KJP

A little insider info... I can't provide more details until RTA talks to ODOT (probably next week), but Calabrese will direct staff work with ODOT on developing data for a rail-in-the-boulevard alternative. If the data shows no fatal flaws and that the project can compete with other federal funding requests nationwide, then we will have something. If that's the case, it will still be a while before we see rail in the boulevard. Given the backlog of federal funding requests, it will probably mean that RTA would seek an OC right of way designed for the future inclusion of rail. We'll see!

Poll Question: http://www.dispatch.com/issue/issue.php?story=168458 The Columbus Dispatch Friday, February 24, 2006 The Hot Issue: If Columbus installed streetcars, would you use them to get around the city? 76% Yes 24% No ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/02/24/20060224-A1-00.html Streetcars a desire for mayor Coleman outlines ambitious agenda in speech Friday, February 24, 2006 Jodi Andes THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Picture dining in the Brewery District and hopping a streetcar to a hockey game in the Arena District. Or riding a trolley to Ohio State University from Downtown for a noon class — without paying, or hunting, for another parking spot. It’s an idea reminiscent of Columbus in the last century, rather than "the 21 st-century city" Mayor Michael B. Coleman talks about. But during his seventh State of the City speech last night, Coleman said businesses and the city will spend $250,000 to study whether a return to streetcars would be right for Columbus. .........

I'm a map guy, so a map of this would really help.

That's very good news. Remember that this is similar to how the mega-system ($4 billion plus) rail system in Denver got its meager start. It began with a short downtown rail line that was later extended. A second route was added. And then a third longer route to the southeast. That's when voters approved the mega expansion. You've got to start somewhere, just to overcome the skepticism and to create a buzz about rail so that more parts of the city say "me too." Noozer, do you have information as to the routing of Columbus' starter line? And the length in miles?

I noticed a few typos in the report, so I corrected them and put the updated report at the same web location as I listed several messages ago.

Thanks for the feedback. I don't think RTA will get rid of the rail service if they add buses to the OC Boulevard, at least not intentionally. They have too much invested in the rest of the Red Line on the East Side to simply throw it away. And two more stations are in the redevelopment pipeline -- East 55th and relocating East 120th to midway between Mayfield and Euclid. Having said that, I believe that adding buses to the OC Boulevard for access into the heights would weaken all East Side rail lines, and lead to the eventual downgrading or possibly abandoning one of them (namely, the east-side Red Line). I referred to that rail-weakening in this revised report. Odd thing, as RTA tries to limit increases in service hours, adding duplicate bus service to OC Boulevard would cause an increase in their service hours.

I should note that many suburbs also offer tax abatement for new construction or renovations to existing buildings. In Fairview Park, for example, their abatement policy is 100% for seven years. But I believe theirs applies only to commercial structures. I'll have to check.

I think it sounds very intriguing. Maybe they're on to something. There's nothing like instigating collaboration. Let's see what happens.

This ain't no throwdown. Whenever I snap my cap, that's when the disaster evacuation drill comes in handy! Given my finances, it might be time to brush up on that drill. Sorry my sense of humor sucks lately, but that's why... :evil:

Here is a link to revised report I drafted on including a consolidated rail line in the OC Corridor. Enjoy, but dial-up users beware that the document is 2MB. If it doesn't load properly right away, try clicking the link again.... http://members.cox.net/neotrans/OpportunityCorridorRapidREV.pdf

What are you, an elder? I will put a sock in it, since there is no need to belabor my point that I didn't like ColDayMan's (or anyone non-local's) joke about Cleveland. Don't you know, it is written in blood that only we Greater Clevelanders can make a joke about our city? Although I'm not sure what the rest of your message means, MayDay.

PM me.

It wasn't intended to be a comeback. It was meant to be a kind way of telling you to measure your words carefully.

Either way, it sounds like something is going in there? I was thinking this was going to be right at the "Doans Corners" intersection of East 105th and Euclid. Too bad. Speaking of which, I've had some thoughts about how to develop that intersection, building a multi-family residential structure around the north side of the Cole Eye Institute and effectively creating a curved indoor courtyard. It's all part of my "grand plan" to someday win the grand prize loot from Peter Lewis for redesigning UC. Anybody want in?!?! :-D

