Quote:
Originally Posted by plutonicpanda
I guess it's a psychological thing were I don't have to worry about payment. Just removing that one step makes it all the more convenient to use.
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The big problem in the case of the Cincinnati Streetcar was that the mayor endlessly harassed the project to the point where many cuts were made, including installation of fare boxes inside the streetcars (the model was the super-simple fare machines on the Portland streetcars) so that passengers could pay after boarding. Instead, the fare machines were only on the platforms and were the very large and confusing bus system boxes (you were able to buy monthly bus passes at the streetcar stops, for example). There was only one of these very expensive machines at each station, except for the southern terminal station next to the baseball stadium. Over and over again, large groups weren't able to buy tickets in time to board an oncoming streetcar. When events let out, people either didn't pay a fare or were spooked out of riding by the threat of getting a ticket for not having paid.
The dilemma for rail in Cincinnati is that things aren't aligned along a single dominant street (ala Columbus or Atlanta), and so no configuration of a single line could hit all points of interest. They attempted to hit as many activity nodes as possible with the streetcar's zig-zagging route, to the detriment of the orderly operation of the vehicles.
In hindsight, the frequent and dependable operation of the streetcar itself using a path of least resistance should have been the focus of the line. That means a straight route on a straight street from the river up to the base of the hill, with no lane-changing. As-is, the streetcar is somewhat uncomfortable to ride because it veers from lane to lane in places to avoid expensive utility and sidewalk reconstruction, in addition to its various zig-zags through the street grid.
With a new mayor installed just last week, we might see movement toward an expansion. If so, I believe that the system should be expanded within its current zone and not extended or branched aimlessly toward the West End, which has no major source of ridership or logical end-point. Specifically, I believe that the east/west section on Central Parkway and 12th should be abandoned (keep the track there and electrified for detours - just don't run any regular streetcars) and the thing split into two different routes:
-An Elm/Race line from Paul Brown Stadium north to the current car barn.
-A Main/Walnut line from Second St. north to Liberty, then diagonally on McMicken St. to the car barn.
In this way, both lines still lead to Findlay Market, but without the awkward shuffling across Over-the-Rhine. The new extensions should be kept as straight as possible and without the lane-changing that plagues the existing system.