natininja

^ I hope they actually installed it on Main, in front of a business. The Norwood one is just far enough out of the way that it usually makes more sense to park on the sidewalk closer to where you're going!

It's just a curious question. The main reason I can see is to consolidate services, but I'm not advocating it or anything. Just wondering what it would take. Your way might be possible, but it could also be done that the state lines change and part of KY would go to OH. That's kind of what I was imagining. Then the census effects would be clearer. You're right that there hasn't even been the possibility of incorporating nearby municipalities. Not even St. Bernard and Norwood (and Elmwood Place), which seem like no-brainers.

Exactly. Downtown Cincinnati is in two states and three different cities. This would be like not counting Southside Flats, Mount Washington, Troy Hill, North Shore, or Duquesne Heights in Pittsburgh's city population. Anyone know what kind of crazy magic legal voodoo it would take for Cincinnati to gobble up NKY municipalities? Hypothetically, of course; I wouldn't expect it to happen in any foreseeable future. I'd guess both states' legislatures would have to pass laws, at a minimum, if not full constitutional amendments with referenda. Then the municipalities would have to agree to joining. Would the feds have anything to say about it?

Yes. And we have just seen how bad estimates can be. Also, it includes Dayton and excludes less densely populated parts of the MSA. It's not really MSA data. My point is: it doesn't really say anything at all, for the obvious reason that it's useless as an estimate, as well as the fact that it measures something we aren't even used to talking about or using for comparisons.

^ That second article is founded on estimates, no?

KJP, has that state official contacted city officials with this info? What about Cincy news agencies?

The "Richard Florida effect" doesn't seem to have helped Pittsburgh a whole lot. This is interesting, because I think most urbanist Midwesterners think a lot of the bleeding could be reversed with a change in narrative, marketing, and reputation. I still think the Midwest is poised for a comeback. What has to happen is the realization that cost of living (I'm thinking about the coasts) really does factor into the calculus of livability and quality of life. Then people will slowly start to realize much of the perceived superiority of coastal cities is more hype than reality.

I don't know much about suburban Clevelanders, but if they are anything like suburban Cincinnatians (I know there is quite a difference, given the conservatism in suburban Cincinnati), the city might have a better chance of rebuilding without them. Money is leaving, but so is the suicidal anti-city mentality. Pro-city policies may be becoming easier to enact.

Ouch.

One of the things I think people don't realize when imagining life without car ownership is how easy and cheap it can be to rent a car when needed.

Ask California to try it out. I'm sure they'd be game!

Given your...predilections described at the top of your post, you need a nice portable system map/schedule or smart phone (assuming there is a decent website to look up such things). It really, really frustrates me how hard it is to figure out schedules & routes for impromptu bus usage in Ohio.

That place always seemed like a cash cow. I don't get it.

^ Agreed. I'm a big advocate of cycling, but railway conversions should be a truly last-resort use. Rails are more valuable, and when we're talking bike paths that are exclusively or almost exclusively for recreation (typical of rails-to-trails projects), this is even more the case.

Saw Undercover Boss (my first time watching the show). Thought it was pretty good. Certainly nothing negative. If you missed it, here's the full episode: http://www.cbs.com/primetime/undercover_boss/video/?play=true&pid=0ajjvG1lcx6DlZ6MZ5bKm_k8Hh1KwIa3

Fines for Sydney's CityRail (In Aussie dollars): http://www.cityrail.info/travelling_with/conditions_of_travel/fines

The new Trenton station strikes me visually as a contemporary version of Cincinnati's Union Terminal. I guess it's the vertical pillars, combined with an overall roundness. Very nice for a contemporary design.

The penalties for fare jumpers must be high enough (and the checks frequent/infrequent enough) to cover the cost of 1) checks and 2) lost fares. I suppose also in the calculus is, if the fine is too high, people won't pay it. But they probably won't cheat on fares anymore, either!

Like most pieces of conventional wisdom, I think this is more conventional than wisdom. Conservatives have many, many things they are trying to change. Progressives have many, many things they are trying to preserve. Indeed, I would say that conservatives are generally less happy with the status quo than progressives, which is why progressives are willing to raise taxes to preserve that status quo and conservatives want to seize the day to finally reform it. Rail happens to be one lone data point on which conservatives do appear to want to preserve the status quo. As you noted yourself, though, within the past decade, even that data point was data at a different point. Sorry to take this more off track (KJP is right about this re: transportation/rail), but you bring up interesting points. This is one of the reason today's "conservatives" really aren't conservative at all! They are advocating massive, massive changes to the status-quo. Just look at this anti-union flare-up for a prime example. There is no consensus I see on the progressive side, so it's hard to say there is no advocacy for change on that end (I don't think many are claiming the solution is simply to raise taxes to pay for union bennies), but there is nothing conservative about the movement on the right. In many ways, the roles here are reversed. IMO, it shows how radical today's populist right is.

Either they are having trouble picking up signatures or they actually want a subway scenario, where tons of money is sunk prior to cancellation. Whichever is the case, it reeks of incompetent strategizing on their part.

What would be (have been?) the last possible date for the city haters to turn in their signatures for the May ballot? When is groundbreaking expected now?

With a free fare system, the need to agressively enforce on-board conduct rules is imperative. No panhandling, especially! Loitering would have to be well-defined. (More than one whole loop?) If that's manageable, I think no-fare is the way to go, at least for the downtown loop. Unfortunately, I don't think it's politically feasible.

What I'm hearing is: If High Street were a square instead of a line, Columbus would feel more substantial. The population of 770k is a lie/deceptive. Sounds like the new license plates!

And that is an art museum, where you expect the patrons to have a certain sense of decorum.

Keep Sherrod. Replace Portman with Jerry Springer!!!