Cincinnati's streetcar fight simmers after 10 years
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The Cincinnati Connector streetcar is one of the most divisive transportation projects in local history. Photo: Casey Weldon/Axios
Ten years after Cincinnati's streetcar began carrying passengers, one of the city's fiercest political fights has become something once unthinkable — normal.
Why it matters: The debate now is less about whether Cincinnati should have one than what it should become.
Flashback: Supporters saw a way to spur investment. Opponents saw a $144.6 million amenity for out-of-town visitors and downtowners.
- "It literally was the number one issue being talked about — pro and con — online and in the newspaper every day," longtime streetcar critic and West Side activist Pete Witte tells Axios.
Then-Gov. John Kasich helped yank state funding, essentially killing hope of the original University of Cincinnati extension.
- Mayor John Cranley pushed to stop construction in December 2013 before the City Council restarted it weeks later with track already laid by Music Hall.
- "It was a really stressful moment because we didn't know if we were going to be able to get going again," recalls project executive John Deatrick.
💭 Casey's thought bubble: I worked in the City Manager's Office then, when even posting about the project on social media could make people nervous.
- The general rule: Stick to construction updates and avoid causing a streetcar fight online or at City Hall.
The project survived. The first passengers boarded Sept. 9, 2016.
- "What's really inspiring is when I see people in wheelchairs… just kind of rolling onto the streetcar, and it's really helped those downtown residents that are transportation-dependent," Deatrick says.
Beyond ridership, the streetcar project was about revitalizing downtown and OTR.
- Few people championed that potential more than developer John Schneider, dubbed "Mr. Streetcar" by former Mayor Mark Mallory.
- He took people to see Portland, Oregon's streetcar to help them envision a system in Cincinnati.
By the numbers: An Urban Fast Forward analysis found $1.1 billion in construction investment near the route between 2012 and 2019.
- Schneider doesn't give the Connector all the credit, but calls it a "force multiplier" for downtown's growth.
Even Witte has ridden it, once parking at The Banks and taking it to OTR.
- "It did save us a walk," he concedes.
- Witte still thinks neighborhoods like Price Hill and even downtown have bigger priorities.
- "I just can't imagine the streetcar even cracks its top 10 of issues on people's minds."
What's next: There's no official plans for expansion, though advocates like Schneider still see room to grow.
- He'd like to see an extension up Central Parkway toward Camp Washington.
- "If we're going to repopulate the city, that route is a key target."
Go deeper: 10 years and 7.5 million trips later, Cincinnati's streetcar rolls on