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The tax revenue per year has increased because the tax rate and usage rate increased each year. That much is obvious from the graph. The troubling reality is that the rate has topped out (I believe), but construction costs are increasing 10 percent per year, which means that the buying power of the Ohio gas tax is decreasing at an alarming rate. While ODOT policies are not agreeable to some UO posters, I wouldn't blame ODOT for the lack of buying power of the gas tax. ODOT doesn't control the cost of gas, the market does. However, the anti-transit/anti-rail ODOT policies will not serve us well as we head into a period of high gas prices and low revenue periods to upkeep/improve infrastructure.

What other funding sources are available for the PEIS than a federal earmark? Has state funding (ODOT, ODOD, etc) funding programs been pursued to get this phase rolling? I understand that getting federal funding would show federal support for the project and save the state money, but wouldn't a state that funded its own preliminary stages show the feds that that state was really supportive of the proposed project and committed - something other than passing resolutions.

Exciting news finally involving possible residential development in downtown Newark. Some things I agree with and others I don't - I don't see how the SR 161 expansion will fuel downtown development. The expressway through Newark helped to kill the downtown area by creating a quick and convenient bypass of downtown, so how will a highway look-a-like on the western edge of the county fuel its rebirth?? If downtown Newark is betting on transportation infrastructure to aid in urban redevelopment, then look to the underused piece of infrastructure that goes through the heart of downtown Newark, Heath, Zanesville and Pataskala - a rail line. Ok, enough rambling... Loft abodes could spur downtown growth Revitalization effort needs residential growth, developer says By KENT MALLETT Advocate Reporter NEWARK — A downtown revitalization group wonders if you build it downtown, will “they” come to live, work or shop here? Steve Herb, a developer who works with commercial investment Realtor Anderson Layman Company, told a group of local business owners and investors that people will come to live in renovated second or third floors of downtown buildings used for retail business. Herb outlined his vision for upscale apartments and condos on the southwest corner of the Courthouse Square, which is called Courthouse Square South. The target area will be on South Park Place, from South Third Street to the alley halfway down the block, and on South Third Street, from West Main Street to Market Street, excluding Candlewick Commons. Herb has 10 parcels under contract, and verbal agreements on three others. “Residential, that’s the key component,” Herb said. “If you don’t put the residential first, you’re really putting the cart before the horse. The (widening of Ohio) 161 project, most of us believe that will open the floodgates and Newark may as well reap the benefits.” Read more at http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070913/NEWS01/709130303

Couple questions - 1. Location #2 notes that that area is a proposed residential. Has anything formally been proposed for this section? I know there was quite a discussion of it in the BusinessFirst article a few posts, but I wasn't sure if there was something in the works that had been announced. 2. Where is the second phase of the Buggyworks going to be located? I saw the renderings, but was never able to figure out where it would be located.

The critical criteria that must be shown for the TE program is that a project has a “direct and identifiable relationship to surface transportation.” Given that, the rehabilitation of historic train stations are eligible. In fact, I know the restoration of the Outville/Kirkersville train station was funded via the ODOT TE program. For some reason I am thinking that the Toledo received TE funds in their restoration, but I could be wrong on this. What generally trips up local communities that apply for these funds is coming up with the required 20 percent match for construction funds and the preliminary design work (preliminary engineering, environmental studies, right-of-way acquisition, etc). In other words, ODOT will provide 80 percent of the construction costs, the locals are responsible for the remaining costs. Although I think ODOT will provide some help in the environmental studies. As for the specific cases of Elyria or Sandusky, only the local authorities can apply for the funds. AAO could certainly provide advocacy and local support, but AAO would not be an eligible applicant. Not knowing the who actually owns the stations, I would assume only the cities would be the eligible applicants.

