17 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

Originally they had penciled in September 15th, so this will be 6 days earlier. From WVXU Radio in Cincinnati, OH, 5/24/16:

Streetcar Service Scheduled To Begin On Sept. 9th

Officials say the Cincinnati streetcar will begin passenger operations on Friday, September 9th.

More

[KevinKorell]

Cincinnati, OH Enquirer, 5/24/16:

Streetcar opening day set

Paul Grether, METRO's manager of rail services, announced the streetcar would start carrying passengers on Sept. 9, a date that meets the city's opening date goal.

Story

[Sloan]

 

 

Memo: Multiple streetcar construction projects completed under budget

 

Turns out, the price tag for building the streetcar wasn’t as high as originally thought.

http://www.wcpo.com/...ed-under-budget

[CNJRoss]

Progressive Railroading, 8/4:

 

Cincinnati Streetcar gears up for pre-revenue service

Photo: Cincinnati Streetcar website

 

The Cincinnati Streetcar will begin pre-revenue service on Aug. 7, marking the next step in preparing the streetcar for public use.

During the pre-revenue period, the streetcar operating and maintenance team can work out problems that arise and correct them before passenger service begins Sept. 9, Cincinnati Streetcar officials said in a press release.

In addition, all "behind-the-scenes" operations such as dispatching and supervision will be fully functioning.

 

Continue  here.

[CNJRoss]

City of Cincinnati news release:

 

Cincinnati Streetcar to Begin 'Pre-Revenue Service' on Aug. 7

 

Aug. 3

Streetcar operating regular schedule with no passengers

 

CINCINNATI – Beginning Sunday, Aug. 7, the Cincinnati Streetcar will take the next step in preparing to provide service to the public, operating what is known as “pre-revenue service” until the grand opening on Friday, Sept. 9. The Cincinnati Streetcar is not yet certified to carry passengers.

 

The pre-revenue service period gives the streetcar operating and maintenance team experience operating as if the streetcar were already in service, but with no passengers on board.  This is the time to work out any issues that arise and make changes before service begins Sept. 9: 

• Streetcars will operate on the regular daily schedule with service every 12-15 minutes:
  • Monday-Thursday:          6:30 a.m. to midnight
  • Friday:                              6:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.
  • Saturday:                          8 a.m. to 1 a.m.
  • Sunday:                            9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Maintenance employees will service and clean the streetcars as they will after service to the public begins
• All behind-the-scenes operations such as dispatching and supervision will also be fully functioning

It’s important that the streetcars be able to operate the route with no interruptions or delays during the pre-revenue service period and after service begins. 

 

IMPORTANT:  The City of Cincinnati will enforce all traffic ordinances that affect the streetcar.  Vehicles that are parked on the streetcar tracks or that in any way impede the streetcar will be fined and towed, at a cost of $50 to $140.

 

Some important safety tips for motorists and pedestrians around the streetcar:

• DO NOT board the streetcar even if the doors open at a station
• Motorists are not permitted on Henry Street between Elm and Race streets (near Rhinegeist). Henry is permanently closed to traffic. Use McMicken instead.
• Do not drive in posted “transit only” lanes, designated by signs and diagonal white lines. It is illegal to drive in these lanes.
• Motorists should not go around or cut off the streetcar. This is illegal and dangerous. The streetcar can start moving unexpectedly. If a streetcar is stopped for an extended period of time due to an interruption, it will turn on hazard lights (four-way flashers), indicating that is OK to go around it.
• Pedestrians should exercise extra caution around the streetcar.  Even at posted un-signalized crosswalks, the streetcar has a greater stopping distance than other traffic.

Streetcar safety videos are available at http://bit.ly/2avvhHM.

 

About The Cincinnati Streetcar

Scheduled to open Sept. 9, 2016, the Cincinnati Streetcar is intended to expand transportation options, stimulate development, and enhance livability by connecting downtown, the riverfront and Over the Rhine.  The Cincinnati Streetcar is owned and funded by the City of Cincinnati, managed by the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, and operated by Transdev.

[CNJRoss]

LATE POST

 

City of Cincinnati news release:

 

Cincinnati Streetcar Launches Videos as Part of "Be Streetcar Safe" Campaign

 

Jul. 20

 

CINCINNATI – Learn how to “Be Streetcar Safe” with the newly launched series of animated Cincinnati Streetcar safety videos.

Created by local production company, Lightborne Communications, Inc., the five safety videos provide helpful and easy to understand tips to make riding the streetcar or traveling alongside it safe, fun and enjoyable for all.

 

LEARN HOW TO 'BE STREETCAR SAFE'

Each 30-second video focuses on tips for bicyclists, pedestrians, drivers and individuals with disabilities, as well as a general safety video. There is also a 60-second, instructional “how to ride” video.

• 'How to Ride' (60 sec): https://vimeo.com/175878086
• 'General Safety' (30 sec): https://vimeo.com/175877399
• 'Pedestrians' (30 sec): https://vimeo.com/175879327
• 'Disabilities' (30 sec): https://vimeo.com/175874388
• 'Biking' (30 sec): https://vimeo.com/175873227
• 'Driving' (30 sec):

There will also be a Cincinnati Streetcar Disability Awareness Day at Washington Park on July 30, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This will be an opportunity for the general public, especially those with disabilities to get onboard and become more familiar with how to catch and ride the streetcar, as well as travel along the route safely.

