July 24, 20186 yr People are geared to vote against transit almost all the time here. Transit has been on the ballot twice in the past decade (streetcar initiatives) and transit won both times. If you start the education process and invest into years of education, you can change the paradigm. Throwing a sales tax on the ballot now is a huge loser. Eh. I agree that SORTA has dropped the ball on articulating their plan, but I'm not sure a lot more time would make a big difference. The biggest question is if people are going to listen to the misinfo peddlers, who would just be louder over a longer time period. People have been hearing over and over that big companies don't want to move here because the transit system is insufficient, that businesses have been choosing to locate in OTR and CBD due to the streetcar, and a near infinite amount of data showing why transit is beneficial during the decade-long streetcar fight. If they're not educated by now, they're not going to be educated until it dawns on them that there is an existing transit service that is useful to them. Which won't happen without better & expanded service.
July 24, 20186 yr Metro is not putting a levy on the ballot this year. Back to the drawing board. I'm sure someone will propose partnering with uber's autonomous vehicles as the way of the future, tho...
July 24, 20186 yr ^ Even more important for Metro to educate the public. People are geared to vote against transit almost all the time here. If you start the education process and invest into years of education, you can change the paradigm. Throwing a sales tax on the ballot now is a huge loser. No it's not. So what if it loses the first time on the ballot? If you place it on the ballot and do exit polling, you will get more/better information than a telephone poll of likely voters combined with mathematical probability modeling, and a ballot issue will cost the same/less. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 25, 20186 yr SORTA will not seek tax levy in 2018 Passing up the chance to ride a potential wave of progressive voters at the polls this fall to victory, the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority will not seek a sales tax levy in November to expand Metro bus service throughout Hamilton County, the agency's chairman said in a statement. "It has become clear to me that we have not reached an appropriate consensus within the board and the community to vote tomorrow to present Hamilton County voters with a sales tax option to address the significant financial and operational needs of the Metro bus system," said SORTA Chairman Kreg Keesee in a statement. "I do not believe that the current environment provides a clear path to victory at the polls even if consensus had been reached." The 13-member SORTA board still is scheduled to meet Wednesday morning. The agency previously had announced a vote would be held. Board members had discussed putting a 1 percent sales tax on the ballot, with 70 percent of the $150 million in revenue going toward the bus system and 30 percent going to infrastructure. The infrastructure piece was a bid to win over suburbanites who may not be convinced of the region’s need to better connect itself through public transportation in order to compete in a global economy. But it’s unclear whether state law as currently written would allow a transit agency to put a dual-purpose levy on the ballot, something that may require action by the Ohio General Assembly. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/07/24/sorta-will-not-seek-tax-levy-in-2018.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 25, 20186 yr I kinda wish they would have put it on the ballot and the city been behind it and put out an ultimatum to voters. Pass this levy or service will be cut outside of the city. That could have mobilized transit users in the rest of the county to get out and vote, and if not it could have given sorta and the city an out to reduce service. As it is we're stuck in the city footing the bill for the whole county, and I still believe that isn't right.
July 25, 20186 yr ^ Even more important for Metro to educate the public. People are geared to vote against transit almost all the time here. If you start the education process and invest into years of education, you can change the paradigm. Throwing a sales tax on the ballot now is a huge loser. No it's not. So what if it loses the first time on the ballot? If you place it on the ballot and do exit polling, you will get more/better information than a telephone poll of likely voters combined with mathematical probability modeling, and a ballot issue will cost the same/less. then why hasn't the light rail issue been revisited since 2002 then?
July 25, 20186 yr Because a fear of failure was stronger than the commitment to achieving a desired outcome. Other cities do try slightly different levies, be it for schools or transit, multiple times. If the backers truly believe the need exists, they will keep trying and learning from their mistakes. Improving Greater Cincinnati's horrific inaccessibility to jobs by the 1/4th of city households without a car (less than 10% of metro-area jobs exist within a 60-minute one-way transit trip) is as important as making primary education available. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 25, 20186 yr Better Bus Coalition is now saying they will collect signatures to put an increased earnings tax for Metro on the city ballot. Interesting idea.
