SORTA is starting talk of a 2017 ballot initiative:

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/money/business/2016/11/16/sorta-longingly-eyes-2017-tax-levy/93956094/

 

The wording in that article is confusing.  Warren and Butler Counties pay Metro to operate the expresses, but Hamilton County does not pay in anything.  Yet the county commissioners get to appoint commissioners. 

Better buses coming soon for Greater Cincinnati's suburban commuters

 

 

Those who commute to downtown Cincinnati from West Chester, Mason, Clermont County and Harrison on Metro’s express routes will soon be riding on more comfortable buses with more amenities.

 

The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority announced Wednesday that new buses featuring high-back reclining seats and ports and outlets so people can plug in cellphones, computers and tablets will debut Dec. 5. Metro will unveil the buses to reporters tomorrow.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/11/30/better-buses-coming-soon-for-greater-cincinnatis.html

SORTA is starting talk of a 2017 ballot initiative:

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/money/business/2016/11/16/sorta-longingly-eyes-2017-tax-levy/93956094/

 

 

At the most recent SORTA meeting they discussed revenue from 1/2 cent, 3/4 cent, and 1-cent sales taxes.  Sales tax receipts at those levels will be reduced over their current levels because Ohio is no longer going to collect sales tax on an array of Medicaid items.  It's going to have a severe effect on Cleveland RTA and other transit agencies that collect most or their money from a sales tax.  For the time being SORTA is immune since it gets its funding from a .3% city earnings tax. 

 

The other thing is that SORTA is considering a 10-year tax meaning we'll face another dramatic showdown in 2027, right after a possible stadium tax renewal.  Also a 10-year tax does not permit bonding for capital improvements, so no rail. 

 

 

 

 

It's pretty shocking to me that in 2017, when so much of our shopping is done online now, so many state and local governments are just a-ok with the fact that less sales tax is being collected because online stores aren't automatically collecting sales tax. I know that Amazon now collects taxes in many states because they have shipping locations in many states so they often no longer qualify for that loophole.

^ I don't know that they are okay with it, I think they are all trying (and struggling) to figure out how to tax online sales. Right now states put the onus on the consumer, which probably isn't working very well. Consumers in Ohio are required to list the amount of online purchases they made, that weren't taxed, on their state tax return, and pay the tax at that time. If you buy something on Amazon or some chain retailer that has stores in Ohio, you don't have to include it as it is taxed by the seller.

I wonder what percentage of people check that box? 0.5%?

Right, the problem is nobody checks that box. At the end of the year, I don't know how I would even tally up how much I spent on tax-free online purchases. Am I really supposed to make a spreadsheet and add a row to it each time I make an online purchase so that I have an accurate amount to put on my tax return at the end of the year? There needs to be a way to solve this problem by having the retailers collect it, either via a federal law or an interstate compact.

SORTA is building a "transit center" with four bus bays, in Oakley at the corner of Ibsen and Marburg (on the back of the LA Fitness): https://www.google.com/maps/@39.160865,-84.4245042,3a,75y,32.23h,79.01t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1slE_-KviGwgl5AY8LYGM4Jg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

Here's the news release:

http://go-metro.com/news/772/72/METRO-AWARDS-CONTRACT-TO-BUILD-NEW-OAKLEY-TRANSIT-CENTER

 

It's a shame that this whole Oakley Station area is so pedestrian-hostile. If the city/developers had been more committed to creating a high density, walkable development, this area could have been so much more vibrant than the big box retail center we ended up with.

^ Right, and the reason it ended up as a big box shopping plaza rather than a walkable development is directly linked to the fact that John Cranley, when he was Chair of the Budget & Finance Committee, cut off funding to the Planning Department and decimated it.

Its basically a Park and Ride loading station at the end of the #4 and #51 bus routes.

Coming soon: A transit center for Oakley Station

 

A new transit center for Oakley got twin approvals this week as the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority approved a contract to build it while the Cincinnati Planning Commission OK’d a lease on Friday of city right-of-way on Ibsen Avenue to build the project.

