TriMet to receive $2.4 million to develop streetcar propulsion system
Written by jrood
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff said that Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) of Portland, Ore., will receive $2.4 million in federal research funds to support the development of streetcar components that will be made in the U.S.A. TriMet will use the funds to support the development of a domestically-produced streetcar propulsion system, as well as initial work to develop a streetcar that can operate for short distances without power from overhead wires, allowing the potential for streetcar service to be introduced where historic, environmental, or other concerns limit the installation of overhead wires.
The work will be done by
the Clackamas, Ore.-based manufacturer Oregon Iron Works, the parent company of
United Streetcar LLC.
"FTA is proud to be a
leading partner in this innovative project," said FTA Administrator Peter
Rogoff. "Funds for this project will help create streetcar manufacturing jobs
right here at home, as well as a new domestic technology base that capitalizes
on American ingenuity."
At present there is no
domestic manufacturer of streetcar propulsion systems. The propulsion system
represents about 20 percent of the total cost of a vehicle. The FTA will fund
80 percent of the $3-million project, with a local match of $600,000. Last
year, the company unveiled the first domestically-built streetcar in 58 years.
The company currently uses propulsion systems made in Eastern Europe.
