MetroMoves
Encyclopedia
MetroMoves was a 2002 proposal by the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority
(SORTA) to expand and improve public transportation in the greater Cincinnati metropolitan area
. The 30-year vision included the addition of light rail
lines, commuter rail lines
, streetcars
in the downtown area, and expanded bus
routes. When put to a vote the citizens of Hamilton County
overwhelmingly rejected the proposal by more than a 2-to-1 ratio.
(OKI) recommended a light rail feasibility study for the area along Interstate 71
. In 1998 a solution was adopted to build a 19-mile rail line that stretched from Cooper Road in Blue Ash
to 12th Street in Covington
. The line would then form a backbone for subsequent rail lines to connect communities in the region.
MetroMoves began in 2000 as a plan to improve the city's bus system, but it was expanded to include the rail lines from the 1998 solution. The complete plan was estimated to cost $4.2 billion, with the Hamilton County portion costing $2.6 billion for the rail lines and another $100 million for the expanded bus lines. Of Ohio
's $2.7 billion, half was to be paid by the federal government, a quarter by the state of Ohio, and the last quarter by a one-half cent Hamilton County sales tax levy. In other words, about $39.50 per year per Hamilton County resident. Commuter rails to Lawrenceburg
, Middletown
, Milford
, and Hamilton
would only be built if the surrounding counties could raise $1.02 billion to help pay for the lines. The light rail portion was estimated to take 30 years to complete, with the Covington-Blue Ash line scheduled to open in 2008.
Several public figures opposed the plan, including Mayor Charlie Luken
and Congressman Steve Chabot
—the latter of whom referred to the plan as a "boondoggle
." Mayor Luken accused SORTA of using tax payer money to illegally promote a ballot issue, but SORTA argued that they were obligated to promote public transit and educate its citizens about possible options. Additionally, there were concerns that citizens would be "double taxed" because SORTA already had an earnings tax, and that federal funding would be low due to the highly competitive "New Start" program.
Opposition to MetroMoves was led by a group called Alternatives to Light Rail Transit (ALERT). They argued that light rail is not workable over the long run, that highway systems are the lifeline of most businesses in the region and in the country, and that a study showed MetroMoves would have an insignificant effect on traffic congestion. Others opposed MetroMoves because they didn't like the price tag, thought construction would disrupt neighborhoods, or they simply favored other transit options.
Proponents of MetroMoves argued that the new system would create 36,000 new jobs, spark new development, connect 300,000 existing jobs that do not have transit, save the TriState $85.1 million dollars in gas and other auto-related costs, and eliminate much of the need for bus passengers to go into downtown to transfer lines. The new transit plan was backed by Procter & Gamble
, Fifth Third Bank
, the Sierra Club
, and the League of Women Voters
.
A few weeks before Election Day $331,000 was raised to help promote MetroMoves, while ALERT raised less than $6,000. During this time both sides participated in numerous public debates, where both reiterated the same arguments and accused each other of distorting the same set of facts to their advantage. Additionally, citizens were reminded that Paul Brown Stadium
opened $52 million over budget in 2000, which was also funded by a half-cent tax levy.
On November 5, 2002 the tax levy, known as "Issue 7," was rejected by 68.4 percent of Hamilton County residents. MetroMoves received the most support in Clifton
and Avondale
, but received the strongest opposition in suburbs such as Indian Hill
, Madeira
, and Wyoming
. Because of the way federal funding for public transit works this meant the plan could not be reconsidered for at least another five years. There was a chance the project could bypass this by putting MetroMoves back on the ballot in the spring, but the CEO of Metro said, "there is nothing that leads me to believe today that things will change significantly in the public's mind over the next four to five months."
In 2003 the Ohio Elections Commission found ALERT guilty of using a false statement in an anti-MetroMoves television ad that ran during the 2002 fall campaign. The ad stated that the Federal Transit Administration
(FTA) rated the MetroMoves plan as one of the worst in the country, but the FTA said it does not rate transit plans against one another. Regardless, later that year Stephan Louis, the leader of ALERT, was chosen as a member of SORTA's board.
In 2008 interest was renewed in MetroMoves due to a 4% system-wide increase in Cincinnati bus ridership when compared to 2007. The bus ridership increased as high as 24% and 17% on some routes from April 2007 to April 2008. As of July, 2008 there are no plans to put either MetroMoves or a new transit plan on the ballot, though support is reportedly growing. When SORTA's light rail plan failed in 2002 gas prices were at $1.42 a gallon, and support from public leaders is expected to be much better.
(TANK), and Hamilton County. The Liberty, Brighton, and Hopple stations were originally built in the 1920s as part of the unfinished Cincinnati subway
.
Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority
Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority , is the public transport agency serving Cincinnati, Ohio and its suburbs. The agency operates transit bus services under the name Metro...
