$38M for Uptown streetcar utility work

Scroll to the bottom of this story to read Duke Energy's estimate.

The utility work needed to expand the Cincinnati streetcar route up the hill would come at the price of nearly $40 million – more than double the cost to relocate gas and electric lines on the Downtown and Over-the-Rhine loop.

Duke Energy estimates utility relocation would cost $37.76 million to expand the streetcar route about one mile to Uptown, according to a document exclusively obtained by The Enquirer. The utility provided the estimate last April at the city's request.

Mayor John Cranley and other city leaders aren't happy about the streetcar project leaders keeping the document a secret from the public.

"But having this information is very helpful," Cranley told The Enquirer. "This should lead all reasonable elected officials to say, 'This is too much money,' and everyone should cease and desist on this silly talk about expanding the streetcar."

The Enquirer's disclosure of Duke's estimate adds another chapter to the ongoing debate over streetcar costs. It also could be a setback for a group of streetcar supporters calling for city officials to start studying expanding the route to Uptown, where major employers such as the University of Cincinnati and the region's top hospitals are located.

The city does not have any immediate plans to expand the route, but City Councilman Chris Seelbach recently unveiled a motion calling for the city administration to start studying the Uptown phase.

Streetcar advocacy group Believe in Cincinnati has asked supporters to show up on Tuesday at City Council's transportation committee meeting to lobby for the Uptown expansion. More than 100 people plan to attend, according to a Facebook page.

Seelbach, who is leading the uptown effort, declined to comment because he had not seen the memo.

Over-the-Rhine Community Council President Ryan Messer, who in recent weeks has helped revive the movement to bring the streetcar to Uptown, said he was glad there was a written estimate.

But, he believes the amount will be even lower after discussions and negotiations.

"This provides even more reason to do a feasibility study for the continuation of the first phase of the Cincinnati streetcar," Messer said.

He noted Phase 1B expenses are eligible for federal transit grants and expects the city will apply for them.

No recent construction estimates have been done on the Uptown phase, and UC, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and other major Pill Hill employers have been unwilling to help pay to expand the route.

Running the streetcar up the hill originally was part of a $128 million plan to build a Downtown-to-Uptown route. But the Uptown portion was scrapped after Gov. John Kasich pulled all $52 million in state funding for the project in early 2011.

Since, the streetcar's price tag has increased to $148 million just to build the 3.6-mile loop through parts of Downtown and Over-the-Rhine. Financial concerns remain before the streetcar is scheduled to open in September 2016.

Most of the capital projects contingency fund is gone. The annual cost to run the streetcar – estimated at $4 million – could increase if the local transit union is awarded the operating contract this summer. The city still has not identified the $1 million to cover startup costs.

It's costing the city $15 million to relocate utility lines for the current route, which is more than 2 miles longer than the proposed Uptown extension. Duke's estimate is based on expanding the route 1.2 miles to the southeast corner of the UC campus.

Most of the Uptown utility expense centers on a high-voltage electric line underneath Vine Street. It is one of the city's main power lines, and Duke Energy estimates work on the line would cost $33.7 million, according to the document. Another $2.86 million would be needed to relocate gas lines and $1.2 million for overhead electric work.

It's now known that city taxpayers most likely would be on the hook for those costs. In December, the city lost its legal battle with Duke Energy over who is responsible for paying for streetcar utility relocation – city taxpayers or Duke's Southwest Ohio ratepayers. The city is appealing the case.

"It's totally unworkable and financially impossible," Cranley said of expanding the streetcar. "Let's not waste any more time on this."

Cranley and City Manager Harry Black said their offices will try to find out who asked Duke Energy to provide the estimate.

"Whoever did this, they've got some explaining to do," City Councilman Christopher Smitherman said. "Why wasn't this disclosed? It's unethical. The public isn't going to be forgiving of this."

Duke Energy project manager Rick Hicks emailed the estimate to city engineer John Brazina on April 22, according to another document obtained by The Enquirer. Brazina, the streetcar's utility coordinator, and streetcar project leaders John Deatrick and Chris Eilerman are not allowed to talk to the media, per the city manager's policy.

According to the estimate, Duke based its projected costs for the Uptown route on engineering drawings provided by Parsons Brinckerhoff – a long-time consultant on the streetcar project. The costs of the Duke estimate and Parsons Brinckerhoff drawings are unknown.

Black was not city manager when the Duke estimate was done. Since Black arrived in September, his edict has been for the city administration to work only on the Downtown and Over-the-Rhine route.

"I have no interest in thinking about or talking about subsequent phases until we get through Phase 1," Black said.