetcar history was tied to the railroad development after the Civil War. In 1869, small, one-horse streetcars provided citizens and visitors with an affordable transportation option and also served as a feeder from the railroads to the outer islands and growing suburbs of Savannah.                   

In 1890, the first electric streetcar operated in Savannah.  The streetcar barn was located at Gwinnett Street which is the current headquarters of the Chatham Area Transit Authority.  Early into the new century the street railway lines were consolidated by the Savannah Electric Company which provided electricity and now transit operations. The Savannah Electric Company constructed amusement parks and casinos at Thunderbolt and Isle of Hope to increase recreational ridership demand during off peak non-commute streetcar hours. Savannah’s electric streetcars prospered through the 1920’s and 1930’s but were eventually phased out in the 1940’s in favor of the automobile and highway system. In January 1946, the Savannah Electric and Power Company sold its holdings to the Savannah Transit Company. On August 26, 1946, the last streetcar operated in Savannah. Throughout its history, the streetcar system was important to Savannah’s tourism industry.  This is demonstrated by including the regular winter influx of the northern snow birds via the railroad - northern folk escaping the harsh winters. Pamphlets promoting the streetcar service were distributed nationally. 

Return of the Streetcar to River Street

The River Street Streetcar is known as the Melbourne Streetcar 756.  It represents one of 120, W5 class cars built in Melbourne, Australia between 1935 and 1939. The vehicle operated in Melbourne until decommissioned in 1990 and was sold for shipment to the U.S. Only two W5 streetcars have made it to the U.S., Savannah car 756 will be the first operation car of this class in the country. The 47’ streetcar was fully refurbished which included improvements to the electrical and mechanical systems, propulsion and braking systems, internal and external finishes and accessibility.   

Due to concerns with the use of overhead electrical wires as a means of propulsion, Savannah issued the challenge to their contractors to develop a quiet, environmentally friendly system while maintaining the integrity and history of the unique, original streetcar.  The streetcars are powered almost exclusively by ultra capacitor batteries which re-power themselves as they operate.  Small marine engines also aid in the recharging process and power production when needed.   The River Street Streetcar is a new green-powered, fully restored 1930s-era streetcar—the first hybrid streetcar in North America. The rail-bound streetcar will be fueled with B20 biodiesel—produced locally in part using grease collected from the very restaurants the streetcar will pass every day.   

River Street Streetcar Service

The streetcar service will operate along the existing track along River Street between Montgomery Street Ramp.  Streetcar service will run from 12noon to 7PM, five days a week, Wednesday through Sunday. Seven streetcar stops are located along River Street.  Standards that were used to determine the stop locations include accessibility for persons with disabilities and directional proximity to the historic squares. Stops include:

• Franklin Square/Montgomery Street Ramp

• Ellis Square/Barnard Street Ramp

• Johnson Square/Drayton Street Ramp

• Reynolds Square/Abercorn Street Ramp

• Warren Square

• Washington Square/East Bay Street Ramp

• Waving Girl Statue

 The streetcar will not need to turn around on River Street because it is double-ended—meaning it can be driven from both ends.  The streetcar is also double-sided allowing passengers to access both sides.   Approximately 40 to 45 passengers can be seated in the streetcar with roughly double that number of standing passengers.   The streetcar will be equipped with ADA compliant lifts, one on each side, to aid passengers with disabilities or limited mobility in getting on and off of the streetcar.   Please note, according to City ordinance all deliveries must be completed by 12noon.  Additionally, parking is prohibited on River Street and restrictions will be enforced.  

Downtown Transportation—dot

The River Street Streetcar, Savannah Belles Ferry and dot shuttle are all components of the “dot”, Savannah’s fare-free Downtown Transportation system.  The “dot” gets you where you want to go, when you need to get there, in and around Savannah’s beautiful Historic District.  The three components of the “dot” interconnect and transfer at the intersection of the Drayton Ramp and River Street. 

