Electric Street Car Feasibility Study

Request for Proposals
Main Street/West Street Corridor Electric Streetcar Feasibility Study
Released February 11, 2026 ~ Proposals Due March 31, 2026 May 29, 2026
Photo Credit: Annapolis Railroad History
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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF ANNAPOLIS, ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, AND
THE DENKER FOUNDATION,
THE RESILIENCE AUTHORITY OF ANNAPOLIS AND ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY
REQUESTS PROPOSALS FOR A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR AN ELECTRIC
STREETCAR SYSTEM IN THE MAIN STREET/WEST STREET CORRIDOR IN
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND.
PROPOSALS DUE by 5:00 PM (EST) MARCH 31, 2026 MAY 29, 2026
ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION:
Name: The Resilience Authority of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, Inc.
Address: 44 Calvert Street, Annapolis, Maryland 21401
Contact Person(s): Kristina Alexander, Director of Operations
Phone: (410) 222-1442 Email: exalex23@aacounty.org
1. Introduction:
1.1. Statement of Purpose:
1.1.1. The Resilience Authority of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County (Resilience Authority)
invites proposals from experienced firms for a feasibility study to install an electric
streetcar system for the Main Street/West Street Corridor with a preference for a fixed rail
historic replica system. This initiative aims to expand mass transit in the region, facilitate
equitable and restorative transit-oriented redevelopment, including affordable housing,
foster economic growth and tourism, and provide connectivity within Annapolis, Anne
Arundel County, and the surrounding region. An overarching goal is to provide a clean
transportation choice and viable alternative to automobile travel that mitigates the
impacts of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
1.1.2. The study shall also include an alternatives analysis of alternative modes of
transportation in the Main Street/West Street Corridor (e.g., pedestrian and bike trails,
Bus Rapid Transit).
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1.1.3. This project will require demonstrated expertise in planning, engineering, project
implementation, economic analysis, environmental review, data collection and analysis,
stakeholder engagement, and other necessary tasks associated with developing a
feasibility study for a streetcar system powered by battery systems and possibly catenary
systems on West Street with a preference for a fixed rail historic system.
1.1.4. Organizations are advised that the Resilience Authority will not pay for any information or
administrative costs incurred in response to this RFP. All costs associated with
responding to this RFP will be solely at the organization's expense.
1.2. Background:
1.2.1. Annapolis has a historic legacy of streetcar service that once connected downtown along
West Street and Main Street. The system was an important part of the City's
transportation network and community identity in the early 20th century. This feasibility
study seeks to explore whether a modern electric streetcar, inspired by that historic
legacy, could once again serve as both a functional mobility option, an economic
development tool, and a resilient cultural asset for the City.
1.2.2. In July 2021, Anne Arundel County and Annapolis, MD passed legislation to establish the
Country's first multi-jurisdictional climate resilience financing authority. The Resilience
Authority of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County will finance projects that support
resilience efforts within the County and the City. The Authority's investments and
activities will support those projects that directly mitigate climate threats.
1.2.3. In 2009, the City of Annapolis commissioned a major study to analyze mass transit in the
Annapolis area and recommend improvements. That study, the 2009 West Street Transit
Study, was performed by Kittelson & Associates and The Faux Group, in partnership with
the Maryland Transportation Authority, Maryland State Highway Administration,
Annapolis Transit and Anne Arundel County. It identified the Main-West St. corridor, from
City Dock to Parole, as the primary thoroughfare and best candidate for high-quality
transit development. Most of the study is devoted to comparing bus service
improvements to a streetcar system for that route. While acknowledging the advantages
of streetcars, the study concluded that, based on the housing unit density, Annapolis
lacked the density and ridership to justify the cost of rail in 2009, but recommended that
streetcars be reconsidered in the future. The study recommended that the project
stakeholders should develop a detailed plan to make permanent investments in West
Street transit, informed by the mode-specific decisions coming from the Outer West
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Street Plan and the Transit Feasibility Assessment & Investment Strategy, and any Parole
plan updates refining the scale of development and supporting transportation system.
Study authors specifically recommended assessing an upgrade of the West Street route
to fixed-rail.
1.2.4. In addition to addressing local mobility needs, the study should consider the potential for
an electric fixedrail streetcar system in Annapolis to serve as a future connection point
within Maryland's broader transit network. While the immediate focus is on feasibility
within the City, longterm opportunities for integration with regional systems-such as the
Washington Metro, MARC, Baltimore Light Rail, and potential regional ferry service-are
important to explore. Positioning Annapolis as a node within the state's transportation
framework could enhance ridership potential, strengthen funding opportunities, and
ensure the system contributes to a more interconnected regional transit landscape.
