Cincinnatis
Nov 3, 2007, 7:22 PM
I actually attended this council meeting and words can't describe the energy in that room! I was very encouraged by our city government on getting this done ASAP!
$102M for streetcar line
'Need to seize the momentum'
BY MARGARET A. MCGURK | MMCGURK@ENQUIRER.COM
Undaunted by a $102 million price tag, five Cincinnati City Council members Tuesday voted to push forward with plans for a streetcar line from Freedom Way in downtown to McMicken Avenue in Over-the-Rhine.
City Manager Milton Dohoney and City Architect Michael Moore told the economic development committee that the system could be operating by December 2010.
The proposed line would run north on Main to 12th Street, west to Elm, north to McMicken, east to Race, south to Central Parkway, east to Walnut and then south to Freedom Way.
Dohoney won a round of applause from onlookers crowded into the hearing with his fervent appeal for streetcars in spite of the city's immediate budget crunch.
"We need to seize the momentum when we have it, and we have it now," he said.
He said the plan calls for sacrifices in the form of deferred capital improvements.
Committee member Roxanne Qualls praised the plan but asked for details on what work would have to wait because of the streetcars.
Fellow committee members Cecil Thomas, Jeff Berding, David Crowley and Chairman Chris Bortz all spoke in glowing terms about the plan's potential to boost the city's economy.
"We need to do some reprogramming in order to achieve this big project, this big vision." Bortz said after the meeting. "If we continue to cut, cut, cut, cut, cut, the city will continue to decline."
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071017/NEWS01/710170375
Next Steps:
City manager, Dahooney has 4 weeks to bring a final financing plan to the table (which he stated was enough time.) Plus side to this is, is the track runs through 3 tif districts.
Capital funding breakdown:
TIF: $25 mil
City Capital: $25 mil
Blue Ash Airport Sale: $11 mil
Public Private Partnerships: $20 mil
Private Contributions: $11 mil
State Capital: $10 mil
Streetcar proposal at a glance
Details about the proposed streetcar system linking downtown and Over-the-Rhine, according to city officials:
Time to build: Two to three years.
Cost to build: $102 million in 2010 dollars*.
Length: 3.9 miles with 18 stops.
Cost to operate: $2 million to $2.8 million annually (not counting fare revenue).
Proposed fare: 50 cents.
Daily ridership: 4,600 in 2010; 6,400 in 2015.
* Includes tracks, cars, maintenance facility and a 15-25 percent contingency allowance.
At the meeting, they not only covered the first leg on the first phase which will include a line just over 4 miles, but they also went over their 2nd leg, which will include a line from McMicken down Clifton Ave. past Ludlow. The other track will go right past UC on the east side ... which I believe was Jefferson Ave. I'll post when new news comes in. One of the encouraging things to here from a couple of the council members was that the city shouldn't only cater to Downtown and Uptown with this type of transportation and neglect the rest of the neighborhoods ... they wanted to see lines extending out to to other neighborhoods. I can definitely see LRT in our future, especially with this administration.
Cincinnati Streetcar Feasibility Study: http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/pages/-16338-/
First leg planned:
http://www.cincystreetcar.com/Images/routemap.gif
Later Phases
Phase 1 of the streetcar will start downtown in the basis. By avoiding hills and jurisdictional boundaries it will be easier and faster to build. Once the system is established, extensions are inevitable and will connect Cincinnati to the surrounding neighborhoods.
Connecting the University of Cincinnati is an obvious goal. With a student population of 35,000 students could ride the streetcar downtown for nightlife, a safe alternative to driving, or live downtown and ride the streetcar to class. Co-op students working downtown would have easy access to their jobs and avoid having to pay for parking while on a tight budget.
Also in Uptown are numerous hospitals, the Zoo, and the business districts of Coryville, Clifton, and University Heights. Uptown and Downtown are the two largest employment centers in the region. Connecting them would be a boon for the city.
To the south is Kentucky. Its dense riverfront neighborhoods, large population, and numerous attractions would be a welcome addition to the streetcar system.
To the west are Price Hill and other neighborhoods that would greatly benefit from improved access to downtown.
Taking the streetcar east along the river or up to Peeble’s Corner would spark new developments all along the line and provide greater access from the city to Eden Park.
