natininja

Okay, I am too lazy ATM to draw a map. However, I have an idea for future phases. First, use Eighth and State's Main/Walnut line. Call this Route 1. Route 2: From CUT onto Ezzard Charles, right on Central Parkway, turns onto Route 1's tracks to go to the banks and back. Route 3: Same as Route 2, but continues on Central Parkway to the Casino. Perhaps continues past the Casino and up Gilbert, to make John Schneider happy. Route 4: Starts at CUT, goes on Ezzard Charles, turns left on Central Parkway. Turns right onto Findlay, which is made to be two-way between McM/Vine. Turns onto Vine and joins Route 1 to Uptown. Banks, CUT, Casino, Findlay Market, Music Hall, and Uptown are all connected either directly or by transfer (could all be made direct by adding routes, if demand supports it). This also connects the streetcar network to the subway at Race and Liberty -- though it duplicates the service between the two. I would suggest using median lanes reserved for streetcars and buses, on Central Parkway. Stops could exit into the existing greenspace. A little bit like this: http://bit.ly/ckV4Ty Except with the streetcars towards the outside, with the existing greenspace running between the tracks. Edit: I realized left-exiting is probably impossible. So making room for a stop between the tracks and the traffic on the right, with stylistic handrails preventing people from just jumping into traffic, is probably the way to go.

Thanks, guys. I think I'm starting to favor the Main/Walnut line, because of what Jimmy_James said. I definitely think there needs to be a future phase, however, which services Findlay Market directly. Certainly no easy task, though, given the way the streets are around there. Another reason I am leaning away from Race/Elm is wires obstructing views of Music Hall. I think a stop behind Music Hall, on Central Parkway, would perhaps be a better way of serving MH. Making Race two-way would perhaps be another way to solve this. Northbound visitors to MH would then have the pleasant walk through Washington Park on their way to performances which southbound visitors were already going to have.

Does anyone know where the existing subway stations are between Ezzard Charles and Reading on Central Parkway? I'm trying to envision a streetcar route between CUT and the casino, which doesn't overlap potential lightrail service too much. Central Parkway could keep its current greenspace, and afford another two lanes of road diet, I am thinking, giving lanes reserved for streetcars. However, this wouldn't make much sense if there are more than a couple subway stations along this route.

Perfect summary of my thinking. Also, I would add that Findlay Market is possibly the landmark you'd most desire a nearby stop for, since it is the place you're most likely to be carrying a bundle when you leave, and not want to walk far. Particularly for older folks.

"PEDS"? LOL.

It's messed up to get robbed in the parking lot of a gas station during business hours. Hopefully the crooks are on camera.

It also means the budget for operating the streetcar will be tied to the bus system's budget. This could be good or bad, but the bus system has been experiencing big fare hikes and service cuts lately. I dunno, I'm still not convinced it's a big deal. I guess it's a good thing, as someone needs to run it, and SORTA has experience (although, again, they've been in some trouble). BTW - Thanks for the long explanation, Eigth and State. BTW2 - Why can't you just spell 'Eighth' correctly in your name? Character limit?

Seriously? Can you explain why this is so incredibly significant? It seems so mundane to me. How could it be bigger than the funding?

How about Mao_Tse_Mallory2?

I think one main advantage of the tall towers is that so much of it is above the BSB. All the clutter becomes less relevant when your eyes are drawn up and away from it.

We could shape and paint the wiremobile like a giant football and send it right through.

Dan, I'm definitely sympathetic to your worries about the western neighborhoods. The thing is, it's really not an option to allow the core neighborhoods to continue as they have been. If Cincinnati is going to pick itself up by the bootstraps and have a thriving economy, downtown and OTR must be in order. You must know this, since you clearly spend some time thinking about urban issues. If we let downtown/OTR deteriorate, the city will at best be stagnant, meaning little new money and jobs will be coming in. That's not good for the western neighborhoods, either. With an attractive core, we can bring money and jobs, and more neighborhoods will have a chance at prosperity. It's the one part of the city where revitalization really can break us out of the zero-sum game.

I actually quite like the asymmetrical design, conceptually, but I think it needs to be altered a bit. Either they should make it more regal, in a retro sort of way, or make it more punchy, in a cutting-edge contemporary sort of way. The way it is so far, it looks like it's trying to be sharp, with a dull set of tools. I think I lack the vocabulary to talk about this stuff, but maybe you can see what I mean. I can say one thing I wouldn't like: if they were to turn the towers into something too similar to this: Not that I don't like it, but it's been done a hundred times, by now.

John: Sorry, I didn't mean to say you did come off as a jerk, just that you, doing exactly what you were supposed to do, seemed so effortlessly to have won the debate. It was a bit like Katie Couric in the Sarah Palin interview -- Katie was just doing her job, but man did she deliver a beating. Only difference is: Luken is not a spring chicken like Palin, he's a demented old man. He's embarrassing himself, because he thinks he's up to a task that his mind just cannot handle anymore. Even from the shallow, folksy angle, he just can't pull it off. Regardless of what I think about the man and his politics, I am sympathetic to this on a human level. It's like when you want to take the car keys away from dad, but you know it's going to kill his ego. I sincerely apologize if I offended you -- I think you did, and are doing, great work! :clap:

It's not amusing. It's not exactly frustrating. It's painful, but not for the reasons you'd expect. Luken is seriously out of it and just repeats and rambles. John almost comes off as an a55hole for not going easy on him. The comment I made before about feeling sorry for him has been reinforced about five times. It would be funny if it weren't so sad.

It may only be controversial for Reds and Bengals games, as Eigth and State's story happened in Cinci.

Surely a number of those households have one car and one driver (with one or more others elderly, disabled, without license by preference, etc.). It would be hard to pin down a percentage, and it would likely be small, but it might be bigger than we'd suspect.

Someone near and dear to him should step in and save him the embarrassment. I can't help but feel sorry for the guy. If he could think straight, he might even support the streetcar.

^ I don't even understand that analogy.

I learned urban cycling in a city rife with bike lanes. That might frame my view a bit, but I don't see a problem with them.

What we need is an enlightened despot. I nominate B. Hussein Obama.

Does that include children, as well? What about a couple with one car? Is one or both of them counted?

Fine, but I'm not going to go regularly participate on a Christian forum just to be a contrarian all the time. Even though I do feel like people use Christianity to affect my life in a detrimental way.

^ What is considered to be "in the 3C corridor"?