[Views of Cincinnati] A Series Named Southbank
In every city I go to, I feel the best way to truly see that city is to ride public transit. You see the real parts of that city, the people, the life on the streets. It's a better way to view an unfamiliar urban core and get a new perspective on a place you know well.
Public transit can be taboo subject in Cincinnati. Most people don't understand it or don't use it. This city started to build a subway, but politics and circumstances never allowed it to be completed. The first step towards modern rail transit, the Cincinnati Streetcar, is currently under construction and will likely open in late 2014 or early 2015.
The first time I ever used public transit to see a city was when I went to Cleveland, Ohio in 2009. I hopped on an RTA Red Line train and got lost. It was confusing at first, being someone who grew up in the suburbs and wasn't use to public transport, but it was an adventure in itself. I felt I saw the city in a way no tour could really offer. You got a realistic view of a city that was foreign to you. I used the same method in Pittsburgh, Milwaukee and most recently on Chicago's Green Line.
In Cincinnati though, there's no rail transit. There's two bus agencies, operating parallel of each other and run by different governments in two separate states. Since moving to Northern Kentucky to attend NKU, I've used TANK regularly to commute. Until yesterday though, I had never ridden its Southbank Shuttle service. The shuttle connects the cities of Bellevue, Newport, Cincinnati and Covington with frequent service and stops at major tourist attractions, hotels and businesses.
In 2010, the service debuted "heritage trolleys" that give the route's vehicles a distinctive look with a small enough weight that allows them to cross the Roebling Suspension Bridge.
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| - A Southbank Shuttle "trolley" on the Roebling Suspension Bridge. Photo via Kentucky.gov. |
I boarded in Bellevue, KY near the parking lot of a Frisch's restaurant as the only rider. The curved windows and wooden seats evoke a historic "trolley" car, but the bumpy ride and rattling wheelchair lift remind you you're on a rubber wheeled bus.
A few more passengers were picked up along Riverboat Row and near the levee a family visiting the aquarium boarded for a ride back to their hotel. Everyone braced themselves from sliding on the slick seats as the trolley made a sharp turn onto the Southgate bridge into Cincinnati. At Fountain Square, the vehicle filled up and then made a loop through The Banks and over the Roebling into Covington.
In Northern Kentucky again, most passengers departed for their cars or homes. It picked up a woman fresh off her shift at Popeye's Chicken. She complained about her hours being cut as the shuttle began retracing its route and heading back to where my trip began.
Four new frames in the 224 Views of Cincinnati series made via the Southbank Shuttle:
#79 - Southbank Shuttle at 2nd and Main
View 224 Views of Cincinnati Locations in a larger map
#80 - Southbank Shuttle Crossing the Roebling Bridge
View 224 Views of Cincinnati Locations in a larger map
#81 - Southbank Shuttle Under CSX Tracks at 4th & Main in Covington
View 224 Views of Cincinnati Locations in a larger map
#82 - Southbank Shuttle at Freedom and Walnut
View 224 Views of Cincinnati Locations in a larger map
The only thing I can't figure out about the Southbank Shuttle is why it doesn't offer late night service to different night life destinations. I'd much rather use public transit that deal with cab drivers.
For an excellent way of navigating Cincinnati's often confusing public transit, check out this map by local artist Nate Wessel.