Bonjourtoledo

ProMedica announces plan to relocate HQ to downtown Toledo http://www.toledoblade.com/Medical/2014/02/04/ProMedica-announces-plan-to-relocate-HQ-in-downtown-Toledo.html

What C-Dawg said and Levis Commons is located on Route 25 south of I-475 which doesn't help Perrysburg downtown. It is taking the businesses and population from the central of Perrysburg out to the outlying areas.

Eh! Nothing beats the Glass Bowl or Savage Hall...GO ROCKETS! :wink2:

I remember there was a thread in early 2008 to discuss murder rates for each major Ohio cities for CY 2007; however, was there any for this year's? If not, I'll start: Toledo had 20 murders in CY 2008 up from 13 in CY 2007. We have one murder so far for this year which a nephew stabbed and burned his own uncle to death which I am assuming it might be tied to money/drugs. But he'/s innocent until proven guilty with a trial coming up.

This downtown has been replaced by: http://www.shopleviscommons.com/. So suck it up ya urbanists...some people like new not old.

A good friend of mine has let me know about this House Bill 480 that is floating around to "cast a stone" against Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority, the bill was originally H.R. 208, S.B. 88 which allows any communities to "opt" out of any public transit. But State Senator Randy Gardner felt too much heat and opposition from statewide public transit and now he's revealing a new bill that specifies TARTA only which is downright discrimination. The Republican Party in this state is out to kill transit authorities. I urge you to contact your local legislatures and tell them "NO for H.R. Bill 480" because we "urban-city" lovers know it's imperative to have regional transit in Ohioan communities to provide the mobility options besides a private vehicle. Here is the direct link to the H.R. Bill 480http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=127_HB_480 Here is the letter of opposition to the H.R. Bill 480 from TARTA: Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority Opposes House Bill 480 Position Statement The Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA) opposes Ohio House Bill 480. This bill, introduced February 14, 2008, gives cities and townships that are current members of TARTA the right to withdraw unilaterally from the Authority. House Bill 480 differs from a similar bill, House Bill 208 introduced in 2007, in two significant ways. First, along with granting permission to withdraw from a Regional Transit Authority (RTA), HB 480 also includes an unmanageable and unrealistic provision letting jurisdictions join and then withdraw after a three-year trial (opt-in clause). Second, the proposed legislation is discriminatory, since parameters contained in the proposal limit it only to TARTA. In TARTAs’ opinion, enactment of HB 480 will threaten its existence. TARTA currently provides residents efficient and effective public transit options they have come to depend on and use. To deny current and potential users transit services will disrupt their lives and, in many instances, will make it difficult for them to maintain their standard of living. TARTA favors continuing current regulations that require all members of an RTA to agree to the withdrawal of a current member from the RTA. Reasons for TARTA Opposition TARTA opposes Ohio House Bill 480 because the unilateral withdrawal of a member from TARTA will impact riders directly throughout the entire TARTA service area. The withdrawal means residents within that area will no longer have transit services available to them. Further, riders from other areas will not be able to use public transit to access the withdrawn area. Such a withdrawal can create unnecessary transportation challenges across the state, instead of making it easier for residents to rely on public transportation. The unilateral withdrawal of a member from an RTA will impact directly those who depend on public transit the most. The withdrawal will make it difficult, if not impossible, to move from place to place freely for those without personal transportation, without finances or who do not know how to drive. Also, it will make it difficult, if not impossible, for the mobility challenged to move freely from place to place. The unilateral withdrawal of a member from an RTA and the resulting lack of public transportation could deny some residents living within the withdrawn area the ability to pursue employment, medical assistance, education, family visits and social and cultural opportunities. This goes against the very purpose upon which RTAs were founded – to ensure public transportation options are available to those who need them the most. The unilateral withdrawal of a member from an RTA will have a direct, negative impact on the overall operation of the RTA to which it belonged. The withdrawal will require the RTA to adjust routes and budgets, both of which can cause inefficiencies and render previous scheduling ineffective. Making the necessary changes also will cause additional hardships within the organization with everything from union contracts to marketing efforts. The unilateral withdrawal of a member from an RTA is unfair to other RTA member communities. The remaining members will have to take on additional responsibilities as a result of the withdrawal. Contracts and financial arrangements entered into in good faith by the various communities in the RTA may no longer be valid because of the withdrawal. Yet, the reasons underlying these contracts and financial arrangements will continue and solutions must be sought. The unilateral withdrawal of a member from an RTA will increase the financial burden on the remaining communities, possibly creating instability. The fixed-cost burden and increasing energy costs will have to be spread over a smaller base, requiring those communities remaining to pay an increased portion of these costs. Such cost increases, eventually, will be passed on to the remaining riders, who often rely on public transportation as the most cost-effective transportation option. The unilateral withdrawal of a member from an RTA will negatively impact the retention of existing businesses and industries within and outside of the RTA’s area by denying employees and potential clients/customers the ability to get to and from that business or industry. Further, the area’s ability to attract new business and industry will be hampered