Public Transportation In Cincinnati (Cleveland, Nashville: live, buses, rail)

[Chemistry_Guy]

My biggest problem with public transit is that the only time that I need to get around without 'stuff' is when I am engaged in recreation. When I am going to work, I typically need to transport more than I can carry. My hobbies mostly require personal transportation as well.

When I was in graduate school I went about six months without a car at one point. I got along ok, but I noticed that I went out to eat a lot more often and I had less time to work due to increased transit times. Still, the lifestyle was in many ways more relaxing because I spent a lot more time walking, pedaling, or just waiting rather than working.

I understand the lure of the carless lifestyle, but I don't think it is viable for the vast majority of working people in Cincinnati.

If you have a job that doesn't require you to transport stuff, you are comfortable eschewing hobbies dependent on personal transportation, you are willing to live along bus routes, and you don't travel out of the region much, a carless lifestyle might be a good fit for you. However, it will be a lot easier if you are young and/or fit and willing to ride a bike.

[yayoi]

Transit in Cincinnati is ok by midwestern standards. Not great, just ok.

I say this as a person who rode public transit here for four years. It's great if you live on the bus line and work downtown or near UC. If you work in the outer ring surburbs like I do, then it's below average.

Most people who work in the suburbs and ride the bus do it out of necessity because it doesn't really make any sense to catch the bus to work in the burbs when there's plenty of free parking available. Then there's the money and convenience factor as well. Zone 2 fares are almost a dollar more than the base fare. It would take two buses and $6.30 for a round trip from the Rookwood side of Norwood to Kenwood and back. The bus pass would cost $106/month. That's more than what I pay for gas.

[motorman]

Originally Posted by yayoi

Transit in Cincinnati is ok by midwestern standards. Not great, just ok.

I say this as a person who rode public transit here for four years. It's great if you live on the bus line and work downtown or near UC. If you work in the outer ring surburbs like I do, then it's below average.

Agreed, yayoi. Public transportation to Cincinnati's outermost suburbs is expensive, problematic, or non-existent. The absence of light-rail (for example, what the "Metro Moves" would have expedited in 2002, had it passed) has held the city in check. As you said, not really a bad bus service, but one that weakens as it extends outward--just as the spokes of a wheel grow farther apart as they leave the center hub. But in a metro of any size, can a resident in a far-flung suburb expect to be transported quickly and inexpensively to any other part of the city? I think not. People who choose to reside in such communities have willfully chosen "car country culture," convenient or not. For example, they can't expect a Metro bus to come cruising down their Delhi street every 15-minutes to wisk them to their jobs in Sharonville, nor should they expect not to walk once they get to their destinations. Such is the nature of the car country lifestyle.

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by motorman

Agreed, yayoi. Public transportation to Cincinnati's outermost suburbs is expensive, problematic, or non-existent. The absence of light-rail (for example, what the "Metro Moves" would have expedited in 2002, had it passed) has held the city in check. As you said, not really a bad bus service, but one that weakens as it extends outward--just as the spokes of a wheel grow farther apart as they leave the center hub. But in a metro of any size, can a resident in a far-flung suburb expect to be transported quickly and inexpensively to any other part of the city? I think not. People who choose to reside in such communities have willfully chosen "car country culture," convenient or not. For example, they can't expect a Metro bus to come cruising down their Delhi street every 15-minutes to wisk them to their jobs in Sharonville, nor should they expect not to walk once they get to their destinations. Such is the nature of the car country lifestyle.

And I don't hear too many of those residents screaming and hollering about the lack of public transit. The segment likely most adversely affected are the inner ring residents who could get jobs in the outter suburbs if they could get there. But there is not enough density to make it workable for Metro, just as I do not believe there is enough density to support rail without huge public subsidies.

A prior poster commented from the Rookwood side of Norwood to Kenwood is a $6.30 bus ride with a monthly bus pass costing $106.00. At those prices no wonder people still drive cars.

If you don't want the expense of a car or simply can't afford one, both live and work close to one of the inner Metro bus routes and you will probably do fine.

[CinciFan]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

And I don't hear too many of those residents screaming and hollering about the lack of public transit. The segment likely most adversely affected are the inner ring residents who could get jobs in the outter suburbs if they could get there. But there is not enough density to make it workable for Metro, just as I do not believe there is enough density to support rail without huge public subsidies.

As far as I know, the public transportation systems in Tokyo and Hong Kong are the only ones in the world that make a profit. That doesn't mean that other cities shouldn't have rail transportation systems, especially when you consider the benefits they bring.

[kjbrill]

When you comment about all of the benefits they bring, please be more specific. I have had about all of the benefits I can endure from government sponsored and operated businesses for one lifetime.

I happen to be old enough, 73 that I rode on several of our subway systems in this country when I was younger, primarily Chicago and NYC. I also rode some of the commuter trains, such as Pittsburgh, DC, some Boston, and Chicago. Just let me comment, I rode them once or twice. After that, I decided the car was going to be it.

