Get Involved
Education. As an individual interested in rail transit and engaging in the public debate over its local implementation, one of the most important first steps is getting educated on the facts. This aids in creating meaningful, insightful discussions on the issue.
The recent debate over the Cincinnati streetcar was heavily politicized in local elections, and passion often overtook use of actual facts. Only by being educated on the advantages and disadvantages of rail transit, will the public be able to identify when information is being spun and when it is sound. In addition to all the information available on this webpage, the Resources page has been set up as an information clearinghouse with links to several quality articles and guides available online which cover different aspects of rail and public transit from a variety of authors and organizations. |
Take Action! Here are some concrete steps you can take, beyond educating yourself and reading widely, to better engage in the discussion on rail transit in your community and in the Tri-State region in general: |
Although the recent local debate on public transit in the region has focused almost exclusively on Cincinnati's streetcar, this shouldn't distract from moving the debate forward to the regional, Tri-State level. If the Cincinnati streetcar is to function well in the long term,
One of the most recent attempt at creating such a network, SORTA's MetroMoves plan, was defeated via a voter referendum in 2002. Albeit, the MetroMoves plan was defeated in a very different political, fiscal, and social climate than those that prevail today. In 2002, the dominant viewpoint was that the City of Cincinnati had recently stretched its budget quite far to build Paul Brown Stadium and that budgeting for other large capital investments would be fiscally irresponsible in the short term. Gas was also about $1.42 a gallon in 2002 in Hamilton County, this has since more than doubled (May 2008).
Another recent plan for creating light rail in the region is the Oasis Rail Transit plan (or Eastern Corridor Plan) which would connect downtown Cincinnati with the city's eastern suburbs. However, recent analysis by HDR suggests that the plan would have limited economic impact and ridership in comparison with the less expensive, albeit smaller, Cincinnati streetcar (Lopez 2014). Although the Oasis line is the only transit plan that includes light rail that is being seriously pursued by officials within the region, it has not become the lightening rod of political controversy that the streetcar became during its planning and implementation. Still, the future of the Oasis line is somewhat uncertain.
it should be seen as the beginning of a regional network of rail transit ; not an isolated, "one and done" project limited to downtown. One of the most recent attempt at creating such a network, SORTA's MetroMoves plan, was defeated via a voter referendum in 2002. Albeit, the MetroMoves plan was defeated in a very different political, fiscal, and social climate than those that prevail today. In 2002, the dominant viewpoint was that the City of Cincinnati had recently stretched its budget quite far to build Paul Brown Stadium and that budgeting for other large capital investments would be fiscally irresponsible in the short term. Gas was also about $1.42 a gallon in 2002 in Hamilton County, this has since more than doubled (May 2008).
Another recent plan for creating light rail in the region is the Oasis Rail Transit plan (or Eastern Corridor Plan) which would connect downtown Cincinnati with the city's eastern suburbs. However, recent analysis by HDR suggests that the plan would have limited economic impact and ridership in comparison with the less expensive, albeit smaller, Cincinnati streetcar (Lopez 2014). Although the Oasis line is the only transit plan that includes light rail that is being seriously pursued by officials within the region, it has not become the lightening rod of political controversy that the streetcar became during its planning and implementation. Still, the future of the Oasis line is somewhat uncertain.
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One of the other main demographic shifts which suggests that a proposed plan similar to MetroMoves might fare better today than it did in 2002 is the rise in popularity of walkable neighborhoods near the city's center among Millennials and aging Baby Boomers (like Over-the-Rhine, Clifton Heights, and East Walnut Hills). These increasingly dense, vibrant urban spaces directly support the possibility of developing more intensive modes of public transit (such as rail transit) within Cincinnati and ultimately in the region as a whole, complimenting existing bus systems. These trends are further supported by a rise in the use of public transit in the region (and the nation in general) that has outpaced population growth in recent years (May 2008; Transportation for America 2012, 6).
Although the formal proposal of such a regional rail transit plan would have to come from the combined efforts of SORTA, OKI, TANK, and other relevant government entities, there are certain steps we can take as groups and individuals to promote the streetcar's expansion and the potential for the creation of light-rail transit in the region.
Although the formal proposal of such a regional rail transit plan would have to come from the combined efforts of SORTA, OKI, TANK, and other relevant government entities, there are certain steps we can take as groups and individuals to promote the streetcar's expansion and the potential for the creation of light-rail transit in the region.