severely by the same inability on the part of employees and clients/customers. The opt-in language, positioned as being pro-transit, is in reality unrealistic and unmanageable. HB 480 includes language which allows communities to enter the transit authority for a three-year trial period. Unfortunately, given the purchasing period of additional vehicles is 6-18 months along with the time necessary to attract and train employees, three years is not adequate time to begin all services and adequately demonstrate the value of public transit. The bill clearly discriminates against TARTA. As written, HB 480 contains population and tax limitations that cover only one RTA in Ohio, TARTA. This is discrimination in its most blatant form. If HB 480 passes, the only RTA that will be required by law to both permit unilateral withdrawal of a member as well as the opting in of a nonmember in the geographic jurisdiction is TARTA. None of the state’s other RTAs will be so burdened or discriminated against. Action TARTA urges all member jurisdictions and patrons to contact their state legislators, especially their state representatives, and register their corporate and personal opposition to Ohio HB 480. Please feel free to use the portions of this TARTA statement that most clearly reflect your current situation. To contact your state legislator, go to http://www.legislature.state.oh.us. www.tarta.com Here is a non-profit group called Mobility Alliance of Northwest Ohio that promotes mobility options in the region and here is their concern paper to the H.R. Bill 480: The Mobility Alliance Opposes - House Bill 480. (Toledo, Ohio, March 12, 2008) Concern: The Mobility Alliance opposes Ohio House Bill 480. The bill, if passed, gives political entities / suburbs that are members of TARTA the right to withdraw unilaterally from this Regional Transit Authority (RTA). This action, if taken, will ultimately undermine local transportation options for individuals with disabilities, first-time workers, senior citizens, and others who depend on public transportation in their daily lives. Background The Mobility Alliance is a grass roots organization composed of citizens, public officials and business people formed to promote mobility options in Northwest Ohio. House Bill 480 was introduced at the request of a Toledo suburb City Council and now several other suburb communities are joining the campaign without being aware of all the implications. These bills would allow the suburb communities to withdraw unilaterally from the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority, or TARTA. This would be detrimental to these communities and its members for a number of reasons. While the bill’s major sponsors have characterized this bill as a “voters’ rights issue,” the members of the Mobility Alliance fear this proposal may result in our members losing the ability to move about freely within the communities in pursuit of employment, medical assistance, education, family visits and social opportunities. The bill’s enactment will threaten available public transportation to individuals in Northwest Ohio who rely on this service, without providing a plan to fill the gap. TARTA has been assembled with great skill and care over the years and currently provides effective public transit options. We need assistance to improve, not eliminate. The members of the Mobility Alliance and others living within TARTA’s service area have come to rely on these transit services. Many of our members already are mobility challenged. Any withdrawal from TARTA will make it difficult, if not impossible, to get to or from communities for those with homes, employment, physicians or family members outside of Toledo proper. To deny our members transit services now will disrupt lives and, in many instances, will make it difficult for our members to maintain their standard of living. Further, such a withdrawal will increase the financial burden on the communities that remain with TARTA, possibly creating instability within existing TARTA routes and service. The communities that remain will have to pay an increased portion of the fixed costs. Eventually, this can lead to fare increases that will be passed on to the remaining riders. It also would lead to service cuts which would eliminate access to necessary jobs and services in our region. And even more, it could lead to other communities deciding a segment of their population is not to justify the cost of public transportation. The Mobility Alliance favors continuing current regulations which require all members of an RTA to agree to the withdrawal of a current member from the RTA. Maintaining the current regulations will preserve the delicate balance that currently exists and will continue to allow Alliance members equal ability to move freely about our communities. Please work with us to develop a better financial support system for public transportation before eliminating any current services. www.MobilityAlliance-nwo.org The mission and purpose of the Mobility Alliance of Northwest Ohio is to support public transportation and raise the awareness of its importance. The Mobility Alliance of Northwest Ohio shall be formed in three categories; Education, Access and Environment. The Mobility Alliance of Northwest Ohio works with transportation and transit users, taxpayers, business community, stakeholders, and media outlets to bring about a positive understanding of the mobility options and the commitment to provide the best possible service to the community.

This is the old Arlington Elementary School that is facing South Avenue and it's bounded by Woodsdale Avenue. It is part of the $850 million rebuilding efforts of replacing older school facilities throughout the city of Toledo. Here is the rendering of the "new" Arlington Elementary School that will be replacing the demolished school:

There is ample of parking behind the "Fort Industry Square" (which is the name of this block) and it's more accessible than from Summit Street. There are offices, radio stations, photographer studio, and jazz club/restaurants currently in these buildings

It is across from Park Inn Hotel, Seagate Hotel and the underground parking entrance to the convention center. Within a year or two, the city have plans to be eliminating two lanes for side-street parking on each side of Summit Street; this will correlate with the construction of the new downtown arena.