 

The planning commission approved a $1 per year lease for the site at Ibsen and Marburg avenues in Oakley Station near Kroger and Target. The transit center would provide a new boarding place for workers at the massive retail complex who get to work on Metro’s 41 and 51 routes that connect Cincinnati’s east and west sides as well as routes 4, 11 and 12x, which serve downtown.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/01/20/coming-soon-a-transit-center-for-oakley-station.html

SORTA asks city for cash to avoid route cuts

 

Looking to avoid service cuts or fare increases, the board that runs the Metro bus service decided Tuesday to ask the city of Cincinnati to cover its $3 million projected deficit for 2018 from transit reserve funds.

 

The city keeps some of the 0.3 percent transit earnings tax that funds Metro in reserve accounts, according to Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority officials, and it could be tapped to cover SORTA’s deficit if the budget gap cannot be closed through cuts. The City Council would have to approve the allocation of those reserves.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/03/21/sorta-asks-city-for-cash-to-avoid-route-cuts.html

I'm getting the vibe that a transit tax isn't going to end up on the ballot this November.

Regarding SORTA's bus stops:

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2017/03/21/bus-shelter-ok/99447228/

TANK has started to replace the Southbank Shuttle "trolley buses". Unfortunately I was unable to snap a picture or find any details on the replacements.

TANK has started to replace the Southbank Shuttle "trolley buses". Unfortunately I was unable to snap a picture or find any details on the replacements.

 

I saw those. They look a little... off. One change appears to be that they have wheelchair lifts in the front instead of the rear.

SORTA moves toward delaying bus levy; fare increases possible

 

Board members overseeing the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority moved on Tuesday toward placing a sales tax levy on the 2018 Hamilton County ballot, and the agency’s CEO said riders could face fare increases in the next year as it grapples with steep budget deficits and a transit system that does not connect enough people to jobs.

 

While a SORTA committee passed a resolution that says it intends to place a bus-only levy to deal with its troubled balance sheet and to expand service throughout the county on the 2018 ballot, it also directed Metro’s staff to prepare one for 2017, which did not happen.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/06/13/sorta-moves-toward-delaying-bus-levy-fare.html

^What I don't understand about this whole thing with SORTA is why don't they come up with a concrete plan in terms of: what type of routes, what type of changes, BRT routes, etc.  Then that would make it look better in terms of the public perception.  That said, they probably don't have much money to actually do any planning besides needing some cash to to keep afloat

I think the decision to push off the ballot measure was purely political. Cranley wants to be able to say he supports bus riders and wants to improve bus service and keep fares low... but he also doesn't want to get behind a tax increase to fund Metro that would potentially cause him to lose support from his conservative base. The ballot measure will conveniently be pushed off until after the mayoral election now.

This buys Cranley some cover.  There was no reason to put it off until 2018 other than election year politics. 

 

 

SORTA BOARD SETS STAGE TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE BUS SYSTEM IN 2018

 

 

Seeks to change from city-based earnings tax to countywide sales tax for expanded Metro bus service

 

The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) Board of Trustees voted to express its intent to place a Hamilton County-wide sales tax levy on the November 2018 ballot. The percentage of the proposed increase was not specified at the board’s monthly meeting on Tuesday. SORTA also directed its staff to encourage the Mayor and City Council to achieve clarity on the disposition of the city earnings tax now being collected for public transportation purposes.

 

If passed, a sales tax initiative would help expand and improve Metro bus service throughout Hamilton County. Depending on the level, improvements could include new crosstown routes and circulators, new Metro*Plus services and future Bus Rapid Transit, more frequent/extended service on existing routes, expanded Access service, new transit centers and park & rides, right-sized vehicles, better connections to jobs and better use of technology to improve the user experience.

 

No funds from a Metro tax initiative would go toward the Cincinnati Bell Connector. About half of SORTA’s operating budget comes from 3/10th of 1 percent of the City of Cincinnati earnings tax that is dedicated for transit use only. SORTA does not currently receive funding from Hamilton County. The transit agency is required by law to balance its budget.

 

“Metro has an opportunity to expand and improve bus service to better serve those who need it and those who choose to use it,” said Jason Dunn, SORTA board chair. “We have much work ahead on this path toward a more connected region that we believe will improve our community’s quality of life.”

 

“Something has to change,” he continued. “Our reliance on funding from the City of Cincinnati has not allowed us to serve areas outside of the city, where thousands of jobs are located, many of them available to city residents if they can get there. If nothing changes, Metro’s situation only gets worse, and area bus riders will suffer.”

 

A University of Cincinnati (UC) Economics Center study found that 75,000 jobs in the region are not easily accessible by Metro.

