Cincy Streetcar Ridership Topping Expectations

Ridership of the new Cincinnati streetcar line has in the first two weeks of operation exceeded projectors despite some teething issues the system has encountered.

Among the issues of the Cincinnati Bell Connector have been inoperative credit card readers, lack of enough cars running on weekends, and transit times that have not lived up to their billing.

Some riders have told city officials that the pay kiosks are difficult to operate.

In the first two weeks of operation, the streetcar system recorded 70,292 rides and earned $47,755 in revenue.

The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority said the revenue is a quarter of what is needed to fund the system for the remainder of 2016.

“People are forming an impression; we want it to be as positive as possible,” Councilwoman Yvette Simpson said.

Assistant City Manager John Juech said that despite the issues, operation of the system has gone well.

“Various things come up. I think that is normal with a system of this magnitude,” he said.

Kim Green, executive director of Genfare, the company subcontracted to program the fare machines, told city council members that the machines would be fixed soon, but re-configuring how the machines work will take longer to achieve.

In the meantime, the counting sensors and its supporting software are now providing an accurate ridership count.

Many trips have not made their schedule, which city officials attributed to streetcars getting caught in traffic and having to halt at traffic signals.

The city hopes to undertake a traffic pattern study and in the meantime may tweak some of the traffic signals in an effort to speed up the streetcars.

The current schedule calls for cars to arrive at every stop on 15-minute headways.

Cincinnati Streetcar Naming Rights For Sale

Naming rights for the Cincinnati streetcar are now up for bid.

The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority said it has retained Advertising Vehicles, Inc. to handle the sale of naming rights and advertising space on Cincinnati Streetcars.

SORTA said that the revenue generated will be used to pay for streetcar operations.

The naming rights are available for the entire streetcar system under a long-term contract that includes additional promotional benefits.

Advertising space will be sold on the system’s five streetcars and is not part of the naming rights contract.

Space for advertising will offered on the lower exterior side panels and designated interior spaces, including ceilings and floors

If the purchaser of the naming rights wishes to place messages in these spaces, it may do so for an additional cost.

SORTA said that advertising sales on its bus system has generated more than $4.6 million over the past decade, averaging nearly $500,000 a year.

SORTA Seeking Streetcar Operator Bids

The olive green lines are the Cincinnati streetcar line that is under construction.

The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority is seeking a Request for Proposals for operations and maintenance services of the Cincinnati Streetcar system, which is currently under construction.

Respondents will be expected to take responsibility for staffing, processes, procedures, materials, services and management of the streetcar system. Proposals are due by March 3.

SORTA said it will consider two possible options.

One approach would be for a contractor to be able to step in and operate and maintain the Cincinnati Streetcar system. Such a contractor would use its own employees and managers.

Yet another approach would be for the contractor to provide management services to operate and maintain the Cincinnati Streetcar with SORTA responsible for employing, hiring, paying, and administering benefits for front-line operations and maintenance personnel.

The contractor would manage those employees and directly employ and manage all other personnel needed to operate the system.

The City of Cincinnati and SORTA late last year approved an Operating & Maintenance Agreement whereby SORTA’s responsibilities include streetcar operations, vehicle maintenance, facilities maintenance, fare collection system provision and maintenance, marketing, and advertising sales.

The 3.6-mile streetcar line is expected to begin operations in September 2016.