Reported by: Clyde Gray Web produced by: Ian Preuth Cincinnati is poised to go back to the future, exploring the possible return of a streetcar system.
However, there's a lively debate about the wisdom of bringing streetcars back as opponents claim big expenditures, while supporters claim big opportunities.
First things first. This would not be your father's streetcar system.
If approved, the new system would look more like the sleek, easily-accessible streetcars in Portland.
There would be no more spider web of overhead wires and no more old bus bodies. Instead, there would be something new and exciting in a sometimes stodgy city.
Last month, Cincinnati City Council authorized the city manager to report by year's end whether he could raise the money to build the new system.
"That's excellent. We're trying to expand the city and make it better. I mean, why not," said Anthony Walker of Lincoln Heights on the possibility of the street cars.
The plan calls for an initial four mile loop running from the Banks up Main Street, through Over-the-Rhine to Findlay Market, then back down Race Street to the Banks.
The initial cost, to be paid by a mix of city, state, federal and private funds is estimated at $102 million, plus another $2 million for operating costs.
The plan calls for the city to build an uptown leg up Vine Street later, tying the zoo, the hospitals, the University of Cincinnati and their thousands of employees to the downtown area at no added cost.
"You want to be able to connect people to activity centers, to employment centers and to residential centers," Cincinnati City Manager Milton Dohoney, Jr. said, said. "And downtown and uptown are our primary two employment centers."
Streetcar backers focus their arguments on how the system will pay for itself with increased taxes generated by new development. They point to Portland, which spent $57 million to build its streetcar system and recouped $1.6 billion in investment. Their research claims the investment in Cincinnati would yield nearly $3 billion in development.
"It's a permanent investment in your city core or your neighborhoods through these tracks that are laid down," said Dan Deering, a streetcar system supporter. "And that is very attractive to developers, real estate investors and bankers."
On the other side of the issue, city councilman Chris Monzel said, "I'm concerned about the financing plan, how we're going to build this."
Monzel was part of a minority on council to oppose the streetcar project. He thinks the city should focus its dollars on the Banks Project to generate development, not streetcars.
Monzel said there's no guarantee Portland's success with streetcars will translate in Cincinnati, but he opposes the project for another reason. "The citizens don't want it. If you really went out there and polled the citizens, then it would be overwhelmingly against the idea of streetcars," Monzel said.
Scott Foust of Fairfield agreed. "Economically speaking, I don't see how a streetcar would effect it too much," he said.
"Maybe not at this time with the economy. Maybe if the economy was better," said Rebecca Dobbs of Mt. Airy.
But Dohoney said now is precisely the time. "If we don't do something different with our limited tax revenues today, we won't have as much money for other things, so this is an investment in the future of Cincinnati."
Private sector supporters of a streetcar system say 46 cities either have streetcars, or are trying to develop them.
The opponents say few of those cities are actually operating streetcar systems.
We'll get some idea by the end of the year whether Cincinnati will go forward with its system.