 

Next steps for SORTA include receiving final reports from AECOM, a transit planning firm working with Metro to plan and design the service improvements, as well as the UC Economics Center regarding the community impacts of the proposed improvements.

 

SORTA also needs clarification of the City’s intended disposition of the earnings tax currently being collected by the City for public transportation purposes if voters approve a countywide sales tax to fund Metro. The Metro Futures Task Force, a group of 20 private citizens who undertook an independent review of Metro, in 2016 recommended that Metro be funded by a countywide (or beyond) sales tax and that the current earnings tax it receives be eliminated.

 

Moving forward, SORTA also will seek an independent financial review, continue to operate efficiently and effectively and continue to listen and talk with the community.

 

SORTA is expected to make its decision about the level of sales tax increase it would seek next year. Options under consideration include .5 percent, .75 percent and 1 percent.

 

 

As a political subdivision of the State of Ohio, SORTA is authorized to place a sales or or property tax on the ballot in Hamilton County.

 

 

 

#  #  #

 

 

I read last night that BART's overall ridership is down 9% despite increased overcrowding during rush hours.  So the train system's late night and weekend ridership is getting slaughtered by Uber and Lyft.  I haven't seen any night or weekend numbers for Metro and Tank, but no doubt they are suffering thanks to this competition. 

 

The revenue source that Cincinnati city council could pass at any time would be a $1.75 surcharge for all rideshare rides that would go directly to SORTA and help offset the decline in revenue.  If Uber and Lyft don't agree then they can't operate in the city. 

$1.75 per ride is unbelievably harsh.

SORTA board to cut service in least-used bus routes

 

The financially strapped Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority plans to trim back service on its three least-used Metro bus routes as part of a cost-saving plan before they go to voters next year with a sales tax request, WVXU reports.

 

The three lines impacted by the service cuts would be Route 1, which serves Mount Adams, Eden Park and the Museum Center, Route 28 in the East End and Milford, and Route 50, which extends west along the river to Sayler Park.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/07/19/sorta-board-to-cut-service-in-least-used-bus.html

Wow, so Mt. Adams will have no weekend bus service at all. I used the 1 pretty often when I lived in Mt. Adams, but the hour and 20 minute headways on weekends made using it very challenging. It's just crazy to me that a dense, successful urban neighborhood immediately adjacent to downtown isn't going to have weekend bus service.

It's time for...

 

$1.75 per ride is unbelievably harsh.

 

Honestly it should be much higher since we should be requiring Uber to pay a living wage to its drivers.  As has been discussed elsewhere, Uber is losing 40% on every ride despite paying less than minimum wage to the drivers.  If we saw $5 rides around the basin go up to $12, we wouldn't see so much casual use.  Sure, some people would still take it 3 blocks from Fountain Square to The Banks, but at least the drivers would be fairly paid and SORTA would get some compensation for the riders they keep losing to this immoral competitor.

It's time for...

 

 

It's about time someone made a modern wiremobile:

 

Wow, so Mt. Adams will have no weekend bus service at all. I used the 1 pretty often when I lived in Mt. Adams, but the hour and 20 minute headways on weekends made using it very challenging. It's just crazy to me that a dense, successful urban neighborhood immediately adjacent to downtown isn't going to have weekend bus service.

 

There is a massive cultural problem in Cincy regarding bus use.  I've seen it in other cities but none as urban as Cincy is.

This project was awarded $6.6 million on funding from OKI recently: http://www.oki.org/uptown-transit-hub/

So this garage is part of some conceptual "I-71 BRT" line which would have to make multiple turns to get to the garage? They just rebuilt the entire street grid in that part of the city and they couldn't incorporate a more direct route for this "BRT" line? Whoever designed this simply does not understand what BRT is.

So this garage is part of some conceptual "I-71 BRT" line which would have to make multiple turns to get to the garage? They just rebuilt the entire street grid in that part of the city and they couldn't incorporate a more direct route for this "BRT" line? Whoever designed this simply does not understand what BRT is.

 

Yes, it should probably not go in an "S" like that.

 

And what's with these Uptown shuttles being proposed? Are they going to be part of the bus system?

It would be cool if UC and the hospitals would scrap the individual shuttles that they run, and instead have a few consolidated Uptown Circulator shuttles that also connect to this new transit hub/park and ride.

