U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently helped kick off construction of a new 3.9-mile streetcar line that will spur Cincinnati’s efforts to revitalize its downtown core.
The Secretary was joined at the event by Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff and Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory.
“President Obama called on us to rebuild America by putting people back to work on transportation projects that are built to last, like Cincinnati’s modern streetcar line,” said Secretary LaHood.
The Cincinnati streetcar will connect Cincinnati’s riverfront and downtown employers with Findlay Market and the Over-the Rhine historic district, revitalizing neighborhoods along the route, and giving people greater mobility and access to jobs and services.
The U.S. Department of Transportation is contributing a total of $39.9 million to the Cincinnati streetcar project, including $10.9 million in TIGER III funds that Secretary LaHood announced in December; $25 million from FTA’s Urban Circulator grant program; and $4 million from a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant. The remaining cost of the project is being covered by local funding sources.
