Cincinnati streetcar project delayed again | News

CINCINNATI, OH (FOX19)- The Cincinnati Streetcar project's
finish line has been pushed back yet again according to city bid documents.

City leaders say
riders will now likely be able to start boarding in April of 2016. The 3.6 mile
track will run from the riverfront through Over-The-Rhine. The project has a $110
million price tag.

"Originally we were told the project would get done
in 2012," mayoral candidate John Cranley said Friday. "Now they're talking
about not having it complete until 2016." 

The bid due date was extended from January 18^th
to noon on February 8^th.

According to project documents, the "notice to
proceed" date is April 8^th and the contractor must start work within
five days.

"For them to try and lock our hands in advance two
or three years after the next mayor takes office is I think really bad form,
it's bad government, it's not right," argued Cranley, a former city councilman.

The city finalized a deal with the vehicle manufacturer
in December. Project documents outlining the bid process for the streetcar show
the city expects to get the first of five streetcar vehicles in July of next
year then one a month after that.

"Would you buy a car two years before you plan to
use it?" Cranley questioned. "It's a horrible, reckless way to spend taxpayer
money."

The bid names March of 2015 as the date the
majority of the OTR loop should be complete and October of that year as the
final finish date.

Some utilities started moving in 2012 and
Cincinnati Bell is slated to start their work early this year.

With the Duke Energy debate over who should pay to
move the utilities still underway, Cranley argues the city should not be
pushing forward on the project.

"The easy thing to do would be to not spend the
money until they have the ability with Duke Energy to complete the project," he
said. "Until they have that under control they should not be spending any
dollars."

"We wouldn't be where we are at The Banks, at Smale
[Riverfront Park], Fountain Square, in downtown, in Over the Rhine if every
time there was someone who said ‘no' we stopped after making a commitment,"
argued mayoral candidate Roxanne Qualls.

As for the Duke Energy talks, the city's website
states it has set aside $15 million from the sale of the Blue Ash airport to
"front" the payment for the relocation. Ultimately the city expects to be
reimbursed by Duke Energy.

"We are happy to resolve those issues through a
mediator or in court, but it is important to move it forward," Qualls said
Friday.

A spokesperson for Duke Energy told FOX19 they are not prepared to move
infrastructure until agreements are in place. An operating agreement has yet to
be finalized. The company filed "facility relocation riders" associated with mass transportation project in
2012. According to Duke Energy's website the riders would "allow the company
to recover from a local government or its residents, the costs of relocating
infrastructure because of specific projects".

Qualls argues part of the reason the project has
been postponed is due to opponents dragging it out.

"One of the things that has resulted in the delay
has been the two ballot initiatives both of which were defeated by the voters
and the voters said to go forward," she said.

A city
spokesperson says over 80 contractors have showed interest in the streetcar
project which currently includes the OTR section, the Cincinnati Central
Riverfront portion of the project, and a Maintenance and Operations facility.

The spokesperson says so far $42 million has either
been spent on the project or is currently allocated and promised through
contracts.

To date the project has received three federal
grants.

During construction downtown intersections may be
closed over weekends if coordinated well in advance. Pedestrian and bicycle
access must be maintained at all times. One lane in each direction must also be
maintained. 

Copyright 2013 WXIX. All rights reserved.