NBow37

Funding completely removed from the streetcar, the same streetcar project that was voted 8-0 in favor of less than a year ago by the same people. The same streetcar project that was rated the #1 transportation project in the state. It was removed due to "fiscal balance". Yet the money will go to other road/bus projects (the only money staying in Hamilton county is going to highways). I think the city should take this to court. Since these are federally allocated funds though devoted to the highest rated transportation projects, I would think the feds will have a say in these decisions

TRAC now recommending the $35mil for phase 1 construction be taken away from streetcar and put into Brent Spence Bridge planning project

Follow Jenlkessler on twitter. She and other streetcar supporters are at the meeting and a lot of shadyness is going on Twitter.com/jenlkessler Our favorite biased reporter Barry Horstman is there as well . It's not looking good. Looks like they are taking away $15 mil from the streetcar and adding $14 mil for a bus corridor on Maloney Road in Star City Also said that Wray is requesting public bring in private/public ideas (while ignoring the #1 rated public/private idea) They want to remove the $35 mil for construction as well but they haven't gotten to it yet. They are not getting rid of Tier 2 projects (Streetcar is at the top of tier 1)

Doubtful. It is republican majority and they clearly have decided public transportation other than roads are evil..

Wayne Lippert Jr to replace Berding. http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/news/political/Wayne-Lippert%2C-Jr.-to-be-named-as-Jeff-Berding%27s-replacement-on-Cincinnati-City-Council Republican Wayne Lippert, Jr., is expected to be named Tuesday afternoon as the replacement for Independent Jeff Berding on Cincinnati City Council. Lippert, a Hyde Park resident and Senior Manager at Financial Advisory Services for Truepath Financial in Blue Ash, has already announced his candidacy for City Council in November.

Laws don't apply when Kasich is in power...If TRAC changes their criteria and rating system to accommodate Kasich's orders, there should be an immediate investigation and consequences. Kasich isn't even being subtle about it. We're talking about a project going from a vote of 8-0 and the highest rating to a significantly different result, with the majority of same members of TRAC in a small time frame. This is no longer about solely the streetcar. Its now broadened into a much bigger issue

Berding is holding a 4pm press conference today. Probably will announce who will replace him.

The new head hauncho at the Enquirer (forgot her name) made it a priority to oppose the streetcar. She has not been subtle about ordering anti city articles

What sucks is that Kasich basically knows he's a one termer and that he feels the need to rush his agenda at warp speed since republicans control everything at the moment. He knows the democrats will probably make strong gains in the upcoming elections. But what's truly amazing to me that a project can take years to develop, all the time waiting for loans and grants and such, long waits for completed studies, and at a moments whim can be ax'd by one person almost immediately

Bad news... Berding officially flip flopped on his support of the project... This is getting disastrous

We've known the gameplan of the opponents for years now. They use the traditional monopolistic media in this town as their mouthpiece. The new editor of the Enquirer HATES the streetcar project and of course we've known 700 is encouraging their personalities to speak out against it. The gameplan is exactly identical to the last ballot initiative and the supporters won overwhelmingly. The ballot initiative is very similar but I still hate reading and hearing the clear bias. I don't mind someone disagreeing and making a counter argument, in fact I encourage it because it addresses all aspects constructively, but withholding information, lying, and misrepresenting the project is simply propaganda. We need this Kasich funds situation resolved ASAP so Cincinnati can move forward on the project with or without the funds. If he indeed strongarms TRAC into voting how he wants them to vote, I think the city should make a big public PR tour and sue. The longer construction is delayed gives more opportunity to the opponents to derail it permanently.

If this same TRAC board with the same people, which voted 8-0 in favor of it not too long ago, reverses its decision out of nowhere, then there is something else going on behind the scenes. Hopefully there is legal action teh city can take

New article. Kasich is attempting to strong arm TRAC "I'm told that the TRAC board rarely goes against the director," Kasich said. http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110311/NEWS0108/103120343/Kasich-Can-t-justify-streetcar-money?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

So if they can't legally take the funds away from the streetcar project and give it to the Brent Spence Bridge project due to its lower ranking, what is Kasich going to do? Twist the arms of ODOT's TRAC to voting how he wants them to vote? Or have them conduct new rankings that put the Brent Spence Bridge higher than the Streetcar project?

Enquirer going all out now http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110309/NEWS01/103100345/Streetcar-comments-flood-state-office?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE "A key Ohio transportation panel that will decide next month whether to award as much as $52 million to Cincinnati's streetcar project has been flooded with nearly 3,200 public comments about the plan, most from people opposed to it. The number of e-mails and letters received by the state's Transportation Review Advisory Council, officials said Wednesday, is extraordinarily high compared to that typically seen on most projects, evidence of how passionately Greater Cincinnatians feel about the proposed $128 million Downtown-to-Uptown streetcar line."

Great work kjp!

This seems to be accurate from what I've researched. I wonder if John can elaborate on this more. Does the Mayor even realize this is the case? If, indeed, this is true(which it appears to be), Kasich is simply just throwing a fit and has no legal basis to reject the funds UNLESS they vote a different transportation project ASAP and give it a higher rating before the construction of the streetcar breaks ground...Which I would not put past Kasich.

^ Giggity

Is there someway we could get some regional/national media to report on this? Bring some much needed outside attention to the story? So far Kasich is making Walker look like he's in slow motion

So Kasich wants people not imprisoned for petty crimes (which I agree with), yet he wants to throw public workers who strike in jail?

So what will be his reasoning to pull state funding for #1 transportation rated project in the state exactly? It seems to me to be a completely idealogical reasoning. If the local media won't ask these questions, then its up to us to get the word out regionally and perhaps nationally. Ultimately it may not change Kasich's position, but at least it will add pressure

Still Hope http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/blog/2011/02/transportation-officials-readying.html Even it lines up against streetcar funding, Cincinnati's streetcar project could retain state funding. Murphysaid the panel voted 8-0 in favor of the Cincinnati project in December, with one member absent. ODOT Director Jerry Wray counts as one of nine votes on the panel. Read more: Transportation officials readying stance on streetcars | Business Courier

Chances are Kasich is going to yank the $51 million from the project http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110308/NEWS0108/103090347/State-may-yank-streetcar-money?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE Not nearly as optimistic for this project at the moment between the construction delays, thomas threatening to change his vote, probable removal of state funds, and an anti rail petition along with anti city bias in cincinnati.com and 700wlw

Waiting for approval of the environmental scan- Hope is by the end of the month. At this point, I won't believe any schedule of construction until I actually see the project being constructed.

I'm sure people are working diligently to solve this problem. First things first. Main construction on the project needs to start.