November 8, 20159 yr Funny but to me the streetcar seems both larger and smaller than I was imagining it to be. First thing I noticed was how tall it is. Guess I'm used to seeing subway cars only from the waist up, so to speak. This thing is impossible to miss, that's for sure!
November 8, 20159 yr This is beyond exciting. And to hear that there are no issues after the first Dead Pull already makes me think this will open before the DC Streetcar!
November 9, 20159 yr Yeah. What is the flexibility on open date? Is it possible that we could see full operation before next September?
November 9, 20159 yr Yeah. What is the flexibility on open date? Is it possible that we could see full operation before next September? I think the biggest challenge will be hiring and training all of the streetcar drivers & staff. The system itself should be ready to go ahead of schedule unless some major issue is discovered with one of the LRVs.
November 9, 20159 yr LOOK AT THAT. This thing can't go down the street without every. single. person staring at it. I LOVE IT! :clap:
November 9, 20159 yr https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNfL3jxaYc8zG4Pci7-mWA6j1uJ3ZXy72K9ifqzoREc--vqLkbEaJhlb8wZNuuvHQ/photo/AF1QipPoXiJ5W5wPr6BYvgeKPKrHTZLx3S-1s0prbHJ8?key=RjVEbG1RMEZLajRSU2tuRXByV1hOSTBNcDloM01n
November 9, 20159 yr https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNfL3jxaYc8zG4Pci7-mWA6j1uJ3ZXy72K9ifqzoREc--vqLkbEaJhlb8wZNuuvHQ/photo/AF1QipPoXiJ5W5wPr6BYvgeKPKrHTZLx3S-1s0prbHJ8?key=RjVEbG1RMEZLajRSU2tuRXByV1hOSTBNcDloM01n You can see in this video that only the front door (near the driver) and the middle two doors will open when the streetcars stop at each platform. I had always assumed that all four doors would be used at each station but instead the streetcars will operate as if the rear door is not there.
November 9, 20159 yr Noticed that too. Also, the irony of the towing tractor with the I74 and I75 shields painted on it.
November 9, 20159 yr Also, the irony of the towing tractor with the I74 and I75 shields painted on it. Tie a milk bone to a stick and I think Schottzee could have towed it.
November 9, 20159 yr "" .......The only problem with Northside is that there is no obvious turnaround point for streetcars after a line passes Hoffner Park until all the way up by the U-Haul place just uphill from The Comet. "" regarding comments concerning a turnaround for the streetrcar, is it actually needed ? From the pictures of the streetcar, it appears their is a conductors cabin on each side. Meaning the streetcar could pull into a terminus and then the conductor could walk to the other end and just pull away.
November 9, 20159 yr "" .......The only problem with Northside is that there is no obvious turnaround point for streetcars after a line passes Hoffner Park until all the way up by the U-Haul place just uphill from The Comet. "" regarding comments concerning a turnaround for the streetrcar, is it actually needed ? From the pictures of the streetcar, it appears their is a conductors cabin on each side. Meaning the streetcar could pull into a terminus and then the conductor could walk to the other end and just pull away. That's true, but you need at least a turning lane and most likely a special traffic signal. Here's the turnaround of the South Lake Union streetcar in Seattle: www.cincinnatiideas.com
November 9, 20159 yr Still uncertain why the streetcar would need a turnaround if their are doors on both sides and conductor cabins on both ends. I've seen a lot of tram lines in Europe which have terminus parking which looks similar to this ^ picture above, but I wouldnt call it a turnaround.
November 9, 20159 yr Wow, love seeing all the pics of the streetcar actually on the tracks! Can't wait to ride this thing with the family. Drive into town, pay to park just once and use the street car to get around!
November 9, 20159 yr Still uncertain why the streetcar would need a turnaround if their are doors on both sides and conductor cabins on both ends. I've seen a lot of tram lines in Europe which have terminus parking which looks similar to this ^ picture above, but I wouldnt call it a turnaround. There's not really space to do even what you see in that photo on Hamilton Ave. It's a 45-foot wide street with no left-turn lanes at cross streets. Also, those stub-end turnarounds are odd-looking and require the driver to walk from one side of the streetcar to the other whereas a looped turnaround allows the car to keep moving.
