Events
Over-The-Rhine Rail Dog Parade
Due to recent cold and icy weather, the long-time holiday tradition of the Mount Adams Reindog Parade was canceled this year after trying to reschedule it twice. Fortunately, this weekend brought clear skies, warmer temperatures, and a burst of creativity. The Over-The-Rhine Kennel Club held an impromptu dog parade along the streetcar route, from Washington Park along 12th Street and ending at Neon’s, a pet-friendly bar. Participants were encouraged to dress up their pups in costume, as was the tradition with the Reindog Parade, and embark from the Washington Park dog park Sunday afternoon. Dozens attended the event with their furry companions clad in holiday cheer and checked out the construction progress along the route.
Project Executive to present Cost to Cancel Streetcar
Streetcar Project Executive, John Deatrick, will be giving his estimate of the cost to cancel the Cincinnati Streetcar at a special meeting of the Finance Committee, Thursday, November 21, at 12:00pm.
Open to the public, the presentation will take place at City Hall in council chambers on the Third Floor. There will be no public comment taken but supporters are encouraged to attend.
Follow the event on Facebook, or tune into Twitter and follow the hashtag #CincyStreetcar. If you are unable to attend the meeting, it will be broadcast live online.
(extra seating in the gallery, Fourth Floor)
New Shirt Promotes Cincinnati Streetcar
As part of Makers Faire Weekend, retailers revealed the new design for the ever-popular Cincinnati Streetcar t-shirts. The original design dates back to 2009 using a generic streetcar graphic. Now that the city has its very own vehicles in production, the icon has been updated to reflect the unique design of the CAF streetcar. The shirts come in a variety of colors in both men’s sizes and women’s fitted styles. Cincinnatians first got their hands on the new fashion at Rhinegeist following October’s Bike The Streetcar tour.
Created by AllScreen Image Marketing in Over-the-Rhine, one can purchase the new t-shirt at their store on 1218 Race Street, or in the City Pride Shop on the first floor of City Hall. A few of the original shirts remain in stock at MiCA 12/v and Park + Vine, with the new design expected to be on shelves for the holidays.
Community of 75+ Bikes the Streetcar Route
Over 75 people turned out for a 3.6-mile bike ride along the Cincinnati Streetcar route held last week. Margy and Mel Ride Bikes, a community group of leisure bicyclers, organized the ridealong tour which started at Findlay Market. Social media and word-of-mouth attracted the large number of participants, who ranged from streetcar supporters to those who knew little about the route and were curious to see where it would go.
Led by Sarah Perrino, City of Cincinnati Transportation Designer, and Chris Eilerman, Streetcar Project Manager, the tour showcased an up-close look at the construction progress and discussed the milestones for completion. Cyclists rang their bells at each of the stops to indicate where the streetcar will pick up future passengers. Queen City Bike was also on hand to provide safety demonstrations on how to ride carefully during construction, and how to ride a bike on a street with rails in the ground. Traveling the entire loop took around 90 minutes.
Cincinnati’s streetcars will have room to hold six bicycles per vehicle, which can easily be wheeled on board with curb-level boarding. In contrast, a METRO bus only holds two bicycles per vehicle, which must be hoisted and secured on the exterior rack without any assistance from the bus driver. Children’s bikes are too small to fit in the rack, and bikes are not permitted inside the bus. If the rack is full, you must wait for another bus.
Departing from Findlay Market, bicyclers traveled north along Elm Street, passing the Maintenance and Operations Facility construction on Henry Street, then rode south on Race Street through Over-the-Rhine. Crossing Central Parkway, the route continues south into the Central Business District on Walnut Street, looping around at The Banks and back north on Main Street. Returning to Over-the-Rhine, the tour rode along 12th Street to Elm Street, then back to Findlay Market. Afterwards, the cyclists convened at Rhinegeist, a brewery that opened on the route this summer inside the historic Christian Moerlein Brewery.