(SORTA) to expand and improve public transportation in the greater Cincinnati metropolitan area
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky metropolitan area
The Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky metropolitan area is a metropolitan area that includes counties in the U.S. states of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, centered around the city of Cincinnati, Ohio. The United States Census defines the metropolitan area as the Cincinnati-Middletown Metropolitan...
. The 30-year vision included the addition of light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
lines, commuter rail lines
Eastern Corridor Commuter Rail
The Eastern Corridor Commuter Rail is first of several proposed commuter rail lines being developed by SORTA, Hamilton County and Cincinnati in the Greater Cincinnati metro area in conjunction with proposed Light Rail and Streetcar lines...
, streetcars
Cincinnati streetcars
Cincinnati streetcars were the main form of public transportation in Cincinnati, Ohio at the turn of the twentieth century. The original streetcar system was dismantled in 1951....
in the downtown area, and expanded bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
routes. When put to a vote the citizens of Hamilton County
Hamilton County, Ohio
As of 2000, there were 845,303 people, 346,790 households, and 212,582 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,075 people per square mile . There were 373,393 housing units at an average density of 917 per square mile...
overwhelmingly rejected the proposal by more than a 2-to-1 ratio.
History
Cincinnati transit planners began advocating light rail in 1993 when the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of GovernmentsOhio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments
The Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments is a transportation planning and advocacy agency based in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. The council of local governments, business organizations, and community groups coordinates policy on topics such as freight and intermodal...
(OKI) recommended a light rail feasibility study for the area along Interstate 71
Interstate 71
Interstate 71 is an Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes/Midwestern and Southeastern region of the United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 64 and Interstate 65 in Louisville, Kentucky. Its northern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 90 in Cleveland,...
. In 1998 a solution was adopted to build a 19-mile rail line that stretched from Cooper Road in Blue Ash
Blue Ash, Ohio
Blue Ash is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and an inner suburb of Cincinnati, which is located just to the south. The population was 12,513 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Blue Ash is located at ....
to 12th Street in Covington
Covington, Kentucky
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 43,370 people, 18,257 households, and 10,132 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,301.3 people per square mile . There were 20,448 housing units at an average density of 1,556.5 per square mile...
. The line would then form a backbone for subsequent rail lines to connect communities in the region.
MetroMoves began in 2000 as a plan to improve the city's bus system, but it was expanded to include the rail lines from the 1998 solution. The complete plan was estimated to cost $4.2 billion, with the Hamilton County portion costing $2.6 billion for the rail lines and another $100 million for the expanded bus lines. Of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
's $2.7 billion, half was to be paid by the federal government, a quarter by the state of Ohio, and the last quarter by a one-half cent Hamilton County sales tax levy. In other words, about $39.50 per year per Hamilton County resident. Commuter rails to Lawrenceburg
Lawrenceburg, Indiana
Lawrenceburg is a city in Dearborn County, Indiana, United States. The population was 5,042 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Dearborn County...
, Middletown
Middletown, Ohio
Middletown is an All-America City located in Butler and Warren counties in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. Formerly in Lemon, Turtlecreek, and Franklin townships, Middletown was incorporated by the Ohio General Assembly on February 11, 1833, and became a city in 1886...
, Milford
Milford, Ohio
Milford is a city in Clermont and Hamilton counties in the U.S. state of Ohio, along the Little Miami River in the southwestern part of the state. It is a part of Greater Cincinnati. Milford, an abbreviated form of mill ford, was so named because it was the first safe ford across the Little Miami...
, and Hamilton
Hamilton, Ohio
Hamilton is a city in Butler County, southwestern Ohio, United States. The population was 62,447 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Butler County. The city is part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area....
would only be built if the surrounding counties could raise $1.02 billion to help pay for the lines. The light rail portion was estimated to take 30 years to complete, with the Covington-Blue Ash line scheduled to open in 2008.
Several public figures opposed the plan, including Mayor Charlie Luken
Charlie Luken
Charles J. Luken is an American politician of the Democratic party who was mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio and served in the Ohio's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. Luken's uncle, labor leader James T. Luken, also served as mayor of Cincinnati...
and Congressman Steve Chabot
Steve Chabot
Steven Joseph "Steve" Chabot is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously represented the district from 1995 to 2009.-Early life, education and career:...
—the latter of whom referred to the plan as a "boondoggle
Boondoggle (project)
A boondoggle is a project that is considered to waste time and money, yet is often continued due to extraneous policy motivations.- Etymology :...
." Mayor Luken accused SORTA of using tax payer money to illegally promote a ballot issue, but SORTA argued that they were obligated to promote public transit and educate its citizens about possible options. Additionally, there were concerns that citizens would be "double taxed" because SORTA already had an earnings tax, and that federal funding would be low due to the highly competitive "New Start" program.
