Streetcar Fact Sheet

By Laure Quinlivan

I have been a big supporter of the streetcar since I investigated and produced a video on it in 2009. You can watch it by clicking on videos at http://www.LQReportingtoYou.com. "Laure's Streetcar Report"

• The City has ordered five modern streetcars to serve the Phase One route. The Cincinnati Streetcar will be the first 100% low-floor streetcar in the United States and will be manufactured by CAF USA. CAF USA is the US subsidiary of a Spanish firm with extensive experience producing vehicles for high speed rail, commuter rail, light rail, and streetcar applications worldwide, including the cities of Pittsburgh, Sacramento, and Houston.

• Underground utility work is underway. Relocation of water works facilities in Over-the-Rhine began in February 2012 and is nearly complete. The City is relocating water and sewer lines, and Duke Energy, Level 3 Communications, and Cincinnati Bell are also relocating their facilities. This work will be done at the same as construction of the track and maintenance facility.

• The City and Duke have signed an agreement to let a judge decide who is ultimately responsible for costs associated with Duke's relocation. While a timeframe for this decision is not yet known, the court process will not prevent Duke from moving forward with its work.

• Building the streetcar has been awarded to the low bidder, which is a partnership of local firms, led by Messer Construction. Construction will begin this fall and will be completed September 2015.

• Workers hired to construct the streetcar will be paid federal prevailing wages.

• SORTA, which operates the bus system, will operate the streetcar to ensure smooth transitions between bus and rail transfers. The ticket price to ride is not yet decided.

• The City is looking for ways to extend the streetcar to the UC area. The Uptown leg of the streetcar route was cut after Gov. Kasich reneged on $52 Million in state funding that had already been awarded to Cincinnati Streetcar, because the Governor doesn't like rail projects.

• We've hired an owner's rep to oversee the streetcar project, John Deatrick. Deatrick is responsible for the successful Fort Washington Way project, The Banks project, and the Washington D.C. Streetcar project. He'll ensure we don't have cost overruns on our project.

We demo'd a building to create a streetcar Maintenance Facility in the 1700 block of Elm Street, which will spur development in this area of Over the Rhine.