01043975

Component

Many medium-sized cities are busy revitalizing their riverfronts after years of industrial and manufacturing uses. However, it has been realized that redevelopment projects will not only help with economic development but will increase the amount of traffic along a fragile environmental area. The City of Dubuque, Iowa located on the Mississippi River has built a conference and educational center, a museum, and a hotel and is in the process of planning and designing new retail and housing developments. Formerly an industrial area, “America’s River Project” at the Port of Dubuque will attract a half million visitors each year. While the new development will make Dubuque a better place to live and add to the community’s economic vitality, it will also bring more traffic and parking problems. By studying the transportation alternatives in the downtown and the port areas, the City of Dubuque hopes to determine why transit might be the best solution. Dubuque believes that a streetcar transit system holds the promise of reducing parking and automobile congestion by providing a solution to meet growing transportation needs. Vintage streetcars, light rail, and rubber-tired trolley buses are among the options that were analyzed in Dubuque. Using transit to link the port with downtown will make it easier for both tourists and residents to enjoy the attractions of both areas. Additionally, the new transit system will also likely spur more new development by drawing restaurants, shops, and entertainment downtown and into the riverfront areas. Preliminary study results show that an investment in transit would be a cost-effective option. Officials from Dubuque realize that instead of having to spend a lot of money building new roads and parking garages, each city could maximize the use of its existing facilities. Overall, citizens in Dubuque believe that an alternative transit system will make life easier, and do it in a way that will avoid major capital expenses later on.

01043941

English

14p

2004

9th National Conference on Transportation Planning for Small and Medium-Sized Communities

CD-ROM

Tables (7)

Cost effectiveness; Economic development; Medium sized cities; Streetcars; Traffic mitigation

Revitalization; Riverfronts

Dubuque (Iowa)

Economics; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Railroads; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning

TRIS, TRB

Mar 9 2007 1:37PM

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