CincyStreetcar Blog

On Wednesday City Council passed a motion to dedicate twenty five percent of the revenues from the Broadway Commons Casino to economic development activities including the operating funding for the Cincinnati Streetcar. This means general fund revenues will not be spent on building or operating the streetcar.

The rest of the Casino revenues will fund the Port Authority, infrastructure, and public art.  Using a portion the proceeds from the Casino to operate the streetcar is a good use of civic funds because:

• The Streetcar Will Support the Casino- The Casino will not have an on-site hotel for the first several years of its operation. Broadway Commons will be competing with other casinos in Ohio and Indiana with on-site hotels. Downtown’s hotels are almost a mile and a half round trip from Broadway Commons, but with the streetcar, a visitor can park once at their hotel and take the streetcar to and from the Casino, making the whole visit more attractive. More visitors to the Casino means more revenue for use in all of Cincinnati’s 52 neighborhoods.  Additionally Downtown and Uptown workers can take the streetcar to the Casino to visit one of the bars and restaurants that will be at the Broadway Commons site for lunch or a happy  hour.
• The Streetcar Will Help Downtown, Over-the-Rhine and Uptown- Not everyone visiting the Casino will be staying overnight. Many visitors will just drive in for the day.  The streetcar will encourage day trippers to visit Downtown, Over-the-Rhine and Uptown rather than just drive in and drive out.  Walking from the Casino to the shops and restaurants at the Banks is nearly two miles round trip, or visitors would have to pay for parking twice. But with the streetcar, someone going to the Casino could simply hop on the train and visit a variety of Cincinnati’s other great attractions like Findlay Market or the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. More activity in these areas will lead to new businesses and new jobs for Cincinnatians.
• The Streetcar Will Reduce Congestion- The Casino will attract an anticipated 6 million visitors per year. That’s 16,438 visitors a day—that’s the capacity of the Cintas Center, the Aronoff Center and Music Hall combined. The streetcar will reduce congestion by carrying well over 100 passengers in a single vehicle and allowing people to park off-site at hotels or in other lots and garages around the route.  While Casino’s parking garage will only have about 4,000 parking spaces, the streetcar will allow visitors, especially after the work day and on the weekends, to make use of other spots along the line.
• The Streetcar Will Benefit the Residents Near the Casino- The people who live in all of Cincinnati’s 52 neighborhoods and the entirety of Hamilton County will benefit from the new revenues created by the new Broadway Commons Casino, but only the residents of three neighborhoods, Downtown, Over-the-Rhine, and Pendleton, will have to deal side effects of the Casino, increased traffic, noise and activity, on a daily basis.  Supporting the streetcar will be a trade off to these residents who will have to put up with more traffic and noise in their neighborhoods.  There is a huge need for the streetcar in these neighborhoods where 48.2% of the residents don’t own an automobile. And the streetcar is a project these neighborhoods want and support. The Over-the-Rhine Community Council and the Downtown Residents Council have both endorsed the Cincinnati Streetcar.

The new Broadway Commons Casino and the Cincinnati Streetcar are two complimentary projects that will help our City move forward, create jobs and remain vibrant into the future.  Support Cincinnati—Ride the Streetcar.

The Cincinnati USA book festival, Books by the Banks, will be held October 2nd at the Duke Energy Convention Center from 10am to 4 pm.  For more details and a list of authors, click here. Cincystreetcar.com is proud to support this event that promotes reading for all ages.

A Yellow and Green PCC Streetcar Heads South on Walnut in this Poster

From this week’s Soapbox:

“The streetcar project speaks directly to a number of the priorities that have been identified recently by the U.S. DOT,” said Chris Eilerman with the City’s Department of Transportation & Engineering.  “The streetcar specifically speaks to the livability principles of providing more transportation choices and improving the economic competitiveness of neighborhoods, sustainability, walkability, and creating vibrant, urban neighborhoods.  This is why we believe that this is a transformative project that will compliment the growth that Cincinnati is experiencing now.”

Read the rest here.

Josh Campbell, the proprietor of Mayberry and World Food Bar, plans to open an urban grocery at 7th and Main along the Cincinnati Streetcar route.  From the Business Courier:

The grocery will be open seven days a week until 10 p.m., he said. The store will have a deli counter, serving meats and prepared food from World Food Bar, including soups and cookie dough. There will also be fresh-ground peanut butter, cat and dog food, an old-style candy counter and locally sourced products.

“It won’t be high end, it won’t be low end. It’s all about the shopping experience,” Campbell said. “Anybody can come in here and pick up the necessities. We’ll be carrying smaller portions – half gallons of milk, half loaves of bread.”

Read the rest here: Downtown grocery planned – Business Courier of Cincinnati

Now with information on the Walking Tours of the Streetcar Route as well.

There have been numerous studies, presentations, and reports on the Cincinnati Streetcar that explain why streetcars are good investment for the City of Cincinnati.  Here are the links to these documents:

HDR- Cincinnati Streetcar Feasibility Study

HDR- Cincinnati Streetcar Economic Impact Study

HDR- Cincinnati Streetcar TIGER II Benefit to Cost Analysis

Cincinnati Streetcar Environmental Assessment

Appendices to Environmental Assessment

University of Cincinnati Streetcar Study Evaluation

City of Cincinnati Streetcar Presentation

City of Cincinnati Climate Action Plan (pg. 52)

Growth and Opportunities Study of the City of  Cincinnati (pg. 61)

Agenda 360 (pg. 20)

Over The Rhine Green Preservation Study

Letters of Support for the Streetcar

From Milton Dohoney, Jr., City Manager:

I’m writing to make sure you are among the first to know that the City of Cincinnati has chosen the Vine Street alternative as the route the streetcar will take to reach the Uptown area.  This route is the least expensive, offers the fewest engineering challenges and best positions the streetcar for future expansion.

We reached this decision after a process that was both inclusive and comprehensive.  The City and a group of stakeholders along both Vine Street and the alternative route, West Clifton Avenue, have been meeting to collect input and share ideas about each route for months.  The group was informed of the City’s decision at a meeting this afternoon.  In the final analysis, Vine Street was the best decision.

We estimate that the West Clifton route would have added some $20 million to the streetcar’s construction cost and $250,000 annually to operations.  The Vine Street route is not as steep, has fewer curves and offers a shorter commute time.  The Vine Street route also connects the streetcar to University Plaza, Kroger, the Short Vine entertainment district and The Christ Hospital, and is a logical jump-off point for future routes that would include University Hospital, Cincinnati Children’s and the Zoo.

Clearly, interest and excitement in the streetcar are increasing.  I appreciate your input on this critical issue.  I invite you to continue working with us to make this project a success.

Milton Dohoney
City of Cincinnati

Cincystreetcar.com is pleased with the City's decision of Vine Street, which will position the Streetcar for future expansion into Avondale, Corryville and Walnut Hills. Also, we do not have to change our maps.

From this week’s Soapbox:

3CDC-related development projects in Over-the-Rhine date back to 2004 and include 205 housing units and 43,733 square feet of commercial space.  To date, more than 70 percent of these housing units have been occupied, and roughly 60 percent of all commercial space has been filled resulting in more than 39 businesses becoming members in the Gateway Quarter Merchant’s Association.

“People have been attracted to the downtown area because they can actually walk to work, entertainment and dining and not have to worry about driving.  People can actually save money by living downtown,” said Holly Redmond, Gateway Quarter Realtor with Link Realty.  “New buyers are also excited about the hype of everything new coming like the streetcar and the casino.”

Read the rest here.