[rpedela]

I grew up in Cincinnati. You are correct, however traffic is bad enough now that a subway or light rail would make a big difference. Unfortunately it is unlikely the voters would approve a tax increase to support that.

[mywittyname]

It's not that people wouldn't approve a tax increase to support it. The issue is that every politician in the state would attack a light rail project for the city.

The city managed to complete a street car after ten years, but it faced opposition from the mayor, the governor, and federal congressman. The congressman in question even pushed a law that would prohibit any federal funding from going to the operation of the project. How fucked up is that? A congressman who prevents federal funding from flowing into their district.

[mbg721]

Cincinnati in particular also suffers from a hodgepodge of local government entities that don't really get along. The bus system is run at the county level, but the city limits end before that. Anecdotally, a friend of mine claims that his family voted against the early-2000s light-rail plan on the basis that it would have resulted in the City of Deer Park being downgraded to a village.

[bernawil]

But is it fair to compare light rail with subways? Seems to me light rail is the worst of all worlds: Slow, low carrying capacity, subject to the same traffic as cars and probably expensive.

[minot]

Car dealership campaign contributions?

[zten]

I agree. If you wait until traffic is bad enough, then transit might end up getting pushed -- but it's just to appease people who want to maintain their car-driven lifestyle. Everyone currently sitting in their car on the freeway doesn't think they're the "other" person who should be taking the bus or train. The next step is outright fighting any growth, if they already haven't been.