So this garage is part of some conceptual "I-71 BRT" line which would have to make multiple turns to get to the garage? They just rebuilt the entire street grid in that part of the city and they couldn't incorporate a more direct route for this "BRT" line? Whoever designed this simply does not understand what BRT is.

 

Yes, it should probably not go in an "S" like that.

 

And what's with these Uptown shuttles being proposed? Are they going to be part of the bus system?

 

It will probably be "Hop-On Cincy" style shuttle buses to prevent Uptown from even considering a streetcar extension.

So this garage is part of some conceptual "I-71 BRT" line which would have to make multiple turns to get to the garage? They just rebuilt the entire street grid in that part of the city and they couldn't incorporate a more direct route for this "BRT" line? Whoever designed this simply does not understand what BRT is.

 

Yeah... especially in the absence of a broader "master plan" for that area, it's hard to know how this facility will interface with the surrounding blocks. I hope this design was done with some kind of proper vision for how buildings will surround it.

The city is putting out an RFP for "Transportation Service Provider:"

This new opportunity showcases the City’s commitment to using data and technology to improve various systems. The goal of this RFP is to develop a platform that will interface with multiple stakeholders to generate data around multimodal transportation and parking availability. The platform would consolidate transportation and parking information, allowing users to plan trips around multimodal transportation and locating, reserving, and paying for parking and transportation in advance of a visit to or around the city.

 

http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/community-development/news/it-s-a-block-party-city-unveils-new-cluster-of-rfps/#.WcLXc4dQ0fA.twitter

My latest blog post in favor of transit only lanes:

 

 

https://cincinnatiideas.com/2017/10/27/can-metro-unlock-the-value-hidden-in-our-streets-the-case-for-transit-only-lanes/

From the Enquirer's article on Cranley's top priorities for his second term:

 

Public transportation: Cranley is pushing a half-cent-per-dollar sales tax for all of Hamilton County. He would like to see the plan put to voters next year, but there will be negotiations with the Hamilton County Commission and the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA).

 

Cranley's plan also calls for a 0.2 percent cut to the city earnings tax, which contributes $50 million to the Metro bus system each year.

 

So, it sounds like Cranley is trying to pull a fast one here. The city currently gives 0.3 percent of its earnings tax to Metro. Cranley says he wants to cut the earnings tax by 0.2 percent. Does that mean that the remaining 0.1 percent would still go to Metro? I doubt it. I think Cranley wants shift Metro's funding from the city to the county, cut the city earnings tax by only 0.2 instead of 0.3, and keep the remaining 0.1 for the city to spend on whatever he prioritizes. That way he can claim that he's hiring more cops or paving more roads and giving everyone a tax cut. But what the people won't realize is that their city earnings tax actually increased by 0.1 percent.

I would support keeping at least a portion of the .3% to pay for capital improvements within city limits for transit and/or reduced fares for residents in the city. Half of our contribution is equal to the total revenue collected at the fare box by SORTA. Free public transit for city residents would be nice.

 

IF we pass a county wide tax to pay for SORTA, we'll never get another increase again at the ballot box. I would love to see some of that .3% stay on and we use it to pay for transit only lanes, signal priority, bike lanes, rail, etc.

From the Enquirer's article on Cranley's top priorities for his second term:

 

Public transportation: Cranley is pushing a half-cent-per-dollar sales tax for all of Hamilton County. He would like to see the plan put to voters next year, but there will be negotiations with the Hamilton County Commission and the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA).

 

Cranley's plan also calls for a 0.2 percent cut to the city earnings tax, which contributes $50 million to the Metro bus system each year.

 

So, it sounds like Cranley is trying to pull a fast one here. The city currently gives 0.3 percent of its earnings tax to Metro. Cranley says he wants to cut the earnings tax by 0.2 percent. Does that mean that the remaining 0.1 percent would still go to Metro? I doubt it. I think Cranley wants shift Metro's funding from the city to the county, cut the city earnings tax by only 0.2 instead of 0.3, and keep the remaining 0.1 for the city to spend on whatever he prioritizes. That way he can claim that he's hiring more cops or paving more roads and giving everyone a tax cut. But what the people won't realize is that their city earnings tax actually increased by 0.1 percent.

 

Why are all of his goals for his second term something that is up to the Hamilton County Commissioners? Why didn't he run for Hamilton County Commission?

