Comments on: Cincinnati's Riverfront Transit Center Attracts Criticism

By: AJ Knee

AJ Knee — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 16:30:40 +0000

Over-the-Rhine is nowhere near the most dangerous neighborhood in the city. It suffers from a very bad reputation, but things have changed dramatically since the riots cleared the neighborhood out. The new Over-the-Rhine and the streetcar will have an amazing synergy.

By: v

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 18:00:44 +0000

I have lived here in Cincinnati for 11 years now and have maybe been downtown 3 times-just for games. The one place that everyone that I had met that had lived here there whole life said to never go was Over the Rhine. It is one of, if not the most, unsafe place in all of Cincinnati. Why in the world would anyone plan to place that system right smack in the middle of that area? Do we not think that the druggies, gangs and prostitutes are going to use it? I know that’s exactly what I would like to ride next to if I were visiting this city. How about the parents who are sending their kids to UC? Yeah sure honey, take the rail system to the ballgame-the scenery is great along the way…Just be sure to take your bullet proof vest and don’t speak to the man selling drugs or the prostitue beside of him. I should think that Cincinnati already has money set aside for the cops who are going to ride along. Besides, who can afford to buy anything at the stores downtown. The only attractions are the games and the zoo. Someone needs to rethink this gazillion dollar plan.

By: JTaylor

JTaylor — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 20:20:05 +0000

Cincinnati never seems to break away from the, “Little Town” syndrome, much like Louisville nearby, where most of the money and power supports suburbs more than inner city projects. This country has some of the poorest transportation I have ever seen. If you choose not to drive a car you are stuck in one spot. America needs to get on board, and do something about the lack of alternative transportation.

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:43:25 +0000

The thing about the MetroMoves Plan was that it it failed by 2 to 1 in the county of Hamilton as a whole. The votes from the city proper were for it at a similar margin.

Also the initial streetcar system would only serve downtown and Over the Rhine. The ridership quoted in the article is for just this part of the loop, costing $102 million. The total expanded system, pictured in the article, would cost the $185 million quoted. The downtown loop has already been studied but I don’t think the connections to the University and Zoo have been.
Studies done on the streetcar loop can be found at
http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/noncms/projects/streetcar/streetcar_links.cfm

By: AlexB

AlexB — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:28:32 +0000

Right on Jake.

By: Jake

Jake — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:53:32 +0000

Alex,
My question about the whether or not you were talking about MetroMoves in your previous post was separate from my post after that. Sorry for the confusion.
I know that MetroMoves had all of that. And I’m saying that MetroMoves would have been MUCH better than what we have to settle for now. I love the streetcar, but MM would have been incredible.
Sorry about that

By: AlexB

AlexB — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:43:34 +0000

Jake, looking at the MetroMoves plan, it appears that there would have been 5 light rail lines, 3 commuter rail lines and one streetcar line. Two of the light rail lines stop at a station called Covington. Is there something I’m missing?

By: Daniel M. Laenker

Daniel M. Laenker — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:29:59 +0000

From what I understand of Cincinnati politics (my partner is from the region originally), the local NAACP is rather unusually tied to a number of conservative and corporate groups, and a lot of the local black community resents both this and the personality of the local president.

That said, it’s a shame that the light rail plan didn’t advance. The Cincinnati region has a lot in common with Portland, likenesses that could have been further realized if the 2002 plan had come to fruition.

By: political_incorrectness

political_incorrectness — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:01:23 +0000

What does the NAACP have against the street car line? Is it good old NIMBYISM? Why is there so much anti-rail? That is backwards development and a 1950s attitude that must cease if they want to become a good spot on the Midwest map.

By: Jake

Jake — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 03:28:35 +0000

AlexB,

Are you talking about the MetroMoves plan from 2002?

And I think that Light Rail would be best, not streetcar (I do support streetcar, though). Here’s why…
Light Rail would extend much farther than the streetcar and hit the suburbs where so many commuters come from. It would be better to draw businesses downtown because people in the burbs would have a better commute to downtown. I live in Northern Kentucky, in Erlanger, about 20 minutes from Cincy. If we put in a streetcar, I would love it. But I’m still going to just drive to Cincinnati. The farthest the streetcar is planned is into Covington. Why would I drive 15 minutes to Cov, park my car, get on the streetcar, and then go to Cincy? That’s a waste of time.
I love the streetcar idea, it will stimulate the downtown a LOT. When people do go downtown they could truly make an easy-going day out of it by using the streetcar. But I think HUGE numbers of people would come to downtown/OTR/Covington/Newport if there was light rail.

In short… Light Rail=much bigger and better impact economically and environmentally.

Sorry, I think I rambled a bit.