Bruno Announces Money for High Speed Train Service http://www.fox23news.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=7453764d-0e7d-4d5d-bab7-cb18c168f5d0 After 2 years of study by a Senate task force, Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno says this time, talk of creating high speed train service in the Albany to New York City corridor is not just talk -- it will happen. When trains pull out of the Albany-Rensselaer station on the 142-mile trip to New York City, that trip is scheduled for about 2 1/2 hours. However, it is increasingly rare that those trains, headed in either direction, make it to their destination at the designated time. MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE

Community unfurls vision for East End Long-term commitment, money keys to project By KENT MALLETT Advocate Reporter NEWARK -- Improvements planned for East Main Street from Cedar Street to the East Main Street Bridge will require plenty of patience, commitment and, of course, money. The East Main Street Urban Visioning Project recommends the creation or restoration of more than 20 buildings as well as fencing, streetscapes and infrastructure along the street. Designers from the Neighborhood Design Center, a nonprofit design, architecture and planning organization, presented slides earlier this week to about 50 residents and city officials showing a revitalized East End. The final details of the plan will be announced in the fall. Photo gallery of East End Vision: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=BF&Dato=20070901&Kategori=PHOTOGALLERIES02&Lopenr=709020803&Ref=PH

Another version of the article was in the ThisWeekNews Sunday Dispatch insert for Licking County. It had some neat illustrations of the neighborhood hub/community center, redeveloped restaurant, and other redeveloped buildings. I'll post a link if they are ever uploaded. Project aim is to restore buildings, landscape on East Main Street By RUSS ZIMMER Advocate Reporter NEWARK -- Early plans for the East Main Street Urban Visioning Project call for expanding the look of the East End's noteworthy structures and distinguishing characteristics. Designers from the Neighborhood Design Center, a nonprofit design, architecture and planning organization, presented slides Tuesday night to about 50 residents and city officials showing a revitalized East End. The preliminary results call for the creation or restoration of more than 20 buildings as well as the fencing, streetscapes and infrastructure that line the street. The new and remodeled structures all would share similar themes inspired by three primary sources: The look of the familiar East Main Street bridge that separates the East End from downtown, the New Orleans-style balconies that dotted the businesses and homes in years past and the iron brackets that jutted out from those balconies. Using the designs of identifiable landmarks, such as the Old Home Bank building, is a cornerstone of the evolving model. Read more at http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070819/NEWS01/708190301

I’d say the FTA New Starts criteria needs to be reexamined then. In my mind, not allowing the “new rider” forecasts for light rail to be scored in the criteria is ignoring that transit-oriented developments build up around the transit stations. If for nothing else, the flood of news articles coming out of Denver, Washington DC, and Portland (to name a few) regarding the rise in transit-oriented developments gives excellent examples of how new riders are attracted to light rail/regional rail systems and the conveniences they provide. Not scoring TOD or associated economic development activities in the FTA New Starts criteria is similar to saying highways do not provide mobility for personal automobiles – maybe that is a little too far, but the point is that a major benefit is not being accounted for or given a low weighting in the scoring process.

Nothing really new, but it is still sad to see that light rail seems to be going away. To me it is frustrating that the project can go from a "Recommended" rating to a "Not Recommended" rating in a few years. MORPC officially takes light rail off transportation plan None of three transit proposals met federal funding criteria Thursday, July 26, 2007 JEFF DONAHUE ThisWeek Staff Writer The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) has officially removed the proposed light rail transit plan from its Fiscally Balanced Transportation Plan and placed the concept on the commission's "wish list." Ahmad Al-Akhras, assistant director of transportation, recently told the group's policy committee that MORPC will continue to monitor conditions for the proposed light rail transit corridor and federal policy, but the project cannot move forward without federal support and approval. The light rail transit plan called for the development of a corridor from south of downtown Columbus, south of Mound Street near the Franklin County Courthouse, north to the Polaris area, north of Lazelle Road. Three alternatives -- light rail, streetcar and bus rapid transit -- were studied and all three came up short, Al-Akhras said. Read more at http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/072607/Reynoldsburg/News/072607-News-391836.html&sec=home&tab=tab1