Lol

The tax shift accomplishes nothing for the bus rider and might even reduce service in the city if the makeup of the SORTA board changes and decides to allocate subsidies more evenly throughout the county. 

 

To add a 1/2 cent tax without changing the current city earnings tax would be...Metro Moves.  Cut out the rail portion of Metro Moves and we could run a ton of buses. 

 

If the bus system is shifted to a county sales tax, there could be a future (although unlikely) city earnings tax increase BACK to 2.1% that could pay for rail in the city.  So the opposite of the funding scheme for Metro Moves, and rail only in the city limits. 

 

Remember, the earnings taxes in Columbus, Cleveland, and even immediately across the river in all of the Kentucky cities is 2.5%. 

At this point it's going to take UC and the hospitals to demand that the streetcar be extended to their area for it to happen. 

Surprised to see no one here has mentioned the Better Bus Coalition's recently-released Better Bus Plan.

 

I think their cost estimation is a tad (/s) off, given that the plan calls for boring tunnels through Mt. Auburn. It's nice to see some dialogue started on this topic, as SORTA appears poised for some big changes. Perhaps county voters would be more inclined to support a more robust funding structure with a clear vision of where SORTA wants to go with the money.

A citizen group's work and plan could get a revamp of the ailing Metro system off the ground

Better Bus Coalition hopes to influence SORTA

 

CINCINNATI -- Fresh off his re-election, Mayor John Cranley has pledged to revamp the region's ailing bus system during his second term. How and when he plans to do so remains unclear, but a group of transit advocates are hoping their recently released plan will accelerate the timeline.

 

"We're gonna force this conversation," said Cam Hardy, president of the Better Bus Coalition. "We do wish the mayor would embrace us a little bit more than he has, but hopefully he comes around and sees that we mean business and work together."

 

Using detailed route maps and census data, the Hamilton County Better Bus Plan outlines the group's wishlist for Metro service in the region, including more neighborhood transit hubs, additional crosstown routes and several bus-rapid-transit lines.

 

Cont

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/contributors/2017/12/18/time-now-lets-reinvent-cincinnatis-metro-system/953297001/

 

It's hilarious how there continues to be no mention of what will happen to the city earnings tax if a county sales tax passes. 

^ I think they will ultimately end up pushing the 0.5% sales tax, essentially flipping the funding from the city to the county. The city will be the real winner as they will keep some or all of that 0.3% earnings tax.

 

I don't know why SORTA is proposing to abandon the earnings tax in the first place. I'd have no problem voting for a 0.5% sales tax in addition to the maintaining the current earnings tax, which would nearly double their budget. If SORTA isn't going to gain much of anything but the city gets a big increase in tax dollars, I'm voting against it. I'll vote to raise taxes specifically for transit, but not to raise taxes to give the city tens of millions to spend as the mayor sees fit.

My ideal scenario is a ~.75% increase that will allow Metro to expand operations and invest in the future, coupled with a decrease in the city earnings tax, but not a complete elimination. I would like to see the reduced earnings tax go into capital improvements in city limits (BRT lanes, signal preemption, bus stations, etc). Or possibly continue to go into SORTA as it does now, and continue with a reduced fare for city residents.

^ I think they will ultimately end up pushing the 0.5% sales tax, essentially flipping the funding from the city to the county. The city will be the real winner as they will keep some or all of that 0.3% earnings tax.

 

I don't know why SORTA is proposing to abandon the earnings tax in the first place. I'd have no problem voting for a 0.5% sales tax in addition to the maintaining the current earnings tax, which would nearly double their budget. If SORTA isn't going to gain much of anything but the city gets a big increase in tax dollars, I'm voting against it. I'll vote to raise taxes specifically for transit, but not to raise taxes to give the city tens of millions to spend as the mayor sees fit.

 

Metro's current board does not want to eliminate the city earnings tax. They want to keep it and add a countywide sales tax. However three members of the SORTA board are resigning under mysterious circumstances, i.e., Cranley told them to resign so they can be replaced by new members that support repealing the earnings tax.

Keeping the current earnings tax and adding a .25% county sales tax would fund a significant expansion in bus service and enable them to keep fares where they are at least for a few years.  I'm a little upset that Cranley is so hell-bent on this tax shift idea because I'm not sure what the point is and fear the worst.