The Connector has reached a new ridership milestone with 1 million passengers as of Friday, Nov. 24, the most in any single calendar year.

“It’s been an amazing year for the streetcar,” said Lori Burchett, deputy director for streetcar services with the Cincinnati Department of Transportation & Engineering.

 

To celebrate the occasion, Burchett and others on the city’s streetcar team surprised the unsuspecting 1 millionth passenger to board the Connector with a basket full of gifts donated by businesses and organizations along the route.

“Thank you, thank you!” said a surprised Thomas Gaines, who received the gifts as he boarded at the Findlay Market station stop Friday morning on route to Fountain Square to take in some holiday festivities.

The following companies and organizations along the streetcar route donated gifts to celebrate the millionth rider milestone:

• Alta Fiber
• Kroger
• Friend of Music Hall
• Shakespeare Theater
• Cincinnati Opera
• Memorial Hall
• 3CDC/Fountain Square Ice Rink
• Bee Haven Gifts at Findlay Market
• FC Cincinnati
• Cincinnati Bengals
• Cincinnati Reds
• Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County

The Connector was on track to its 1 millionth rider in a single year after notching a new annual record of 849, 161 passengers by the end of September.

“It’s so exciting to celebrate another major milestone in 2023,” Burchett added. “It really speaks to how well our operations partner Transdev continues to run the streetcar and that more people are aware of the Connector as a convenient, free and enjoyable way to travel between OTR, Downtown and The Banks.”

The streetcar’s previous annual record was 846,622 for all of 2022. Last year's annual record significantly outpaced the previous record year with 571, 601 passengers in 2017, the streetcar’s first full calendar year in operation.

Ridership since passenger service began in September 2016 totals approximately 4.34 million.

The streetcar, which travels 3.6 miles between OTR and The Banks via the Central Business District, is especially popular during major events such as Reds and Bengals games, Oktoberfest and music concerts like Taylor Swift’s this summer at Paycor Stadium. The city adds service to accommodate more passengers during major events. 

The Connector’s passenger counts in 2023 topped 100,000 for five consecutive months beginning in May through September.

Ridership in October totaled 87,427, not a record but a good showing for a fall month without a major event such as BLINK. The light and culture festival that takes place between The Banks and OTR is scheduled to return to Cincinnati in October 2024.

Ridership tends to slow down between November and March when there are fewer sporting events and festivals. Burchett plans to conduct a rider/non-rider survey over the winter to assess satisfaction and areas for improvement.

Information Updates
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