LincolnKennedy

I usually leave downtown uncapitalized, but I find myself capitalizing the word "City". I suppose I consider downtown more of an adjective when I use it in the context of Cincinnati. "Downtown" capitalized makes me think of lower Manhattan (not that I've ever lived there, but that was the origin of the term "downtown"). I'll ashamedly admit that my tendency to capitalize the word "City" comes from the way in which that word is used with relation to the City of London, but I find the connotations of the historic core of a city and it's new industrial engorgements to be aesthetically pleasing, even if I'm the only one enjoying the implications. I also enjoy the formality of it. I never use the term "Uptown", which I find contrived, and instead use "university area", "Corryville", "Clifton Heights" or "Clifton", depending on where in particular I am talking about, though occasionally I will use "Clifton" for the entire area.

Pretty cool. It looks like if I wanted to live within a 30 minute commute to the Department of Transport I'd need at least 230,000 pounds sterling to buy my home. Nice pull Cramer.

Well, that isn't a huge scar on what looks like an attractive and scenic spot. I feel like that pool was built solely to be pictured on a brochure or postcard. What kind of jackass builds a 66 million gallon saltwater pool right next to the ocean? Do you have to walk all the way around that thing to get back to your hotel room?

I give up.

You're right, that is a map. I'm talking about looking at a satellite photo.

You might want to get in close on Google Maps where Red Bank Road and Route 50 intersect. It really looks like there is a connection.

I could be wrong about this, but I suspect that if they build the MLK highway interchange they are going to destroy the railbed that was in the works for the I-71 light rail line. One thing that is very interesting- the Oasis line that goes from Downtown to Lunken (from what I can tell) continues past the Oakley Milacron site, the Gold Circle area (Ridge & Highland to the non-natives) and then past the Golf Manor/Cincinnati Gardens industrial area to Langdon Farm road. If you took it off the right-of-way at that point down Seymour Avenue to I-75 you'd have a potential rail line that would connect the Seymour/Reading area and the Oakley/Madison area. I wish I could post a map of that gaggle of words^, but I don't have those skills. Does anyone know how much freight, if any, is passing over those tracks? It looks like it is the Pennsylvania Rail Road, or the Norfolk & Western, now operated by the Indiana & Ohio railroad.

Build this thing here and you're just asking for Gozer to come and trash the City.

^I'd be curious if you could give an example of a recent mayor of Cincinnati who did "have the strength of personality to really push things". I'd say you'd have to go all the way back to Gene Ruehlman before you'd even find someone close to that description. Considering Mallory's been mayor for only two years you might be expecting a bit more than he can deliver in that time.

^As far as I am aware, this isn't true. The reason the bridge doesn't line up with the Cincinnati & Covington street grids is because the ferrymen successfully lobbied the Ohio state legislature to pass a law (I believe it was a rider on another bill) saying that any bridge crossing the Ohio couldn't line up with a pre-existing street. The alignment was not a result of municipal ordinance, but state law.

^Geoff Davis is stepping up? I'm still skeptical he'll get anything done. He ought to try and scare a couple his Georgia buddies in the Republican Congressional Caucus.

With all due respect (and bear in mind that by saying that that means I can say anything I want) the 2002 Regional Rail Plan didn't actually fund any regional rail into Kentucky.

^While the guy isn't quoted as saying anything that selfish, I find it funny that he is so afraid of driving on the bridge but not the rest of I-75. I'll admit that driving the bridge is nerve-inducing for the very reasons it is being called unsafe (no shoulders and tight merges) but I suspect that because of such thing people drive more carefully on the bridge than any other part of I-75 in the metro area. And anyone choosing to make that commute should have all his choices viewed with a bit more skepticism than most people.

^I was thinking about this sort of thing in wake of the impending Delta move. I feel like the state of Ohio should make the effort to push Cleveland and Cincinnati as passenger hubs, and then make a serious high-speed rail connection from Cincinnati to Cleveland (going S to N through Dayton, Columbus Akron (maybe Canton) and Cleveland). Obviously this would leave Toledo hanging a bit. But perhaps seeing if we could sell Toledo as a cargo center and put a Toledo to Cleveland line as second priority for the high speed rail system, we could keep them afloat and a viable part of the system.

Really? So when a private corporation makes a bad investment, it's the governments fault, but when they make a good investment, then that's the market system paying off, right? You're basically arguing that the government creates and maintains the conditions for the market. I agree with you completely but you can' take the chain of responsibility all the way back to the government as first cause when the system breaks down and not do it when it works. There are thousands of individuals thinking only of their private interests in the chain, and they are the ones examining the actual empirical investment data. They certainly hold a place of responsibility. I think it makes more sense to put most responsibility on the individuals who made the bad loans and then resold them to institutional investors who, once again, should have known better since, after all, that's their job. Mildly heartfelt apologies for veering off topic.

