treesketcher

is there any possible reason for this other than anti-rail douchebaggery?

Seems like it would be timely for some other state to propose a true HSR alternative.

If only the dispatch and enquirer were so enlightened....

I wish CBus had the leadership to pull that off. Run a streetcar up and down High Street & Broad Street and all of a sudden youve got a pretty decent backbone for a transit system.

I would think that if Ohio had a great plan and some public-private partnership with capital ready to go, we would become a high priority for federal money as this type of model would make for an example of bipartisan political mechanics...

yes, but columbus and dayton will do OK if there is a decent connection to pittsburgh and toledo to further connect to Chicago, NY, DC. If the 3C is built at 220+ and extended southward, it would provide a fast connection to louisville, nashville, atlanta etc. That is where a big chunk of the population growth is anyway.

that is the vision this needs to get people behind it when they ask "why" HSR. Cleveland and Pittsburgh will benefit the most from that system IMO as centerpoints with service in either direction! :clap:

would love to see a partnership between one of the freight companies, a manufacturer, an urban developer, and a power company!

Mica is very supportive of High Speed Rail. See: http://www.infrastructurist.com/2011/02/01/improving-the-northeast-corridor-could-take-private-funding/ I think hes playing the part of the standard partisan skepticism and maybe trying to box in the funding to projects he supports; but ill leave others with more knowledge to interpret.

Please interpret what Mica is saying here, its cryptic: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dr-gridlock/2011/02/feds_to_spend_53_billion_on_ra.html Is he just saying he wants the private sector to manage the projects, or is he calling for true HSR development?

Ive heard that HSR will be a discussion point of the presidents 2012 budget. Any chance this first phase midwest 220 line will be a part of it? Chicago, Wisconsin and Ohio have obvious political advantages over other legs of the hub network.

cool. this gets the imagination moving. the more ohio can align itself with NY and Chicago, the better a chance this has of moving forward.

I honestly feel like this was the kind of mainstream bump HSR has needed for a long time; very excited to hear the prez talking about this as major means of job creation. With florida and Cali systems nearly under construction, there will be clear cut "couldve been us" examples in the states for the next round of debates on this topic. Seems to me like its time to reorganize and put together a plan that is as bold as Cali and florida and really come up with a strategy to get 80% of ohioans with access to HSR in 25 years to coincide with the prez's goal. Schedule it out and show the big vision/make that the overall goal to build on and how it can/should be judged by the public so that we are in line with the rest of the country. maybe even push ours to be 20 years, not 25 so we can beat the rest of the country, not just "keep up". Seems like the first step should be a true HSR 'flagship' line that makes political and economic sense and build the thing to true hsr standards. Columbus/(Akron)/Cleveland or Toledo/Cleveland/Pittsburgh or seem to be logical. Obviously one trunk line could be extended to connect to points south or Chicago/NY. Forget fighting exclusively with the freight guys; build a new ROW with freeway and/ or purchased portions of existing rail ROW. In the short term, get local connecting transit projects going and focus these systems around a future agreed upon rail station location. I know it sounds pie in the sky, but i think thats what it needs to be get support. Not even the pragmatic approach has worked, so go big or go home. I think if someone in Ohio comes up with a solid plan and a way to fund this over time, the public will get behind it (and support funding with bonds/sales tax) as will the feds.

Im speechless about the dispatch article... Finally they report about the actual project, not some crap hearsay from self-professed rail experts who also work for the opposition. I hope that reporter doesnt get fired for 'going rogue', they need some decent writers over there.

now we're talkin! I think there is potential for a major naming rights sponsorship of the line, something that could elevate the project from a political punchline to the envy of other states'. Like a virgin or a google or something hip like that. just an idea.

bluff called, the end. way to go Ohio.

ouch. seems a little premature considering the guys not even in office. thoughts?

^amen. the health of the urban areas directly corresponds to the health of the rural areas. For some reason in Ohio its one versus another, and the whole state suffers as a result. i think thats one thing that gets lost in this discussion; initiatives like the 3C will be a great help to those proponents of agriculture and 'rural character'.

^OSU has identified the site you mentioned as a future "residential partnership" per their new master plan, which I would assume means dorm-like housing. If i read the article correctly, the Edwards thing is more like traditional apartments. http://oneframework.osu.edu/map/preloader.html

I feel this deserves posting. http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/editorials/stories/2010/11/09/end-of-the-line.html?sid=101 http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/insight/stories/2010/11/14/our-role-is-to-report-not-advocate.html

Im with ya, just sayin he coulda come out today and said "fine, then we dont want the money"; which he has not stated as his position to this point.

its probably a good thing we didnt hear a response from Kasich today about the Lahood letter. At least he's taking more than a few moments to think about it.

Right on. There needs to be a huge, loud public push back against Kasich and this decision. If he's going to try to kill it, lets make it as hard as possible. Like any politician, he'll soften his stance if he feels hes gonna get into a big mess over this with lots of negative press focused on him. How can we get organized with lots and lots of people?

The pathetic and biased coverage of the 3C is one reason why I will never buy a subscription. What a mess. I bet now that they have their boy in the statehouse the tone of the coverage will change.

There has got to be a plan 'B' that goes beyond a public outcry from urban enthusiasts, environmental groups, transit advocates, etc. I think that may in fact only embolden him as he has ran successfully on spiting the democrats and Obama. It will be easy for him to paint anyone that criticizes his cancelling of the project as "the left" even if they are in fact moderates or even republicans. He has to be in danger of losing something politically if in fact he tries to kill this. Maybe that comes from the Feds, maybe it comes from somewhere else; who knows. IMO, though, it will mean the most in the eyes of the general public if a large portion of the business community and even the railroads themselves come out in full support of the 3C and say how much it will mean for direct job creation. That will make Kasich look like he is turning his back on his only election platform.