Schematic of the Streetcar “Vehicle Maintenance Facility” or VMF
Omaha Streetcar construction is essentially underway, although it is in the way of utility work and there has not yet been an official “groundbreaking” complete with the usual dignitaries posing at shovels. And you have probably noticed this utility work if you are ever along the streetcar line on Farnam or Harney between 39th and 10th Street. The current work, which started at the beginning of the year, has been focused on replacing and rebuilding underground utilities (water, sewer, and power) so that the tracks can be built on the streets above. These projects vary from utilities that need to be replaced very soon or are directly in the way of streetcar construction to utilities that will need to be replaced in farther in the future (10 plus years), but should be done now so that the streetcar operation is not impacted. Official streetcar construction, including getting the street ready for the tracks, will begin later next year and early procurement of items for this construction has already been proceeding.
Along with this construction is getting the site ready for the Vehicle Maintenance Facility or VMF. This is the garage (bus term) or car barn (trolley term) for the streetcars. Similar to a garage for your house, it is important to have this facility located as close to the house, or track mainline, as possible. The site chosen in early planning is near the CHI Health Center, using one of the parking lots to the south near the I-480 overpass. This takes advantage of land that would otherwise have limited development opportunities and is very close to the streetcar tracks.
Map showing the VMF Location
Sadler Electric has started site preparation, which includes rebuilding the road access, parking, and utilities to work with the new facility. A contractor will soon be selected to build the facility based on the HDR designs.
What all goes into a VMF and what is the main purpose? The VMF serves several functions at once with the most two important being a place for streetcar operators to report and to maintain the streetcar vehicles. The VMF will be where streetcar operators start and end their day and serve an essential safety role of making sure that operators are fit for duty. The supervisors (of which there should always be one on duty at all times) will also report here and keep the system under control through a mobile device that tracks the system. There will also be offices for the streetcar managers, all positions that will be under the private operations contractor. The vehicle maintenance will include bays and overhead areas for maintaining the equipment on the streetcar to keep them in good working order – space for light maintenance to complete any necessary repairs. In conjunction with this will be parts storage and training areas for mechanics as well as operators. Finally, the VMF will also include a place to wash the streetcar vehicles and store them when not in use.
The close proximity to the streetcar mainline means that there will not be any deadhead miles to start and end public service every day. The streetcar stop at 10th & Capitol Avenue, essential in serving the nearby convention center and arena, will also be the stop for operators to report for duty throughout the day as the streetcar vehicles stay in public service.
Site Plan of the VMF
The VMF will serve the initial startup line well, but what about the future? The existing facility can safely store the six initial vehicles and does not allow for further expansion, although the facility could be expanded further north with a certain amount of work and construction. Any need beyond the current level of planned service, such as future extensions, will need to consider an additional facility or a major expansion of the existing facility. There are certainly pros and cons of either approach – having a large central facility or a number of smaller facilities. The main benefit of a central facility is locating everything at one shop – having all of your vehicles, maintenance parts, and employees at one location and the current VMF location is set up well for future expansion and serving the central part of a growing system, similar to the old carbarn at 10th & Pierce for the Omaha & Council Bluffs Street Railway. Advantages of multiple facilities include being able to start and end streetcar service from different locations, such as at the end of the line where passengers would be coming into downtown in the morning and leaving downtown to end of the day at the outer end of the system. Multiple shops also benefits employees in that it allows them to report at a location that might be closer to home. Because of these advantages, it might make sense to have some facilities located on the outer ends of the lines as the system expands to allow for streetcars to start and end at more locations that will also benefit employees while keeping the downtown facility as the primary location for most maintenance and repair. Think of it as having a garage close to your house but having a reliable service center a little further away.
While it looks like there is plenty of space to expand the current VMF in the area south-southeast of the CHI Health Center, the grade in this area presents some challenges. I believe that a coordinated plan with MECA and the Luminarium for future streetcar maintenance facility expansion can create a place that benefits everyone and could become part of the community fabric as a place to safely show off how our streetcar vehicles work and are kept in a state of good repair. Rail transit maintenance facilities can come with a negative stereotype, but they do not need to be implemented this way. It is important to call out the many positives of such a facility, especially for streetcars and the cleaner environment that they exist in. These are clean shops using battery and electric power for the vehicles, provide jobs for the community, and streetcar shops are especially small and can be better integrated in the neighborhood. Just like the streetcar will become a prized jewel for the Omaha metro area, the VMF can be a place where we proudly display our maintenance of the system.
Eric Miller is a senior transit planner at Felsburg, Holt & Ullevig (FHU), a transportation engineering and planning company that was founded 40 years ago and has been in Omaha since 2004. Eric has a 20-year career in the transit industry that includes work in both the private and public sector and work on planning and implementing bus and rail projects for transit agencies all across the country.