Minneapolis is still moving toward a study of putting streetcars on Nicollet and Central Avenues, but it's at the pace of a milk run, not an express train.

Although the federal government awarded the city a $900,000 grant for the study last December, a consultant to conduct the analysis isn't scheduled to be picked until November or this December.

The study itself isn't expected to be finished until mid-2013, a City Council committee was told this week.

Part of the delay came because it took the federal government almost 10 weeks after announcing the grant to officially award it. Then two grant agreements had to be drafted. Now the city is drafting its request for proposals from consultants seeking to be selected to compare the prospect of streetcars against improved bus service.

City staffers have been updating neighborhood leaders and downtown and Midtown representatives on the study. Citizens for a Loring Park Community plan a panel on multimodal transportation Thursday at 7 p.m. at Loring Park Community Arts Center, 1382 Willow St.

STEVE BRANDT