El Paso’s Streetcar Project on track

Plans to bring streetcar service to El Paso are right on track. The city is now choosing who will design and build the project.

The trolleys will run a figure eight course, starting downtown near the downtown transfer center, running up Stanton to UTEP at the Don Haskins Center and down Oregon back to the Transfer Center.

The streetcars will also run south on Kansas to Father Rahm and back to the Transfer Center up Santa Fe.

There are nine in total and by 2018, the streetcars are expected to connect El Paso’s past to the future. First, city council has to figure out who will refurbish the cars, then design and build the infrastructure.

The companies bidding for the $97-million dollar project are: Sundt-Herzog, Stacy and Witbeck and Jordan Foster. All three are working with local companies as they draft up plans to present to the city.

“There are questions like: if you choose me and i’m a sub contractor to you, how much bonding capacity do I have to have, how frequently will I get paid, what do you expect from me in terms of credentials,” El Paso Chamber of Commerce President Richard Dayoub said.

The chosen company will be responsible for building exactly 4.8 miles of track and 27 street cars stops along the entire route

The company selected to build the streetcar project won’t be required to hire local workers to do everything from concrete flatwork, demolition, to roofing and landscaping. The chamber of commerce certainly hopes so though.

“It’s very, very important to our economy, because then that means, all 98 million dollars if it happens to be one of the local three that are chosen, will be spent in our community,” Dayoub said.

Once completed, the project will be managed by Sun Metro. The next meeting for local businesses will be held by the Chamber of Commerce Friday morning. Businesses will be able to meet with Stacy and Witbeck.