Scott Wartman

swartman@nky.com

Streetcars aren't vampires. They can cross water.

But for the Cincinnati streetcar to cross the Ohio River into Northern Kentucky, supporters will have to overcome a series of technical and political hurdles far wider than the river.

A growing number of Northern Kentucky residents hope to soon figure out what they will need to do to bring the streetcar line to their neighborhoods.

The United States Department of Transportation last week rejected a grant application from the City of Newport. The $300,000 would have paid for a study to see what was needed to bring the streetcar to Northern Kentucky and what route it would take.

That hasn't discouraged streetcar boosters.

"It's not unusual to be denied the first time around," said Newport City Commissioner Beth Fennell. "We'll be getting back together to determine where we can go from here and whether there are other means to finance the study."

On opening day, 35 people from the Northern Kentucky Streetcar Committee rode the Cincinnati streetcar.

Committee member Steve Burke, from Fort Thomas, rode it on the second day of operation, taking the whole loop. He wants to be able to ride a streetcar back to Northern Kentucky someday soon.

"This isn't just fly-by-night or someone's fancy," Burke said. "People are going to get on board because I think they're going to see the success of the Cincinnati streetcar."

Three years ago, the Northern Kentucky Streetcar Committee was an informal group of people Newport resident Ian Budd helped gather. Now it numbers "a couple hundred" by Budd's estimation.

Budd thinks it could happen in as quickly as five years.

"It all depends on when funding comes available," Budd said. "A lot of the infrastructure is already in place."

Others, like Newport Commissioner Beth Fennell see it as a much longer project, possibly decades.

"This is a long-term, expensive transportation project," Fennell said. "You have to be in it for the long haul."

Here's why it might be difficult for the streetcar to come to Northern Kentucky:

Where's the money coming from?

It's not easy getting people to step forward to pay for an expensive transportation project. Supporters such as Budd estimate it could cost $60 million to extend the rail to Newport.

But without a study, the price tag and route remain speculative.

It cost $148 million to build 3.6 miles of track in downtown Cincinnati and buy streetcars.

But politics in Northern Kentucky can be even more conservative. Most of the money will likely have to come from federal sources, Budd said.

That's a tough sell in Kentucky where tea party-backed Republicans control purse strings. Northern Kentucky's member of Congress, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., doesn't seem inclined to fight for streetcar money.

In a statement to The Enquirer, he said other infrastructure needs are more important with the federal highway fund running a deficit. The Congressional Budget Office has predicted if nothing changes, the $1 billion deficit in the highway fund could grow to $108 billion by 2025.

"So the question becomes, do I support more deficit spending or would I vote to raise the gas tax for the streetcar?" Massie said in a statement. "And the answer to both of those is no."

Many in Northern Kentucky remain skeptical of any government spending. This is, after all, the region where tea party leaders put on the ballot a referendum to eliminate library funding.

There are better places to spend the money than streetcars, said Covington City Commissioner Steve Frank.

"They say you don't know how much more economic development might come because you've got a streetcar, " Frank said. "Well guess what? Economic development is already happening without it. So I don't think it's a required thing to have growth. Frankly, OTR took off long before the streetcar."

Who's going to step up?

So if Northern Kentuckians want a streetcar, they'll have to find someone in charge to step up.

Based on recent responses, that doesn't seem likely right now.

In February, Budd, Fennell and a few other Northern Kentucky Streetcar Committee members visited Washington, D.C. to gauge support for the streetcar in Northern Kentucky. They met with representatives from the offices of Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul. They met with Massie.

Both Budd and Fennell left feeling like they had support of the local delegation, event though no money was committed to the project.

But the response was less enthusiastic when the federal delegation was asked by The Enquirer.

McConnell's spokesman Robert Steurer replied with a terse e-mail that McConnell "has reached out to the Department of Transportation about the project." He didn't say whether McConnell supported or opposed the project.

Paul's office didn't respond.

Ask transportation leaders in both Ohio and Kentucky what would need to happen to bring the streetcar to Northern Kentucky, and they defer to politicians.

Or the need for future study.

"If there's true political will and interest by the counties, the next step is to do a real transit analysis to answer some big questions – look at alternative routes and evaluate the pros and cons and the cost," said Andrew Aiello, general manager of the Transit Authority.

Cincinnati Streetcar Executive John Deatrick referred all questions to Cincinnati spokesman Rocky Merz, who said in a statement "policy direction would be needed from the elected leadership to perform a study."

What bridge?

Once the political questions are answered, then the question becomes, how does the streetcar get across the river?

There are two bridges that could handle a streetcar, the Taylor Southgate Bridge between Newport and Cincinnati and the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge between Covington and Cincinnati.

Both bridges can handle streetcar traffic, but how much work would need to be done to put in tracks isn't known, said Nancy Wood, spokeswoman for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet in Northern Kentucky.

These both are used for the Southbank Shuttle buses, which take people across the river between Newport and Covington. That's the second most used route operated by the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky, with 500,000 riders annually, according to TANK statistics provided to The Enquirer.

The ramp in Cincinnati to the Taylor Southgate Bridge was built in 2000 during the Fort Washington Way construction to accommodate future rail tracks, according to a 2007 feasibility study for the Cincinnati streetcar. The City of Cincinnati's Merz confirmed this, though added that an additional study would be needed for "further modifications."

If built, it would cross the Fourth Street bridge into Covington and go back across the Clay Wade Bailey, according to some preliminary proposals by the Northern Kentucky Streetcar Committee.

Budd and other members of the committee believe Cincinnati did much of the heavy lifting overcoming the political hurdles. They still think it's a matter of time. They just need to get that study done, Budd said.

"I'm totally amazed at the support we're receiving," Budd said. "Opening day in Cincinnati, we had a large group out on the streetcar. They came from all over. There people from far out in rural Kentucky. They were really excited about it."