Through the first half of the 20th century, suburban residents in Wilmington would board the trolley line and—for a pocket-sized cost—ride through the city, over the channels and into Wrightsville Beach.

The convenience of a trolley system was killed off by the advent of bus lines, but recently, downtown Wilmington has begun discussing the possibility of reviving a streetcar line.

Wave Transit officials have been leaning on the city of Wilmington and New Hanover County to begin the process of determining the viability of a streetcar line in the Wilmington downtown area, which proponents say would spur economic development.

A streetcar line differs from a trolley system in that it runs on rails instead of using overhead wires.

Within the past month, Bill Bryden, chairman of the Wave Transit board of directors, approached city council and the county commissioners requesting they help fund a feasibility study in the amount of $45,000.

That study, Bryden said, would pinpoint possible routes, estimate ridership and economic impact, among other factors.

With near completion of the Wilmington Convention Center, city officials are weighing a streetcar option as a means to ferry convention guests to different parts of the city, specifically the north end.

Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo, during an interview after the Wednesday, Nov. 4, city council meeting, said he wanted the council to open a dialogue so that it is prepared to install a system when the economy kicks up and funding becomes available again.

A funding source is a major issue.

Wave Transit Director Albert Eby said there are state and federal monies available for such transportation projects, but the board will need to gather some local funding if those monies are to be granted.

The final rail installation costs would depend on which route the city chooses, probably around
$2.5-3 million, Bryden said.

At the city council meeting Wednesday, Bryden used a presentation to emphasize the benefits of a streetcar system by citing cities like Charlotte, N.C., which installed a system in 2007 and has already witnessed more than $400 million in economic development.

Laying rails along the street creates an economic driver, Bryden said, because these routes cannot be changed easily, unlike bus lines.

City officials seemed to favor the system implemented in Savannah, Ga., which took an old street car from its museum and refurbished it, Bryden said.

Mayor Saffo, in his comments, said the Savannah system was worth investigating, partly because Savannah’s layout is similar to downtown Wilmington.

The Savannah system, Bryden said, uses only bio-diesel made from reclaimed fryer oil, and runs on less than one gallon of fuel per hour. The cars also employ special capacitors to store regenerated power, making them 89 percent efficient.