John Schneider

^ it's more complicated than that. A lot of the extra cost comes from the union's work rules.

^ That's a really good idea. Dunno about the high-rises, but Central Parkway is a diamond in the rough. Ludlow would be a challenge but terrific if you could make it work.

I remember some of the discussions at the time the vehicles were selected. My recollection is that climbing the hill to Uptown with a full load would be very difficult to achieve with any battery-powered car then in existence or under development.

^ Yes, "some" people are. But Portland Streetcar is getting more embedded all the time. For the first time ever, TRI-MET will begin paying for half the cost of its operation.

I do too. Is there a reason the arms have to be silver and can't be black? I'm guessing the reason they're not painted black is so they never have to be repainted, which would cause the streetcar to have to be shut down during that process. True, they could paint them overnight, but it's kind of hard to paint in the dark and get a good finish. I looked at some of the photos I've taken of the Portland Streetcar, and they are the same. I've never even noticed them on the many trips I've out there. I think when the finish dulls a little, they will be very unobtrusive. Of interest, all the trackwork will be finished by the end of August, including a week hiatus for the All-Star Game. I think they are way ahead of schedule on the trackwork. We might be looking at an early start of streetcar service.

Early in my real estate career, I worked for a large developer with operations in many states. We had a project in Lexington where the state highway department wanted to improve the four-laner in front of the project I was managing, a combination of apartments and retail. The planning study promised that if the improvements were made -- I think turning lanes and maybe some widening, can't recall -- then the speed of the roadway would increase to, say 35 mph from 25 mph. Again, can't recall, just remember that it was a significant increase. And my company, as a major property owner fronting the road, was asked to make comments on the plan. I wrote a report to the CEO of the company, saying I thought it was a good idea, that the more traffic the road moved, the better for the retail part of our project. A few days later, I was traveling with the CEO and asked him what he thought. His answer: "I'll tell you, John, one thing I've learned in real estate over the years .... if you can slow traffic in front of your land, you will increase its value." That simple, confident Texan response -- he was from Dallas -- has kind of stuck with me over the years.

I think John has mentioned it on here before. But I belive the shifting lanes go back hundreds of years to poor assessments way back when. I asked John Deatrick once why our downtown streets don't line up 100%. His answer: drunk surveryors in the 1800's.

Sure! They capture the essence of where Cincinnati is going.

Excellent. Mind if I use these?

Here are the details on the two streetcar tours of Portland this fall. As you know, there will be two tours this time, one group on Monday, September 21st and another on Wednesday, September 23rd -- your choice. Since we will start early in the morning, you'll need to arrive the day before. Goes without saying that we'll be spending a lot of time on the Portland Streetcar, but we'll also be on Portland's newest light rail line which opens a few days before we get there. And you'll travel through North America's deepest transit tunnel because a tunnel will be needed if we're serious about getting rail to Uptown. The tour ends after a late dinner. To participate in this tour, make your air reservations as soon as possible. Lately, some Cincinnatians have been flying to Seattle, taking one of the fast trains to Portland, and flying back to Cincinnati from Portland. Or vice versa. Worth doing if you have an extra day or two. Or longer -- Seattle, Olympic National Park, the San Juan Islands, and Vancouver are all sure bets. Weather in the Pacific Northwest is usually excellent in September. Make the most of it. After you've booked your flight, please send a check in the amount of $125 per traveler to the made out to the Alliance for Regional Transit, ATTN: John Schneider, 203 East Eighth, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45202. This sum covers the cost of lunch, drinks and dinner on Monday or Wednesday, plus train and aerial tram tickets and meals and gifts for our speakers. We don't make any money from leading these trips, and whoever leads the trip also pays his or her own way. When you send in your check, let me know how you wish to be identified on the trip roster -- "president of ABC Company" or "Clifton resident" or however. Our speakers sometimes want to know their audiences. Also, please include the name of anyone traveling with you and how they wish to be identified. We'll need your cell phone number(s) because if it's a big group, we're bound to lose someone on a train somewhere. Having your number will help us reconnect. Finally, please give me the dates of your arrival and departure from the hotel. Once in a blue moon, we catch a hotel booking mistake. Right now, airfares on Delta are around $400 and as low as $270 on Frontier. They will be much higher closer to the date of the tour. As soon as your check arrives, I will send you a code that enables you to book a room at Portland's best hotel, the Monaco, at the highly discounted rate of $169 per night plus tax for the nights of September 20th - 24th. You can see photos of Hotel Monaco here: http://www.monaco-portland.com/portland-hotel/index.html. I checked the hotel's web site, and these rooms are listed for $203 to $428 per night on those nights, so we're getting an amazing deal. You may be able to extend your stay at the lower rate - ask when you reserve. And of course, you could stay at anywhere else. I can tell you what I know about other hotels. There are lots of good choices, but do plan to stay in downtown. Otherwise, the logistics may get complicated for you. Hope you can make one of them.

In 2017 many people considering systems are going to be coming to Cincinnati rather than to Portland. Great point, Jake! ^ Except the wine's not as good.