Not sure this is the best place for the article below, but it could have some impact on the Cincinnati Station Location vision for Union Terminal Plan revitalizes, expands facility By Joe Wessels Post contributor Union Terminal was built upon 287 acres at a cost of $45 million. It opened as a train station in 1972. Regular passenger service ended in 1972. Operators of Union Terminal, home of the Cincinnati Museum Center, are working on a multimillion-dollar plan to renovate and revitalize the historic building, expand the museums inside and create a multi-use retail, housing and greenspace development in what is now the center's parking lots. Museum Center leaders - who lease the 74-year-old building from the city of Cincinnati - have commissioned a highly detailed report, compiled by Philadelphia-based Hillier Architecture and Cincinnati-based Glaserworks, that outlines the plan. In it, the proposed "district master site plan" calls several new and improved features for the approximately 130-acre campus. Specifics include: " The Gateway Park District," a mixed-used development of buildings - none more than three stories high - that would line the existing parking lots on the north and south sides. Greenspace and a park in front of the terminal on what is now a circular drive, plus enhancements on the existing median landscaping. New parking garages on either side of the terminal, with connecting bridges to the main building. Safety improvements to the Dalton Street tunnel that runs underneath the front of Union Terminal. A high-speed rail station on the rear of the building to service future high speed trains, if they are built. More outdoor event and exhibit spaces, and better sight lines for the center from Interstate 75. Museum officials need a re-zoning of the property to accommodate a high-density mixed-use project, the report says. The report - which museum officials stress is preliminary and could be all, part or nothing like what may eventually happen at the site - also outlines needs for improvements and long-delayed, needed maintenance to Union Terminal itself. The report says, based on 2006 cost estimates, that $111.5 million is needed to repair or upgrade the facility, including major upgrades to the interior architecture of the building. Some 80,000 square feet of space needs "intense conservation treatments," the report said. Other repairs or upgrades to the building include repairing steel beams in the building that are showing signs of stress. Another $50 million would be needed for parking garages and converting the surface parking to greenspace, plus other improvements. No cost estimates for the mixed-use development were available, and the plan did not identify possible funding sources for the project. Museum Center spokesman Rodger Pille acknowledged the building is in need of major repairs and the outside improvements are part of a "dream" for the site. Volunteers and staff of the museum have said that the building is not energy efficient and the roof leaks badly. "Since it (re-opened as a museum) in 1990, we have undertaken our role as caretakers very seriously and spent a lot of money on the building," Pille said. "We are a collections and research facility as well, and we think of Union Terminal as our single greatest artifact. And it's an expensive one." The structural problems with Union Terminal are not a big secret, Pille said. "We knew when - even as recently as run-up to the 2004 Hamilton County tax levy campaign - we had some issues on the building," he said. "It's a 75-year-old building next year. Things are needing some updating that couldn't be done in 1986 when the building was renovated to be turned into the Museum Center." Pille stresses that there is no timeframe for the completion of the plan, nor have exact sources of how to pay for the proposed projects been identified. A countywide tax levy generates about $4 million a year for the facility. The report does, however, suggest dividing the project into smaller $10 million chunks that could be phased in over a 20-year-period. "We definitely dream big, like everything we do around here," Pille said, adding a public announcement of the first phases was still several months away. Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory said Tuesday that he was planning to meet with museum officials to discuss renovation and restoration concerns about the building but was unaware of any other plans to improve the building or the areas around it. A proposal was floated in the 1970s to tear down the building, but then-City Council member Jerry Springer wrote a song about the building and campaigned to save the structure. "We have Jerry Springer to thank for the fact that we have Union Terminal today," Mallory said. "(Springer) wrote a song called "Save Union Terminal" and put on a dashiki, I think, and strummed a guitar and sang this song ... on the grass there surrounding himself with children." Mallory said the memory has a special place for him. "I was one of those kids who was sitting around as he strummed that song. If you bring that story up to (Springer) today, he'll immediately start singing that song, which is kind of scary. But he'll go right into it." Mallory called Union Terminal "one of the most recognizable buildings in the city of Cincinnati." And it was ranked 43rd among buildings of American architecture according to a poll sponsored by the American Institute of Architects released in February. Paul Brown Stadium, listed at No. 101, was the only other structure in Ohio to be ranked. Lincoln Park - formerly one of the city's most popular parks and gathering spots - was located on the eastern edge of the terminal's property. Many who lived and grew up in the West End recall the park fondly, with its lake, gazebo and bandstand. Before the park, the land had a home for people suffering from contagious diseases. Steve Schuckman, planning superintendent for the Cincinnati Park Board, said he is not yet involved with any plans for park space at Union Terminal, but said the plan coincides with the park board's master plan. "If there is greenspace, then that would be a welcome addition to the West End," he said. "Much of what (the park board is) talking about over the next 20 years will come about through partnerships and collaborations." http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070726/NEWS01/707260384

