The Stop-Boarding Areas play a crucial and dual-role in the SMARTram 21 synchronization architecture. First, they provide designated sidewalk locations for pedestrian-riders to board and deboard the streetcars. Second, they provide a short by-pass lane enabling the streetcars to continue in their opposite directions after boarding is complete.

The Stop-Boarding Areas, with their associated bypass, can fit into virtually any existing streetscape without eliminating traffic lanes. As shown in the illustration at the top of this page, an "outy" bypass introduces a traffic-calming element to the street.

An "inny" bypass can leave the street essentially unaffected.

End-Stop Boarding Areas do not have bypass lanes, since they are only occupied by one streetcar at a time. At this stop, after passengers have gotten off and on, the tram simply reverses direction. End-Stops are where trams can be taken out of or added into service to change the capacity of the system.

CALCULATE THE DIFFERENCE: While eliminating curbside parking on one side of a street may seem controversial--a simple calculation can demonstrate that a SMARTtram 21 system will provide many times more customers than the parking it replaces!:

A typical urban store will be served by by 1000 feet of curbside parking in each direction from its door. That's equal to about 100 parking spaces. Figuring 2.5 people/car, and an average parking time of 1.5 hours, those 100 spaces will produce 166 potential customers for that store per hour.

COMPARE: Replacing those 166 potential customers with a streetcar system that can produce over 2,800 potential customers per hour! AND will connect that store with several thousand parking spaces up and down the streetcar route.

How would a SMARTram 21 system fit into your downtown?

Using Google Earth imaging, Village Technology is able to inexpensively create a preliminary "look" at how a SMARTram 21 system can fit into virtually any urban street in the U.S. and Canada. We can then project waiting-times, carrying capacities, and order-of-magnitude cost. This information can be packaged in a Power Point format that can be disseminated for community discussions and evaluation. For information, please contact:

John Alt
Village Technology
1-888-711-4181 Toll Free U.S. & Canada