Brewmaster

It's not completely insignificant...although you are correct in that these increases by Russia, SA, Angola, Libya, and others are small when viewed individually. People like to point to Cantarell "crashing" by declining at a rate of 500,000 bpd/yr or something like that, but then poo poo an increase of 500,000 bpd. I'm just trying to keep a balanced view. It also gets people to realize that the Saudis aren't just doing their best Scrooge McDuck impression and swimming in gold coins. They're actually some reinvesting money to increase output.

There is evidence that they're trying... http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601072&sid=adw7Pi4b_a8o&refer=energy

Is anyone else getting tired of paid newspaper writers writing articles in the style of bloggers? I know it's the new 24hr news model of hitting people with hundreds of lightly researched stories that are ginned up with drama, but I just wish the news would stick to sharing actual information. Drama free.

It's like Kunstler without a shred of knowledge about how markets function. If oil is as easy to find as dog sh!t, he should start an E&P business. Since he knows where to find all of the oil, he can be the one sticking the gas pump up people's a$$es.

I'll be there!!!

This mayor continues to impress me. He needs to stay focused on this big picture vision while taking baby steps like this streetcar line.

Yep...recent EIA data shows gasoline consumption down a whopping 1% from the same time last year. People are really making some sacrifices!

I think they're already spread too thin. I think they should refocus, stick to upping frequency on key routes, and get people in neighboring counties clamoring for their service. Even if they aren't clamoring now, wait until they're stuck on an island thanks to high gas prices.

Thanks for the well thought out post! It was last Monday and Tuesday, so the roads were perfectly well plowed. It was the sidewalks (my normal transportation infrastructure) that were still in bad shape and drove me to take the bus. I actually think both the #7 and #16 hit my stop early, and that was the problem. I will suggest the staggered approach to COTA, but it still won't address my key concern. That is, YOU HAVE TO MEMORIZE A BUS SCHEDULE TO RIDE! Even me, a reasonably savvy transit user is stimied by COTA's scheduling. The headways are all jumbled up depending on the time of day, so I can't just walk out to a stop and know how long I might wait. I could end up standing at the corner of High and Hoster for an hour just to get across Downtown to the Short North! If COTA has any objections to the proposed streetcar, it only will have itself to blame for not offering bus routes that offer the same level of service and convenience. I'm not a transit engineer, but it would seem that a route structure shaped like a spine with ribs would work much better. For people who live near the spines (High, Broad, Neil, Livingston, Cleveland, etc...) , they could have the luxury of just walking out to thier local stops and know that they'll be waiting an average of 5 minutes. Similarly, rib routes could come in 20 or 30 minute intervals so the locals could easily memorize things. Add a little slick advertising, and ridership would go through the roof.

I rode the busses during last week's snow days and was really disappointed. First, I live near S. High St., and I'm continually amazed that the two busses that run to downtown (#7 and #16) aren't the least bit staggered. They both come at roughly the same times, and have 20 minute headways during rush hour. If they simply staggered these times, it would cut my average waiting time in half, and I'd ride much more frequently. I don't think this would cost them a dime. On top of that, both busses must have hit my stop early, b/c I was out at the stop 1 minute before they were supposed to pass. After 10 minutes went by, I contemplated just walking the 1+ mile downtown in the cold, but I held out hope. All in all, I waited 23 minutes for a bus to pick me up on the busiest street in Columbus. COTA should be embarassed.

GBQ leaving Brewery District, making way to new offices in Arena District Business First of Columbus - by Brian R. Ball Business First Thursday, March 13, 2008 GBQ Partners LLC plans to jump to the Arena District this year after 15 years operating in the Brewery District south of downtown Columbus. Managing director Wade Kozich told Columbus Business First that the accounting and consulting firm has signed a lease to take two floors at 230 West St. to accommodate its continued expansion. GBQ has grown from a staff of 30 employees when it started out at 500 S. Front St. in the early 1990s to a work force of 130 people this year. The firm occupies about 28,000 square feet in the Brewery District and will take 39,000 square feet in the Arena District. MORE: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2008/03/13/story3.html

Thanks for clarifying that CMH. I think it'll be a long time before they drop the $10 fare gimmick. It's cheap advertising and gets loads of press every time they free up a new tranche of tickets. It'll probably get absorbed by those other 140 some tickets though. With $109/bbl oil and a hedging disadvantage to other legacy carriers, this is the last thing they needed.

I'll never understand why people want to bankrupt their employers. I guess these pilots haven't lived in Ohio long enough to understand the effect that unions can have.

Lots of people predicted that Southwest and JetBlue would fold within the first year as well. There are a few interviews with Skybus' CEO posted up over HERE where he predicts profitablility in 2008.

I'd be curious to see how much engineering work has gone into that $392 million (and when it took place). With commodities costs rising as quickly as they are, it wouldn't surprise me if that number doubled through detailed design and gathering actual bids.

Did you ever notice that it seems like Republicans love public funding for things they want (roads, funding for suburbs, etc.) but then they cry Socialism whenever that public funding might go to something they won't use? They don't view Amtrak as transportation infrastructure. They view it in the same light as the Tennessee Valley Authority...a government "business" that should be weened off of government funding.