May not be a high-rise condo or office building, but at least it is a start. Also, good to see some development may be coming to the Newark Arcade. For those interested, there is a link to the article which had a picture of the interior. Tavern spices up city's Arcade By MARK SZAKONYI Advocate Reporter NEWARK -- A new tavern in Newark's downtown Arcade might bring some much-needed foot traffic to the almost turn-of-the-century mall. Although the Arcade is a virtual ghost town in the early afternoon, The Tavern in the Arcade is attracting a sizable crowd that could spur more businesses to locate nearby. The tavern's hardwood floors, diamond-plated bar, stage and exposed brick walls bring to mind the Arcade's more illustrous past. He said he spent about $80,000 to redo everything but the kitchen in the 2,500-square-foot space at 17 Arcade Place. It's unknown how much the owners of the Arcade are willing to invest in the property, though repair work was being done the last two weeks. Newarcade Co. -- the owners of the majority of the mall -- have plans for the Arcade but are not ready to disclose them, said Clair Schell, who is one of the three owners. Schell said he will share plans within the next few weeks concerning the mall between Third and Fourth streets and between Church and West Main streets. Read more at http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070725/NEWS01/707250301

City counting down to 2012 bicentennial Monday, July 23, 2007 - 3:36 PM By Robert Vitale, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Columbus kicked off planning this afternoon for its 200th birthday, a celebration Mayor Michael B. Coleman said will follow a 4½-year effort to improve virtually every aspect of life in the city. At a news conference outside City Hall, Coleman named 31 members of a newly created 2012 Commission, which will host meetings in every part of Columbus before issuing a bicentennial blueprint next May. City officials then plan to ask voters to approve a bond package in November 2008 to fund the projects aimed at improving neighborhoods, transportation, safety and other areas by the 2012 bicentennial. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2007/07/23/bicentennial.html

The City of Columbus has created the website for Columbus 2012, which is the citywide improvement project that Mayor Coleman touched on in the State of the City address this past spring. Not much on the website yet, but you can start sending suggestions. Some general timelines on the project is noted. www.columbus2012.org

I saw the summary of the appropriations bill, but there was no mention of the earmarks. Will the earmarks also be announced or is this at a later date? In other words, any news on if the Ohio Hub earmark was approved?

Amtrak president: High-speed rail would cost billions WASHINGTON (AP) — Even if it spent $7 billion on track upgrades, Amtrak couldn't reduce the travel time between Washington and New York to less than 2 hours and 20 minutes, which is only 25 minutes less than the trip now takes, the company's president told Congress on Wednesday. http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2007-07-11-amtrak-high-speed_N.htm#uslPageReturn

Editorial from today's Advocate. I don't quite follow the logic that the SR 161 Expansion project will somehow aid in the redevelopment of downtown Newark, but it seems to come up in every article that I read about the subject. Considering a major detriment to the downtown area was the SR 16 expressway construction, I seriously doubt that a highway expansion project on the western portion of the county will do much for a reinvented downtown. Now if commuter rail or intercity rail were to come through that might be a different story... Unlock downtown potential It's in there. That's the refrain in a commercial for a popular food product. The same could be said for downtown Newark. There is good stuff in there; it just needs to be drawn out. Downtown Newark does have a lot going for it. Take a look around. A great courthouse, surrounded by nice grounds with trees, picnic tables and benches. A renovated theatre. Restaurants from easy-going fast food to those with more elaborate menus. A variety of shops. Special activities throughout the year. Read more at http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070711/NEWS01/707110301