November 9, 20159 yr You don't necessarily need a center lane to do a turnaround. Peter Witt Streetcar on Church Street, San Francisco by Chris, on Flickr
November 9, 20159 yr Why does the streetcar need to keep moving via a loop? Is it not common, that at the end of a route, that transit lines stop and 'rest' for a few minutes, wait for passengers. Who cares if the conductor needs to get out and walk to the other end. A stub-end parking terminus seems more practical(space saving) than a larger looped turnaround.
November 9, 20159 yr A loop isn't needed, and it is very likely that a loop wouldn't have occurred if the streetcar were to reach the Zoo. In OTR's case, the loop is very very convenient. In other locations it won't be. The designers and engineers will choose what is best at each location.
November 9, 20159 yr https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNfL3jxaYc8zG4Pci7-mWA6j1uJ3ZXy72K9ifqzoREc--vqLkbEaJhlb8wZNuuvHQ/photo/AF1QipPoXiJ5W5wPr6BYvgeKPKrHTZLx3S-1s0prbHJ8?key=RjVEbG1RMEZLajRSU2tuRXByV1hOSTBNcDloM01n You can see in this video that only the front door (near the driver) and the middle two doors will open when the streetcars stop at each platform. I had always assumed that all four doors would be used at each station but instead the streetcars will operate as if the rear door is not there. All four doors will board at all other platforms. This is the only one where only 3 doors can be used.
November 9, 20159 yr Author Still uncertain why the streetcar would need a turnaround if their are doors on both sides and conductor cabins on both ends. I've seen a lot of tram lines in Europe which have terminus parking which looks similar to this ^ picture above, but I wouldnt call it a turnaround. There's not really space to do even what you see in that photo on Hamilton Ave. It's a 45-foot wide street with no left-turn lanes at cross streets. Also, those stub-end turnarounds are odd-looking and require the driver to walk from one side of the streetcar to the other whereas a looped turnaround allows the car to keep moving. I wonder if you would be able to put a turn around into the Northside Transit Center SORTA is building
November 9, 20159 yr ^^ That's being built at the SW corner of Hamilton and Blue Rock, no? a train could probably swing left over from hamilton and stop just on the southern side of Blue Rock, across from Hoffner Park. I'm imagining an island platform with a switch so trains could change tracks as needed once leaving the station. Problem is that the station isn't that deep into Northside. Also, the design would preclude in-line extension of the track.
November 9, 20159 yr Still uncertain why the streetcar would need a turnaround if their are doors on both sides and conductor cabins on both ends. I've seen a lot of tram lines in Europe which have terminus parking which looks similar to this ^ picture above, but I wouldnt call it a turnaround. There's not really space to do even what you see in that photo on Hamilton Ave. It's a 45-foot wide street with no left-turn lanes at cross streets. Also, those stub-end turnarounds are odd-looking and require the driver to walk from one side of the streetcar to the other whereas a looped turnaround allows the car to keep moving. I wonder if you would be able to put a turn around into the Northside Transit Center SORTA is building That was the original suggestion I had on the map I posted back on page 768. Ideally I think our streetcar lines/light rail extensions should have a terminus connecting to major bus routes, using a transit plaza where possible to make life easy for transferring riders. www.cincinnatiideas.com
November 9, 20159 yr Power switch goes on for streetcar Tuesday Cincinnati's streetcar is scheduled to start running in the streets with traffic on Tuesday morning. The main testing phase is set to begin at 9 a.m., when the electric-powered streetcar will be driven along the Over-the-Rhine portion of the route. Testing will continue on Wednesday and Thursday, starting at 9 a.m. both days. No road closures or police escorts are planned as part of this test, which is meant to simulate traffic conditions. Cont "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton
November 9, 20159 yr Power switch goes on for streetcar Tuesday Cincinnati's streetcar is scheduled to start running in the streets with traffic on Tuesday morning. The main testing phase is set to begin at 9 a.m., when the electric-powered streetcar will be driven along the Over-the-Rhine portion of the route. Testing will continue on Wednesday and Thursday, starting at 9 a.m. both days. No road closures or police escorts are planned as part of this test, which is meant to simulate traffic conditions. Cont In the time it took to accidentally close out of that article and reopen it, they changed a rather positive sounding title that you posted to "City: No streetcar rides for public right now," and revised the text to be about "dos and don'ts" rather than how quickly the tests are progressing.
