The Cincinnati Subway was a partially completed rapid transit system beneath the streets of Cincinnati, Ohio. Although the system only grew to a little more than 2 miles (3.2 km) in length, its derelict tunnels and stations make up the largest abandoned subway tunnel system in the United States. Construction began in the early 1900s as an upgrade to the Cincinnati streetcar system, but was abandoned due to escalating costs, the collapse of funding amidst political bickering, and the Great Depression during the 1920s and 1930s.
In 1928, the construction of the subway system in Cincinnati was indefinitely canceled. There are no plans to revive the project.
Rapid transit was seen as the solution for downtown congestion in Cincinnati during the first quarter of the 20th century. Six million dollars were allocated for the project, but construction was delayed due to World War I. Unexpected post-war inflation doubled the cost of construction, so the project could not be finished at the original estimated price.
Various attempts to use the tunnels for mass transit have been unsuccessful. Political squabbling, the Great Depression, World War II, automaker lobbying and the increased usage of the automobile have contributed to the failure of the proposals.[1] Today, many Cincinnatians are unaware of the tunnels beneath them.[2]
From 1825 to 1920 the Miami and Erie Canal divided Cincinnati's residential neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine from the business district of downtown.[3][4] The canal was used to transport goods and people from the Great Lakes to the Ohio River and subsequently the Mississippi River via Cincinnati, until the popularity of railroads caused it to become disused. The canal then became very polluted due to people dumping trash in it and using it as a sewer.[3] The canal became unprofitable by 1856[3] and was abandoned by the city in 1877.[1]
On September 15, 1883, a weekly Cincinnati magazine called The Graphic proposed that the "dead old ditch" be used to provide an unobstructed route for a subway system, with a large boulevard above.[5]
Cincinnati began adopting electric streetcars in 1888;[5] this soon became the main form of public transportation.[6] During this period Cincinnati was one of the seven most populous US cities[3]and had a rate of growth and economic importance that was similar to that of New York City and Chicago.[1] The slow streetcars shared the crowded streets with horse-drawn carriages and people, and collided with the first automobiles on an almost daily basis.[6] It was not unusual for trips between downtown and the surrounding suburbs to take 45 minutes to an hour.[7] Despite having 222 miles (357 km) of streetcar tracks, the city found itself in a growing traffic nightmare.[6]
Another newspaper, the Cincinnati Commercial Tribune, gave encouraging words to the public and said "We believe that the city we love, our home, is at the turning point, and that with the coming of Rapid Transit we will have the beginning of a Greater, More Prosperous, Healthier and Happier Cincinnati. We believe that a Vote for the Loop is a Vote for the best interests of all of us, and it is with pride that we state that every newspaper in the city is for the Loop, and practically all of the Business organizations as well as the Trades Unions." This helped the project win the fight in the polls when the people of Cincinnati enthusiastically passed bill to start construction.[8]
In 1910, Henry Thomas Hunt spearheaded plans for a new rapid transit system.