Two statements today from the Amtrak Capital Needs hearing... STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN JAMES OBERSTAR FROM TODAY’S HEARING ON “AMTRAK CAPITAL NEEDS” From the Hearing of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials July 11, 2007 By Mary Kerr (202) 225-6260 Thank you, Chairwoman Brown and Ranking Member Shuster, for holding this hearing on Amtrak’s capital needs. This is an important subject to discuss as we begin deliberations on Amtrak reauthorization. As we get into the specifics of Amtrak’s capital needs, I think it’s important we remind Members how we got to where we are today. When Amtrak was created in the Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970, Congress relieved the freight railroads of “all of their responsibilities as common carriers of passengers by rail.” The freight railroads begged Congress to let them get out of the passenger rail business because it was not profitable. The Committee report accompanying H.R. 17849, the Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970, found that the railroads had been “downgrading service in a deliberate attempt to support elimination of passenger trains.” In fact, there were some 20,000 passenger trains operating in the United States in 1929. Nine thousand of those had been eliminated by 1946. In 1970, when Congress began its work to create Amtrak, there were fewer than 500 trains and for over 100 of those the railroads were engaged in discontinuance proceedings before the Interstate Commerce Commission. Years of railroad neglect of their passenger operations meant that stations and terminals were often old and run down, that passenger cars offered dated amenities, and that the equipment was prone to failure. The nation’s railroad infrastructure was in a serious state of disrepair. Trains, even some passenger trains, crept along at 10-15 miles per hour in some places and derailments were becoming distressingly commonplace. By the time Amtrak commenced operations on May 1, 1971, the rail share of the intercity travel market had shrunk to just 0.4 percent. The number of daily intercity passenger trains had been reduced to fewer than 300. The Congress created Amtrak to revitalize intercity passenger rail service. The Congress stressed the public benefits of rail service. Unfortunately, Amtrak never received the support it needed to accomplish that goal. It barely received enough each year to keep it on life support. What this Administration and a few in Congress have had trouble understanding is that if you take an organization that is undercapitalized and has a backlog of deferred maintenance at the outset, and you invest only enough to barely preserve the status quo year after year, in 36 years you will have an organization that is undercapitalized with an even greater backlog of deferred maintenance, which is exactly what we are dealing with today. You get what you pay for. In 2005, Amtrak completed a comprehensive catalog of its capital needs entitled Engineering State of Good Repair. The analysis shows a $4.2 billion backlog of investment (in 2005 dollars) to bring the Amtrak engineering infrastructure system to a state of good repair, excluding some major bridge and tunnel work and equipment needs. With the backlog of major bridge and tunnel work, the backlog approaches an estimated $6 billion. Even with adequate funding, resources, and additional equipment, Amtrak estimates the backlog of work will take a minimum of 10 years to complete in order to maintain a reliable level of rail service as the construction is completed. Based on a 10-year catch-up scenario, the Amtrak funding needed during this period would be approximately $715 million per year up thru 2011 and $600 million for the period 2012 to 2016 (using 2005 dollars). This is again exclusive of the major bridge or tunnel replacement programs and equipment needs. This is drop in the bucket compared to what other countries are spending on passenger rail. A few months ago, in preparation for our upcoming work on Amtrak reauthorization, I asked the Congressional Research Service (CRS) to look at public spending for passenger rail in other countries. What CRS found put the United States to shame. We enter into