July 25, 20186 yr Better Bus Coalition is now saying they will collect signatures to put an increased earnings tax for Metro on the city ballot. Interesting idea. I'd get behind a .1 increase without hesitation. Beyond that, there would need to be a specified and perhaps binding plan.
July 25, 20186 yr What sunk SORTA's tax increase? A divided governing board and fear of a sales tax imposed by Hamilton County commissioners torpedoed a separate proposed sales tax levy to expand Metro’s bus service throughout Hamilton County, members who oversee the region’s largest transit agency said on Wednesday. But sources familiar with the behind-the-scenes discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the sole obstacle was ensuring that the final part of what had grown into a three-part transportation levy was on solid legal ground. The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority board had been considering sending voters a plan that would increase the Hamilton County sales tax by 1 percentage point, with 70 percent of the nearly $150 million in revenue going to bus service and the other 30 percent going to roads and infrastructure. The 0.3 percent city transit earnings tax also would be repealed, ensuring a tax cut for some and making the plan like a three-legged stool. It was unclear, however, whether SORTA can spend sales tax levy money on roads, so the levy was shelved for now. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/07/25/analysis-what-sunk-sortas-tax-increase.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 30, 20186 yr Acting city manager recommends bus-only lane The city should set up a pilot project creating a bus-only lane on the right curb side of Main Street during afternoon rush hour, Acting City Manager Patrick Duhaney told the mayor and City Council in a memo. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/07/27/acting-city-manager-recommends-bus-only-lane.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 30, 20186 yr I'm generally a fan of bus-only lanes, but there are a few things I don't like about this idea: 1) they'd have to remove a curb bumpout and a tree (which is especially a bummer if they decide not to keep the bus-only lane after the pilot), 2) the streetcar doesn't stay in the curbside lane, so it wouldn't benefit from it, and 3) it would only be "busy-only" during the afternoon rush hour, which seems like will cause more confusion (I feel like having a clear signs/rules that apply at all hours would be better for everybody involved).
July 30, 20186 yr I don't know if the city is set up for a good N/S bus only lane. It could work E/W better but even then it would be hard to find a good bus alley with the highway configuration the way it is along 3rd, 5th and 6th street. Cleveland and Minneapolis did something like this with Euclid and Nicollet but the topography works better. there. Maybe if they started to use the Riverfront transit Center on a regular basis and that gives the bus only lanes.
July 30, 20186 yr I'm generally a fan of bus-only lanes, but there are a few things I don't like about this idea: 1) they'd have to remove a curb bumpout and a tree (which is especially a bummer if they decide not to keep the bus-only lane after the pilot), 2) the streetcar doesn't stay in the curbside lane, so it wouldn't benefit from it, and 3) it would only be "busy-only" during the afternoon rush hour, which seems like will cause more confusion (I feel like having a clear signs/rules that apply at all hours would be better for everybody involved). It would've been smarter to start with a southbound transit only lane on Walnut that could be used by both buses and the streetcar, IMO.
July 30, 20186 yr ^ Sounds like Main is a real hold up for buses and the streetcar, so I understand trying the bus-only lane on Main as opposed to Walnut. Is there a good reason for why the streetcar doesn't stay in the right lane on Main St? That has long been one of my primary frustrations with the design of the system. By zig-zagging across lanes, you lose the potential for a transit-only lane to have a meaningful impact on the streetcar. Very poor design there, though I'm sure there is probably some sort of explanation for why this occurs.
July 30, 20186 yr Currently Ohio does not charge sales tax on gasoline. I'm assuming that it's illegal for Hamilton County to levy a sales tax on gasoline sold within its borders. That would be a perfect funding source for transit, as would cap & trade at the state level, and the taxation of oil production. Apparently Ohio has had a law in place since 1960 that exempts oil production/shipping/storing from any taxation except at the point of sale...which is a dedicated tax for ODOT with none going to the locality or to the state's general budget. A way around it could be a special property tax on gas stations, but no doubt the oil company lobbyists would rain down on local government and fill the press will all sorts of misinformation.
