Supporters of the Cincinnati Bell Connector are confronting mounting concerns about the operation of the city's new streetcar system. Meanwhile, ridership is declining, quickly.
"The Cincinnati Bell Connector's ridership is plummeting," reports Sharon Coolidge. "Overall, ridership is 53 percent above expectations. But a closer look at the numbers day-by-day shows declining ridership since it opened Sept. 9 and troublesome weekday numbers that need attention."
Paul Grether, rail manager for the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, revealed the ridership numbers during a presentation to the Cincinnati City Council's Major Transportation Committee. The article identifies some of the challenges hampering ridership on the line, including the biggest problem facing the streetcar: "timing is off and that means nobody knows when it will arrive at a station."
Another problem affecting the streetcar's performance, according to the article, is the city's lack of traffic studies in downtown at any point in the last 20 years. "The traffic pattern runs east/west, for ease of getting to the interstates. But traffic signals don't take into account how the city has grown to the north, where the streetcar runs," writes Coolidge.
FULL STORY: Streetcar ridership numbers way short of projections
Streetcars Out of Service in Cincinnati
It's been a rough week for the Cincinnati Bell Connector.
Cost of Blocking Streetcar Tracks in Cincinnati: $50
That's a small price to pay to bring a $150 million system to a standstill.
Cincinnati Leadership Trades Barbs Over Streetcar Frequencies
The popularity of the new Cincinnati Streetcar—known officially as the Bell Connector—has been tempered by poor performance on contractually mandated 15-minute headways.
Amtrak Ramping Up Infrastructure Projects
Thanks to federal funding from the 2021 infrastructure act, the agency plans to triple its investment in infrastructure improvements and new routes in the next two years.
Ending Downtown San Francisco’s ‘Doom Loop’
A new public space project offers an ambitious vision—so why is the city implementing it at such a small scale?
Proposal Would Transform L.A.’s ‘Freeway to Nowhere’ Into Park, Housing
A never-completed freeway segment could see new life as a mixed-use development with housing, commercial space, and one of the county’s largest parks.
Report: Bike Lanes Can't Make up for New Roads
If California wants to meet its climate goals, the state must stop funding its myriad road construction and expansion projects.
Minneapolis Affordable Housing Project Largest in 20 Years
The city opened its first large multifamily affordable housing complex in decades, but a recent court ruling against the Minneapolis 2040 rezoning plan could jeopardize future projects.
NYC Mayor Proposes Eliminating Parking Minimums
Mayor Adams wants to stop requiring off-site parking for new buildings to reduce the costs of construction as part of the ‘City of Yes’ package of zoning reforms.
Urban3
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Washington University
Mpact: Mobility, Community, Possibility
Lassen County Planning and Building Services
City of San Carlos
National Capital Planning Commission
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
