natininja

Thanks for the clarifications, Civvik, LiG, & KJP.

Can you explain the difference?

Cincinnati has Amtrak/heavy rail. I can see why you might not want to count it, considering the level of service. But it's there.

... and I don't count the PM. Plus, isn't San Antonio larger than Cincy (metro wise)? As far as I know, San Antonio has no rail either.... ... and it's a shame about Cincinnati because it would be (... let's keep saying WILL be), such a great city for rapid transit -- better than either sprawling metros like Detroit or San Antonio. In 2004, when the posts you're replying to were posted, Cincinnati's metro was larger than San Antonio's.

"In five years, you won't be able to find anyone that will admit voting against the stadiums." - Mike Brown, sometime around 1997. "The county should sell the stadiums." - Recent Enquirer letter to the editor, as reported by Jake above. Do not underestimate political grudges. They run deep. The lesson there does not seem to be about grudges but about predictions of the success of publicly funded projects. That said, streetcars have a much better empirical track record than stadiums when it comes to spurring economic development.

I think he meant it was a disappointment while it was an idea which wasn't acted on. Now that some of it is built, that is turning around. But some people need some time to see what's happened. Some still have a bad taste in their mouth, rationally or not. Not everyone keeps up on this stuff like we do, but they will figure it out eventually.

^ People who would move to Mason, West Chester, or Florence will take a look at Clermont County as a similar place with less traffic problems. It will spur development, but that development is zero-sum as it doesn't make the region more attractive to outsiders. The development will also be high on the infrastructure-per-capita ratio, making it a drain on the region as it requires large subsidies, the first one being the building of the roads.

^ Nice footage of modern lightrail rolling stock. I like the shot of the guy walking his bike on board. Wait for the Enquirer to pull out the stock vintage photos of rail from 100 years ago.

Just look at the comments on the article. Someone is already calling for a line to Loveland. :)

Nice. I like how Portune talks about the streetcar connection. It helps to illustrate the point that the streetcar is not intended to operate in a vacuum. Too bad the newscasters don't bother to mention buses using the transit center, and they act like it's just for non-existent rail.

From the Eastern Corridor thread: Very interesting, indeed, on the heels of Issue 48's defeat. Constructing streetcar and lightrail lines simultaneously would really turn some heads. I guess if the lightrail gets up and running and is successful, it might get some catenary for replacing those diesel engines.

"2 or 3." Let me guess the third: banning rail development.

Paris gets boring. Prague doesn't. Just about every building in Prague is a masterpiece. It's not overwhelming, it's just amazing. Picturesque everywhere you step.

Huh? Either one...typically I'd say more people choose subway, regardless of time of year. But if winter weather is your worry, that's the obvious answer. It's more insulated from the cold as well as immune to any possible snow. But it doesn't snow as much in NYC as it does in C-town, so there's a good chance there won't be any while you're there. I'd say "subway or bus" is the last thing you should be worried about. Play it by ear.

Interesting to see where Winburn's constituency resides. Anyone know where his church is? LOL@Mike Allen's supporters. As we all knew, Cincinnati is Qualls country.

Want to live in suburbs, or just defaulted to them? Touche. We shouldn't forget the lifestyle subsidies afforded for suburban life.

^ Not necessarily. If there's a park-and-ride system which takes someone to walkable neighborhoods, it can be quite functional. Particularly since employment centers are often walkable. This is the strategy with the Cincinnati streetcar. Suppose it is built, then Downtown & Over-the-Rhine become much more functional stops on a light rail line which connects, say, the suburbs and the airport. Once such a line exists, TOD can develop in the burbs. Remember, it only took us half a century or so to build the sprawl we have. Putting the wheels in motion now, why couldn't we expect similarly rapid results? If people prefer the suburbs, one might expect them to prefer higher-functioning suburbs, given some exposure.

Hmm, wish I could find where I got that info.

From what I understand, most fuel a person "consumes" is used through transporting goods they purchase, not personal trips. So using sustainable fuel sources for freight and buying local, and enacting policies which promote these things, are in fact more important than "alternative" modes of personal transportation. Promoting sustainable personal transit does have a side benefit of promoting a nodal distribution system which makes such a freight distribution system more feasible. It divorces people from the "need" for more, wider, faster roads, as well, encouraging a more objective view of costs and benefits of infrastructure projects. It also makes people healthier and has other benefits. The primary benefit is not lower personal consumption of petrol, however. There's also the economic problem associated with building/maintaining too much infrastructure per capita. This is the best argument for alternative personal transit, IMO. It's very intuitive and does not rely on layers of inference. It doesn't have to do with peak oil, however, until you get into the inference.

^ I think Civvik is actually for the glass building. I agree with Rob -- these renderings look much better than the results such plans would likely yield. I'm ambivalent toward the glass building, mostly because the alternative could end up much worse. Particularly something faux-historic.

For the same reason Kasich thought it was a good idea to yank the funding (rallying political support from his base), it's politically smart for the Obama administration to reinstate the funding. Cincinnati is an important city to both parties, on the state and the federal level. So goes Cincinnati, so goes Ohio, so goes the country. The premiere bellwether city of perhaps the premiere bellwether state.

Cool, thanks. Is this based on census estimates for these years, though? Those estimates turned out to be wildly inaccurate.

^ 100% agree, about Ms. Queen Noble. ^^ Can someone tell me why the green and purple lines are how they are? I feel like some sort of hybrid of the two might be better than either one alone.

^ We are so oppressed here on UO. :roll: 327 is spot-on. What we need in OTR/Pendleton is continuation and expansion of what is already being done!

^ I'm having trouble imagining a dedicated streetcar lane on Ludlow as you get near the business district.