November 10, 20159 yr ^ "Among the don'ts: No one from the public will be allowed to board the streetcar during the rigorous, months-long safety testing phase. City and transit authority officials reiterated that on Monday, a day after an OTR resident was allowed to walk on board the streetcar during an initial test in which a tow truck slowly pulled the powerless vehicle around the 3.6-mile route. After a brief ride, the resident exited the streetcar without incident." And Derek Bauman[/member] recorded a couple Periscope sessions today: https://www.periscope.tv/w/aQ-AijM3MDQyOXwxdk94d25YeXBibUpC6kEz85eXoKGhYwPo1RFHJaJ3RsTZJinVZrOMCVj1HPA= https://www.periscope.tv/w/aQ-ErDM3MDQyOXwxdk94d25YTXdkTUpC58RbJumuZisr7y5K6FdU2QJVuL2aT9Zm7HAW5rNTx3E= "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton
November 10, 20159 yr Why does the streetcar need to keep moving via a loop? Is it not common, that at the end of a route, that transit lines stop and 'rest' for a few minutes, wait for passengers. Who cares if the conductor needs to get out and walk to the other end. A stub-end parking terminus seems more practical(space saving) than a larger looped turnaround. Streetcar needs to move in the direction of traffic (if it's moving in traffic), so two sets of tracks will be needed. I can see it being somewhat cheaper to construct along a single street right of way but it seems better to spread out the economic dev benefits.
November 10, 20159 yr A nice set of photos of the streetcar making its way around town on Sunday: http://www.cincinnatirefined.com/travel/Photos-from-the-Cincinnati-Streetcar-First-Test-Run-343968272.html#
November 10, 20159 yr Can anyone confirm how long the street car will be running till on tuesday? I know the testing starts at 9, but I might be able to swing down OTR around 1pm..you guys imagine it will still be operating around the loop or nah?
November 10, 20159 yr Can anyone confirm how long the street car will be running till on tuesday? I know the testing starts at 9, but I might be able to swing down OTR around 1pm..you guys imagine it will still be operating around the loop or nah? No, I'm hearing that it'll only be out for a few loops in the morning.
November 10, 20159 yr CincyStreetcar CincyStreetcar[/member] 34s35 seconds ago It's looking like #CincyStreetcarCelebration will be THE place to be on the evening of Wednesday, November 18! If... http://fb.me/7D3jBXZIy "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
November 10, 20159 yr In addition to CincyStreetcar[/member], follow @RoadMapCincy and you'll get updates on the OTR testing schedule. "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton
November 10, 20159 yr I watched the first trip around OTR which started at about 9 AM. There were no major issues but I think they were still figuring out how to operate the streetcar traffic signals near Findlay Market and 12th & Race. Lots of people were standing outside to watch it pass by, and I heard lots of comments like, "Cincinnati's getting with the times!" I didn't hear any negative comments but a few people did ask, "it's not going to be that slow, is it?" (Good grief, people, this is the very first test run!) They plan to do the OTR loop 3-4 times today, a little faster each time.
November 10, 20159 yr Per @RoadMapCincy: "Live power test for @Cincy_Streetcar stopped for today. Crews will resume test next week in OTR." "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton
November 10, 20159 yr It looks like they are still doing work on the overhead wires in a few spots. I'm guessing they must have identified problems today? There are wires hanging down on the street and they have it blocked off to traffic at 12th and Republic? Also saw them digging up concrete around some of the tracks on main street in the CBD? Guessing this is all normal
November 10, 20159 yr I just watched WKRC's segment and they said that the first test (3 MPH) went perfect but some power issues were discovered during the second test (10 MPH). They will correct those issues this week and it'll be back out on the tracks for more testing next week.
November 10, 20159 yr Chris Seelbach @ChrisSeelbach 16m16 minutes ago Bowling Green, OH Second @Cincy_Streetcar scheduled to arrive in Cincinnati on November 23, 2015. All five vehicles by February 10, 2016. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
November 10, 20159 yr Does anyone have video or a link to a video from the 10 mph tests today? I haven't seen anything but pictures so far. EDIT: Thanks for the video posting while I was requesting it!