Well if Cuyahoga County is completely built up, then Cleveland can be like Dubai, build out onto the lake.

Urban Growth Boundary for the following Ohio cities: Toledo--Michigan state line to the north; Airport to the west; State Route 592 to the south; and eastern city limit of Oregon to the east Cleveland--Lake Erie to the north; western city limit of Lorain to the west; Cuyahoga County line to the south; and State Route 306 to the east Akron--Cuyahoga Valley National Park to the north; Route 21 to the west; State Route 619 to the south; and State Route 43 to the east Canton/Massillon--Route 93 to the west; Akron-Canton Regional Airport to the north; Route 44 to the east; and Exit 99 on I-77 to the south Youngstown--why bother; give the city to the state of Pennsylvania Columbus--The entire Franklin County boundary line from west to east to south; and U.S. Route 36 to the north Dayton/Springfield/Xenia--The entire Montgomery County boundary line from north to south to west; and Route 72 to the east Cincinnati/Hamilton/Middletown--Indiana state line to the west; Ohio River to the south; Route 132 to the east; and the northern city limits of Hamilton, Middletown, and Lebanon to the north

Toledo ended with 13 homicide for the CY of 2007. Along with 133 in Cleveland, 79 homicides in Columbus and 68 in Cincinnati and I am not sure of Akron, Dayton, Lima, Youngstown, Mansfield, Canton or Lorain's figures. Toddler among 13 homicides during '07; hard work, luck cited for solving every case By LAREN WEBER BLADE STAFF WRITER Posted on Toledo Blade website 1/2/08 Toledo's homicide rate hovered near a record low at 11 until last week when two people, including a toddler, were killed. One day after Christmas, 23-month-old Tayvon Evans arrived at Toledo Hospital unconscious and severely beaten. He died less than an hour later. The toddler had cuts on his wrists from being restrained, a burn on his leg, lacerations, and injuries to his head and chest, police said. Read More...

I know you were not dissing per say but Toledo being tied to Detroit is something that we all have to live with no matter how bad Detroit gets. Toledo works very hard to overcome that shadow. However, Toledo may be called Michigan's 2nd largest city because Toledo sits on the border (which I think we should have toll booths all along the line). I think it would make more sense if the Border Battle of Wolverines versus Buckeyes should be played in Toledo every year instead of at A2 or C-bus because Toledo is truely a battleground area in between Ohio and Michigan and it would be fun for all those to travel here for the true football game of the year behind the Super Bowl. You don't see more Buckeyes and Wolverines fan in one area than Toledo's.

I'm surprised that you are surprised that Detroit's murder problems doesn't spill over into our region. We are 60 miles south of their metro and it is not quite the same in terms of urban make-up in between Toledo and Detroit. Toledo still remain to be the dominant population of the region with our suburbs having small size of population and least number of suburbs. Crimes in Toledo is nothing like Detroit (never have and never will) and to have Detroit-oriented folks in this city is so far from the truth. If you are referring to the auto industries (union) folks then you win that argument but the union in our region is the minority since they only occupy 13% of the workforce population of our region. There are only three auto plants today, one with the supplier park (1. Jeep, 2. Chrysler, and 3. GM Powertrain), and they are not as dominate as many people think they are. Yes, they are important but the work force elsewhere is more dominant at the regional hospitals (Mercy Partners, Promedica), Fortune 500 and 1000 world and regional headquarters (HCR Manor, O-I, Owens Corning, Dana, Libbey Glass, Toledo Edison, Fifth Third Bank), universities (UT with Medical College, BGSU, Owens State Community College), insurance companies (Hylant, Brooks, Paramount), engineering companies (SSOE, Poggemeyer, Mannik & Smith), solar industries (First Solar, Xunlight Solar), etc, etc. This region has been transforming itself economically in other industries to offshore the reliance of automobile industries and by diversifying the industries. In the long run it will help the Toledo region with retainment of jobs and creations of new jobs as it will keep us competitive. We have a lot of strong neighborhoods, good schools, and strong civic people that take a lot of pride in our city. We care a lot about our town despite of a lot naysayers who tends to tie Toledo with Detroit. With a low murder rate, that speaks volume about a community that gets themselves involved to create a great place to live. Toledo is long overdue for it's appreciation.

According to today's edition (10-10-2007) of the Toledo Blade in regards to homicide counts so far of this year: Cleveland 102 Columbus 61 Cincinnati 55 Youngstown 25 Dayton 21 Akron 17 Toledo 10