Streetcar, anyone?

Save the Streetcar!

In following my overall theme of positive thinking, I'm hoping that you all will help myself and Cincinnatians out with a teeny request. The public transit system here is pretty bad. The Metro bus system is slightly better than the TARC buses back in Louisville, and new routes will be more helpful. However, the city has twice voted for the building of a streetcar system in the Over-The-Rhine district. The new mayor-elect John Cranley wants to halt this project, and pay back the money to the Federal Government in order to "help balance the budget".

For all those who have never stepped foot in Cincinnati, or those who know very little about Cincinnati and some of its culture, there were many opportunities to have a great public transit system installed. A subway system in the early 20th century was in the process of being built. Due to WWI, then additional construction costs, the Great Depression and WWII, the project was discarded. You can still visit these abandoned subway tunnels with tours in OTR and from the Museum Center.

There was a streetcar system previously in Cincinnati in the 1890s, and it was dismantled in the 1950s. With the rise in popularity in the car adding on to this, urban flight increased dramatically. http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/streetcar/background-benefits/ After 1950, less and less people lived in the actual city of Cincinnati and moved out to the suburbs.

The current public transit system, Metro, only travels to the Government Square area of downtown, and not many stops closer to the Riverfront, or in OTR. Buses are usually very crowded, and downtown itself has an enormous number of surface parking lots to accommodate for cars. This does not bring a lot of business to the downtown areas, and gives little room for prosperity.

The current streetcar system is based off the one currently in Portland, OR. The city spent $57 million on the system, and have made a profit of $1.6 billion. Um, hello? I think that's a pretty good amount of money that can be made and help revive Cincinnati, if this project continues.

The first route goes from the Banks downtown (in between the Reds and Bengals stadium) up to Findlay Market area in OTR. There are plans to also put down tracks up Vine Street to reach University of Cincinnati and the Uptown area (the Zoo, Children's Hospital, etc.). This will bring so much travel to downtown and OTR, and help bring prosperity to the parts of the city that need to keep growing. So many international students that study at UC have no mode of public transit to leave Clifton, and this streetcar could solve that.

The streetcar is necessary for the growth of Cincinnati. If for nothing else, please click on the link at the beginning of my post and sign the petition for me. I may not reap most of the benefits from the streetcar, but think of all those who can. I support light rail, and hope that our country overall will start moving to high speed and light rail over highway travel.

Keep our country progressing forward. Help Cincinnati keep progressing. I have come to love this city in the past 2.5 years of living here, and stopping this streetcar will do more harm than good.