July 30, 20186 yr ^ Sounds like Main is a real hold up for buses and the streetcar, so I understand trying the bus-only lane on Main as opposed to Walnut. Is there a good reason for why the streetcar doesn't stay in the right lane on Main St? That has long been one of my primary frustrations with the design of the system. By zig-zagging across lanes, you lose the potential for a transit-only lane to have a meaningful impact on the streetcar. Very poor design there, though I'm sure there is probably some sort of explanation for why this occurs. ^ To enable the double right-turn lanes. It's because of utilities. When PB designed the system they were told to make it interfere with existing utilities as little as possible to reduce costs. If the streetcar would have been in the right lane the whole way on Main, it would've been a slightly better design, but there would have been 8 additional blocks where the sewer main would have need to either be removed/replaced/modified and it would've probably added tens of millions to the project cost.
July 30, 20186 yr ^ Interesting. Thanks for the explanation. I know the budget was very tight with this project from the beginning, but it seems like it would have been a wise investment to get it done right the first time. Mixed-vehicle transit is a dicey enough proposition, as it subjects trains to traffic, stop lights, and a greater number of potential blockages. Add in vehicles that weave across lanes at different locations along the route, and these issues become that much worse. Are there sewer mains under all of the north-south streets downtown? If this was a big issue, maybe it would have made more sense to route the streetcar on a street without these built in challenges.
July 30, 20186 yr Looking at Main Street I can see that. However I think the lane shift on Walnut south of 5th is specifically because of the double turns onto 4th and 3rd. Another reason for Main Street could be to ensure a wide enough turn radius from 2nd to Main (or else it would require moving the stop line for other traffic way back), while also shifting over to eventually make the turn onto 12th without cutting across traffic the way it does at 2nd. I think these are both poor tradeoffs, but I also don't think keeping it entirely on the left side of Main would've been a problem. Just pick one side and stick with it, don't cross over.
July 30, 20186 yr It’s a huge swing and a miss that the streetcar doesn’t stay in the right hand lane and share a transit only lane with buses. No one was even thinking (or at least not talking) about transit only lanes back when the streetcar route was being laid out even though about 74%(!) of Metro bus riders use routes that utilize either Walnut or Main through the CBD: https://cincinnatiideas.com/2017/10/27/can-metro-unlock-the-value-hidden-in-our-streets-the-case-for-transit-only-lanes/ www.cincinnatiideas.com
July 30, 20186 yr Looking at Main Street I can see that. However I think the lane shift on Walnut south of 5th is specifically because of the double turns onto 4th and 3rd. Another reason for Main Street could be to ensure a wide enough turn radius from 2nd to Main (or else it would require moving the stop line for other traffic way back), while also shifting over to eventually make the turn onto 12th without cutting across traffic the way it does at 2nd. I think these are both poor tradeoffs, but I also don't think keeping it entirely on the left side of Main would've been a problem. Just pick one side and stick with it, don't cross over. True, if it stayed in the right lane the entire length of Main, it would need a special traffic phase at 12th & Main instead of at Government Square & Main. I don't think the lane change is that big of a deal, it should just be timed so that when a streetcar gets a special signal for the lane change, it also gets a green at 6th Street so it doesn't have to stop at light after light after light. The only way a special signal could have been completely avoided is if it made a left from Second Street directly into the left travel lane of Main Street, which likely would have required some special track work allowing for the extra wide turn sort of like this example in Portland. That special track work would have been even more complicated as it would be located on the Walnut Street bridge. Even though the streetcar won't directly benefit from the Main Street bus lane, it should indirectly benefit. The right lane is current never used as a travel lane, due to the bump-out. When the right lane is made into a travel lane and bus traffic is moved there, it should reduce the amount of congestion in the other two travel lanes, perhaps speeding up the streetcar a tad. Then if the can get the north-south green light time lengthened on Main and Walnut, that should speed up all transit even more.
July 30, 20186 yr It’s a huge swing and a miss that the streetcar doesn’t stay in the right hand lane and share a transit only lane with buses. No one was even thinking (or at least not talking) about transit only lanes back when the streetcar route was being laid out even though about 74%(!) of Metro bus riders use routes that utilize either Walnut or Main through the CBD: https://cincinnatiideas.com/2017/10/27/can-metro-unlock-the-value-hidden-in-our-streets-the-case-for-transit-only-lanes/ The transit lane that is being proposed right now is not a 24/7 transit-only lane. It will be used for parking during non-peak hours. So the streetcar track could not be built in that lane.
