Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Opposition may derail The Wave streetcar
Changing technology, overhead wires cited
As groundbreaking for The Wave streetcar system nears, a groundswell of opposition has formed to stop the transit project in its tracks.
Conceived more than 14 years ago by developers, the 2.8-mile downtown Fort Lauderdale loop will carry passengers from Northeast Sixth Street to Southeast 17th Street when it’s complete. Eventually, it is expected to connect to other parts of the county.
But with construction expected by year’s end, momentum against The Wave is suddenly growing. Residents are circulating a petition against The Wave, saying it’s outdated technology, unnecessary in an Uber era, and not worth the expense.
“It Is not too late to stop this terrible mistake,” the petition says, “which, if it goes forward, will surely be known as Fort Lauderdale’s Folly.”
Public officials have openly questioned the wisdom of stringing wires throughout downtown to power the streetcar.
“There’s been a continuous flow of questioning of it, and it has heightened as we get closer to implementation,” said Stan Eichelbaum, head of the Downtown Civic Association. “Heightened to the point where there’s a virtual 100 percent opposition.”
Even among the mostly supportive local government ranks, some misgivings have been aired in the past two weeks. One member of the Downtown Development Authority, creator of the project, expressed concerns about committing to an embedded rail system when newer technologies might be available. His colleagues reacted quickly, setting an emergency workshop to discuss any questions or misgivings.
“It’s unwindable,” the board’s attorney, John Milledge, said.
At last week’s City Commission workshop, Mayor Jack Seiler said he’s opposed to the system’s
overhead wires.
“Here we are burying power lines all over the city, or trying to, and here we’re going to have wires all over downtown,” he said.
Whether second thoughts about The Wave could derail or delay it is unknown. The Wave’s $195.3 million price tag is fully funded. The city of Fort Lauderdale still must issue construction permits and is a partner in paying for it.
The state will select a contractor who is likely to begin construction by year’s end, spokeswoman Laila Haddad said. The system should be running by the beginning of 2021, she said.
Some observers say the second-guessing is common for a city in the throes of dramatic change. Thousands of apartments and condos are being built downtown, and some residents have questioned whether the city is prepared for the influx, and whether The Wave will make traffic worse. Some leaders said the complaints are similar to those raised before and signal a need for renewed outreach to the community.
Jenni Morejon, director of the Downtown Development Authority, said “first generation” rail systems typically face skepticism.
“Anytime there’s a new system coming online, there’s the fear of the unknown and how it’s going to work,” she said.
Other criticism comes from taxpayers along the route, who’ve been paying a special assessment for several years now, yet see no benefit.
“I’m hopeful in another 10 years it will be quote-unquote successful,” Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Romney Rogers told his colleagues in a workshop last week. “But I’ll tell you, I’m getting a lot of pushback.”
Traffic experts predict the system will have a negligible effect on traffic, making congestion worse at some intersections, and slightly better at others, project documents say. Its main purpose, the documents say, is to foster growth and development in downtown Fort Lauderdale.
“I think you’re seeing people have realized The Wave is not going to be this cureall, and I agree,” Seiler said at the workshop.
“I don’t think it’s going to be successful until the other spurs are made a part of it,” said Commissioner Dean Trantalis.
“But you have to start somewhere,” Seiler responded.
Running on embedded rails and an overhead electrical wire, the streetcar will travel with traffic, stopping at red lights and at occasional passenger stops.
The system’s construction will be paid for by federal, state, county and city governments, as well as by property owners along the route. Haddad said the state Department of Transportation, which is handling the project’s construction, has been assured that President Trump’s budget, expected to be released imminently, will maintain the federal government’s commitment to help pay.
And Broward County has agreed to spend $6.4 million each year operating it.
Morejon said the system can be updated later if technologies change. When the system’s expanded, those legs could use a different type of car or system entirely, for example.
She said there are no streetcar rail systems in the United States that run without overhead electrical wires. The Wave will briefly run on battery power as it crosses the New River, but she and others said a batteryonly system on the entire route isn’t feasible yet because the technology hasn’t been developed.
Construction of the system will require road closures and the closure of the Third Avenue bridge over the New River for up to five months.
Ultimately, the route is expected to connect to other points in the county, including the international airport, the cruise port, Tri-Rail, the educational campus in Davie, and possibly the Sawgrass Mills mall area in Sunrise. But the first loop just wraps around the downtown.
“It’s the Wave to nowhere,” said real estate agent Bobbi Ocean, who helped publicize the petition. “It doesn’t accomplish anything.”
At the Downtown Development Authority’s workshop Thursday, developer Jim Ellis asked whether it made sense to take a look at other technology. Driverless commuter shuttles are in testing in a handful of Florida cities, he said. The rubbertired shuttles run on electricity but require no overhead wires.
But the other developers in the room said it was too late to start over, to return to the back of the line for government funding. They said billions in development has been built in part on the idea that The Wave is coming.
“To question it going forward now is kind of a mindblower,” Charlie Ladd, a Flagler Village developer, said.
It took years to determine the route and pin down the funding, Stiles executive Doug Eagon, a former DDA member, said.
“I’ve seen the petition,” Eagon said. “There’s good people on it. But you do have to have some vision on this thing, and once you set that vision, you’ve got to go for it.”
Alan Hooper, also a Flagler Village developer, reminded colleagues of a favorite line of former DDA member Jack Loos.
“You gotta dream in Technicolor,” Hooper said. “… That’s what this board represents.”
Details about the system are available at wavestreetcar.com.