The later phases of the streetcar system will reconnect Cincinnati’s neighborhoods and stimulate development all along the routes.
$102M for streetcar line
'Need to seize the momentum'
BY MARGARET A. MCGURK | MMCGURK@ENQUIRER.COM
Undaunted by a $102 million price tag, five Cincinnati City Council members Tuesday voted to push forward with plans for a streetcar line from Freedom Way in downtown to McMicken Avenue in Over-the-Rhine.
City Manager Milton Dohoney and City Architect Michael Moore told the economic development committee that the system could be operating by December 2010.
The proposed line would run north on Main to 12th Street, west to Elm, north to McMicken, east to Race, south to Central Parkway, east to Walnut and then south to Freedom Way.
Dohoney won a round of applause from onlookers crowded into the hearing with his fervent appeal for streetcars in spite of the city's immediate budget crunch.
"We need to seize the momentum when we have it, and we have it now," he said.
He said the plan calls for sacrifices in the form of deferred capital improvements.
Committee member Roxanne Qualls praised the plan but asked for details on what work would have to wait because of the streetcars.
Fellow committee members Cecil Thomas, Jeff Berding, David Crowley and Chairman Chris Bortz all spoke in glowing terms about the plan's potential to boost the city's economy.
"We need to do some reprogramming in order to achieve this big project, this big vision." Bortz said after the meeting. "If we continue to cut, cut, cut, cut, cut, the city will continue to decline."
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071017/NEWS01/710170375
Next Steps:
City manager, Dahooney has 4 weeks to bring a final financing plan to the table (which he stated was enough time.) Plus side to this is, is the track runs through 3 tif districts.
Capital funding breakdown:
TIF: $25 mil
City Capital: $25 mil
Blue Ash Airport Sale: $11 mil
Public Private Partnerships: $20 mil
Private Contributions: $11 mil
State Capital: $10 mil
Streetcar proposal at a glance
Details about the proposed streetcar system linking downtown and Over-the-Rhine, according to city officials:
Time to build: Two to three years.
Cost to build: $102 million in 2010 dollars*.
Length: 3.9 miles with 18 stops.
Cost to operate: $2 million to $2.8 million annually (not counting fare revenue).
Proposed fare: 50 cents.
Daily ridership: 4,600 in 2010; 6,400 in 2015.
* Includes tracks, cars, maintenance facility and a 15-25 percent contingency allowance.
At the meeting, they not only covered the first leg on the first phase which will include a line just over 4 miles, but they also went over their 2nd leg, which will include a line from McMicken down Clifton Ave. past Ludlow. The other track will go right past UC on the east side ... which I believe was Jefferson Ave. I'll post when new news comes in. One of the encouraging things to here from a couple of the council members was that the city shouldn't only cater to Downtown and Uptown with this type of transportation and neglect the rest of the neighborhoods ... they wanted to see lines extending out to to other neighborhoods. I can definitely see LRT in our future, especially with this administration.
Cincinnati Streetcar Feasibility Study: http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/pages/-16338-/
First leg planned:
http://www.cincystreetcar.com/Images/routemap.gif
Later Phases
Phase 1 of the streetcar will start downtown in the basis. By avoiding hills and jurisdictional boundaries it will be easier and faster to build. Once the system is established, extensions are inevitable and will connect Cincinnati to the surrounding neighborhoods.
Connecting the University of Cincinnati is an obvious goal. With a student population of 35,000 students could ride the streetcar downtown for nightlife, a safe alternative to driving, or live downtown and ride the streetcar to class. Co-op students working downtown would have easy access to their jobs and avoid having to pay for parking while on a tight budget.
Also in Uptown are numerous hospitals, the Zoo, and the business districts of Coryville, Clifton, and University Heights. Uptown and Downtown are the two largest employment centers in the region. Connecting them would be a boon for the city.
To the south is Kentucky. Its dense riverfront neighborhoods, large population, and numerous attractions would be a welcome addition to the streetcar system.
To the west are Price Hill and other neighborhoods that would greatly benefit from improved access to downtown.
Taking the streetcar east along the river or up to Peeble’s Corner would spark new developments all along the line and provide greater access from the city to Eden Park.
The later phases of the streetcar system will reconnect Cincinnati’s neighborhoods and stimulate development all along the routes.