John Schneider

It was hot as hell. The were, literally -- this is no exaggeration -- offering bottled water in iced tubs at the stops, delivered by a truck that made the rounds all day. If they can get the land use right, Tucson has a real winner. That's a big "if."

Just returned from the Grand Opening of the Tucson Streetcar. It's all good.

Yes, that's just the operating cost. It's about $5.00 per rider. Streetcar is close to $3.00.

^ And costs more per passenger boarded than the streetcar will.

Pretty sure this ended up being a Swallen's store -- who or this list even remembers Swallens? -- and I think I bought a refrigerator there.

^ They can be added onto, but I suspect all the surfaces would need to be rebuilt because of wiring changes under the platfrom. The bend in the track where it kisses the platform would need to be lengthened too. But in the larger scheme of things, these are not deal-killers. Plus, not every stop would be altered, maybe every other one since LRT stops less frequently. On Main, for instance, in the CBD I imagine there would only be three LRT stops -- the Banks, Government Square and Central Parkway, say.

You will be able to see the streetcars coming at least a minute ahead of time at both of those stops. By that logic why have real time arrival anywhere? You can see every bus or streetcar 1 minute ahead of all stops. I don't think that's the point. John, do you know if there will at least be decent looking benches at the stops that have no shelters? Great idea to install a reader board in the lobby of Music Hall or maybe on the veranda. Dunno about the benches. I'm sure they are terrific, like everything else about the streetcar designs. Talking with my wife at the intermission at the Opera on Saturday night, looking out over all the people in Washington Park on movie night, I'm certain I saw the makings of a really great city. Just needs a streetcar to pull it all together.

^ Just wait until Music Hall patrons start complaining about this. The stops will magically appear.

Anyone concerned about what happens to Columbia Parkway when a freeway gets plugged into the east end of it?

I think I read somewhere that the Eastern Corridor road improvements, such as they are, will raise the average speed in the corridor by about 2 MPH.

Pretty snooty and self-absorbed of people in Clermont to move there and then demand their commute into the city be made simpler. They choose to move there knowing the current transportation network and situation. Of course, someone could say the same thing about CBD/OTR transplants and our demand to complete the streetcar. Pretty similar situations, I think.

Just a bad idea whose time has come. And gone.

Todd never got the infrastructure gene, although he fancies himself as an expert.

Actually, even though Todd Portune says so, there Eastern Corridor is not the most engineered -- I-71 LRT is, to 30% design including the Mt. Auburn Tunnel. Oasis doesn't even have an alignment selected yet. When planning was done for the RTC in the late-Nineties, SORTA never thought the RTC was a good place for rail, but Portune insisted on it, and that's why it's so over-built. SORTA just went along with Portune, never really believing rail would ever be built there or anywhere along the Eastern riverfront. And even to this day, SORTA has never endorsed Oasis Rail. It's a pipe dream of Todd's, and most people in the know understand that. The magic of light rail is that you can get a one-seat ride into the heart of the city, closer than driving and parking cheaply. That's why Main and Walnut, which pierce the heart of the office center, were selected as the rail streets. Bringing people to the RTC and making them walk or transfer to the streetcar is not great. Back to the RTC, its true purpose is a bus barn, reflecting the desires of all of us who work on the new riverfront to get the buses off the streets (remember, they all used to park in Cinergy Field's plaza?).

Oasis Rail is uneconomic and unlikely ever to happen, so I doubt any rail enters from the east. Airport's perhaps another story, although I think you'd want to get that up into town near the hotels. I doubt I'll see rail in the RTC in my lifetime, and I don't plan on dying anytime soon.

I've been hearing, not from especially knowledgeable people, that the Vine Street merchants don't want the streetcar on Vine.

^ Most of the experts I know who have advised on transit campaigns around the nation say that transit issues should ony be put on the ballot in Presidential election years.

If you listen to this segment (beginning at 40:16) of the Scott Sloan Show, Mike McConnell and P.G. take a few calls and first up is none other than COAST's Stephan Louis. I see Stephan is still focused on the big picture.

They pick and choose the uc economic studies they like and dislike. For example, uc studies for mlk and ge were shouted to the rooftops by cranley and smitherman. The uc study for the streetcar was naturally not correct and full of flaws as claimed by the same smitherman and cranley There has never been a UC study of the Cincinnati Streetcar. All UC did was review the 2007 HDR study and conclude that it was done correctly.

^ No news there. Just stirring the pot.

Be interestnig to see how this plays out ... I mean, people are so on the record. Some will look very smart and others very stupid.

We'll look back on this week as the watershed moment when the streetcar gained acceptance by Cincinntians.

^ Can you imagine how much business they will do before and after Reds and Bengals games?

^ Yes, wheels operate more independently, for one thing. Wheels actually turn into the turns. By ride quality, I meant the trackway as much as anything. It's a little twisty.