They're only "very public problems" because CMH_Downtown posts every 2 hour delay on here as if it's uncommon in today's air travel industry. ;)

Just ignore those remarks Walker. They work for airlines and have a vested interest in seeing new competition fail. I've flown three times now (even once for business), with a 4th coming up in a few months. I have zero complaints considering what I paid for the tickets. I hope they make it and am glad the city and local organizations are behind them...nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I thought it was phenomenal when the crowd burst into an uproar after "investigate rail based transit" dominated with 45% of the vote. Good night for transit in Columbus indeed. The Mayor practically go smacked upside the head by the citizens who kept pointing out that as an area that needs improvement.

With the dollar as weak as it is to the Euro, it's just a lousy time to start European service. The wife and I had contemplated a european trip this summer, but we're putting it off by a year to see if things shape up for the dollar in '09.

WOW...old thread! I totally agree with mrnyc that COTA should have at least been in the discussions on this. Being as wide as it is, broad st. really has the potential to turn into a major transit throughway without ruffling too many feathers about eliminating on-street parking and the like. Also, unfortunately, not much has changed in the 3+ years since mrnyc laid down this quote about COTA... They still have the appearance of a lumbering, slow moving beast of a transit agency.

The airline industry has always been and will always be rooted in the service industry, therefore the analogy is perfectly valid and can help those that are ill-informed of the workings of the industry understand what it entails. For example, the roster of the nation's airlines can be perfectly aligned with what one would find in the retail sector: Midwest Airlines ---> Nordstrom: Provide a product that is a cut above the competition in their respective industry in select markets. American Airlines ---> Macy's: Provide a quality product that is available almost everywhere. Southwest Airlines ---> Wal*Mart: Strive for affordability while providing a product that meets customers' expectations. Skybus Airlines ---> Dollar Tree: Lowest common denominator. So you work for Midwest, or American? ;) The analogy still sucks -- airlines provide a service, and retailers provide tangible goods. There's more of a "quality" impact to the latter. People who work for Nordstroms try to make you think you're buying a service by doing everything short of wiping your ass, but at the end of the day, I just want to buy a nice shirt, not feel special when I'm shopping for it. Your "quality standards" actually fit Skybus' mold quite well. They are frequently late, especially as their operations progress throughout the day. Their ability to provide a safe product, not through their pilots, but through flight attendants that are paid $9 and focus more on selling products to receive commission than on safety, is questionable. Lastly, Skybus frequently does drop people off at the wrong destination. Many of the airports to which Skybus flies have towers that close in the evening or have lesser minimums than other larger airports. For example, Portsmouth and Biloxi towers close at 11PM, so if there's a delay, you're not getting in. Bellingham and Richmond have more restrictions during inclement weather, which has caused Skybus flights to divert to Seattle/Boeing Field and Norfolk respectively, while larger airports continue to function. 1) I don't doubt that Skybus is "frequently late". Every airline is frequently late in my book. I've been delayed or stranded by Delta/Continental/American more times than I can count. Can you provide statistics that show that Skybus is later than the others? 2) How many times does the sheer intelligence from flight attendants save lives? I can't say that I've ever looked around at the stewardesses and said, "well there's a crew I trust with my life". :-D 3) I didn't know about the "frequent" dropping off of passsengers at the wrong destination. Thought I would've heard more about that, but I guess the Dispatch has a conflict of interest when it comes to covering them. Then again, you seem to have a conflict of interest as well. I don't know who to believe here. Joe Consumer needs to become familiar with a service industry mantra: "buyer beware." I'm aware, but I can't pass up dirt cheap tickets. If your airline figures out a way to get me+1 on a direct flight to San Francisco for under $200 let me know, because I'll buy those tickets too. If Skybus folds tomorrow, I'd shrug my shoulders and say, "Well, I guess I'm out those $80." That's just the way things go.

Terrible analogy. With 99 cent stores, you're left with a tangible peice of crap after your purchase. With $10 direct flights, you get to travel from point A to point B. In my experience, there is little difference between a $10 flight to San Diego and a $300 flight, aside from the fact that the $300 flight stops in Minneapolis. If you could make the argument that SX service is of a lesser quality (is disproportionately late, it's lower paid pilots frequently crash and injure passengers, or frequently drops me off at the wrong point B) then I'd agree with you. But it's almost an indistinguishable product from normal air travel for me. Until then, I'm calling SX a win for Joe Consumer.

I think the whole transponder system woule overcomplify things (and add unneeded costs). Why not just 1) Set a funding target for ODOT. The current level would probably be logical. 2) Index that level to the applicable indices (construction price index?) so that future increases in materials and labor won't cut into the budget. 3) Have a 3rd party accounting group do an audit every year to determine the necessary gas tax adjustment to make up for the shortfall/surplus. Call it a gas tax true-up. No need for fancy transponders. If everyone switches over to more efficient cars and gas tax revenues dip by a couple of percent one year, the true-up will catch it the next year by adjusting.

Why not just pass legislation to have an adjustable gas tax? It could start out collecting the same amount we are collecting today to avoid people getting thier feathers ruffled. Then, each year, it will be adjusted to provide the same funds (adjusted for inflation) based on vehicle miles traveled rather than gallons of gasoline purchased. It takes vehicle efficiency out of play, but adds a beurocratic layer to do the adjustment/vmt tracking work.