Intended to complement my proposal to finish the Cincinnati Subway, this would turn straight street into a viable solution for connecting uptown residents to downtown. Currently, Straight Street's steep slope makes trips down the hill a breeze, but nearly impossible going up. The installation of a bicycle/scooter/stroller/person lift in a separated portion of the right of way would allow trips up the hill to be just as easy as going down. Combined, straight street could become a viable connection to the city basin. With a right of way of 58 feet, and the current configuration of two extra wide single lanes, and parking lanes on either side, this can be accomplished with no loss.
There is only one of these in existence in the world, in Trondheim Germany. The Straight Street Lift would be a modified version of this. The pictures above are of this lift before and after a renovation.
Looking uphill, there are the existing 8ft sidewalks (in some places sidewalks do not exist), there is a downwards bound bikeway, an narrower upwards bound bikeway (narrower as the people will be using the lift), there are two 7ft parking lanes, an upwards bound 8ft travel lane, and a downwards bound 10ft travel lane (as it is harder to control a vehicle going down the steep slope).
Intended to be as constructed as simply as possible, the design uses easily manufactured materials, which in most places are bolted straight to the existing asphalt.
The track, made of molded metal, would have a compartment at the top with a slit, in which a a chain with brackets mounted to it which people can stand on, and a second enclosed compartment on the bottom for the return chain.
At the bottom of straight street would be a grease drip housed inside a small subsurface utility box. The grease would be food grade (environmentally friendly), as the track is open to the elements.
At the top of the lift, a mostly above ground steel utility box would house the drivetrain, and a nearby signal box would house the computer, which manages the torque of the motor based on strain, and stops the lift for cars to enter into the few roads.