To enable Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky residents to understand how rail transit might work here, the Alliance for Regional Transit has been leading trips to Portland, Oregon for several years. John Schneider will be leading another tour Friday, September 28th. Contact him at (513) 579-1300.

Early this fall, Cincinnati's city manager will report to city council with respect to how the first phase of a streetcar system could be financed, built and operated in Downtown Cincinnati and Over-the-Rhine. The consultants studying the project concluded last May that the downtown streetcar project would return benefits to our community well in excess of its cost. ( You may download the City's report.) If approved by City Council this fall, construction could begin in a year, and the line connecting The Banks with Findlay Market could be operating by 2010.

Streetcars have been extremely effective stimulators of economic development. In the Pearl District of Portland, Oregon, an initial investment of $57 million dollars generated a return of $1.6 billion in development. Included in that development were 5,200 new housing units (10,000 new residents), 21,000 jobs, and $1 million in new retail. The ratio of stimulus to development was 28.5:1.

If the Portland multiplier holds true in Cincinnati, an investment of $100 million-our estimate of the cost of a four mile loop - will generate $2.8 billion in new development. The key to making sure the multiplier obtains in Cincinnati is to run the streetcar through those areas which have the greatest potential for development.

If you would like for us to make a presentation to your group, please use the contact page to send any one of us email.

If you would like to see a narrative of our presentation, click Narrative in the menu at the left side of this page. If you would like to see a self-playing version of the presentation, click Presentation.

If you would like to see a modern streetcar in action, check out this movie on YouTube.