1.2.5. The focus area of the study should begin in downtown Annapolis in the City Dock area,
traversing Main Street and West Street and examine potential termination points and the
establishment of an operations and maintenance facility near Park Place (approximately
1 mile) or continuing up West Street with termination at the Parole Transit Center
(approximately 3 miles) where a transportation hub is planned. The focus area traverses
the Annapolis Historic District, the Annapolis Arts & Entertainment District, and numerous
diverse established neighborhoods. Annapolis is experiencing shifting development
patterns that may influence the feasibility of an electric streetcar system. Main and West
Street are marked by stretches of retail, restaurants, professional offices, and residential
areas, including some affordable housing. The Parole area is designated for increased
density and mixeduse growth, positioning it as a potential anchor for future ridership and
transit-oriented redevelopment. In addition, the City is exploring restorative
redevelopment opportunities in historically disinvested neighborhoods, such as the Old
Fourth Ward, with a focus on equitable outcomes. These redevelopment efforts are
expected to include the addition of new housing units-particularly more affordable
housing. Aligning transit feasibility with land use, density, and equitable housing
strategies will be critical to ensuring that an electric streetcar system supports both
mobility and community resilience.
1.2.6. This feasibility study is being undertaken within the broader context of Annapolis' and
Anne Arundel County's resilience goals. As the City and County face challenges from
climate change, sea level rise, and infrastructure vulnerability, transportation planning
must be aligned with longterm resilience strategies. An electric streetcar system has the
potential to contribute to these goals by reducing dependence on singleoccupancy
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vehicles, supporting compact and transitoriented redevelopment, and providing a
reliable, lowemission mobility option. The study should therefore evaluate the system's
role in advancing resilience-considering lifecycle environmental impacts, electrification
options (including noncatenary systems where required), and strategies to ensure
operational and financial sustainability under future climate and economic conditions.
2. Project Overview:
2.1. Project Goals :
2.1.1. Enhance Public Transit Options: Evaluate and recommend viable transit solutions that
are clean, quiet, reliable, and appealing, as well as improve connectivity and accessibility
for residents and visitors within the Main Street/West Street Corridor and potentially
serve as a trigger for development of a greater regional system.
2.1.2. Support Economic Development: Identify transportation options that encourage
economic growth and development, particularly of low to moderate income housing in
underdeveloped or underserved areas. Assess potential for increased commercial
activities and property values along the transit corridor.
2.1.3. Restorative Redevelopment: Enable Restorative redevelopment of historically
marginalized communities (such as the Old Fourth Ward), redevelopment of
under-utilized property in the vicinity of the corridor into a mixed use transportation
center, and revitalization/transformation of the West Street corridor to include more
housing choices.
2.1.4. Improve Multi-Modal Connectivity: Develop strategies for integrating a streetcar system
with existing transit services, including the planned Parole Transit Center, pedestrian
pathways, and active transportation such as bicycle and sidewalk infrastructure, creating
a seamless transit network. Provide transportation choice along the corridor by
transforming the street into a multi-modal complete street with bike lanes, fixed rail,
improved sidewalks, and car lanes.
2.1.5. Maximize Ridership: Assess potential for maximizing ridership on fixed rail and
non-automobile mobility options and optimize transit efficiency along this route by
developing ways to achieve behavior change and generate needed ridership, outlining
necessary components for reliability and dependability to ensure efficient and sustainable
operations.
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2.1.6. Sustain Environmental and Community Goals: Align the project with local and regional
environmental goals, contributing to reduced traffic congestion and lower vehicle
emissions. Incorporate sustainable and resilient design practices in transit infrastructure
development.
2.1.7. Engage Stakeholders: Gather input from community leaders, local businesses, and
other stakeholders in the planning and decision-making processes.
2.1.8. Assess Financial Feasibility and Identify Funding: Prepare detailed financial models
and identify potential funding sources, including federal, state, local, and private funds,
as well as redevelopmentdriven mechanisms such as Tax Increment Financing (TIFs)
and community benefit agreements. The analysis should evaluate whether anticipated
zoning changes and redevelopment density are sufficient to generate the incremental tax
base needed to support implementation of a project of this scale (e.g., an electric
streetcar system).