July 30, 20186 yr ^If the tracks were on the right hand side, the proposal could be for a permanent lane. As it is, I think there should be a bus only lane on Main for more hours than is currently proposed- maybe from 7am until 9pm or something. The number of people that would help is staggering especially compared to the handful of parking spaces lost. A huge increase in economic efficiency for the city as a whole. www.cincinnatiideas.com
July 30, 20186 yr Sure. However, the only reason the city is agreeing to even pilot a bus lane on Main Street is because it doesn't take away any travel lanes from cars. It only takes away some parking spaces during afternoon rush hour. If the proposal was to take away the parking lane entirely and make it into a full-time bus lane, it would be non-starter with our current city administration. If the proposal was to instead turn the right travel lane into a bus lane (even just a part-time one) in order to preserve the parking in the right hand travel lane, it would also be a non-starter with the current city administration.
August 10, 20186 yr Polls: Bus-only tax a loser; buses-plus-roads a big winner The reason why Cincinnati leaders proposed marrying a sales tax to expand bus service throughout Hamilton County to one that would be earmarked for road improvements is clear in a new set of polls obtained by the Business Courier. Bus-only tax increases would be soundly defeated, while a combination bus/infrastructure tax would pass with an overwhelming majority, based on the snapshots in time provided by the polls. The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority shelved a proposed November tax levy for bus and infrastructure improvements last month. It could not get consensus from both the city and Hamilton County appointees to the board, and there was a fundamental question about the legality of spending revenue from the tax increase on infrastructure. City of Cincinnati political leaders, including Mayor John Cranley and Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld, and members of the business community may push for SORTA to go forward with a levy in the next year or two. Using the new revenue for both expanded bus service and infrastructure still is expected to be the underpinning for the levy. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/08/09/polls-bus-only-tax-a-loser-buses-plus-roads-a-big.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
September 11, 20186 yr Cincinnati is in the finals for the "Sorriest Bus Stop" 2018 contest, pitted against Vancouver. https://usa.streetsblog.org/2018/09/11/this-is-it-sorriest-bus-stops-contest-final-pits-cincinnati-vs-vancouver/ Funny enough, I was just in Vancouver for the first time last week. Great city with impressive transit.
September 11, 20186 yr Workforce transit route connects Cincinnati, Dayton Southwest Ohio workers have greater access to transportation, thanks to a new bus route connecting Dayton and Cincinnati. WorkLink, a joint effort between the city of Middletown, Atrium Medical Center, the city of Monroe and Butler County Regional Transit Authority, kicked off Tuesday. The new bus route is meant to connect people to available jobs, and is the first public transit system between the Greater Dayton RTA, BCRTA and the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority. “The WorkLink route really showcases the region coming together to connect the available workforce with the open positions in the area, particularly in Middletown and Monroe,” said Middletown economic development director Jennifer Ekey. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/09/11/workforce-transit-route-connects-cincinnati-dayton.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
September 12, 20186 yr Cincinnati will get bus-only lane downtown The far right lane of Main Street between Government Square and Central Parkway will be used for buses only during afternoon rush from 4 to 6 p.m., Cincinnati’s city administration has decided. Officials hope the designation will reduce congestion and move public transit through downtown more quickly. Main Street is one of the most-crowded corridors in downtown during rush hour. The pilot program will cost $50,000 from the city’s transportation capital budget and include the removal of a “bump-out” at Seventh and Main streets, which is an extended sidewalk. It is not known yet when the lane would begin functioning. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/09/12/cincinnati-will-get-bus-only-lane-downtown.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
September 24, 20186 yr Workforce transit route connects Cincinnati, Dayton Southwest Ohio workers have greater access to transportation, thanks to a new bus route connecting Dayton and Cincinnati. WorkLink, a joint effort between the city of Middletown, Atrium Medical Center, the city of Monroe and Butler County Regional Transit Authority, kicked off Tuesday. The new bus route is meant to connect people to available jobs, and is the first public transit system between the Greater Dayton RTA, BCRTA and the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority. “The WorkLink route really showcases the region coming together to connect the available workforce with the open positions in the area, particularly in Middletown and Monroe,” said Middletown economic development director Jennifer Ekey. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/09/11/workforce-transit-route-connects-cincinnati-dayton.html 1 bus every 4 hours without good transit links on the Cincinnati side hmmmm. At the very least when I plug Cincinnati to Dayton in on google maps it won't say there is nothing connecting the two via transit...
