CINCINNATI, Feb. 17, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mayor Mark Mallory, City Manager Milton Dohoney, Jr., and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today broke ground on the Cincinnati Streetcar Project. More than 600 citizens attended the ground breaking ceremony that took place in front of Memorial Hall on Elm Street. The 3.6 mile Streetcar line will connect The Banks development and other riverfront attractions, Downtown and Over-the-Rhine, a historic neighborhood located just north of the Central Business District.
"Today's ground breaking belongs to the thousands of Cincinnatians who have enthusiastically worked to make the Streetcar a reality," Mayor Mark Mallory said. "The Streetcar is another part of our efforts to build a better Cincinnati."
"The supporters of the streetcar have carried a vision for the growth of Cincinnati as a competitive city," said Dohoney. "Transportation that helps support development is clearly the path to a prosperous future."
"The people stood up and said this is what we need to do to continue to make progress in this region," Secretary LaHood said. "When people come to visit Cincinnati, one of the things they'll want to do is be connected with this streetcar."
"We're putting American workers to work building America's infrastructure," LaHood said.
"The streetcar represents a shift in our region's transit profile," said Terry Garcia Crews, Metro's CEO & General Manager. "No longer will we be a "bus-only" city. We are becoming multi-modal and, in doing so, we are becoming more competitive as a region."
"I applaud the leaders of our city and our nation for bringing us to this moment. I especially salute those who've worked so hard for so many years to bring us to this point. For sure, today's a special day, but we're just getting started," Cincinnatian John Schneider said.
After the official ceremony, LaHood, Mallory, Dohoney and city officials turned over cobblestones along Elm Street, signifying the start of the development with hundreds of supporters looking on.
The ground breaking kicks off the first phase of construction on the Streetcar project. There will be multiple construction components and phases related to the building of this transportation project. The first phase is a 4 month project to relocate water mains beginning on Elm Street at 12th Street.
The City is conducting the technical analysis in the process of selecting the vehicle, which should be finalized in the next few months. The designs are being finalized for the section of the Streetcar from 5th Street to 2nd Street that was added with the TIGER 3 grant from the Department of Transportation.
ABOUT THE CINCINNATI STREETCAR
Designed to improve neighborhood accessibility, stimulate development and create thousands of jobs, the Cincinnati Streetcar is on track to revitalize and connect key communities throughout the city's urban core. The streetcar will make an estimated 3700 trips each day on the initial route from The Banks at Second Street to Findlay Market. Future extensions include the University of Cincinnati area. The streetcar will run 18 hours a day, 365 days a year. Operated by SORTA, the streetcar will complement the Metro bus system and serve as a catalyst for a multi-modal transportation system. The first segment is expected to create more than 300 construction jobs and 25 permanent jobs needed for ongoing operations.
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Contact: Jason Barron, 513-352-5356 or 614-554-5952 (cell)
