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Here's How To Park Along The Streetcar Route

Bill Rinehart
/
WVXU
A single painted line, parallel to the streetcar tracks means the space is fine for parking. A double line means the lane is streetcar-only.

Motorists have had to change some of their habits along the streetcar route in Over-the-Rhine and Downtown. In addition to sharing the road, drivers have to be careful where they park.

Parking division manager Dan Fortinberry says the city has painted lines in places so it's clear.

"The single lines are where people can still use that lane and actually park within the single lines. The double lines are the streetcar-only lanes. And they're at your crossovers down at The Banks, and then one again up by Findlay Market."

Enforcement officer Dan Kaiser says if someone is blocking the tracks and the driver can't be found, the vehicle will be towed.

"If it's not really crossing the white line much, if they're just on the white line and it's not really impeding on the tracks, preventing the streetcar from being able to remain mobile, then at that point we just cite the vehicle."

Kaiser sees his job as educational. He says the more the streetcar has run, the better people have been about parking near it.

Fortinberry says the the goal is simply to keep the streetcar on schedule.

"To do that we need to just keep the people inside the white line, and to keep people out of the track zone."

He says when testing and training began, officers started driving the route each morning to make sure there were no vehicles blocking the way.

"That was ramped up of course with the streetcar going into pre-revenue service about a month ago. Now we've seen just… some issues with compliance, but for the most part people are finding themselves inside the white line."

Fortinberry says they ask people to move when possible, and will tow if necessary.  

Bill Rinehart started his radio career as a disc jockey in 1990. In 1994, he made the jump into journalism and has been reporting and delivering news on the radio ever since.