Opposition to MetroMoves was led by a group called Alternatives to Light Rail Transit (ALERT). They argued that light rail is not workable over the long run, that highway systems are the lifeline of most businesses in the region and in the country, and that a study showed MetroMoves would have an insignificant effect on traffic congestion. Others opposed MetroMoves because they didn't like the price tag, thought construction would disrupt neighborhoods, or they simply favored other transit options.
Proponents of MetroMoves argued that the new system would create 36,000 new jobs, spark new development, connect 300,000 existing jobs that do not have transit, save the TriState $85.1 million dollars in gas and other auto-related costs, and eliminate much of the need for bus passengers to go into downtown to transfer lines. The new transit plan was backed by Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....
, Fifth Third Bank
Fifth Third Bank
Fifth Third Bank is a U.S. regional banking corporation, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio and is the principal subsidiary of holding company Fifth Third Bancorp ....
, the Sierra Club
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
, and the League of Women Voters
League of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters is an American political organization founded in 1920 by Carrie Chapman Catt during the last meeting of the National American Woman Suffrage Association approximately six months before the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution gave women the right to vote...
.
A few weeks before Election Day $331,000 was raised to help promote MetroMoves, while ALERT raised less than $6,000. During this time both sides participated in numerous public debates, where both reiterated the same arguments and accused each other of distorting the same set of facts to their advantage. Additionally, citizens were reminded that Paul Brown Stadium
Paul Brown Stadium
Paul Brown Stadium is an American sports stadium located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home venue of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. It opened on August 19, 2000. The stadium was named after Bengals' founder Paul Brown. The stadium is located on approximately of land and...
opened $52 million over budget in 2000, which was also funded by a half-cent tax levy.
On November 5, 2002 the tax levy, known as "Issue 7," was rejected by 68.4 percent of Hamilton County residents. MetroMoves received the most support in Clifton
Clifton, Cincinnati, Ohio
Clifton, incorporated as a village in 1850, is now a neighborhood in the north central part of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. The area includes the Ludlow Avenue Shopping and Dining District. Clifton is situated around Clifton Avenue, north of Dixmyth Avenue, approximately three miles north of...
and Avondale
Avondale, Cincinnati, Ohio
Avondale is a neighborhood in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio. It is home to the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. It has 18,706 residents, making it Cincinnati's fourth largest neighborhood....
, but received the strongest opposition in suburbs such as Indian Hill
Indian Hill, Ohio
The Village of Indian Hill is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and an affluent suburb of the Greater Cincinnati area. The population was 5,907 at the 2000 census. Prior to 1970, Indian Hill was incorporated as a village, but under Ohio law became designated as a city once its...
, Madeira
Madeira, Ohio
Madeira is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 8,923 at the 2000 census. Madeira has a Council-Manager form of government, where the elected City Council appoints a paid City Manager to run the day to day operations of the city. Madeira is served by its own Police...
, and Wyoming
Wyoming, Ohio
Wyoming is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 8,261 at the 2000 census.Wyoming has a renowned education program - the Wyoming City School District was ranked first in the State of Ohio on the 2004-2005 State Report Card, with an index score of 108.2...
. Because of the way federal funding for public transit works this meant the plan could not be reconsidered for at least another five years. There was a chance the project could bypass this by putting MetroMoves back on the ballot in the spring, but the CEO of Metro said, "there is nothing that leads me to believe today that things will change significantly in the public's mind over the next four to five months."
In 2003 the Ohio Elections Commission found ALERT guilty of using a false statement in an anti-MetroMoves television ad that ran during the 2002 fall campaign. The ad stated that the Federal Transit Administration
Federal Transit Administration
The Federal Transit Administration is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administrations within the DOT...
(FTA) rated the MetroMoves plan as one of the worst in the country, but the FTA said it does not rate transit plans against one another. Regardless, later that year Stephan Louis, the leader of ALERT, was chosen as a member of SORTA's board.
In 2008 interest was renewed in MetroMoves due to a 4% system-wide increase in Cincinnati bus ridership when compared to 2007. The bus ridership increased as high as 24% and 17% on some routes from April 2007 to April 2008. As of July, 2008 there are no plans to put either MetroMoves or a new transit plan on the ballot, though support is reportedly growing. When SORTA's light rail plan failed in 2002 gas prices were at $1.42 a gallon, and support from public leaders is expected to be much better.
Light Rail
The regional rail plan was developed by SORTA, OKI, the Transit Authority of Northern KentuckyTransit Authority of Northern Kentucky
The Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky is the public transit system serving the Northern Kentucky suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio located in Kenton County, Boone County and Campbell County...
(TANK), and Hamilton County. The Liberty, Brighton, and Hopple stations were originally built in the 1920s as part of the unfinished Cincinnati subway
Cincinnati Subway
The Cincinnati Subway is a set of unused tunnels and stations for a rapid transit system beneath the streets of Cincinnati, Ohio. It is recognized as the largest abandoned subway tunnel in the United States...
.