First Tucson streetcar being delivered
Written by Douglas John BowenClackamas, Ore.-based United Streetcar, LLC has begun delivering the first of eight streetcars to the city of Tucson, Ariz., with arrival expected Friday, Aug. 30, 2013.
United Streetcar released the first car Monday, Aug. 26, after it had passed final inspections at the company plant. Delivery is six months behind initial schedule, but is occurring just days after Tucson finished major streetcar route construction, including installation of track and overhead wire infrastructure.
“We need eight cars, and again this is just the first one,” city spokesman Andrew Quigley told local media. “More importantly, I need a second car at the end of September, but that won’t be released to us until October so that’s when we’re really going to be able to test the car on our newly constructed rail system.”
The 3.9-mile, $177.4 million Tucson streetcar line, dubbed Sun Link, is scheduled to begin revenue operation next year. The route links the University Medical Center with the west side of the Santa Cruz River via downtown.
