A late arrival, but here’s one more letter of support for the streetcar project, from economic developer Michael Hennig:

April 6, 2010

Mayor Mike Moncrief
Members of the City Council
City of Fort Worth
1000 Throckmorton Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102

Dear Mayor Moncrief and City Council Members,

As an individual who has great fondness and admiration for the City of Fort Worth and as a professional within the field of economic development, I strongly urge you to continue your support of the proposed Fort Worth Streetcar now and in the future.

As you are doubtlessly aware, transportation has been inextricably linked to Fort Worth’s past vitality and development, and I am confident that this will continue to be the case now and in the future. It is, perhaps, for this reason that an issue such as this is held so close to the hearts of countless residents and why, I am sure, your mailboxes have been unusually full in recent weeks.

It would be easy to write this project off as a mere token of nostalgia, a fun but expensive toy (as some have come to describe it) – that is, if the past and the facts were ignored. But I am convinced that beyond the environmental and social benefits that have been brought to your attention, the proposed Fort Worth Streetcar, especially when integrated into a broader transportation network, would yield significant economic benefits to the community. Though I could name many of these, I will highlight just a few.

Once developed, and particularly if extended beyond the Central Business District, the proposed streetcar system would support existing businesses and help to spur new development in high-profile portions of the city that have already been targeted for development through Fort Worth’s well-respected Urban Village Program. As ridership grows, development takes place, and spending near the streetcar line is augmented, a substantial impact will be felt in the City’s TIF and PID districts. In this manner, a streetcar line would produce a multiplier effect within Fort Worth’s most important urban areas.

Another pair of investments that would receive powerful support through the addition of a streetcar line is the City’s ongoing and impressive efforts to boost tourism and convention activity in and around the Downtown Core. As a frequent traveler who has visited many nations on several continents, it is difficult to describe the benefit of having a readily accessible and well integrated transportation network available.

The addition of a streetcar line would also support Fort Worth’s efforts to attract young, mobile professionals and to connect labor with key employment centers. Development and business attraction activities would also be enhanced by the presence of a modern streetcar system which, among other things, would reduce parking requirements in difficult infill areas.

In the end, once Fort Worth has taken the important step to develop a twenty-first century transit system that reflects its stature within the state and the nation, I truly believe that Fort Worth’s close-knit, small-town feel will be enhanced rather than reduced and that the economic benefits of a streetcar line will far outweigh the near-term costs.

Throughout its history, Fort Worth has proven that it does not shy away from any opportunity to lead the state into a new frontier. The proposed streetcar would greatly support the City’s efforts to engender a community that is truly world-class – not simply in size and population, but in character, class and reputation.

A project of this magnitude requires steadfast support from community leaders and I thank you for your service to the community which few could equal. I humbly ask for your support on this important project tonight and well after the first tracks have been laid.

Respectfully yours,
Michael Hennig

Michael Hennig, MPA
President
Civtech Solutions, Inc.