2.1.9. Integrate Complete Streets Improvements: In conjunction with evaluating fixed rail
feasibility, assess opportunities to reconstruct the roadway as a Complete Street. This
should include consideration of enhanced sidewalks, bicycle and active mobility facilities,
traffic calming or road diet strategies, and other multimodal improvements to maximize
community benefit during implementation of the project.
2.1.10. Assessment of Single-Track System: Given the limited rightofway along portions of
the corridor and the need to minimize traffic impacts, the study should evaluate a
singletrack system with strategically placed sidings and stations. The analysis should
consider operational feasibility, safety, and cost implications of this approach, as well as
potential impacts on roadway function and adjacent land uses.
2.1.11. Evaluate Propulsion and Power Options: The feasibility study shall assess both
catenary (overhead wire) and noncatenary (battery or other onboard electric) propulsion
systems. Due to legal restrictions, overhead wires are not permitted along Main Street;
therefore, the analysis must determine the feasibility of a noncatenary system for this
segment. Conversely, catenary systems may be considered along other corridors, such
as Outer West Street, where overhead wires are permissible. The study should compare
operational, financial, and maintenance implications of each option.
2.1.12. Identify Operations and Maintenance Requirements: As part of the feasibility study,
evaluate potential locations for a streetcar operations and maintenance facility,
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considering land availability, zoning, access, and compatibility with surrounding uses.
The analysis should also project ongoing operations and maintenance costs, and assess
strategies to ensure longterm financial and environmental sustainability. This should
include consideration of funding mechanisms, energy efficiency, workforce needs, and
opportunities to integrate the facility into broader community or redevelopment plans.
2.1.13. Develop a Comprehensive Implementation Strategy: Create a detailed roadmap for
project implementation, including phased construction, timelines, and regulatory
processes.
2.1.14. Enhance Quality of Life: Propose transit improvements that contribute positively to the
community's quality of life by providing reliable, clean, quiet, appealing, convenient, and
safe transportation options.
2.1.15. Conduct and Alternatives Analysis: As part of the feasibility study, the consultant shall
conduct a highlevel screening of alternative transit modes (e.g., pedestrian and bike
trails such as the West East Express Trail, Electric BRT) to demonstrate due diligence
and provide a comparative baseline. This screening should be limited to identifying key
differences in cost, ROW requirements, ridership potential, and ability to meet Annapolis
and Anne Arundel County's resilience, redevelopment, and historic preservation goals.
The primary focus of the study shall remain on evaluating the feasibility of an electric
streetcar system, preferably fixed-rail and historic in nature.
2.2. Scope of Work:
2.2.1. Project Background and Setting:
2.2.1.1. Evaluate historical context and current transit environment
2.2.1.2. Identify economic, demographic, and geographic project settings
2.2.1.3. Inventory current transportation projects and initiatives, both within the City and
and the broader region.
2.2.1.4. Assess redevelopment and land use trends, including increased density in
Parole, potential redevelopment of under-utilized property for transit operations,
and restorative redevelopment opportunities in and around the Old Fourth Ward,
with attention to affordable housing production and equity outcomes
2.2.1.5. Assess demographic patterns along the corridor using Census data to illustrate
the potential market for the service.
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2.2.1.6. Prepare base maps and street sections with relevant existing conditions data to
communicate the existing context and for use in applying recommendations
from subsequent tasks.
2.2.2. Technology and Alignment Screening:
2.2.2.1. Review existing transit options and service overlaps
2.2.2.2. Provide screeninglevel acknowledgment of other modes (e.g., pedestrian, bike,
BRT)
2.2.2.3. Evaluate fixedrail streetcar technology, alignments, and vehicles
2.2.2.4. Assess availability and suitability of replica streetcar vehicles (historicstyle),
including domestic and international suppliers
2.2.2.5. Assess singletrack feasibility with sidings/stations
2.2.2.6. Analyze propulsion options (catenary and noncatenary)
2.2.2.7. Identify Complete Streets integration opportunities
2.2.2.8. Gather relevant precedents from comparable cities.
2.2.3. Feasibility Study Components:
2.2.3.1. Infrastructure assessment and necessary improvements
2.2.3.2. Ridership projection and revenue evaluation
2.2.3.3. Analysis of the economic benefits of development along the alignment and
affordability benefits
2.2.3.4. Identify potential streetcar operations and maintenance facility sites
2.2.3.5. Project longterm O&M costs and sustainability strategies, including a
cost/benefit analysis
2.2.3.6. Evaluate lifecycle environmental impacts and resilience benefits
2.2.3.7. Identify major risks and barriers (political, financial, technical, community
opposition) and propose mitigation strategies
2.2.3.8. System integration analysis and operational plan development including
recommendations for connecting to the planned Anne Arundel County transit
center in Parole.
