Cincinnati council votes to halt streetcar project

Cincinnati's City Council voted yesterday to suspend spending on the city's $133 million streetcar project, which already is under construction.

Cincinnati news media reported that the project has been suspended pending an audit. The vote was taken after the city's newly elected Mayor John Cranley and council members, who campaigned on an anti-streetcar agenda, were sworn into office on Sunday. During their campaigns, they claimed the project was too costly for the city.

Yesterday's vote means work on the project will be stopped immediately, according to media reports. Also in recent days, the Federal Transit Administration informed city officials that it is freezing its payments for the project until the city determines whether the project will be cancelled.

Last month, Cincinnati Streetcar Executive Director John Deatrick estimated the cost to cancel the project could run as high as $125.3 million.

Construction on the project began in August, with utility relocation and the laying of track. In October, CAF USA unveiled its design for the streetcars.