molleraj

What other major city doesn't have a county tax to support transit? (I'm excluding TANK from consideration)

I don't know much about Flynn but after that press conference I would guess that there is no way he is switching. He was laughing and almost mocking the pro streetcar efforts. He seemed worse than the mayor in that press conference. I must agree...but he also signed the document to the FTA...so maybe he's just playing both sides...

Come on Flynn. Come on man!

I don't know...we'll see on Dec. 19th. I don't have a very good feeling...

Me neither. I'd guess about 3.5-4 million per year...

So sad that that route could have been a friggin' AWESOME streetcar/LRT line...oh well, I'll just have to see what happens in KC...and maybe Cincinnati :)

BlackBengal: Cranley "worked out a deal" with an anonymous private donor who offered to underwrite streetcar operations for the next 30 years...it's a "compromise" to prevent "extra spending out of the operating budget." Either shrewd...or false...but quite interesting nonetheless...

Jos Callinet: I don't see the rest of the US being that short-sighted. The KC streetcar is way ahead of schedule (despite a ton of rail opposition in KC in the past) and the Tucson Modern Streetcar will be running very soon (which runs from west of DT Tucson to the University of Arizona). In the future John should take groups to KC and Tucson. Won't be THAT far away, either - especially KC :)

Cincinnati no longer moves "slowly." It moves backwards.

That's it. I'm moving to Cleveland the first chance I can...to get my "rail fix" since I'm part of this mysterious "rail cult"....OOOOOH (For educational reasons, actually ;) ) City Council was quite a show today. First crappy episode of four long crappy seasons.....

And that's why I'm moving to Cleveland, St. Louis, Indy, or Nashville (or Sacramento, if I'm nuts, lol) after graduating from college (Miami U). It's not just the streetcar. It's the lack of vision and the outright disregard for most developments in the outside world (I'm being pretty harsh, mind you), which is really shocking for such a well-built, highly populated place. Cincinnati has so much latent potential it isn't even funny. Nonetheless, I don't plan on a corporate career (biotech/medicine instead), so Cincinnati doesn't really appeal to me for career interests...

Well, that's true...but I'm talking $100 million of direct embarrassment

So...what is the plan from here? There's no way the project can be immediately killed next week - right? What is the plan for a potential referendum? This city does not need another embarrassment.

Wow! Cleveland is looking like a better and better place for biotech/medicine oriented people like me! :D I need to take a good hard look at CWRU for med school ;) Better than Cincinnati, certainly :)

jmecklenborg: I know City Council does not control SORTA service at will. I mean that a consequence of canceling the streetcar project would be loss of federal funding for SORTA.

OK...I really hope I'm wrong about this, but I'm starting to sense an evil plan (LOL). This project is probably dead precisely because of the huge costs of cancellation. That way the city can fall into fiscal chaos (ruined operating budget), bus service will be cut (feeding Smitherman-type "Bus Rider Union"-type arguments), police will be fired, and the "damn streetcar" becomes the excuse for all these problems. Cranley afterwards winds up the scapegoat, and the city is delivered to the hands of the GOP. Cue election of Mayor Smitherman in 2017. I hope I'm wrong. I'm exaggerating, just a little bit. EDIT: But by 2017 a bunch of law firms will be pretty darn happy!

Wow. Did I say that I miss Mallory? Because I miss Mallory. Cranley's proving to be a real deal fiscal conservative ;)

Wow...astonishing and wonderful to hear this...can't believe it's been over 12 years since 9/11 :'(

So...what thoughts do we have for improving SORTA and TANK? I can think of several things. 1) More METRO-Plus routes 2) Turn the RTC into a METRO-Plus hub 3) Add more area transit centers (like Dayton's RTA) 4) Improved bus shelters 5) Provide map copies at bus stops 6) Don't cancel the streetcar project - this will destroy chances of getting any more federal transit funding for new ideas (BRT, LRT) 7) MOST IMPORTANTLY - fund Metro through a Hamilton county (sales) tax!! Now if only the "bus" advocates (Cranley/COAST/WLW) would actually support public transit (they won't)! 8 - (Not going to happen, but we all hope will happen) get an LRT line built from Mason to the airport What are your thoughts?

If this happens...then Cincinnati better get an aerial tram from the casino to Mt. Adams. THAT would be awesome and offer some great views.

Just read over that thread...good stuff. If only Cincinnati had got federal funding for such a line in the 1970s or 1980s. ;)

Come on, GCRTA! Extend the Red Line to Lakewood (at least to W.117th)! It makes so much sense that it isn't even funny.

Cranley better change his political affiliation then. Interesting to read him claim the "debate is over" soon after telling CityBeat that he would consider costs of cancellation before making a decision.

GCrites80s: I hope so. I think we'll end up with a Vincent Gray situation. Opposing the streetcar until fiscal issues related to cancellation prevent...cancellation.

Maybe Vincent Gray (DC), but I'm not sure at all.