Developing Green Streets Prototypes to Reduce Combined Sewer Overflows for Cincinnati, Ohio

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of developing stormwater management retrofit demonstration projects for application in the public right-of-way (ROW) in form of "Green Streets." This study responded a motion issued by the City Council of Cincinnati to create a plan for a Green Streets Pilot Project, targeting specific downtown streets for the implementation of methods to address stormwater runoff generated by the public right-of-way and to assess their feasibility to reduce combined sewer overflows. The study developed conceptual prototype stormwater controls to fit into common features in the public right-of-way and adjacent impervious features for four (4) street segments in the central business district of Cincinnati, Ohio. CH2M HILL's Low Impact Feasibility and Evaluation (LIFE) model was applied to evaluate each of the BMP concepts in terms of runoff reductions resulting from the planned level of storage, infiltration into the subsurface soils, and evapotranspiration. Cost estimates were developed to assess runoff reduction efficiency.