October 9, 20186 yr COAST co-founder’s legislation could block SORTA levy from reaching ballot Two state lawmakers have introduced legislation in the Ohio House that could block the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority from going to the ballot next year with a countywide sales tax increase to expand bus service throughout Hamilton County. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/10/08/coast-co-founder-s-legislation-could-block-sorta.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
October 19, 20186 yr Rush hour, bus-only lane gets start date Cincinnati’s first bus-only lane will go into operation in mid-November during both morning and afternoon rush hours Monday through Friday, the city announced Thursday. Cars will be restricted from continuously traveling in the right curb lane of Main Street from Government Square to Central Parkway. That stretch of Main has four total lanes. The specific hours for such restrictions have not yet been announced. Non-bus vehicles will be allowed to turn right at Seventh Street and into and out of parking lots from the bus lane during the restricted hours. Pavement markers and overhead signage will be installed on Main Street this month. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/10/19/rush-hour-bus-only-lane-gets-start-date.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
October 22, 20186 yr It’s only going to be effective if the city enforces it and immediately tickets/tows cars that park/drive in that lane. Which I really doubt they will do.
October 24, 20186 yr Launch date, hours set for bus-only lane on Main Street Hours and a launch date have been set for Cincinnati’s first bus-only lane, the city announced Wednesday. Cincinnati’s newly designated rush-hour bus lane will run 7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. Monday through Friday beginning Nov. 5 along Main Street from Fifth Street (Government Square) to Central Parkway. Cars will be restricted from continuously traveling in the right curb lane of that stretch, which has four total lanes. Non-bus vehicles will be allowed to turn right at Seventh Street and into and out of parking lots from the bus lane during the restricted hours. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/10/24/launch-date-hours-set-for-bus-only-lane-on-main.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
November 5, 20186 yr Downtown's bus-only lane launches today Cincinnati’s newly designated rush-hour bus lane launches this morning. Lane restrictions will run 7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. Monday through Friday along Main Street from Fifth Street (Government Square) to Central Parkway. Cars will be restricted from continuously traveling in the right curb lane of that stretch, which has four total lanes. Non-bus vehicles will be allowed to turn right at Seventh Street and into and out of parking lots from the bus lane during the restricted hours. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/11/05/downtowns-bus-only-lane-launches-today.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
December 11, 20186 yr I am ... a little annoyed ... by this exchange. I am glad Council Member Dennard took the time to respond to this tweet and I hope she is able to speak to the appropriate people in the City Administration about this and make some real change happen. However, this issue is not new. The entire time that the bus lane has existed, it has barely been usable because it's often blocked by parked cars, and the police don't do anything about it. I find it hard to believe that this is the first that Council is hearing about this.
December 11, 20186 yr We saw two cars and a truck back to back in the lane yesterday at 4:35pm. It has been wasted money thanks to the Cranley Administration. "Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago." - Warren Buffett
December 11, 20186 yr It should be treated as a bus lane that you can park in on occasion, instead of a parking lane that you can't park in on occasion. People are always going to miss the signs, like they do in about 90% of the rush hour restricted lanes around town. If they're going to miss the signs, the design should reinforce the idea that you can't park there. You should have to read the sign to know that you can park. At very least it needs giant "bus only" graphics. Really, the entire lane should be a completely different color.
