Cincinnati's subway is located underneath Central Parkway, with the first station entrance positioned in the median at the intersection of Race Street. The original construction planned for a 13-mile loop that extended from Downtown through Northside to Norwood. Six stations were erected before construction halted; 2.2 miles of tunnels remain today.
So what caused the Cincinnati Subway project to fail? A combination of politics and money. Delays with the project led to increased expenses due to inflation. World War I also caused the prices of construction materials to skyrocket. A change in political leaders ultimately led to the subway's demise, as the new form of government did not want to support any project of the previous administration; it was viewed as an impediment to reform. Sound familiar?
If you missed the Cincinnati Subway Tour this year, check out the next best thing: the PBS documentary "Cincinnati's Abandoned Subway." It includes over 1,500 original construction photographs from the 1920s, interviews with eight local experts, as well as vivid present-day footage of the subway tunnels.
