Flyboy41

When this thing gets built they should name it "the trolley" out of spite...lol. San Diego's whole light rail system is the trolley

I think I read on the Ifrastructurist blog that Portland is getting 75 million from the Feds to add to their system. This would pay for a large chunk of the Cincinnati system if we could get something like that. Also, way to go all those who organized to fight Issue 9. Cudos and a raise of the glass to you.

based on hearing a lot of people at work referring to Issue 9 as voting on the streetcar, I'm a little worried that it may pass. I've had to correct a few people that they might even have to vote on the zoo train and a railroad crossing so maybe I swayed them. Fortunately a lot of my coworkers live in the 'burbs.

I live in Norwood so no Issue 9 for me. Wishing all the city dwellers luck in defeating it.

I drove around today and saw a few No on 9 signs, and just as many Yes on 9 signs. The thing that got me was the "yes" signs also said "stop the streetcar". We all know this is deceptive. I'm going to write letters to the enquirer and I suggest everyone on the board try to do the same between now and November.

Realistically what would it take to get to the Acela for Ohio stage? IIRC the Acela runs on old rail lines along the NEC. We would need a dedicated passenger line, of course, but how much would that cost? I'm all for the Quick Start plan but I can dream about 150 mph between Cincy and Columbus.

I'm happy that Cincinnatians for Progress is out there putting up the good fight against COAST. However, as someone with a little bit of a PR background I think those in opposition to Issue 9 need to do more to get everyone to realize just how stupid it really is. And for once, it seems the progressive side of the argument might have the upper hand financially. Money wins elections and issues unfortunately. Right now I see two pro Issue 3 commercials for every one against. Those for rail transit need to get ads in the paper, swarm it with anti-issue 9 letters, and get the word out beyond downtown. I live in Norwood so I can't vote on the matter. Believe me, I would vote against Issue 9 if I could and I'd volunteer a little bit of my time to fight it if I lived in the city. I'm just throwing my .02 out there b/c in a year I hope to be downtown. I commend Cincinnatians for Progress but the clock is ticking down until election time and the real fight is going to start soon.

Good for them. However, it's going to take more than just yard signs. ShermanCahal had a great idea he told me about. How about Cincinnatians for Progress buy a billboard on 75 or 71 with a photo of a traffic jam, the text should read "Do you like sitting in traffic? Neither do we. Vote No on Issue 9. If the supporters don't get out there and do something Issue 9 will pass. Being right about an issue doesn't mean that the issue will go the way you want it. How many times in this country's history have a small vocal minority gotten stupid things passed? If Cincinnati is going to ever have a chance of getting light rail, streetcars, or high-speed rail then Issue 9 needs to be defeated. However, sitting here amongst a majority of people who are for rail transit and discussing how great it is isn't going to accomplish anything.

A well designed casino could incorporate a nice arena. The MGM Grand in Vegas has a decent arena. In my perfect world they need to keep enough room there for me to put a retractable-roof Major League Soccer stadium there. But I won't be that rich for a couple decades so a casino would be good :)

I read that too. I would wager that those who want faster trains don't want to pay for them. That's the American way, you want something awesome but darn it don't tax us for it.

Willie is being fair. I'm sure he'll flip quicker than a coin before a football game.

Once the park is completed do you think they'll move riverfest and the fireworks there?

If you have two or three extra cars in reserve one could imagine adding those cars to the line for a special event. When I visited San Diego I went to a Padres game where the light rail system ran an express from Qualcomm Stadium to Petco Park with a stop and the Old Town Transit Center. If Cincinnati had light rail I could see something like this for Reds and Bengals. I would imagine you could add an extra streetcar to the line and run express cars from UC to GABP with maybe one or two stops along the way.

Cincinnati's economy has seemed a little more resilient than Buffalo/Detroit's IMO. P&G and GE have so far been able to weather economic storms. Cincinnati's economy relies on everything from manufacturing to service and medical businesses, which is more diverse than the manufacturing-centric areas around the Great Lakes. I would also venture to guess that Cincy is home to more Fortune 500 companies than Buffalo. No, rail doesn't solve all problems. It does however help keep money in an urban core by providing an option for transportation. A good friend of mine is a staunch Republican fiscal conservative from Connecticut. He wouldn't dream of living in a city without a rail transport system mainly because it puts money in his pocket and allows businesses to thrive without relying on cars.

Buffalo is a great example of what not to do. Many of that cities problems stem from the loss of a manufacturing base. Cincinnati, and Columbus for that matter, can plan a system that works much better than Buffalo. If I were looking to plan a system Portland and San Diego would be my two prime examples.

Apparently there is some talk coming out of City Hall that Cincinnati is thinking about selling its railroad, the Cincinnati Southern. What I found most interesting is that the Enquirer was wrong about the CS back in the day. "In June 1869, Cincinnati voters overwhelmingly approved $10 million in bonds for the railway. Over the next decade, voters twice approved measures providing another $8 million, the second time only after an initial defeat drew a promise from trustees that no more money would be needed to finish what The Enquirer called "our white elephant." (emphasis mine). http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090814/NEWS01/908150345/1055/NEWS/Sell+or+keep+city+railroad? The Enquirer was wrong about a railroad then, and now they've been hit or miss on the streetcar and rail transit issue. The more things change...well, you know the rest.

every day I drive on 471 to work and I can see the QCII cranes peeking over One Lytle Place. Pretty soon I'll be able to see the core of the building over One Lytle Place.

Aren't the streetcars built with an operator's cab at each end? If so couldn't you just have the operator go to the other end of the vehicle when it's time to turn around? Also, if a switch is needed to put the streetcar in a different lane, you could build one off the street at the end of the uptown spur. I could just be talking out of my butt though since I'm still a little ignorant about some aspects of the project.

I understand why those along the Oasis line might be a little NIMBY but it's not like you can' build successful developments along a heavily used mainline. San Diego does it. The Oasis line wouldn't have nearly the traffic. San Diego BNSF mainline

The Transit Center is the perfect place for a Cincy Transit Hub. You could have the EC, Light rail from the south and north connecting all at the same point along with buses. Something like what Seattle has. I think an I-71/75 light rail line makes more sense but the EC could be a good starting point coupled with the streetcar.

From the data you showed it looks like there is a lot of support across all demographics. Lets get this thing built!

If the EC rail portion is built how does it get from Sawyer Point to the Riverfront Transit Center? I'm not familiar with the plans.

Someone said earlier that the streetcar supporters have evidence on their side. I really like the streetcar plan as it is because it's not designed as a tourist attraction but rather a legit transit option that connects places people are to places they want to go. I know I'd use it when I move back to Cincinnati. I don't know if anyone posted this but the Phoney Coney had a good blog about the density of Cincinnati compared to other larger cities. http://thephonyconey.blogspot.com/2009/07/over-rhine-versus-world.html

I would wager that many of the people against the streetcars that will call in to WLW aren't even from the city at all. I quit listening to WLW three years ago and my life was better for it.

I don't think the outside looks all that dated at all. I like a little retro look. I would imagine the 3C would start with something like this although with single deck passenger cars.