The shuttle bus is currently in operation and consists of two new shuttle vehicles in simultaneous circulation with no more than a 15-minute wait time.  The service includes a series of 10 stops which are in close proximity to key destinations, municipal parking garages and other mobility systems.  The express shuttle operates from 10AM to 8PM, seven days a week.    

The Savannah Belles Ferry is modern passenger-only ferries reminiscent of vessels seen in the harbor a century ago.  The ferries connect downtown with Hutchinson Island and the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center.  The ferries operate seven days a week from 7AM to midnight.  From the Trade & Convention Center Landing (on Hutchinson Island next to the Westin Savannah Harbor Resort) to:·         City Hall Landing below City Hall adjacent to the Hyatt Regency Hotel·         Waving Girl Landing in Morrell Park adjacent to the Marriott Riverfront Hotel The streetcar, shuttle bus and Savannah Belles Ferry are ADA accessible.

A gleaming yellow and green 1930s-era streetcar creaked slowly onto a Savannah railway Wednesday as about two dozen onlookers clapped in approval.

Off to one side, wearing a trim blue suit and a conductor’s cap, stood Gary Landrio, an assistant vice president for TranSystems, the Pennsylvania company that refurbished the streetcar.

While conductor and streetcar might have looked old-fashioned, their debut represents a state-of-the-art effort that makes Savannah part of a national resurgence in providing low-impact, highly efficient modes of public transit.

full article…

The Chatham Area Transit Authority approved this morning a six month “transitional” contract with Veolia Transportation.

Veolia will start managing the transit system on March 1.

During the six-month period, Veolia will develop a public-private partnership management model. Commissioners will then decide whether to accept the model and contract with Veolia on a long-term basis.

Veolia employee Charles Odimgbe will serve as executive director during the transition. Interim CAT director Joe Rivers will remain in a consulting role while the new system is developed.

A 1930s-era streetcar should be ready to roll along River Street by next Wednesday, but there are still issues to resolve about how it will share the road.

Sean Brandon, the city’s director of mobility and parking services, and other city representatives met Tuesday with River Street merchants and tour operators.

The biggest fear Brandon tried to allay revolved around reports that once the streetcar was in operation, tour buses would be banned from River Street.
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SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) - Starting today, parking rates are going up in downtown Savannah.

Parking tickets are up to $15, meters are going up to $1 an hour in the main core of downtown and parking garage monthly fees are up. Parking services officials say they could be higher, but chose to keep them at what they call a reasonable rate.

However, many businesses say the changes won’t help them at all.

“I think parking should be customer friendly in Savannah, where it’s not,” Paula Danyluk told WTOC. Danyluk owns The Paris Market on the corner of Whitaker and Broughton streets, where it can be hard to find parking. “It’s one of those things where you are beating your head against the wall because there is nothing you can do,” Danyluk said. “There is no parking. You have customer who rode around for 20 minutes saying they can’t find parking. No one seems to know about the Whitaker Street garage.”

Savannah Parking Services thinks they have a solution. In the name of a struggling economy, they say they’ve made changes to the parking system to help lead people to garages, freeing up short term parking spaces which they say will benefit downtown businesses.
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Today, a plan designed to ease downtown street parking and generate more revenue for the city parking department will increase meter parking fees and fines but will decrease garage fees.

Parking meter rates around downtown will go from 75 cents per hour to $1, which the city’s Mobility and Parking Services Department hopes will encourage motorists to use the parking garages, according to a department news release.

The price increase will be introduced in phases through March 23.

Also, citations for overtime meter parking will increase from $10 to $15. The fine for an expired meter in a limited time zone will increase from $12 to $15, which is the first increase in five years, the release stated.

City-owned lots along River Street will change from a 10-hour parking maximum to two hours, which will align them with parking ordinances. The move was made so more people can use the River Street lots and to push long-term parkers into the garages, the release stated.

Meanwhile, parking rates in the garages have been reduced. The monthly fee for the Whitaker Street garage was reduced from $110 to $95 per month. Fees at the Savannah Civic Center lot were dropped from $1 per hour to 30 cents an hour.

Off-peak monthly rates are also available at other garages.