JYP

Let's raise a glass to no tornadoes too!

There was something on WVXU about it the other day. Apparently METRO is not allowed by some obscure federal law to have it's buses in the Transit Center because it competes with private coach buses.

Whatever happened to judging a restaurant by food quality and dining experience as opposed to credit rating and grant money? Last time I checked cash was not edible.

Ahem... so in other news it looks like those awnings are going up for Toby Keith's on 2nd St.

The story behind Cincinnati’s slowly disappearing skywalk system BY: JOHN YUNG FEBRUARY 23, 2012 – 9:00 AM Over the past few weeks, city crews were busy dismantling another section of downtown Cincinnati’s once extensive skywalk system. The section, an open air walkway over Elm Street and Rusconi Place, was taken down by the city in preparation for the World Choir Games this summer, and the demolition is the latest phase of an ongoing effort to dismantle the city’s once expansive skywalk system. Developed in the 1960’s as a way for downtown retailers to compete with the enclosed shopping environments found in suburban malls, the city implemented an ambitious plan to construct a series of elevated walkways extending from Fourth and Broadway northwest to the Duke Energy Convention Center. The skywalks became the preferred connection to places along the route including Fountain Square; Tower Place Mall; department stores such as Shilito’s, Pogue’s, McAlpin’s and LS Ayers; as well as corporate office buildings; Riverfront Stadium; the convention center and its adjoining parking garages. By the early 2000’s, the skywalk system was stymied by poor way-finding and aggressive pan-handling, and several sections had fallen into disrepair. The system was difficult to control and maintain due to ownership issues surrounding the elevated walkways. But to many urban planners, the biggest issue was that the skywalk system discouraged street-level foot traffic.

Enquirer discussion has been moved to the Enquirer thread: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,3762.0.html

One day in the near future Cincinnati and Dayton's MSA's will creep along I-75, joining together somewhere near Middletown. When this day happens, the terrorists will have won. #truth

Please keep the debate on topic!

Didja notice that lone protester had a pair of very dirty pants? Ewwww... Now, now... let's not judge people based on the cleanliness of their pants! but rather, the fact that their argument is wrong. :-D Hey I saw that guy on the bus once!

Not everyone is displaying this thread at 50 posts per page. But we'll get there too!

^That's this thread, that's how it gets to 1000 pages!

At the groundbreaking I was surprised to see a number of older gents in attendance recall their rides on the original streetcar system. They were pretty excited to see its return.

Second to last item in tomorrow's PC packet: http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/bldginsp/downloads/bldginsp_eps45145.pdf

I was seriously expecting a reply when he asked that!

Everything is 5 stories according to the drawings they submitted to the city's Planning Commission. l'm also surprised that Phase I is just the building nearest to Clifton Ave and does not include the building next to the gas station.

There needs to be more income mixing in these projects and now is actually the right time to do it with more middle-class people being priced out of areas south of Liberty.

Skywalks are great for avoiding the weather but they also contribute to a "vacant" looking downtown and bypass street level stores and so forth. So while people think they're really convenient, they're really just contributing to the decline of downtown without even realizing it.

Oh are you taking about the Transforum event?

Raising Cane's at the Banks = #WIN!

Yeah, hit the sidewalks, skip the skywalks! From the NYTimes: Denver Is Urged to Hit the Sidewalks DENVER — Quite a few of the frighteningly fit live around here. On a balmy Saturday, or for that matter a frigid winter weekday before dawn, an army of them emerges to run and bike. And in their intimidating long strides and whirring spokes, they underscore why Colorado is the least obese state in the nation. People like Gosia Kung and Dr. Andrew M. Freeman are trying to change that. In very different ways and for different reasons — she is an architect, he a cardiologist — they are trying to reincorporate physical activity into the sinews of a place that, despite its fantastic body mass index, lost touch like most American cities with the idea of walking as transportation.

I've met Greg Hand. He means you no harm!

Paycor discussion moved here.

^Plenty of surface parking there!

^ Is this where it came from? http://www.metro-magazine.com/Article/Story/2011/08/Construction-Firm-Building-Americas-Transit-Future.aspx

Duke brought some boards to the meeting, apparently showing streetcar construction. The sideshow meeting today was spun in favor of the project in 2 ways, 1 was that the Mayor showed he is taking control of the situation to resolve the impasse and 2 is the groundbreaking.