2.2.3.9. Road safety and traffic impact study with proposed mitigation strategies
2.2.3.10. Active transportation interfaces and accessibility analysis
2.2.3.11. Assess potential utility conflicts and barriers
2.2.3.12. Identify opportunities to repurpose buried or legacy rail infrastructure
2.2.3.13. Evaluate operational implications of replica streetcar vehicles (capacity,
maintenance, ADA compliance, lifecycle costs)
2.2.3.14. Prepare conceptual plans and street sections to illustrate integration of the new
service and application of complete street improvements.
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2.2.4. Funding and Implementation Strategy:
2.2.4.1. Develop funding strategies, identifying potential local, state, and federal sources
2.2.4.2. Outline necessary regulatory and policy changes, including zoning changes
2.2.4.3. Evaluate redevelopmentdriven funding mechanisms (e.g., TIFs, community
benefit agreements)
2.2.4.4. Assess redevelopment density and housing growth (including affordable and
market rate housing) as a funding base
2.2.4.5. Propose phasing and implementation strategies
2.2.4.6. Consider longterm regional connectivity opportunities
2.2.4.7. Provide an implementation roadmap outlining recommended next steps if the
project advances, including sequencing of environmental review, funding
applications, governance setup, and preliminary engineering
2.2.5. Stakeholder Engagement and Reporting:
2.2.5.1. Use phased engagement: early outreach exploratory, deeper engagement if
feasibility is positive
2.2.5.2. Conduct one or more focus group with stakeholders
2.2.5.3. Develop a public outreach strategy
2.2.5.4. Provide project updates, reports, and final feasibility study documentation
2.2.5.5. Develop framework for ridership promotion and behavior change, including
potential branding, themed streetcars, and outreach campaigns to generate
excitement and longterm adoption
2.2.6. Governance and Oversight Options
2.2.6.1. Evaluate potential management structures (e.g., Cityrun, nonprofit,
publicprivate partnership, authority, or hybrid model)
2.2.6.2. Assess longterm oversight, accountability, and financial sustainability under
each option
2.2.6.3. Recommend governance approaches that align with resilience, redevelopment,
and community goals
2.2.6.4. Coordinate with the Annapolis Historic Preservation Commission on any
oversight requirements and/or approvals necessary to implement the project
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2.3. Timeline:
2.3.1. The project is targeted for completion by December 2026. Proposals should include
timelines that align with project goals and demonstrate prospective firm's capacity to
meet deadlines.
3. Deliverables - The consultant shall provide the following deliverables to the Resilience Authority
3.1. Project management plan and schedule - outlining tasks, milestones, and reporting cadence
3.2. Utility conflict inventory and mitigation framework - identifying major utility barriers and
strategies for coordination
3.3. Vehicle technology and procurement options memo - evaluating replica streetcar vehicle
availability, procurement pathways, and operational implications
3.4. Infrastructure and Alignment Assessment Report - documenting ROW constraints, buried rail
reuse opportunities, and required improvements
3.5. Ridership and revenue forecast report - including projections, sensitivity testing, and revenue
evaluation
3.6. Operations and maintenance cost model - lifecycle costs, staffing needs, and facility
requirements
3.7. Funding and implementation strategy report - identifying local, state, federal, and
redevelopmentdriven funding mechanisms, with phasing recommendations
3.8. Governance and oversight options memo - comparing nonprofit, authority, and governmentrun
models for longterm management
3.9. Conceptual Plan and Conceptual Street Section Exhibits - showing recommended alignment
3.10. Draft feasibility study report - comprehensive synthesis of all analyses, for City, County, and
stakeholder review
3.11. Final feasibility study report and executive summary - incorporating feedback, suitable for
public release and funding applications
3.12. Public outreach framework and ridership promotion toolkit
4. Considerations and Cancellations:
4.1. The Resilience Authority reserves the right to accept or reject proposals based on the
assessments of materials submitted and how best they meet the ranking criteria as listed below in
the request for proposals (RFP).
4.2. The Resilience Authority reserves the right to select the best and most responsive firm based on
similar project experience and budget. Selection of the best qualified firm does not imply or
guarantee that any contract will be awarded.
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