Fan Mail

CincyStreetcar.com receives emails from people outside Cincinnati that are excited about the project. Here is a recent letter:

I lived in Boston and the suburbs for over 40 yrs. I grew up on the subway/trolley/commuter rail. It is the lifeblood of a city and should be the norm, not the exception to any regional transit planning. Over the years, Boston has unfortunately removed some of the train lines and replaced them with buses. They are very unpleasant to navigate compared with the trains. And having to ride a bus along old defunct train routes is just salt in the wound.

I have recently moved to Santa Barbara, CA and immediately began thinking of what kind of streetcar could improve things for the residents and workers here. I have never liked buses because they are so variable, and they get stuck in traffic more than streetcars do. Streetcars also hold many more passengers, so there isn’t as much pushing and shoving on a crowded bus when getting on and off.

I visited Cincinnati ten years ago. I drove around, but didn’t know where I was going, or what places I should visit. So I didn’t get to experience all that Cincinnati had to offer. I have taken the train systems in Boston, NYC, Chicago, Montréal, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Moscow, Madrid, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris and London. A well laid out train system will completely transform an urban environment beyond all expectations. There is a constancy and comfort that comes with riding a streetcar/subway that doesn’t happen with buses or taxis.

Good luck with the plan to put a streetcar system in Cincinnati! I know that it will improve the commute for workers, and increase the mobility and lessen the isolation of Cincinnati’s elderly, disabled and young people. And as an added bonus, the cherry on top, it is the incredible benefit to the environment, and the reduction in the use of fossil fuels.