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I would say the Chicago-Toledo-Cleveland route is further along in development than the Chicago-Indy-Cincy route. The Chicago-Cincy route has not been planned, but I suspect that InDOT saw a greater chance of funding with the Chicago-Cleveland route. The stimulus funds had a lot of stipulations and tight deadlines to be met that determined what projects were selected and what projects were not selected.

Check the link below: http://clevelandcompetition.com/index.html

Foundation wins again in bike-path dispute Residents' argument fails to convince appeals court By KENT MALLETT • Advocate Reporter • January 5, 2010 COLUMBUS — Licking Township residents opposed to construction of a bike path on land they claim to own lost in court for a second time Tuesday. A three-judge panel from Ohio’s Fifth District Court of Appeals upheld Licking County Common Pleas Judge Thomas Marcelain’s April 29 ruling that the Thomas J. Evans Foundation is sole owner of property proposed for a six-mile bike path from Heath to Hebron. http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20100105/UPDATES01/100105026

ODOT released the 2010-11 Business Plan today (see link below). Some folks on here ask about ODOT's revenue sources vs expenditures - it is contained in this document (PDF page 37). This is the document that lays out the investment strategy for the next budget cycle (2 years) for the department. http://www.dot.state.oh.us/policy/2010-2011BusinessPlan/Pages/default.aspx Also, noted in the PDF document is discussion on the Transportation Futures Plan (Go Ohio). Below is a link to information on that effort. http://www.dot.state.oh.us/groups/goohio/Pages/default.aspx#

Below is an excerpt from an article today in the Newark Advocate - good to see local interest in the Columbus-Pittsburgh route: County facing key challenges Need for jobs tops list heading into the new decade BY AMY HOLLON • Advocate Reporter • January 3, 2010 http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20100103/NEWS01/1030308/County-facing-key-challenges In fact, many local officials see planning for commuter rail just as important. Newark is listed as the first stop on a proposed commuter train from Columbus to Pittsburgh. Brems said local officials need to start lobbying to be included in the final design of that corridor, and Fowler said county officials need to start planning where to put the stations. "We'll know if those rail efforts have any traction in the next couple of years," Fowler said.

Developer has grand plans for downtown Newark BY AMY HOLLON • Advocate Reporter • January 2, 2010 NEWARK -- Significant changes to Newark's downtown area in the past 10 years might have been slow, but developer Jerry McClain has a gigantic burst planned for the beginning of the next decade. Not only has the developer already spent $3 million of his own money to acquire almost every building between Second and Fourth streets, north of Locust Street, he is in the process of looking for another developer to restore at least half of the north side of the Licking County Courthouse Square. Streetscapes, with trees, bushes and lamps, are planned to connect the two areas. http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20100102/NEWS01/1020305/Developer-has-grand-plans-for-downtown-Newark

Decade in review: Downtown comes to life Newark revitalized by additions -- and some subtractions BY AMY HOLLON • Advocate Reporter • December 29, 2009 NEWARK -- Although downtown Newark faces many of the same challenges it did in 2000, it's hard to argue progress hasn't been made. In fact, many city leaders believe the downtown area has had several dramatic successes that can be attributed mainly to The Midland Theatre, The Works and improved appearance. http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20091229/NEWS01/912290305/Decade-in-review-Downtown-comes-to-life

http://pubserv.ci.columbus.oh.us/transportation/PROJECT_OVERVIEWS.htm Unfortunately, I could not access the PDF files, but I am thinking they had the various funding sources (federal, state, or city) spelled out in each of the project overviews. My thought is that most of these projects are funded with federal funding. As for a transportation plan, that would have to be for the city of Columbus to answer. There are projects involving downtown - Rich Street Bridge, Main Street Bridge, RiverSouth Phases 1 & 2, Scioto Mile - all of which are aimed to provide a more pedestrian/bicycle friendly environment.

Getting stimulus funds to build light rail/streetcar in Columbus is highly unlikely. The stimulus dollars carry very aggressive timelines for projects to be designed and built. Assuming the additional funds through the Jobs Act is similar to the initial stimulus package, the projects will be limited to preservation, maintenance, or "fix-it-first" projects. Capacity adding projects will need to have been through much of the environmental and/or design phase to recieve funding. I'd say how the proposal will help is giving a greater consideration to the redevelopment benefits that light rail/commuter rail/streetcar projects bring to the table. Currently, the New Starts projects are scored based mainly on their travel-time savings, congestion relief, and VMT reduction merits. The economic benefits on these projects are not given enough merit and the proposal is to allow the economic benefits to play a larger role when scoring projects.