[CNJRoss]

LATE POST

 

City of Cincinnati news release:

 

Queen City Bike to Hold Bike Safety Clinics Along Streetcar Route

 

Aug. 5

 

CINCINNATI – As Cincinnatians prepare for the grand opening of the Cincinnati Streetcar on Sept. 9, bicyclists are encouraged to educate themselves on bike safety along the streetcar route. This Saturday, Aug. 6 Queen City Bike is holding a free “Cycling the Streetcar Route Safely Clinic” at 10 a.m. at the Washington Park Red Bike Station.

 

This free event is open to the public and riders are encouraged to bring their own bike, or use a Cincy Red Bike. The clinic will last approximately 90 minutes and the ride will navigate the 3.6-mile route and demonstrate how to ride along it safely.

 

For those who are interested in bike safety but can’t make it to this weekend’s clinic, Queen City Bike will hold two more Saturday clinics on Aug. 20 and Sept. 3 at 10 a.m. at Washington Park. Cyclists can also learn biking safety tips by watching the new Cincinnati Streetcar Bike Safety Video available below.

 

• 'Biking' (30 sec):

[Sloan]

 

 

Cincinnati Streetcar Commemorative Tokens Now on Sale

 

The limited-edition Cincinnati Streetcar commemorative tokens have recently gone on sale and are good for unlimited rides for the first week of revenue service, and are great souvenirs, too.

http://www.masstrans...ens-now-on-sale

[CNJRoss]

FTA news release:

 

U.S. Department of Transportation Celebrates Cincinnati Streetcar Grand Opening

9/9/2016

 

CINCINNATI – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Acting Administrator Carolyn Flowers today joined Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley and other local officials to celebrate the opening of the Cincinnati Streetcar. The new line is the cornerstone of Cincinnati’s efforts to expand transportation options and revitalize the heart of the city by improving access to jobs, the developing riverfront, and rejuvenated neighborhoods.

 

“Today Cincinnati joins a growing list of cities across the country that have chosen streetcars to revitalize their downtown and improve mobility for citizens,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Cincinnati’s streetcar will attract new businesses and investment along the route and transform the neighborhoods surrounding the project – as other streetcars have in cities all over the United States.”

 

The streetcar, named the Cincinnati Bell Connector following a naming rights agreement with Cincinnati Bell Inc., is 3.6 miles long with 18 stations connecting popular employment and cultural destinations in the city’s downtown, riverfront area, and Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.

 

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) helped fund the project with $16 million from a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant and approximately $29 million in other DOT funds. Since 2009, DOT has awarded more than $550 million to streetcar projects across the country, including starter lines in Kansas City, Dallas, Atlanta, Charlotte and Tucson, as well as extensions to systems in Portland and New Orleans.

 

“We are proud to partner with Cincinnati on its streetcar and usher in a new era for getting around in this vibrant city,” said FTA Acting Administrator Flowers.  “The streetcar will expand transportation options for residents and visitors, spur economic development and connect workers to jobs, helping to build ladders of opportunity throughout the city.”

 

In Cincinnati, the streetcar has spurred millions of dollars in redevelopment, with new employment, retail and housing all along the line. At the northern end of the line in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood – the site of today’s opening celebration – the streetcar has attracted restaurants and other retail and residential projects, creating a thriving neighborhood and improving access to other destinations throughout the city.

[CNJRoss]

USDOT "Fast Lane" blog, 9/9:

 

In Cincinnati, New Streetcar Connects People to Opportunity

Posted by Acting Federal Transit Administrator Carolyn Flowers

 

While every transit project is unique, they tend to share some similar traits, including making our communities more livable by encouraging economic growth and connecting people to opportunity.

 

Today, I’m proud to join community leaders in Cincinnati, Ohio for the grand opening of such a project: the Cincinnati Bell Connector.

 

_{Photo credit: Cincinnati Streetcar [external link] on Facebook}

 

Bringing this streetcar service to life in some of Cincinnati’s most historic neighborhoods took extensive commitment and coordination among all project partners, including the City of Cincinnati and the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority.

 

My agency at DOT, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), had a major role to play, as well. We at FTA have managed a combined contribution of about $45 million in federal funds for this project, including a $16 million TIGER grant.

 

TIGER grants are devoted to innovative projects that will help communities both recover and grow economically. That is exactly what the Cincinnati Bell Connector will accomplish, by linking the city’s downtown core and Riverfront with the emergent Over-the-Rhine neighborhood to the north.

 

That means better connections to jobs – about 65,000 of them in downtown alone – as well as schools, medical care, entertainment, and more.

 

We’re marking the occasion here in Washington Park in Over-the-Rhine, where charming townhouses and apartments intermingle with local businesses and landmarks like Findlay Market [external link] and the School for Creative and Performing Arts [external link].

 

_{Photo credit: Cincinnati Streetcar [external link] on Facebook}

 

But much of the neighborhood still suffers from the legacy of decades of urban decline, leaving vacant storefronts and insufficient housing. The streetcar will bring much-needed investment, attracted by the convenience, comfort, and permanence of a modern rail system.

 

This is thanks to the key advantage of streetcars –  they “shrink” neighborhoods. In other words, they make it much easier to get around spontaneously on foot or otherwise without a car, which encourages active, dynamic place-making.

 

Cincinnati, like many major cities, existed and thrived for well over a century before the advent of the automobile; much of the city is built at a scale conducive to walking and cycling.

 

Streetcars amplify that historic infrastructure and allow cities to get the most out of their neighborhoods. The Cincinnati Bell Connector will build on the region’s long-term vision for a strong, sustainable Cincinnati centered on a comprehensive network of transportation options.

 

I’m excited to see what comes next for Cincinnati, and I’m proud to be on hand as we mark this next chapter in the story of a great American city!