The Cincinnati streetcar is breaking ridership records. Now what?

After setting new passenger records in 2023, the Cincinnati Connector streetcar will ask riders and non-riders for feedback.

Connector managers want to learn how to improve streetcar service and attract new customers, said Lori Burchett, deputy director for streetcar services for the city’s Department of Transportation & Engineering.

“It’s been an amazing year for the streetcar,” Burchett said.

A survey, planned for the first quarter of 2024, will help Burchett and her team improve on 2023 results.

“We’re looking for ways to increase the rider experience,” she said.

The survey will not, however, ask about expansion possibilities for the Connector. That conversation needs study, dollars and political support to move forward, Burchett said.

At least two members of Cincinnati City Council plan to be part of that discussion.

2023 sets new ridership record

The Connector, a $148 million project launched in 2016, hit 1 million passengers for the year Nov. 24. Rider Thomas Gaines, traveling from Findlay Market to Fountain Square, got a basket of gifts from businesses along the route and recognition as the millionth rider.

Ridership for the full year will set a record, exceeding the 2022 total of 846,622. The previous record year was the first of full operation, with 571,601 passengers for 2017.

Since operations began in September 2016, about 4.34 million people have used the Connector.

“It really speaks to how well our operations partner Transdev continues to run the streetcar,” Burchett said.

Driving recent gains: Increased enthusiasm for the Cincinnati Reds and Cincinnati Bengals; big crowds for Taylor Swift’s two concerts in July and the annual Oktoberfest events in September.

Blink Cincinnati light festivals in 2017, 2019 and 2022 also pushed up numbers, as did the city’s decision, post-pandemic, to eliminate fares.

Survey will focus on current, not future, service

In their coming survey, Connector managers will ask riders what additional information they need when they ride and what they think of the app for the service. They’ll ask non-riders why they aren’t hopping on the Connector.

But they don't plan to ask riders – present or future – where they might want the Connector to travel next. Various studies and advocates have suggested expansion into Clifton or across the Ohio River into Northern Kentucky. Expansion would be costly and controversial.

“Funding would dictate the way forward,” Burchett said.

To consider expansion, elected leaders would first need to invest in a feasibility study, she said.

That’s not currently budgeted.

Metro bus service also needs consideration

Expansion will require the support of “anchor point” stakeholders – that is, businesses or organizations that would be streetcar destinations, said Cincinnati City Council member Mark Jeffreys.

Expansion also needs a financial model, said Jeffreys, a key driver of council infrastructure issues.

“We would not want to do a feasibility study for any options that might not be possible financially,” he said.

If city leaders can win anchor support and determine funding options, Jeffreys wants to be involved in discussions about whether a feasibility study makes sense and how to pay for one.

To happen, streetcar expansion must be methodical, he added, and consider bus Metro bus service from the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority. SORTA has been expanding since Hamilton County voters endorsed increased funding in 2020.

“We have to think about our transit system holistically to understand how each part works together,” Jeffreys said.

Metro's plans for what are called Bus Rapid Transit lines – which would speed bus travel on four existing routes –could bring more pedestrians Downtown and spur more demand for the Connector, noted fellow City Council member Jeff Cramerding.

"That will be a game changer we have to keep our eye on," he said.

Key sites in Uptown Cincinnati – including the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden and Clifton hospitals – are most in need of new transportation options, said Cramerding, a labor attorney at UC.

"I really hope that that's a big part of the conversation next year," he said.

When the Cincinnati Futures Commission releases its recommendations, he added, "I hope there will be a strong Uptown (transportation) component." He expects that report in February from the group charged with analyzing the city's financial health.

How else to get around downtown

Connector streetcars and SORTA buses are not the only ways to get around Downtown. Other options:

• Cincinnati’s Red Bike has 72 places to rent one of its 600 or so bikes. But the service will pause operations Jan. 12 through a spring date to be announced to retool after losing a major corporate sponsor.

• Bird and Lime scooters are available throughout downtown and elsewhere, with per-ride rentals through their apps.

• VisitCincy.com, among other groups, suggests walking options downtown.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How many people rode the Cincinnati connector in 2023?