Comments on How will Virginia brand its streetcars? - Greater Greater Washington

Comment by Jon Fostik

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 20:13:19 EDT

I like the idea of regional branding....Potomac Streetcar resonates. By the same token it would be interesting, if the political will can tolerate, for something akin to the SNCF RER network in Paris covering the Ile de France region. The Capital Regional Express (CRE) network would basically consolidate the heavy rail role presently assumed by VRE and MARC. DC Metro like RATP in Paris remains the " municipal subway/light rail provider...the same for Baltimore City Metro. Potomac Streetcar coordinates and compliments the CRE. Imagine if that ever did happen it might even encourage the " giant" MTA and its brother-in-law New Jersey Transit to have closer collaboration and run-through services to Long Island, Connecticut. Small steps first though...get the streetcars out on the street!!

Comment by Bud Miller

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 15:30:21 EDT

How about covering it with dollar signs and Naming it the "Taxpayer Express"?

After all, the funds to fuel this expensive project will be looted from local taxpayers.

Comment by Matt

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:20:25 EDT

Dan, I think you're really on to something with the ART concept. What if every jurisdiction that the streetcar passes through brands some with their local livery? Like you said, in Seattle and Portland the fact that it's a streetcar is branding enough. So we could have ART green, DASH blue, Circulator red and Connector ketchup and mustard all plying the rails together. There could be some kind of unifying text painted on the side, but otherwise they'd be a testament to regional diversity and cooperation.

And I wouldn't worry about someone being perplexed when a blue streetcar pulls up to a stop instead of a red one. A streetcar's a streetcar, and it's not going to be confused for a bus no matter what its livery.

Comment by Nick

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 02:04:36 EDT

As a relatively new resident along Columbia Pike, and someone who would like a good light rail line along the Pike, I'm sort of with "EJ" on this - get back to me when the Columbia Pike light rail will be in a dedicated lane/right of way and not running in the lanes of a street that is already a pain to drive on.

Comment by Timothy R. Hughes

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:19:56 EDT

Count me as skeptical this project will happen.

The current state is Arlington cannot even get its hotel transient occupancy tax renewed in Richmond, how is it going to get the trolley funded??

Comment by Josh C.

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 15:09:48 EDT

+1 for the blue VA flag version of the DC streetcars.

Comment by Andrew S

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:18:35 EDT

If a regional paint scheme is used in the future, we should not base it off of the Circulator theme. It should be with colors of the two states and DC. Blue for Virginia, Red for DC, and the yellow/black checkers for Maryland.

We just need to remember that if we build a regional system, it is not only for DC but everyone else and just because the Cicrulator theme is popular in DC doesn't mean it should be used everywhere else.

Comment by Rembrandt

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 09:59:57 EDT

How about a minor modification to the 2nd choice: use green on top for ART, Connector Mustard on the bottom, keep the white in the middle, and Metrobus red for the wavy lines?

Comment by Michael Perkins

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 08:26:07 EDT

Is "Virginia" paying for this? Isn't it being paid for by Arlington County and Fairfax County?

If "Virginia" isn't paying for it, I don't see why we would use a Virginia theme for the streetcars.

I like the ART livery but I understand if FFX doesn't want to go with that.

Comment by JJJJJ

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:38:04 EDT

How about the same branding as "The Tide"?

Comment by Nexis4Jersey

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 18:50:13 EDT

Why not call it the Nova streetcar?

Comment by Steven

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 18:09:58 EDT

What happens if either the Columbia or Route 1 streetcar lines are extended across the Long Bridge? (or- for that matter- the Key Bridge)? Even if they don't, shouldn't we send the message that they might in the future (as Metro did all those years with the hashed-out future lines on the Metro map)?

I like the fact that CaBi, Metro, and the Connector maintain a consistent brand on both sides of the Potomac: not only does that strengthen our regional identity, but when I accidently end up in Virginia or Maryland, I trust that I can get home again (and that I don't need cash to get there).

The streetcar won't get me across the river any time soon, but if K Street, H Street, Anacostia, Crystal City and Columbia Pike all have the same brand, then I know what I'll be getting, and will be more likely to stray into all those new areas that will be opened up by these new transit options. And who knows? Maybe one day I'll be able to take the same streetcar from Rosslyn to H Street, or from Crystal City to K Street! (Or I can take CaBi, or Metro-- so many options in our little metro neighborhood!)

That said, since we won't have a unified brand, I vote for the next best thing: option 2.

Comment by Andrew S

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:49:57 EDT

I like the idea of different branding for different agencies. Virginia isn't Maryland isn't DC. Arlington has done a great job with ART so I think that it works fine for the streetcar, it runs mostly in Arlington anyways. But maybe I am just a bit bias.

Comment by Anonymous

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:20:24 EDT

I would love to see Metrobus livery on a streetcar someday, but I'm sure bureaucratic red tape will never let that happen. I like the blue version of DC's streetcar, though Virginia's flag isn't the most well-known symbol in Northern Virginia.

Whatever branding they choose, I hope it contributes to the idea of a unified transit system of some kind, and I hope that there will be transfer discounts to reinforce that branding. In any case I think we could do better than simple solid-color designs.

Comment by EJ

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 15:06:40 EDT

correction: second sentence: "That helps *say*"

Comment by EJ

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 15:05:30 EDT

I vote for the bus livery. That helps "it's not faster or more reliable than a really frequent bus, but at least it's really expensive".

Wake me up when the area's trolleys get dedicated lanes.

Comment by John M

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 14:35:42 EDT

All these designs are great, but 2nd one is probably the fav here. Although I think the ART design is the best looking, it wouldn't make sense considering plans to extend into Alexandria and Fairfax.

Comment by spookiness

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 14:34:59 EDT

I like the green ART design just fine. That system is growing quickly and they've made a brand out of it, so run with it.

Sorry but the DC-circulator derived design reminds me too much of a jesus fish. (FWIW me and Mr. J get along just fine, I just don't like the fish)

Comment by nevermindtheend

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 14:18:53 EDT

@tom veil

I fail to see why VRE branding would make sense. I can't think of a single instance in which heavy rail shares branding with local transit service. I mean, VRE is co-owned by PRTC and they don't even share branding.

Comment by Max D.

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:51:13 EDT

The 2nd option looks a lot like the Alexandria DART busses.

Comment by daltonminimum

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:16:15 EDT

Depends on who is paying for it. If Arlington is, then heck yeah, it should look like the ART buses.

Comment by TGEoA

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 12:53:34 EDT

David,

Are you going to remove the ad hominem attack on an elected official?

Comment by tom veil

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 12:26:27 EDT

If they're going to cross the border into Fairfax, then maybe the streetcars should be branded as VRE trains:

Comment by ronnie

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 12:13:03 EDT

+1 on aaa's idea.

The purple is a non-starter. Ewww...

Option 3 is visually pleasing, but I think the VA-ized version of the DC design is the best concept.

Comment by aaa

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 11:55:52 EDT

Paint it with Bob McDonnell's face with the windows representing the interior of his empty head.

Comment by Transport.

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 11:52:23 EDT

The first Va. option seems to reflect the Route 1 REX bus theme.

Comment by Barry

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 11:50:02 EDT

I like Option 2. It's clean, simple, and will probably get the most support from Richmond.

Comment by nevermindtheend

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 11:49:39 EDT

I like the second option - the one that ties in with the DC streetcar design. As far as advertising goes, they generally just wrap the whole streetcar, so it doesn't matter what the branding looks like.

Comment by Dan Miller

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 11:43:17 EDT

This is going to sound tacky, but I'd say a key feature in the design should be that it's easy to retrofit with advertising.