December 11, 20186 yr 30 minutes ago, Ram23 said: It should be treated as a bus lane that you can park in on occasion, instead of a parking lane that you can't park in on occasion. People are always going to miss the signs, like they do in about 90% of the rush hour restricted lanes around town. If they're going to miss the signs, the design should reinforce the idea that you can't park there. You should have to read the sign to know that you can park. At very least it needs giant "bus only" graphics. Really, the entire lane should be a completely different color. It's only a bus lane 12% of the time. The other 88% of the time it's a parking lane. That's the problem. If you paint it, it might be even more confusing.
December 11, 20186 yr ^ If it were painted, confused people would park somewhere else or not drive in that lane. That doesn't really cause any problems, aside from slightly inconveniencing confused people. As built, confused people park in the lane and completely prevent it from functioning. I think there's an argument to be made that it should be designed to prevent the most impactful mistakes, even if the trade off is a bit more confusion most of the time.
December 11, 20186 yr Let's be honest. Our city administration does not have an interest in dedicating more road space to transit riders. They were pressured into this bus lane "pilot" and put as little money and effort into it as they possibly could. When it's over, they will look at the data and say "see, it didn't speed up buses" (because it was usually blocked) and use that as a justification to cancel it.
December 11, 20186 yr 4 hours ago, taestell said: They were pressured into this bus lane "pilot" and put as little money and effort into it as they possibly could. Assistant City Manager John Juech literally just told City Council that the reason they haven't put down any paint on the lanes (like painting "Bus Only" or painting the entire lane red) is because it's only a "pilot project".
December 11, 20186 yr Peel and stick pavement decals? Hell, they could just use regular road paint (rather than thermoplastic) and pressure wash it off later. Granted painting the whole lane red would be ideal, but at least put down the stencils.
December 11, 20186 yr I mean, they already made a pretty big modification to Main Street by removing the existing ped bump-out. If they're willing to pour concrete, they should be willing to put down some paint. Just having "BUS ONLY" at the beginning of each block would make a major difference IMO.
December 17, 20186 yr Metro gets a grant that will allow it to replace portion of its fleet A federal grant worth $26.1 million will allow the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority to replace one out of every five buses with a new one, providing a major boost for a financially strained agency that has been depending on an increasingly aging fleet. SORTA, which runs the Metro bus service, will buy 70 new buses starting at the end of this year through 2019. SORTA provided a 20 percent match. SORTA received the grant from the Federal Transit Administration, the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/12/17/metro-gets-a-grant-that-will-allow-it-to-replace.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
December 18, 20186 yr SORTA CEO to exit Dwight Ferrell, the CEO of the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, will depart, the SORTA board announced on Tuesday. The board has formed a search committee to search for his replacement after accepting Ferrell's resignation. Ferrell will leave his role on Jan. 31 and remain a consultant for SORTA for the following six months under a $98,500 contract. Darryl Haley will become interim CEO on Feb. 1. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/12/18/sorta-ceo-to-exit.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
January 15, 20196 yr The SORTA board is not going to vote on a tax levy at their meeting tonight. Which means that, unless a special session is called, they will miss the deadline to put a levy on the May 2019 ballot.
January 16, 20196 yr The optimist in me hopes they shoot for the moon if they plan on waiting this out until Nov 2020, but the realist in me says they are just skittish because of a few loudmouth anti-tax people. They need to get ahead of any tax increase though. Have a comprehensive and 'sexy' marketing campaign to build some excitement, and please work more closely with the Better Bus Coalition on the marketing aspect. The 'well, we are considering increasing taxes, what do you guys think?' messaging they've been using the last few years will not work. You can't let COAST have the first or last word. Otherwise the local news will run with COAST's message and an army of 'concerned' Nextdoor users will have signed petition campaigns in all of their respective Hamilton County neighborhoods. I witnessed this first-hand in Wyoming this past summer. While my neighborhood is a fairly even mix of conservative and liberal views, most people were signing on to the anti-tax petition because those passing around the clipboards would phrase the questions: "Wouldn't you like a choice in whether your taxes go up?" Ignoring the actual reason they would be going up in the first place or the context behind it (state county funding being at an all time low). Edited January 16, 20196 yr by 10albersa
January 16, 20196 yr ^of course, the whole problem with democracies since ancient Greece. People can never figure it out. 2,000 years later the same crap keeps working, even amongst "educated" people.
Create an account or sign in to comment