hohum

Mallory - thank yous to everyone, especially Bortz. This city is going to move forward. 6-2 in support of financing

Qualls - talking about compromise. Praising cranley and his "questioning". Bortz - thank yous to tje administration

Item 63, general approval of streetcar. All yes. Cranley objecting to financing (protesting tif and blue ash and taxes) Monzel - ditto (complaining about money from other neighborhoods) Bortz - agrees with financing, makes point about cbd taxpayers footing most of bill. Makes point about banks tif not intended to support banks.

General council meeting is just beginning. Will update with any breaking news ;) Cole not here for this one either.

OK, off to the 2PM meeting. I'll try to put up updates from the "smart" phone if there is anything major....

They are being investigated. You can see all kinds of ideas for these routes in this thread, but much further back. Some possibilities are Clifton, and Vine (both of which have grades that a modern streetcar can climb without assistance) Each has its downsides as well.

It will be used. Basically just an up/down ride from my understanding of things.

Hmmm, interesting... That is a bizarre turn of events. IMO, Its going to be hard to fund the connector because well, its not like it runs past some major chunk of money (or devel prospects) whichever route it takes. Unlike the CBD/OTR circulator or an Uptown circulator, any connector route runs primarily through residential areas.... I didn't think that there was a TIF district that covers any of the possible connector routes, but am I wrong about that?

For those who attended the meeting today, were there any specific suggestions about how to cover the additional 35 million pricetag for the connector? Enquirer just put out a blurb on it - http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080423/NEWS01/304230084 (I only ask, because presumably finance committee will need to approve whatever plan is developed for that portion of the funding independently? - meaning, this isn't FULLY out of finance yet...)

yeah, you just have to trim off the _target=blank with the spaces url encoded spaces ;)

^ You rock. Mucho thanks!

Meaning it was based off of Bortz's motion or Qualls' motion? (Primarily, I am concerned with how the motion laid out the specifics of what must be done in the next steps, and whether the entire plan is contingent upon such things as finding partners for the uptown circulator (not just the connector), and other nuances such as whether it requries that council prioritize SIDs over other financing means...)

OK, that is helpful. Thanks :) Is there a copy of the motion available somewhere online?

Randy has some detalis up on UrbanCincy - http://www.urbancincy.com/2008/04/streetcar-passes-fc-poised-to-pass.html I am guessing the "kinda" unanimous comment from thomasbw had to do with the fact that Cole was not at the meeting, so the vote was 7-0.

Then you would end up with a rainbow tangle all over the streets. And even if you do this for a few targeted routes, it doesn't address the development potential around tracks in the ground. People don't invest along bus routes like they do along fixed transit routes. That isn't the goal of streetcar systems. Modern systems are typically small and are designed to serve a limited area, circulating people in that area. The same type of politics that is starting to crop up on CBUS ;) (but if you read the latest on that thread, council finance committee finally approved the streetcar plan :clap: :clap: :clap:, and that thread has served as a VERY valuable asset for supporters and dissenters alike to discuss the merits or demerits of streetcar systems)

I'm pretty sure that folks will be partying well into tomorrow, depending on how general council votes ;)

^ This may have something to do with the Mayor's motion (which I believe includes provisions for a council advisory committee to work through the details - and Cranley will almost surely be part of that) OR - possibly to vote it down at general council? Completely in the dark and guessing here.

EMail from John -- passed finance unanimously. :clap: :clap: :clap: It will be before general council this afternoon (2PM). Celebrations pending! Response from thomasbw - it was "Kinda" unanimous... not sure what that means yet.

Yup, that is part of the reasoning - there is some limestone based mortar in use and pee will erode it more than the norm. Then again, my dog won't do that unless she is on grass... She's not that old yet ;) The only thing that bothers me about the dogs on fountain square policy is that the police are more than active in enforcing it. Heck, I've been harassed for walking my dog on the sidewalk on the same side of the street as the square and told I had to cross the street if I wanted to walk my dog. Its an acceptable policy, unacceptably enforced. I'd rather see those same police officers giving out tickets to owners who don't clean up after their dogs.. Anyhow, for us dog owners, a place to walk our pet is a SERIOUS consideration for where we live. Unless folks think CBD/OTR have already hit as many people as will possibly move there, I just hope that these public spaces consider the fact that this is a consideration in deciding where to live.

He has said before that he thinks the Banks project will need to tap the riverfront TIF (even though that has not been included as part of the financing for the Banks as of yet)

Not sure about that position, I think Cranley is looking to be done with politics after this term... Cranley is generally a progressive (in terms of political stance, not necessarily actions), which is why I find his position on this issue so bizarre...

^ Thats part and parcel of "responsible dog owner". Leashes, always (unless in enclosed dog park), and PLENTY of bags to clean up after them. I don't like stepping in it, and I don't presume that my animal should be the reason someone else should either.

Damn class, I should so be there... Quite bummed that I couldn't.

Sweet, thanks for the live updates!!!!

I fully admit I ride on sidewalks for a brief period in the CBD -- I come down Race, and have to get to low 400's on Vine, so rather than go down to to 3rd and back up the hill to 400s on vine, I cut the sidewalk. Heck, the cops do it ALL the time. I can't count how many times I see two officers riding side by side down the sidewalk. But then again, I also go about walking pace when I do my brief stint on the sidewalks, and I am VERY careful about cars leaving garages and pedestrians coming out doors.