November 10, 20159 yr In more exciting news, operating hour proposals were presented to council this afternoon. Streetcar hours option 1 Sunday-Thursday 6AM-10PM Friday-Saturday 6AM-12M 12-minute frequency 10AM-9PM 15-minute frequency other times Streetcar hours options 2 Sunday9AM-11:30PM Mon-Wed 7:30AM-11:30PM Thursday 7:30AM-1AM Friday 7:30AM-2AM Saturday 9AM-2AM 12-minute frequency 10AM-9PM 15-minute frequency other times Streetcar hours option 3 Sunday 9AM-12M Mon-Thurs 7AM-12M Friday 7AM-2AM Saturday 9AM-2AM 12-minute frequency 11:30AM-6:30PM 15-minute frequency other times My suggestion (slightly modified from Option 1) Sunday 7AM-10PM Monday-Thursday 6AM-10PM Friday 6AM-1AM Saturday 7AM-1AM 12-minute frequency 10AM-9PM 15-minute frequency other times
November 10, 20159 yr My suggestion Sunday 8AM-10PM (14 hours) Monday-Thursday 7AM-10PM (15 hours x 4) Friday 7AM-12:30AM (17.5 hours) Saturday 8AM-12:30AM (16.5 hours) Total Operating Hours: 108 Hours vs. 116 hours as proposed. Use reduced operating hours to increase frequencies so we never go above 12 minute headway and can get down to 10 minute headway at key times around rush hour and lunch.
November 10, 20159 yr Option 1: Very simple and easy to understand, but I would like it stay open until at least 11 every day and it doesn't need to be open that early Sat-Sun Option 2: Too confusing Option 3: 8am should be the bare minimum start time on weekends. 9am is too late. taestell option: again, needs to run until 11 every day. One of the biggest concerns for me is that it needs to stay open until after a Reds game would reasonably be over (1030-1100) on weeknights. No one should rely on the streetcar to get to the game after dinner in OTR and then have to take a bus, taxi, or uber back to their car. 11pm should be the bare minimum end time and 8am should should be the bare minimum start time.
November 10, 20159 yr Author The average baseball game is 3 hours and 8 minutes and starts at 7:10pm. If you stop at 10pm you're missing out on a huge ridership source.
November 10, 20159 yr The average baseball game is 3 hours and 8 minutes and starts at 7:10pm. If you stop at 10pm you're missing out on a huge ridership source. There should also be an overtime pay allowance for X number of games that go into extra innings. For late-evening sporting events, Cleveland RTA runs all trains until at least 90 minutes after the game ends. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
November 10, 20159 yr I would be in favor of the greatest frequency possible, which would seem to be 10 minute headways. I'm also in favor of an 8/830 start time on weekends.
November 10, 20159 yr My requirements: Open by at least 8am every day. Open by at least 6am on week days. Open until at least 11pm every day (maybe not Sunday). Open until at least midnight on Friday/Saturday. Option #1 would be better if start times on Saturday-Sunday were shifted to 8am instead of 6am. This would open up 4 hours/week of additional time. This could be added on to the closing time of Monday-Thursday to extend them to 11pm. That's a start to correcting the proposed schedule. I would like to extend operating hours to 1am on Friday-Saturday nights. And I would be fine reducing frequency to 15 minute headways on Sundays all day to boost frequency other days or extend hours.
November 10, 20159 yr Anybody know when is the likeliest day/time to see a non-revenue test under full power? Will there be any kind of regular test schedule?
November 10, 20159 yr But why start at 6 AM at all? Nobody is out and doing much of anything in the basin at that time. That's five hours of operating time that will serve literally almost nobody. I don't get the thinking regarding a 6 AM start time. I also don't know about the 11 PM end time idea. I'll often be out and about at that time on weekdays and except for Thursdays (and some Wednesdays if the weather is nice) it's more or less dead. Mondays especially since a ton of places aren't even open. I get wanting to capture the baseball crowd, but special provisions can be made for game days. Regular operating hours don't need to go to 11 just to capture those handful of summer days where the Reds are in town.
November 10, 20159 yr Streetcar hours option 1 Sunday-Thursday 6AM-10PM Friday-Saturday 6AM-12M 12-minute frequency 10AM-9PM 15-minute frequency other times I'd suggest they simply bump this schedule back an hour. Same number of hours of operation, but better serves the demands of downtown and OTR (as mentioned, no one is moving around at 6AM - I'm on my way to the airport that early a couple times a month and the city is virtually empy): Sunday-Thursday 7AM-11PM Friday-Saturday 7AM-1AM
November 10, 20159 yr Don't some people go to work by 7am? It would be a shame if they couldn't utilize the system because we think everyone goes in at 8am. Also, a lot of Fountain Square programming ends at 10pm. The skating rink, trivia, summer music series, etc. Movies in Washington Park typically last until 10pm too. EDIT: Looks like movies in Washington Park are listed to end at 11pm in the summer and 9pm in the fall.
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