Would You Ride a Streetcar?
Downtowners say Yes!

In 2006, the Danter Group, nationally-recognized economic development consultants
based here in Columbus, asked Downtown Columbus employees, residents, and students
if they would ride a streetcar. The answer: Yes! About 73 percent said they would ride a
streetcar if one were built in Downtown Columbus. Of those who responded yes, students were very positive, saying streetcars would increase their trips to and within downtown.

Would you Ride a Downtown StreetcarBased on sample size of 1,000

How Does this Translate into Ridership?
According to the Danter Group projections, just five years after opening streetcars would carry between 5,000 and 7,200 riders per day, depending on which proposed routes are built. Routes under consideration include High Street from German Village to Ohio State, and loops through the Arena District and along Broad Street.

A Look at Other Cities
A look at other streetcar cities provides some insight. Within two blocks of the streetcar routes in Memphis and Portland, there are fewer numbers of residents, employees, and hotel rooms than in Columbus.  In projecting daily ridership for Columbus, Danter took note of these numbers but provided a more conservative estimate, even though the Columbus streetcar would circulate more frequently.

Should the streetcar effort move forward, more detailed ridership forecasts would be developed. And if the route extends to OSU, there would be huge student, faculty, and staff population within a couple of blocks.

Would YOU Ride the Streetcar?
Let us know by sending your feedback to streetcars@downtowncolumbus.com. Or attend the Mayor’s 2012-Bicentennial Citizens Summit on Tuesday, January 29th at 5:00pm at the Convention Center to make your voice heard.