I'm in pretty regular contact with several of the leaders of the national streetcar movement, and all of them believe Cincinnati is going to have a great system. The thing we have, which no other city has, is diversity of uses: six Fortune 500 employers along the route, one of the nation's largest -- and still mostly vacant -- historic districts, two-thirds of the region's major cultural attractions, professional sports, new parks and schools and gobs of entertainment venues. That's what makes Cincinnati unique. On the wires ... along 95% or more of the streetcar route, the single wire will be barely noticeable. I have gobs of photos from Portland under different colors of skies, in tree coverage, against buildings of many different colors, and it's true, you barely notice them. Often when I take people there, after a few hours on the tour, I sometimes ask people if they have noticed the wires yet. Most people haven't. However, where the line turns or crosses, you do see a lot of extra tensioning wires coming in from the side, and that's what you see in the photo above. Brace yourself for a lot of sniping when they wire-up 12th and Race over the next few weeks.

Is there a certain date you need to know by? We usually have private rooms for our dinners, so I need to get a firm count to the restaurant a week or so in advance. I'll probably have to give up any unclaimed hotel rooms sometime in August. And the airfares in that market are really expensive for last-minute travel. But you've got plenty of time to make plans.

^ That was talked about. And really, the streetcar stop at GABP is terrific for moving people from parking in OTR and the CBD to evetns on The Banks.

^ I was one of the people who planned Cincinnati's new riverfront, and it was always assumed that special events would move down there -- away from downtown where they are kind of a nuisance for businesses and residents.

You're invited on the very last Portland streetcar tour, ever. Cincinnatians have made 33 trips there since 2001 -- 490 total visits. Portland continues to amaze and has lessons for cities like Cincinnati. In mid-September, Portland will open its fifth light rail line and will complete the final segment of its 17-mile streetcar loop. And the weather will be excellent. Because we had so many people on our last tour, we're going to do two separate tours next time, one on September 21st and another on September 23rd. You could do it either day, and you could arrive earlier or stay later if you want. The Pacific Northwest is a great place, and many people travel on to Seattle and Vancouver or to the Cascade Mountains or to the Oregon shore. Cincinnati-Portland/Seattle airfares for those dates are pretty reasonable right now, but they will rise steeply over the next few months. I've reserved a bunch of rooms in a terrific hotel at a deeply discounted rate, but you could stay anywhere. If you're interested, write me here: [email protected]

Short presentation by SORTA Five speakers signed up Two more asked to speak later Sentiment was for later starting times and closing times. Lasted maybe an hour. Another one next week in OTR.

Cincinnatians that don't get out much are going to be absolutely shocked when they see it in person for the first time. Most of the opponents still think we're getting a "trolley". Should be a great time to go, right after the new Orange Line and Tilikum Crossing (the bridge for everything but private automobiles) open. ^ Travis, that's what I'm thinking. John, I may be interested. I'll let you know. I'm actually in Portland as I type this (leaving tomorrow) but its never too early to think about my return trip. ^ Assuming I get my act together -- questionable, given the exceptional weather forecast -- I plan to put the invitation for the final Portland tours up on FB this weekend. It will be two dates in the last half of September.

^ I've been on his show. He's dumb like a fox. I remember telling him during a break, "man, you are good!" His answer, "I know." I asked him what he did before talk radio. Answer: former chief U.S. litigator for Anthem Health Care. He knows his way around an argument.

Cincinnatians that don't get out much are going to be absolutely shocked when they see it in person for the first time. Most of the opponents still think we're getting a "trolley". Should be a great time to go, right after the new Orange Line and Tilikum Crossing (the bridge for everything but private automobiles) open. ^ Travis, that's what I'm thinking.

^ You'd be amazed at what one trip to Portland does to increase understanding. Most Cincinnatians have no idea what a modern streetcar is -- they, like David Mann, need to see it. Our very last trip ever to Portland is in September -- two trips, actually. Message me if you want to go.

^ Pretty sure I posted something about the spider-web at 12th and Race last year sometime. Most people won't be bothered by the OCS on straight runs.

^ Here's a good test to do some Sunday morning when there is little traffic. Starting at Sixth and Main, I guess I'm think of it as a resident in Northern OTR and not someone going uptown to downtown. As a resident of northern OTR, the route up Vine makes way more sense because that one block of backtracking is a lot faster than going back down to Main and 12th. Though the backtracking only happens when you are going North. When you're going South there is no backtracking so it isn't as much of an issue. And doing a new line from 12th and Main would add a lot more new track, I believe. OTOH, the east half of OTR and Pendleton probably have more redeveopment potential going forward than the west half does. I mean, in five years, the west side will be totally improved south of Liberty and much improved north of Liberty. And to the extent Cincinnatians use the streetcar for commuting to the office center @ Fifth and Main, Main/Walnut is a more direct connection between Uptown and Downtown. Also more direct for bus transfers via Government Square.

^ That's correct. I probably wouldn't call them trams here. The opponents will conflate that to mean they're for carrying tramps.

Actually the yellow and green lines in Portland move all over the place as they go up and down Fifth and Sixth Avenues. You're not supposed to drive in the alignments reserved for the trains, but people do and I have. Cars and trucks seem to avoid the rail streets in Portland there and on Morrison and Yamhill where the lanes are dedicated. This will be a political decision ultimately. If people start glomming on to the streetcar and see the potential for light rail on those alignments, I'd expect the light rail to gain priority and have priority. I wouldn't worry about it. Still a question for me is how many, if any, of the turns need to be rebuilt to handle longer trains. Again, not worth worrying about at this point.