Cincinnati last had streetcars in operation 64 years ago, but the first car of a brand new system has been now delivered, to the cheers of streetcar fans who lined Race Street to watch it arrive—via flatbed truck.
The street car, which was built by CAF USA, is a sleek, futuristic-looking vehicle that weighs 76,850lb, is 77 feet long, and can carry up to 154 passengers. However, even the most enthusiastic light-rail fans have a long wait before their first ride, as the system will have to enter a month-long testing phase before it can carry paying passengers. Not only do streetcar operators have to learn how to operate their vehicle safely, residents have to adjust to sharing the street with a vehicle that cannot maneuver to avoid problems.
Paul Grether, of the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, said the problem is not that streetcars are unsafe, but that people do not know how to interact with them. Most of the 65,000 people who work in downtown Cincinnati commute by car, and are not used to sharing streets with a light-rail vehicle.
The transit authority has begun an outreach campaign it calls ‘Be Streetcar Safe’ to help show motorists, cyclists and pedestrians how to enjoy the new light-rain system safely. To amplify its campaign, the transit authority could work with brochure printers to create a booklet for residents, explaining the streetcars' operation in detail.
Location
11130 Kenwood Road
Blue Ash, OH 45242
Get Directions →
Phone
Hours
Mon: 8:30 - 4:30
Tue: 8:30 - 4:30
Wed: 8:30 - 4:30
Thu: 8:30 - 4:30
Fri: 8:30 - 4:30
Sat: Closed
Sun: Closed