I haven't made up my mind yet on whether reducing the size of council is a good idea or not. But when it was revealed that "businessman" Tony George was a financial backer of the citizens league, I smelled something funny. George never does anything for the stated reasons, and he is never interested in something for the benefit of the public. If he's involved in something political, it's either for the benefit of himself or his friends/business associates. Also, please note some of the various establishments of which he was/is an investor: > Splash reggae club in the Flats... Raided in the mid-1990s by the Jamaican drug task force, which broke up a Cleveland-Jamaica drug ring. The listed owner of the club was attorney Blaise Brucato of Highland Heights, who went to prison. Tony George admitted to a fellow reporter that he was investor. > Kaos nightclub in the Flats... Site of numerous fights and gang activity in recent months. Site of the killing of a 16-year-old boy who was a customer of the club. Tony George admitted to a Plain Dealer reporter he was an investor of Kaos. > Krobar nightclub in North Olmsted... For the past several months, police have made dozens of arrests (as many as that in a single night at times) of underage drinkers and others using drugs, both in the club and in the parking lot. City officials are trying to revoke the club's liquor license. Tony George admitted he was an investor in Krobar, along with an informant friend of mine who communicated that information to me for an article I'm researching. The listed owner of the Krobar club is a young man with the last name of Hammons. His father is Dave Hammons Sr. who was arrested for his involvement in organized crime-run drug and gambling operations. The informant served two stints in federal prison (bank fraud and assault) as an earner for the Cleveland mob, specifically to Alfred "Allie" Calabrese who died in federal prison in 1999. He also ran investment scams on Wall Street for the Gambino crime family of NYC. Now, does all of that smell a tad "off" to you?

Thanks for finding that link, PG. And thanks for the clarification on the definition.

What is the difference between an urbanized area and a metropolitan area, per the Census' definition? I'll wager that they're the same. And the Census site to which I posted the link showed the land area for each of the metropolitan areas (including the primary MSAs).

To my knowledge, RTA gets no federal operating support (it does get quite a bit in federal capital funding but that has little bearing on the operating funding problem that the fare increase is intended to address). RTA receives very little state subsidies, which are only $16 million for the entire state this year. The county sales tax RTA receives brings it more than $160 million. Ridership can be price elastic. From 1980 to 1982, RTA increased fares three times, from 35 cents to 80 cents for a local ride and to $1 for an express ride. Ridership plummeted from 121 million riders in 1980 to 83 million in 1983. Ridership eroded more slowly to 72 million in 1990, and then to 64 million in 1992, just before the last fare increase was enacted. Ridership slipped to 60 million in 1993, and has hovered in the mid- to upper-50s ever since. RTA will probably see a ridership decrease, but it will probably be more like the decrease in the early 1990s, than what it saw in the early 1980s. Part of the reason is that Cleveland's economy went into the tank in the early 1980s (you thought you've seen factory closings lately, you should have been around in the early 80s!). And, in the mid-1990s, RTA was able to fall back on the opening of Gateway and the ridership it generated, which likely offset losses from the fare hike.

^ Very nice summary of the meeting. This one caught me by surprise (it was near the end)...... Hauser: -the bridge has been decided on and that is the part that has been decided on. FHWA: that desicion has not been finalized (wow, again)

So was that attempt at humor.

Use the Census data: Charlotte--Gastonia--Rock Hill, NC--SC MSA: 1,499,293 By all means, do NOT use data from demographia.com -- it's run by a guy named Wendell Cox, who is anti-urban and especially, anti-accuracy, when accuracy conflicts with his agenda. Wendell Cox recently proposed double-decking Atlanta's highways to "solve" their highway congestion problems. He started running a bus charter business and tried to shitcan rail proposals nationwide so he could get his company to win privitization contracts from transit agencies. He does research for the Highways Users Alliance (the folks who have asphalt in their veins) and has a loyal band of supporters (aka Cox Suckers) around the country. My suggestion: visit this web page.... http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=D&-ds_name=D&-_lang=en&-redoLog=false&-mt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_GCTPH1R_US10S&-format=ST-7

One of things I love about Chicago is all the brick. I love brick. BTW, nice design. I like the glass and the openness of it. I suspect it will pour a lot of light onto Euclid.

X, thanks for posting that list. And what's this one? ...East 105th Street and Euclid Avenue: National City bank branch and a 50,000-square-foot office building for $12.5 million. And I think these statements by Ferchill are some of the most important in the interview... The city doesn’t have enough economic firepower left. It’s got to be a joint venture of the city and county. I mean, if I went to the city and they gave me every resource that they have today, they don’t have very much. I’m talking about doing good-sized projects. ...I think the No. 1 thing that’s got to be done is there’s got to be complete cooperation between all of the various governments. If you think about what’s been going on here, we had a difficult mayor. We had a difficult county administration. And then [Commissioner Tim] Hagan came in and he was very helpful. And you had a state government that was in chaos. It still is.

That building's original owner was the Union Trust Bank, which built the structure in 1921 or 1924 (can't remember which). Union Trust Bank later became Union Commerce Bank. I couldn't find history on Huntington Bank.

I love talking about rail more than just about everyone else, but the intent of my idea (and, I would hope, other ideas) is not to run trains, but to reshape the region's land use, economic viability and energy/environmental sustainability. My contention is not to continue to build communities piecemeal and based around past trends, but to develop a regional masterplan based on public preference. What is that preference. Display some land use choices to people and let's find out.