I keep reading about the benefits of rail systems, and frankly I just don't buy it. As much as I do not like what air travel has evolved to, compared to rail it is like comparing two stages in our evolution, with rail being neanederthal. And as for ground, rail is the horse and buggy, fine if you are feeding everything oats.

[restorationconsultant]

A lot of people in New York are car-less not by choice but because they can.t afford to own a car. Rental of a garage space in NYC can cost more than a mortgage payment in cincinnati. Add to that high insurance, high fuel costs, high parking costs (if you can find a parking meter space) and the fact a shoebox efficiency in a good part of town can run 1800 a month.

You could buy a mansion on Dayton street, a couple of nice cars and pay less than what you would pay for a starter place in NYC.

Public transport in Cincinnati is largely used by people who are poor and on assistance of some kind and its not a 'lifestyle choice" .

I know a couple of people in OTR who tell me how great it is to not have car until they call me to ask if I can take them somehwere or need to buy something that wont fit on a bus.

Cars are part of the American lifestyle, despite liberals attempt to legislate them out of existence.

[TomJones123]

Originally Posted by restorationconsultant

A lot of people in New York are car-less not by choice but because they can.t afford to own a car. Rental of a garage space in NYC can cost more than a mortgage payment in cincinnati. Add to that high insurance, high fuel costs, high parking costs (if you can find a parking meter space) and the fact a shoebox efficiency in a good part of town can run 1800 a month.

Bingo.

Plus, most grocery and other stores deliver.

[CinciFan]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

I happen to be old enough, 73 that I rode on several of our subway systems in this country when I was younger, primarily Chicago and NYC. I also rode some of the commuter trains, such as Pittsburgh, DC, some Boston, and Chicago. Just let me comment, I rode them once or twice. After that, I decided the car was going to be it.

I keep reading about the benefits of rail systems, and frankly I just don't buy it. As much as I do not like what air travel has evolved to, compared to rail it is like comparing two stages in our evolution, with rail being neanederthal. And as for ground, rail is the horse and buggy, fine if you are feeding everything oats.

That's too bad. I went carless for 2 months last year by using using public transportation (almost all trains) everywhere I went. I used the subways in 4 cities and the tram systems in 7 more. I noticed a lot of advantages:

1. I saved a lot of money. We didn't have to worry about buying gas, finding parking, and getting stuck in traffic. The one day I was in a car, my cousin and I drove around for an hour and couldn't find a parking spot. We found a lot that we thought was ok, because there weren't any signs saying we needed a special pass. Well, apparently we did, and our car got towed. We had to pay 300 bucks to get the car back. I'll take public transit any day to avoid that experience.

2. All of the cities I went that had trams instead of busses were a million times cleaner and quieter than cities that relied on buses. Instead of annoyingly loud diesel busses that spew nasty exhaust, there were silent trams that ran on electricity. The air in the cities was a lot cleaner as a result. Much more pleasant experience.

3. Trams are a lot more comfortable than busses. They don't hit potholes, so the ride is MUCH smoother, they are VERY quiet, and there is a lot more room on the tram.

4. Because of the cleanliness of the air in cities with rail systems, I felt much healthier. Also, becuase I had to walk wherever I was going when I got on/off the trams and subways, I lost some weight. I'm a pretty skinny guy as it is, but I lost a few pounds. I think better public transportation would be a great way to help tackle the obesity problem in this country.


And how is rail "neanderthal"? I'll take inter-city rail over air travel for distances around 400 miles any day. Again, the trains are fast (but not in this country), quiet, you don't have to go through security, you don't have to pay $1000 dollars for a ticket months in advance, trains are less crowded, you can get up and walk around the train as much as you want, etc. I could go on all day.

Edit: I understand why cars are a part of our culture. For a long time, cars were all we had, and back in the day, cars were works of art. That being said, times change. Instead of gorgeous 1969 Plymouth GTXs and 1970 Chevy Chevelles rolling around, we have cheap, foreign pieces of plastic crap that all look the same. I think people need to let the obsession with cars die, but I guess that's just me.

[deg1114]

Originally Posted by lovetravel

Hello,
I am considering a move to mid wesr from NY and wanted to know on a scale of one to ten how would you rate public transportation in cincy?

I was looking at the neighborhoods like Hyde Park and wanted to know if you have to have a car to get around?

On a scale of 1-10 compared to NYC? That would be 0

Compared to other midwest cities of the same size I would say a 4 or 5.

Metro isn't that bad. It really depends on where you need to go and how frequently you use it. If you were to live in Hyde Park and work downtown, you could easily get on the #11 and be there in 20-30 minutes. Plus, Hyde Park is a very walkable community and can be easily maneuvered by walking or biking.

But, Cincinnati is definitely not a car free city.

Speaking of transit in the city (and thinking of NYC) is there still a pedicab service in operation? I heard of one a couple of years ago but nothing about it for awhile.

I have also wondered why there has never been an attempt at water taxis. I'm not talking about the party boat that takes you from the Beer Sellar to the game but something that operates up and down the river to take you from the east or west side to downtown. I think Nashville had one at some time.