an annual debate in Congress each time the transportation appropriations bill comes to the floor on whether it is wise to invest a billion dollars in our national passenger railroad, Amtrak. Meanwhile, other countries, most of which are much smaller than the United States, are spending five to ten times what we are spending for passenger rail on an annual basis. And they are expanding their systems, not paring them down, as we are doing. According to an April 2005 study on public budget contributions to railways, which was commissioned by the European Union, in 2003 alone, France invested $10.6 billion (US converted from 2003 market Euro rates) in its rail system; Germany invested $12.4 billion; Italy invested $7.9 billion; the United Kingdom invested $7.8 billion; the Netherlands invested $2.5 billion; Austria invested $2.3 billion; Switzerland invested $1.9 billion; Sweden invested $1.7 billion; Spain invested $1.3 billion; and Denmark invested $1.2 billion. Japan invests about $2 billion annually in its Shinkansen and, according to the Ministry of Railways, China has launched a plan to spend a total of $162 billion from 2006 through 2010 to expand its railway system. There is no reason why we cannot do the same here in the United States. The Federal Government just needs to step up and take charge with a strong program to support passenger rail service. We have a real opportunity with this Amtrak reauthorization bill to do just that. STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE CORRINE BROWN FROM TODAY’S HEARING ON “AMTRAK CAPITAL NEEDS” Comments from the meeting of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials July 11, 2007 By Mary Kerr (202) 225-6260 The Subcommittee is meeting today to hear testimony on “Amtrak’s Capital Needs.” This is our third hearing on Amtrak as we prepare to develop a long term reauthorization bill. Amtrak serves nearly 25 million riders annually at more than 500 stations in 46 States on approximately 22,000 route miles. Amtrak directly owns or operates 730 route miles, primarily between Washington, D.C. and Massachusetts on the Northeast Corridor, and in the State of Michigan; several station facilities including Penn Station in New York, Chicago Union Station, and several major maintenance and repair facilities. The rest of Amtrak’s operations are on track owned by the freight railroads and some commuter railroads. In 2005, Amtrak completed a comprehensive catalog of its capital needs, which showed a $4.2 billion backlog of investment to bring its infrastructure system to a state of good repair. With the backlog of major bridge and tunnel work, the backlog approaches an estimated $6 billion. Even with adequate funding, resources, and additional equipment, Amtrak estimates the backlog of work will take a minimum of 10 years to complete in order to maintain a reliable level of rail service. However, this estimate does not include service enhancements to improve on-time performance or increase train speeds. Addressing these concerns is important and necessary if Amtrak wants to improve service and grow its ridership for the future. But we can’t get to the future unless Amtrak is able to meet its current capital needs. I know for a fact that some of these major infrastructure projects are desperately needed to improve the safety and security of the system, such as the fire and life safety improvements to the tunnels in New York, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. I can’t say it often enough that passenger rail is a prime target of terrorists and we haven’t prepared the way other countries have. As I have said again and again, other countries continue to invest billions of dollars each year to their passenger rail systems while the United States continues to fall further and further behind. We enter into an annual debate in Congress each time the transportation appropriations bill comes to the floor on whether it is wise to invest a billion dollars in our national passenger railroad, while other countries that are much smaller than the United States are spending five to ten times what we are spending for passenger rail on an annual basis. We need to make a real commitment to Amtrak in this reauthorization bill.