The article also mentions a new advocacy group for one of the least mentioned corridors in the Ohio Hub plan - Columbus to Pittsburgh. Please see the link below for the groups web site. http://www.powvtransit.com/POWVHighSpeedRail.html

Freight trains show path for people, too Sunday, November 08, 2009 By Brian O'Neill, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Legendary investor Warren Buffett made a $26.3 billion bet on America's future last week. He plunked it down to buy the Burlington Northern Santa Fe, acquiring all of the great Western freight railroad that his company didn't already own. Mr. Buffett is 79 but isn't thinking short-term. He's looking 10 and 20 years down the road. He's betting that higher fuel costs will give railroads an ever greater advantage over trucks, and the American freight rail system is already the best in the world. Our generally pitiful passenger rail service is its direct opposite. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09312/1011714-155.stm Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09312/1011714-155.stm#ixzz0WHackRFN

Derailed Recession has stalled transportation-sector growth locally Sunday, October 11, 2009 3:35 AM By Dan Gearino THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH In good times, Buckeye Yard on the Far West Side is alive with the screech of metal on metal. Now, it is a kind of parking lot. Hundreds of idled locomotives and rail cars are spread across acres of track, just west of I-270 and south of Roberts Road. Read more at: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2009/10/11/empty_trains.ART_ART_10-11-09_D1_KSFAME8.html?sid=101

^Light rail will need its own set of tracks - in fact there needs to be a separation of 25-28 feet between light rail tracks and freight/intercity tracks. As for the startup 3-C service, it can run on the same tracks as freight. I would think that additional/separate tracks would be needed as the number and frequency of trains increase. No doubt that the project will have to wait for the local financial setting get on firmer ground, but I'd say just as important is the level of funding for transit projects (FTA New Starts) in the next federal transportation bill.

The application documents have been posted the the 3CisMe website. http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/Rail/Programs/passenger/3CisME/Pages/3CDocs.aspx#app

Apartments near arena in works Plan calls for 232 units, rec center Saturday, September 26, 2009 5:22 AM By Marla Matzer Rose THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Plans for a Giant Eagle across the street stalled, but a 232-unit apartment project at the corner of Neil Avenue and Vine Street in the Arena District is moving forward. Nationwide Realty Investors is scheduled to unveil plans for Flats on Vine at Tuesday's meeting of the Downtown Commission. Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2009/09/26/Nationwide_apartments.ART_ART_09-26-09_A8_3PF6GEE.html?sid=101

High-speed ahead? Lawmakers seek designation for proposed rail line By RON SELAK JR. / Tribune Chronicle September 24, 2009 http://www.tribtoday.com/page/content.detail/id/527680.html U.S. Rep. Timothy J. Ryan and other federal lawmakers from Ohio and Pennsylvania are moving forward with plans to bring high-speed rail service to more than 5 million citizens in the Buckeye and Keystone states. They've asked U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood to designate the Cleveland-Pittsburgh corridor a high-speed rail corridor, saying the 140-mile stretch ''is an appropriate extension of the nation's future passenger rail system.''

The following link has the ODOT sponsored TIGER discretionary grant applications: http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/Communications/Pages/FederalStimulusProjectListing.aspx I haven't heard of any applications from MPO's or transit agencies, but that is not to say they haven't applied for funds.

^I think the scenic rail line is trying to move to the Glass Rock Branch (SE of Zanesville). As for the rail line that Scenic Rail used to run on, it is being converted into a bike path. That conversion from rail line to bike path is in court - there is a court case between property owners along the rail line and the foundation wanting to build the bike path.

^My guess is that the Town St bridge was realigned 1) to have a through street between downtown and Franklinton (i.e. Rich Street) and 2) to accomodate the Scioto Mile project. There could be more reasons, but I'm betting those are the top 2 reasons for the realignment.

^The most complete and up-to-date presentation of the ODOT budget is located at the link below. This presentation was given prior to the ODOT budget passing earlier this year so these numbers could have changed. There is nothing in there about the OHSP, but my recollection is that their budget is in the $40-$50 million range. In the presentation, slide #34 has the revenue sources and programs. http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/Finance/Pages/FinancialPresentations.aspx

Its just hard for me to put too much stock in preliminary drawings, especially when the building locations are to be developed in conjunction with private companies. I'll be interested to see what the CDDC has to say at the formal presentation to the Downtown Commission.

Maybe it is the optimist in me, but all that's been proposed is a conceptual site plan and a few preliminary drawings. I don't disagree with what has been said as to what should come of the Columbus Commons, but I think the CDDC should be given time to explain their new vision. Reopening Town Street does not sound like a feasible option given that heavy traffic would have to travel over the parking garage portion. Personally, I like the idea of the pedestrian walk-way. Maybe if the Town Street bridge was not being relocated would a continuous connection be important. Since the bridge is being realigned, that continuous connection does not seem that important to me. Having retail/restaurants/condos face the park is a great idea; however, I think its a little early to determine that the developers have not considered that. All that is presented are building site locations - not the architectural style, tenants, etc. My point is that we (the general public) do not know enough about the revised plans yet to call them an epic failure.

I agree, I like the original design better. It was more dense and less focused on the park. They have posted additional rendering on-line and the site plan shows the three High Street buildings as well as another building where the former Kaufman's store is today. http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/progress/columbus-commons-renderings

^I got the impression that this (creating the park) was the first phase of the plan. The private development would come later (5-10 years). Most of the drawings above show the full-built version (I assume) whereas today's Dispatch picture shows the first phase. CDDC even adresses that issue in the link below: http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/progress/columbus-commons-questions-and-answers

^As discussed in many of the comments to the article and by the author's own admission, many benefits are left out of the "analysis." The ommission of environmental benefits and congestion relief (both auto and air) make this analysis meaningless. There are two articles upcoming, which I hope give a more well-rounded analysis.