Cincinnati Bell Connector
Streetcar in service in September 2016
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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Owner | City of Cincinnati |
| Locale | Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| Transit type | Streetcar |
| Number of lines | 1 |
| Number of stations | 18 |
| Operation | |
| Began operation | September 9, 2016 |
| Operator(s) | SORTA, Transdev |
| Character | Street running |
| Number of vehicles | 5 CAF Urbos 3 |
| Technical | |
| System length | 3.6 mi (5.8 km) (roundtrip) |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
| Electrification | 750 V DC, overhead wires |
The Cincinnati Bell Connector, previously known as the Cincinnati Streetcar, is a streetcar system in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. The system opened to passengers on September 9, 2016. The streetcar operates on a 3.6-mile (5.8 km) loop from The Banks, Great American Ball Park, and Smale Riverfront Park through Downtown Cincinnati and north to Findlay Market in the northern edge of the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. Future extensions have been proposed to the Uptown area, home to the University of Cincinnati, the regional hospitals, and the Cincinnati Zoo; and to Northern Kentucky.
The project faced opposition on several occasions after being first proposed in 2007. Challenges included ballot initiatives to stop the project in 2009 and 2011, opposition from members of Cincinnati City Council, Governor John Kasich, and Mayor John Cranley (elected in 2013). However, both of the anti-rail ballot initiatives were rejected by voters, and a pro-streetcar majority was elected to City Council in 2011, allowing the project to move forward. Naming rights to the system were purchased by Cincinnati Bell in a $3.4 million, 10-year deal in August 2016.
At the end of the 20th century, Over-the-Rhine, which is adjacent to downtown, was one of the most economically distressed areas in the United States. Over-the-Rhine's instability was preventing growth and investment in Downtown Cincinnati, the city's central business district; this, in turn, has been affecting the health of the entire region. Ideally, the streetcar line would attract downtown (and uptown) workers to live near the line, provide economic stimulation and development, and provide transportation for local residents and tourists. The streetcars appeared in Cincinnati's massive 2002 transit plan, MetroMoves, which was rejected when taken to a public vote. A "Phase 1B" was considered that would connect to the "uptown" neighborhoods that surround the University of Cincinnati. The fundamental goal of the streetcar proposal is to create transit-oriented development.
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