Article below focuses mainly downtown Newark festivals, but has some mention of downtown Newark redevelopment. Who feels impact of downtown festivals? By MARK SZAKONYI Advocate Reporter NEWARK -- Newark's downtown festivals, such as today's Jazz & Ribs Festival, help local merchants, but their effect varies depending on the business and the festival. Attracting people downtown might not translate to same-day sales, but letting people know what is downtown can have a lasting effect, said Virginia Patterson, leader of the Downtown Newark Association. Other ways to promote downtown business would be to have craft shows and flea markets in The Arcade and to bring the Farmers Market to the Square instead of at its current site adjacent to McDonald's, Patterson said. "During the holidays, some towns have carolers and wagon rides," she said. "I think it would be great if all merchants had one big holiday open house with entertainment." Patterson said she would like to see more festivals like Jazz & Ribs because they bring families and people who spend the whole day downtown. The Frame Up owner Sandy Ridella said festivals that promote the arts help merchants the most and pointed to the now-defunct Art in the City. The event encouraged people to visit downtown merchants because the art was displayed within the businesses, she said. Read more at http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070707/NEWS01/707010328

Does any AAO posters know if the presentations will be posted to the web site from the annual meeting? As an OU alum I was particularly interested in hearing more on the development of the Athens to Columbus commuter rail, but was unable to attend the meeting. Even a summary on the discussions at the meeting would be great.

A hearing is scheduled tomorrow for the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials - the hearing is entitled Benefits of Intercity Passenger Rail. The link below will take you to the Transportation/ Infrastructure committee's homepage, which has a link to tomorrow's web cast and summary of subject matter at the top. Generally, each witness' presentation is posted to the web as well in case you miss the web cast. http://transportation.house.gov/

New group aims to revitalize downtown Newark Survey: Retail image is poor, parking is average, but respondents like history, architecture, layout Sunday, June 24, 2007 By LORI WINCE ThisWeek Staff Writer A group of 31 business and community leaders came together last week in support of revitalizing downtown Newark. "We had a great discussion, and I think we're very excited about the potential," said David Brenner, the group's moderator. The meeting was sponsored by the Licking County Chamber of Commerce. Chamber president Cheri Hottinger said a survey was sent to the people who planned to attend to find out what they think about the condition of downtown Newark. Results showed that the city's retail image is poor and office space is average. Parking, traffic management and safety also were rated average, while there were complaints about vacant spaces, property maintenance, weeds, trash and clutter, lack of money for revitalization and a lack of attractions to keep people downtown after 5 p.m. The survey also found several strengths in downtown, including the square, history and architecture, locally owned businesses, the county buildings and a good layout. The attitude of many business owners, philanthropists and government officials was listed as favorable to improvements. Read more at http://www.thisweeknews.com/?sec=lickingcounty&story=sites/thisweeknews/062407/LickingCounty/News/062407-News-377408.html

Group envisions downtown's future Participants want non-profit to buy property for revitalization By MARK SZAKONYI Advocate Reporter NEWARK -- The creation of a not-for-profit group with the goal of acquiring downtown Newark property for revitalization could be a possibility after about 30 of the city's key figures met Wednesday. The meeting at The Works hatched a core committee that will look into the possibility of creating a not-for-profit group that would buy and develop downtown property, said Marcia Downes, executive director of The Works. Jerry McClain, owner of Jerry McClain Co., said the idea of pooling resources to buy rundown property is necessary because many of its owners ask exorbitant prices. "They want to get all the profit they can, and they don't care what it looks like," he said. "Some of them are slum lords." He said improving the gateway from Ohio 16 would prove even more essential when the Ohio 161/37 expansion project is complete, bringing more traffic through town. Read more at http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070621/NEWS01/706210328

Beautiful pictures of the Huntington Ballpark - from what I have heard on the local sports radio (1460 AM), both the Indians and Reds AAA affiliates' contracts are up after 2008. My guess is that one of these teams will relocate to Columbus given the new ballpark. Ohio has some great looking downtown ballparks - Cleveland, Cincy, Akron, Toledo, Dayton, and soon to be Columbus. It will also be interesting to see how Nationwide and the other landowners developer the area around the new ballpark - Dayton is planning a near Ballpark Village to complement their single A club.

Updates from ORDC on the Ohio Hub Plan has been posted to the website - the full economic analysis and the evaluation of the methodology used by the consultant to create the report. There are also some new maps posted in the "Maps" section of the site. Some of the maps show an "Indianapolis Shortcut" jutting out from Dayton. http://www.dot.state.oh.us/ohiorail/Ohio%20Hub/Website/ordc/theproject.html http://www.dot.state.oh.us/ohiorail/Ohio%20Hub/Website/ordc/maps.html