Officials endorse streetcar program

To bolster support for the streetcar program, the Cincinnati Department of Transportation held its third public forum.

Administrators placed boards containing important information in the main branch of the Cincinnati library and were on hand to answer any questions citizens may have.
“I hope it does what it’s supposed to do,” said Hugh Koon, 70, of Cincinnati. Koon grew up with trains and streetcars and says University of Cincinnati students would benefit as well.

Although he says local residents support the streetcar, the outcome may still go either way.

“I have no idea [about how it will turn out],” Koon said. “You never know what people are going to do when they get to the ballot box.”

Officials handed out informational sheets and talked to residents about their concerns.

“I’ve been following it since the beginning,” said Mark Hunter, a Kentucky resident. Hunter, who may be attending UC to pursue a graduate degree in historical urban renewal, saw other cities’ public transportation. “It’s going to impact the city.”

Monetary concerns still remain an obstacle administrators are attempting to address with the series of open hall meetings. The entire project requires $128 million from capital sources and Cincinnati has
already promised $61 million, according to the statistics handed out at the forum.

In order to secure funds from federal sources, the department is required to gather a consensus of how the locals feel.

To quell the doubt, many of the pieces of information being distributed by city officials included important facts about the funding of the streetcar project.

“We wanted to make sure the numbers are straight. It won’t create a new tax,” said Lea Eriksen, Cincinnati’s budget director. “It will actually generate tax revenues. It will not be a tax increase – it’s part of the budget.”

Administrators are aiming to use the open house forums as a way to answer many of the questions being asked by citizens.

“We would expect big groups and small groups,” said Michael Moore, director of the Department of Transportation for Cincinnati. “Once you get the nuts and bolts the first time, it’s easier.”

The first presentation, at the Aronoff Center for the Arts, attracted approximately 60 people, Moore said.

There are still seven open house meetings Moore is planning for. The variety of places and audiences keeps him busy tweaking the presentation to keep it applicable to the people being targeted. The next forum is slated for Oct. 13 and each subsequent meeting approximately one week after.

“It’s going to be different information if we present to say, the Women’s Club ofCincinnati and if we were to present to the Engineers’ Club,” Moore said.

By conducting the open houses, the city is gathering the public opinion needed to be granted federal funding, but it is also a way for them to personally speak to the people about what the streetcar can do for Cincinnati.

“Public transportation means more to me than other people,” said Koon, who works at the Cincinnati Association For the Blind. “It’s not as easy as jumping into your car and going places for some people.”

Connecting various attractions of the city is also a reason why certain city officials are rallying for the streetcar. Under the current plan, the route will include Fountain Square, the Contemporary Arts Center, Findlay Market, the Brewery District and other popular locations in Cincinnati.

“We have all these gems and the streetcar can connect them,” Eriksen said. “More residents, jobs and small businesses [will] pop up along the line.”

Locals remain optimistic about the plan.

“There’s so much potential,” said Jodie Beerman, a Kentucky resident who works in Clifton. “There’s potential for the city to be so much fun.”