Much of the debate over a proposed fixed-rail trolley line between the Inner Harbor and north Baltimore has been about the high cost and unsightliness of using overhead electrical wires.

But now supporters are looking into another, higher-tech option -- wireless streetcars.

Wireless technology is already in place in Bordeaux and Nice, France, according to the Charles Street Trolley Corp., which is leading the charge for trolley service.

"In Europe there's a real interest," said David Funk, who chairs the trolley corporation. Wireless trolleys are also being considered by promoters of a proposed line in Washington, Funk said.

And Charlotte, N.C. is making plans for a wireless system, according to published reports.

Several technologies are in use or planned, including underground rails and wireless routers, not unike Wi-Fi Internet service, according to various published reports on the Web.

A wireless trolley in Baltimore may not be any more costly than the $160 million estimated capital budget to build the fixed-rail line, or the estimated annual operating budget of $4.5 million, Funk said.

The interest in a wireless trolley system for Baltimore has intensified in recent months after resistance from a lot of residents in Mount Vernon to overhead wires in that historic neighborhood, Funk told the Charles Village Civic Association in a Dec. 2 update on the status of the project.

Still on track

Despite the recession, the trolley plan is picking up speed. The trolley corporation -- an offshoot of the Charles Street Development Corp. -- has enough money in city and state grants to hire a finanancial consultant, Funk said.

The trolley plan is also gathering support from residents in the area. Mark Counselman, of Oakenshawe, is president of the newly formed Friends of the Charles Street Trolley. And supporters backed off an unpopular call for a property tax assessment on houses and businesses within a quarter mile of the proposed line.

Instead, the trolley line would be funded through a variety of sources, including fare boxes, advertising revenues, a parking tax, and government grants, Funk said.

In an interview, Funk said he still sees streetcar service as a long way off.

"The timetable I have in my head is operational by 2016," he said.

But the timetable for raising $160 million is a lot shorter -- financing would have to be in place by 2011, because of the long construction time involved for the 7.5-mile route, Funk said.

And with the current state of the economy, raising that kind of money may be difficult.

"My hope is that the economy improves by the time we go into the market," he said.

Wild card

A breaking development that could impact the plans is the conviction last week of Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon, one of the project's most influential supporters, on a charge of embezzlement for spending gift cards that were meant for for the needy.

Dixon in February signalled that the city might sponsor an application to the Federal Transit Authority for funding for the trolley line under the Small Starts program, as long as no extra property taxes are levied to help fund the line.

The Small Starts program provides grants for new fixed- rail projects, extensions or improvements to bus corridors.

If Dixon is sentenced to jail time and has to resign, there's no telling whether a new mayor would be as supportive of a trolley. But Funk said, "We believe the project sells itself, regardless of who is mayor."

Funk told the civic association that the trolley line would promote enhanced urban liveability, would link downtown to north Baltimore and major institutions such as Johns Hopkins University's Homewood campus, and would also promote economic development throughout the corridor.

It would pump a potential $1 billion in investments into the local economy, he said.

Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin and Congressman Elijah Cummings support federal financing of a line, Funk said.

But the best selling point may be the line's convenience as it runs between Ravens Stadium and Hopkins' Homewood campus, making 21 stops including 1st Mariner Arena, the Washington Monument and the Baltimore Museum of Art.

"No matter where you get off the trolley," Funk said, "you know it will come back to that point."

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