LincolnKennedy

^I'll say it again: Big bus/car [from the Banks garages]/streetcar transfer point (at least temporarily). I'm not sure if you are saying this, but my guess is it's not going to be one sculpture, and its not necessarily going to be put on the caps.

It seems like they should run the Streetcar on the west lane of Main & Race and the east lane of Walnut & Elm.

^Ultimately I have to say, "What controversy"? I strongly suspect that this will disappear as an election issue come November 2011. Once again, these are non-binding motions. Berding, Bortz, Ghiz, Monzel, Thomas and Mallory will all be term-limited out by 2013 anyway. The funny thing about the letters to the editor are 1) How many people in the suburbs purport to care about what the City spends its money on, and 2) The few people who care to comment know precious little about which local government entity runs what. It's really kind of embarrassing. I'm convinced this story is being pushed by the editorial board as a way to create a controversy. This reminds me of that recent story about a mosque that wasn't actually a mosque being built somewhere where it wasn't actually being built (I can't remember where exactly). Here we have story about politicians who are stupidly allocating money that doesn't exist, ramming it (Chicago-style!) through a means that has no legal effect, while ignoring the will of the voters by expressly declaring their intentions about how they would spend future revenues prior to an election.

^I think Thomas was simply the most confused about what was going on.

^That's a good point, though most of the chatter about the Casino struck me as being that it will materially benefit the neighborhoods in the vicinity, at the in the sense it will benefit the property owners and certain businesses, which isn't necessarily the same thing as "the neighborhood."

^^Why would the City pay for the County owned stadiums? I suppose the City could pay the County for more ownership in things that have joint City/County ownership, such as Union Terminal. Nevertheless, the County is independently getting $6 million a year from the Casino, which gives the City even less cause to give them anything. Public input comes every other year when people elect their Council members, whenever they go to a council meeting to speak, and when they petition their members individually. Those things haven't changed. In addition, this is a non-binding motion, not an ordinance. So really the only thing that is happening is that all Council members are taking positions on what the revenue should be spent when it starts arriving in 2013. They are actually taking positions on which voters can judge them next year. Even if it were an ordinance though, it could be revoked by another ordinance.

I have to say that this is a pretty good use of these funds. The Port needs to be funded, and it is to be expected that the percentage of funds it gets will go on in perpetuity. Second, the funds for streetcar operations should be temporary. Obviously the economic development (and therefore tax gains) from the streetcar won't be realized immediately, so this expense makes sense. However, the City administration should really try and move the operating costs from general revenues to revenues that stem directly from the economic development area around the streetcar. While I fully believe the Streetcar to be the best project the City has undertaken in decades, ultimately a certain amount of justice requires that the areas that benefits most contribute most. Third, the caps are a great value add to that area, and are obviously a limited expense. I think it might be a good idea for the City to consider this percentage of funds to be a consistent set aside for capital projects like the caps. After the caps are done, they can move onto other projects. Let's hope the outdoor sculptures look cool.

^Do you know members of the editorial board? It's questionable that this is the "issue the public cares most about," but even if that were true, the headline is still wrong. To pay for streetcarS speaks of paying for the actual cars themselves. Those will certainly be paid for by capital funds, and it's clear from the body of the article that the Casino funds will go to operating the system. In fact, it says just that in the first line in the body of the article! At the very least, they've got bad copy editors in the Headline Department over there. At worst they are doing exactly what bbrown claims.

^Are you sure that's going to be the primary effect?

^Vote Democrats to the legislature.

That's exactly right. Although I don't really think the Republicans will actively seek to block implementation of 3C if they take the Governorship and the House (Ohio), the only way one can be sure that they don't block 3C is by voting for the Democratic candidate. The idea that a legislator can't get "answers" is simply ludicrous.

Those geothermal wells aren't 300 feet straight down are they? I'm under the impression that its just 300 feet wrapped around under the ground.

The west side of Cincinnati still looks very white, although you can discern slightly some blue trailing up what I assume is Glenway Avenue. What is striking about the Cincinnati map, particularly compared with Chicago, Columbus or Cleveland is that Cincinnati lacks a hyper-segregated zone that all these other cities clearly have. The closest thing Cincinnati has to such a zone is the Walnut Hills/Avondale/Mt. Auburn cluster, but those neighborhoods are actually broken up by natural barriers. I don't know the geography of Cleveland, but Columbus and Chicago are pretty flat. It's quite striking.

This quote is so good because it really requires defining 'bigger and better things' downward so far that it stops meaning what everyone actually knows 'bigger and better things' means and starts meaning the exact opposite. Also, Kilborn must be pissed that CBS imported an immigrant who will work for peanuts (it's my constitutional right to have baseless opinions) to replace him on The Late Late Show.

What if you have the opportunity to play Galaga on an arcade style machine in Kevin Mauer's basement?

^You're still using facts and actual research to refute groundless pontificating? I'll pray for you. In nomine patri, filli et spiritus sanctus. Seriously though, is the C&O line still intact and unbuilt? I've probably asked this of you before.

Clearly you haven't been staring long enough at Obama's birth certificate.

Aspects of this discussion has led me to believe that a double tracked 12th street alignment would be best.

Agree. Seems better to tie into potential future subway tunnel use and the possibility of turning at least that section of the road into a grand boulevard. Also CP doesn't seem to have that much traffic for how big it is, and it seems that Liberty Street / 7th-8th-9th / Ft. Washington Way are the natural corridors for crossing the CBD/OTR between the two highways.

It seems like the streetcar could possibly take over the Blockbuster and Blockbuster parking side of University Plaza and leave the Kroger side to itself, if Kroger doesn't want to play ball.

Completely agree. The only thing the City or Uptown Consortium or whomever should do in this case is help encourage higher density, multi-stories and decent facades through tax breaks or subsidies. This plan became outdated before it even came out.

It's a legitimate concern from Kroger, in the sense that they have a store that makes money and a lease that runs through 2017 (I think). This is where some intense direct lobbying to the CEO or someone similar with a plan in hand to address their concerns might do a lot of good. Since their headquarters are about 4 blocks from City Hall it seems eminently doable, though I'm not sure who on council or in SORTA is going to find it important enough to make the case. Maybe there will be enough time between the build to Findlay and the build up the hill to show that the streetcar will drive enough traffic to a grocery site to make a more urban friendly Kroger at UP will be profitable. Or make a deal where the City gets the property and helps refurbish the Mitchell Avenue Kroger, or something like that.

Must our language suffer from phantom inflation as well? I'm speaking about your over the top use of the word "terrorizes".

I think that the route in Clifton/Corryville/Mt. Auburn/Avondale/Uptown area should be laid out with the intention of connecting areas that can be redeveloped or have just been redeveloped. So, for example the turnaround on Daniels can be extended east later on the Daniels/Oak line. You get an underdeveloped east/west route that connects important employment centers but doesn't mess with current heavy traffic routes (like Taft/McMillan). Goodman Street (immediately north of MLK in the Medical Campus) and Scioto or Brookline (north/south route) through campus to the EPA and Ludlow might be good possibilities as well.

Is that circle at the west end of Daniels big enough for the Streetcar to turn around?