The Enquirer is reporting that Newport has endorsed the Cincinnati Streetcar and would like to see it extended into Kentucky.
Extending the line would be great for both Cincinnati and Newport connecting attractions like the Aquarium, Newport on the Levee, and the Ovation development as well as linking Newport to Downtown and Uptown.
Running from Newport to the Zoo the Streetcar would link almost every major attraction in the urban core.
Newport, KY
March 24, 2009 at 9:24 am
I disagree. I think it would be terrible for the development in Cincinnati in the short term. If I’m staying at a hotel downtown, and a streetcar transports me right over to Newport, it will be more difficult to get developers to invest in downtown and The Banks.
I think long-term, a streetcar that runs over to Newport and Covington would be great for the region, but lets not allow this to push Cincinnati further behind Newport’s development until we can catch up.
March 24, 2009 at 6:33 pm
Jeff:, that’s a good thought, but I disagree.
I don’t think we need to worry about a Newport connector hurting our short-term progress with the streetcar. As it stands now (per the plan passed by City Council) the downtown/OTR loop would be completed first. Then, the Uptown connector and Loop must be completed immediately after. Only after those two sections are complete would we be able to build a Newport/Covington loop.
As soon as the Downtown loop is completed development along that route would explode while the other regions are waiting for their connectors. By time the train actually made it to Newport, Downtown/OTR would be well ahead of anything going on in Newport.
March 25, 2009 at 11:04 am
They seem to think the old rails will work for the new cars….
They can still make a line linking up Covington and Newport without Cincinnati.
I still think a monorail would be be better for crossing the river. Wouldn’t a majority of the people be crossing the river for entertainment ? (both ways)
That is – it would serve a bit different purpose than the lines within Cincinnati.
April 1, 2009 at 3:06 pm
I disagree with Jeff. If you’re reading this blog you probably realize that the primary purpose of streetcars is economic development. Developers build because retailers/office users want to locate on a line so that people can go there to shop work. There are currently around 10,000 people living in Downtown and OTR. There are about 20,000 people living North of 12th street in Covington in Newport. Connect to NKY and the line in OH becomes that much more attractive to developers (and more importantly retailers and office users).
April 1, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Also, another driver of development along a streetcar line is residential development for people who want to live along the line, so that they can easily reach attractions and amenities. The more they can reach, the better. Downtown may or may not ever have a movie theatre or grocery store (besides Findlay Market – which is a great option for some/most people, some/most of the time). If the streetcar connects to NKY, we don’t need either of these downtown (AMC theatre in Newport is one of the better theatres in the region and a new Kroger Marketplace is being built off of 10th street in Newport). A stronger urban core (downtown and neighborhoods close to downtown in ANY direction) benefits everyone. We need to stop being so parochial.
January 17, 2010 at 12:04 pm
“Region states may lie entirely within or across the borders of a nation state. This does not matter. It is the irrelevant result of a historical accident. What defines them is not the location of their political borders but the fact that they are the right size and scale to be the true, natural business units in today’s global economy. Theirs are the borders—and connections—that matter in a borderless world.”
Kenichi Ohmae – Japanese Businessman
Northern Kentucky is as much a part of the Greater Cincinnati Region as any part of Ohio. The true value in the development of a strong urban core its ability to draw creative class professionals as employees, residents, visitors, and consumers through a variety of residential, entertainment, retail, and cultural amenities and to attract businesses to the region to employ these professionals. A strong urban core will create a region that can compete and win on the global field and Newport and Covington will play an integral role in this development. “Three States One Region – Greater Cincinnati“
Bill