I think Driehaus has a better chance to win this one than Cranley did, simply because people don't really like Cranley all that much. I hope Chabot loses, primarily because he does nothing to help the metro area and he is constantly against any attempt at building transit in the area. Heck, Chabot even voted against federal funds in that would have gone to the Banks riverfront park. Even Jean Schmidt voted for that. Chabot's supposed political ideals of limited government and federal involvement would carry more water if his allies weren't pursuing contrary objectives. He's an insider (not like Voinovich), and always has been since 1994.

I think Bortz is right about keeping this from outside the Port's purview, but the above statement is stupid. There are plenty of non-governmental organizations that make major mistakes. How much money did Morgan Stanley lose in the latest mortgage debacle?

Isn't that a given if you post on UrbanOhio? Anyway, I loved that job, working the Circulation Desk. It was like being part bartender, part David Spade type assistant. People would come up to me with their book requests, and I'd serve them. If they had a question I didn't want to address, I simply said, "You're going to want to ask that at the Reference Desk." Sorry to digress.

Wow. What a surprise. I'm so glad public transportation routes are in the hands of these people.

^I thought they sold Drake Hospital. I'd like to see the county work on a regional transportation system, but I don't think it's going to happen anytime soon. What I'd like to see the county do that is feasible: -Search for more areas of overlap between Hamilton County Gov and City of Cincinnati and merge the two (purchasing, maintenance services, policing, etc.) Basically, strive continuously for regional government, even if you have to pull it through the back door. -More parkland and/or reserved farmland, particularly in western Hamilton County. -Set up a combined Port between Hamilton County, the City of Cincinnati and the three NKY counties that is the point of reference and action for the metropolitan area in national and global transport and trade. -Make sure we aren't getting overlooked by the State of Ohio.

I worked at the library when I was in college and I had a acquaintance/friend who was well involved in that "Take Back the Night" march. The evening after they had their march, I was talking to her in the library and she said she was going to call Safe Ride (basically a free night time cab service from campus to your house) for a ride back to her house. I was honestly confused. I asked her, "Didn't you take back the night last night?" She said yes, and then I said, "Well don't you think that in order to take back the night for good you need to continue to act as if the night were yours?" It seemed obvious to me that a little personal risk was required to obtain anything of value, but she didn't seem to buy that. What can you do?

^I don't think these guys give a damn about insanely high ticket prices that annoy the average voter. The only politicians who would care about this are ones who care about the region and it's access to world markets. Unfortunately the ones with any sort of power are all beholden to an administration that craps on localities in favor of nimble skipping corporations (like Delta). Boehner is the House Minority leader. As a West Chester Republican, he isn't going to do a damn thing about it. Chabot, Schmidt and Geoff Davis (NKY Republican congressman) won't do anything either (at least Schmidt and Davis have the excuse of being low ranking and recently elected). Voinovich and Brown aren't from the area and have little pull. Mitch McConnell is from the Louisville area and I think is the Senate Minority Leader or Minority Whip. He's not going to help. Gov. Strickland isn't going to try and do anything for an airport that isn't in his state, and the Kentucky state government is a mess. What's the last federally funded major public works project named after a local politician who repped the area? The Brent Spence Bridge?

Given that no one has access to the recommendations, going by thomasbw's long post above, I'll say that this isn't really telling us anything we don't already know. The biggest thing the city has going for it is an attitude and a focus that I feel wasn't around two years ago. Mallory has really given the City direction, and quiet competence. That being said, the Gateway rehabs by 3CDC are really paying off. They represent a real achievement that Luken/Lemmie deserve credit for. Obviously the Streetcar is the next major projects that the City is undertaking, with the Banks as sort of a half project (since it isn't entirely under the purview of the City). The City has a limited ability to effect a lot of the things that are confronting it (possible loss of international flights at CVG being a perfect example). I think continued focus on downtown and OTR is the most important thing. It is something that the City can effect totally and without interference. The City also needs to evaluate it's parking needs and make a concerted effort to reduce empty lots in these areas.

I agree. If any of these mergers go through, particularly the Delta/Northwest merger, Cincinnati will lose most of its international traffic. I don't see it happening, but the local Ohio and Kentucky politicians need to step up with this one and kill any merger, or at least find a way to keep some international routes here, however that may be done. Losing those routes will seriously hurt the metro area, and really both states as well. Rochester, New York used to be home to Gannett, Xerox, Bauch & Lomb, and Kodak. Of those companies, only Kodak remains and from what people there have told me a major reason is the lack of international air travel. Rando, I think you missed an article from The Enquirer. I remember reading something comparing the Delta operations with those of Northwest and United in the paper yesterday or today. I really feel this is about creating an atmosphere of potential for investors/stockholders, not cutting costs. Northwest and Delta don't have interchangeable fleets (I read this in yesterday's Enquirer). Fuel prices aren't going to be effected by this, nor are wages. A merger creates the appearance of big things happening, but that doesn't mean the underlying profitability is changing. Two unprofitable or semi-profitable airlines merging could easily create one unprofitable or one semi-profitable airline.