tim713

I am sure you're right...it just makes me laugh that they are worried about things like the Bearcat Cafe.

Interesting discussions. I agree that corporate backing would help the entire cause, but I doubt UC would kick in anything at this point since the Uptown line would go up Vine Street. Plus UC seems in enough financial woes of its own...today it was reported in the paper that after 50+ years they are suing the Bearcat Cafe over use of the Bearcat name alleging that it infringes on their copyright and sales of merchandise, so they are too busy picking on small businesses. But I digress. I believe a Riverfront-OTR line would still be useful for people coming to downtown as an entertainment destination and those whom have a walk exceeding 10 or so blocks for work, etc., but without an Uptown connection, I believe it's quite possible that the ultimate fate of the streetcar is exactly the novelty attraction the naysayers characterize it to be. I still hope it can get built one way or the other, but commitment (to expansion) is what is necessary to make sure it succeeds.

That critic wasn't the same guy who recommended in a letter to the Enquirer recently that we paint a bus all pretty to look like a streetcar and then run it up and down Vine Street to test out whether all the investors and business folow, was it?

Kasich is a joke. The only jobs about which he is worried are those of the $100K+ administrators in Columbus. This kind of garbage is precisely why people are leaving Ohio, and Ohio cities. Cincinnati's population dropped again over the past decade, and this is going to ensure that will continue. Pittsburgh is looking better and better all the time.

My only experience with streetcars is in San Francisco so I'm interested in how they will affect on-street parking and traffic here where streets are for the most part fairly narrow. I agree that the density of destinations in CUF and on Ludlow is a draw to place the line up W Clifton and possibly extend it over to Ludlow. Regarding West Clifton, however, could the on-street parking be maintained on both sides? Regardless of an absence of buses, I have a hard time imagining being behind a streetcar going up West Clifton being any less frustrating than being behind a bus going up West Clifton. That's what makes Vine Street seem more efficient to me from a traffic flow standpoint. Yes there is blight and need for improvement along Vine, but redevelopment has to start somewhere and sometime, and this seems a key opportunity. I would submit that from standpoints of potential for historic preservation, incremental new development, and easy access to a park for livability, Vine Street wins hands down. In my opinion, West Clifton is one of the ugliest neighborhoods in the city center (mainly due to the concentration of student housing), and Bellevue Hill Park is tucked way down at the bottom of the neighborhood and only accessible by Ohio Ave. Many of the buildings on Vine are ugly, but at least most of them are ugly because they're vacant and represent untapped potential for homeownership and mixed use purposes just like what's been going on in OTR...and Inwood Park fronts a good portion of the upper section of Vine (as someone else pointed out). Also, I wanted to share that I appreciate the respectful discussions on this board. I used to read comments on the Enquirer website but most of them are just from axe-grinders who have nothing constructive to contribute....which seems to be counter to the entire topic of transit and redevelopment.

What about the amount of parking on West Clifton along with the street width? With relatively few driveways and the dense concentration of housing, what will the effect be on parking, especially since few of those houses have drievways or off-street parking? Isn't Vine Street wider overall?

Greetings all...I am a new poster and a Mt. Auburn resident very interested in the streetcar and Uptown development. I am concerned about the decision for the routing of the Uptown line of the streetcar both because of some of the congestion issues cited here, as well as because I believe Uptown as a whole is better served by locating this initial mainline at the meridian rather than the Western Edge of Uptown. I have seen comments to the effect that West Clifton is better for McMillan Place and Old St. George among others, but these two examples are actually closer to the Vine/McMillan intersection! In addition, I must admit my bias as a Mt. Auburn resident to the fact that redevelopment has been going on for years on Calhoun and McMillan. Moreover, with the resources of UC, and an already established business district, that area will always have more possibilities. Even Avondale and the Short Vine corridor are now reaping the benefits of the Uptown initiatives. However, being almost totally residential, Mount Auburn needs business revitalization and investment. With a large stock of historic homes in need of visibility, repair, and restoration, I believe the streetcar is an opportunity for Mt. Auburn that the neighborhood cannot afford to lose. I have written a letter to Mr. Dohoney and Mr. Moore to this effect. Does anyone know if there will be a public forum? Thanks.