U.S. Streetcar Systems

John Smatlak - RPR Inc.

Ohio Streetcar Systems

The City of Cincinnati is working to implement an exciting new streetcar project to connect its two largest employment centers in uptown and downtown. The project is intended to help fuel development of some 92 acres of underutilized surface parking along the proposed corridor. The $102 Million project will build a 3.9 mile line operating with modern streetcar vehicles. Additional information is available on the City's website, including a video featuring City Manager Milton Dohoney.

Building on earlier grass-roots efforts (see below) the Cincinnati Streetcar Development Group was formed in about 2005 to help coalesce local support for the streetcar concept.  In January of 2007, the City hired consultant HDR to conduct an in-depth feasibility study of the streetcar concept. The study found that a 3.9-mi. (6.3 km) line with 18 stops operated by six modern trolleys would cost $102 million in 2010 dollars.  The proposed route, which is subject to change, would run along Main Street, 12th Street, Elm Street, McMicken Avenue, Race Street, Central Parkway and Walnut Street.  The report suggests a fare of 50 cents and estimates operating costs could total up to $2.8 million annually.  Funding sources may include the federal and state governments and revenue from increased property taxes generated by the streetcar — the study estimates there could be $1.9 billion in economic development over 10 years.  

In October of 2007, the City Council voted  to support continuing to study the idea. In March 2008, the scope of the study was expanded to include additional environmental work. In April 2008 the Council approved a proposed 4-mile route. During the summer of 2008 the City hosted a streetcar forum and in August the University of Cincinnati released its independent review of the consultant study. In late 2008, the City issued a Request for Qualifications for firms interested in bidding on a  Design / Build / Operate / Maintain (DBOM) contract for the streetcar's first phase. 

The political cartoon at left appears on Cincinnati's  ProTransit.com website.

Some History on Prior Streetcar Efforts in Cincinnati:

As with most trolley / streetcar projects, local efforts to create a workable plan have been years in the making. Prior to the formation of the Cincinnati Streetcar Development Group, a streetcar project was championed by the nonprofit Cincinnati Street Railway (CSR). The group was founded in 1987 to serve as a catalyst in bringing an historic streetcar system back to Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. The organization met with anyone who would listen to the streetcar story. CSR laid out possible routes, looked for cars and began to seek funding. 

The group originally envisioned a riverfront line connecting the new football and baseball stadiums. As the plans evolved and a rebuilt riverfront freeway started to take place, including a transit center for light rail, the focus changed to being a feeder to the light rail system. At about the same time, the Ohio Kentucky Indiana Council of Government (OKI) secured funding for a feasibility study for a loop system connecting downtown Cincinnati with Covington and Newport across the Ohio River in northern Kentucky.

The "Loop Study", which began early in 2001, studied monorail, personal rapid transit, light rail, streetcars and buses. The Central Area Loop Study, as it was known, concluded in October 2001 that any further study of monorail and PRT in the urban cores of Cincinnati, Covington and Newport should be eliminated. Any additional study of surface alternatives should be conducted and incorporated as an integral part of the proposed Regional Rail Plan. This left the use of light rail, streetcars and buses as alternative systems.

A Regional Rail Plan study was also conducted using streetcars, Light Rail and heavy commuter rail. The light rail route from the riverfront originally was planned to traverse city streets in the Cincinnati core area and involve a new tunnel under Mt. Auburn to reach the University of Cincinnati area. Subsequent study now suggests utilizing an abandoned Pennsylvania RR right of way on the east side of Cincinnati's Central Business District for a route that would proceed northward, generally following I-71. A branch of this route would continue west and north utilizing an unused subway tunnel located beneath Central Parkway.

As a result of these decisions, streetcars were very much back in the picture. Routes beginning on the riverfront would follow city streets in Northern Kentucky and in Cincinnati's core area. The routes would connect the core area to the University of Cincinnati and the nearby hospitals. Also in the loop could be the Cincinnati Zoo, Museum Center (formerly the Union Terminal) and other trip generators. Connections could be made to light rail Stations feeding into them taking riders to various locations.