Cincinnati's original streetcar plan (connecting the CBD with the Uptown business district) was tremendously crippled when Governor Kasich canceled the funding for this vital link.  While the streetcars will certainly be a boon to the downtown (especially in their connection to The Banks), it's the extension up into thriving Uptown that will enable the entire system to soar.  In comparison, the link between Columbus' CBD and OSU (as was previously pointed out by KJP and Walker Evans) is obviously a major selling point for a streetcar connection that may come sooner than expected.  Wouldn't the ridership promise to become almost phenomenal, and therefore just the catalyst needed for extensions in all other directions?

 

The circa 2007 Columbus streetcar plan didn't go all the way to OSU in the first phase.  Maybe it got to 5th or something like that -- I can't quite remember. 

 

I agree that High is a bit narrower than you would want, but the bigger issue perhaps is that there is already so much bus traffic that certain blocks could lose all of their on-street parking to bus and streetcar stops.  There would also be so much redundancy that you would want to turn the buses at Lane or Woodward or some similar point, but doing that would mean you'd have to run many more streetcars, which is not necessarily a bad thing, it would just greatly increase the initial capital capital cost since the order might be for 20 streetcars instead of 10. 

 

I always thought the rail plans placing tracks on 4th/Summit as a substitute for High were a big mistake. 

 

 

I always thought the rail plans placing tracks on 4th/Summit as a substitute for High were a big mistake. 

 

 

I think this location issue, High vs. 4th/Summit could spur some interesting counterpoint on the value and mission of transit.

The general strategy for rail transit should be to connect a city's strengths, thereby motivating redevelopment of whatever weak areas lie between them.  By missing OSU, (assuming the transit line woudl come from the north or northeast, not from the west across Lane, for example), a line on 4th/Summit doesn't achieve this.  Yeah, it would be cheaper, but the ROI could be lower, especially if it starts poaching activity off of High St. 

 

 

 

^That and both Summit and 4th are primarily residential.  While it'd be nice for the residents to get an old-school "trolley like the good ole' days," when starting a line, generally one wants to promote commercial districts surrounded by residential and not simply residential.

If the BRT scheduled for the Cleveland Ave. corridor works, I think you could do a version of that along the High Street/Summit/4th that makes room for streetcars from Lane to German Village on High. I would love to see a streetcar rolling past the Statehouse.

The circa 2007 Columbus streetcar plan didn't go all the way to OSU in the first phase.  Maybe it got to 5th or something like that -- I can't quite remember. 

Below is a map that shows the final streetcar route that was chosen in 2008.  It went up to the southern border of OSU at 11th/12th Avenue.  Just north of the South Campus Gateway development and to where the new Ohio Union was built.

 

I think the problem with a subway under High between Lane and Downtown, with various suburban lines joining the subway, is that in order to justify the project you'd have to leave blocks near the subway open to redevelopment as mid-rises and high-rises.  Perhaps to avoid the demoltion of Short North as we know it and its replacement by something like Portland's Pearl District, you would take the drastic step of not building a subway station in Short North.

I think the problem with a subway under High between Lane and Downtown, with various suburban lines joining the subway, is that in order to justify the project you'd have to leave blocks near the subway open to redevelopment as mid-rises and high-rises.  Perhaps to avoid the demoltion of Short North as we know it and its replacement by something like Portland's Pearl District, you would take the drastic step of not building a subway station in Short North.  is it's too frickin' expensive!

C'mon.  We're not playing SimCity.

Surface rail will probably suffice for Columbus except for the occasional bridge.

The fundamental problem is that regional commuter and/or light rail needs to reach OSU and downtown with a one-seat ride.  People aren't going to ride a commuter train to downtown, then ride a streetcar north on High to OSU.  Streetcars are fine for a lot of purposes, and as I mentioned a streetcar on High could be a worthwhile project on its own, but it needs to be thought of independently of a bigger regional system. 

 

Surface rail will probably suffice for Columbus except for the occasional bridge.

+1

 

I would expect to see flying cars before I see a subway under High Street.

The Case For Streetcars!

 

This graphic is making the rounds on the web today. Allow it to fully open and run through the entire sequence....

 

Man is that '80s. A Firebird and a 4-eyes Mustang right up front. And the people are wearing colors other than black.

Man is that '80s. A Firebird and a 4-eyes Mustang right up front. And the people are wearing colors other than black.

 

That's why it rocks! The worst day in U.S. history wasn't Dec. 7, 1941 or Sept. 11, 2001. It was Jan. 1, 1990 -- the day the 80s ended.

 

Here is a slower, stabilized version of that same one. Much more visually appealing.

One of the initiatives announced at Mayor Coleman's State of the City speech last night, as reported by Columbus Underground:

 

CU:  New Task Force will Explore Airport-Downtown Rail Connection

If any city is worth of a two line, North-South and East-West system with a map identical to Atlanta's MARTA system, it's Columbus.  Broad St and High St. Done.

^ Agree with ProkNo5.  The "Airport-Downtown Rail Connection" is one of the most provocative and worthy transportation ideas to emerge from this car-centric metro.  The nice thing about this concept is that it can be tweaked in ways to either satisfy or placate local naysayers.  Columbus really needs to get behind this one, big time and soon; the potential is there and it's promising in so many ways.  (Just do it!) 

Streetcar Conversation Restarted at Columbus Metro Club

By Walker Evans, Columbus Underground

May 28, 2014 - 6:00 am

 

John Carroll has been described as the “father” of the Portland Streetcar, the “sultan” of the Portland Streetcar and several other lavish titles.  He humbly laughs these phrases off when brought up in conversation, but one thing is certain — he has been around since the project was first started.

 

“In 1990, a Portland Councilmember asked me to spend three months putting together a plan and chair the advisory committee,” explained Carroll over drinks at Cafe Brioso yesterday afternoon. “That report was generated in 1993 but I’ve spent 24 years on it ever since.”

 

Carroll is one of two national guests who have been invited by the Columbus Metropolitan Club to speak at one of their weekly luncheon events taking place today, and the topic is obviously centered on transportation.  The forum is titled “ROI of Public Transportation” and while Carroll’s experiences vary across many forms of transit, he still speaks most excitedly about the Portland Streetcar.

 

MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/streetcar-conversation-restarted-at-columbus-metro-club

Companion article from Columbus Underground about today's Columbus Metropolitan Club forum entitled “ROI of Public Transportation”.  This article interviews the second of two national guests who have been invited to speak at the forum.

 

How much is Columbus Missing Out on Without Rail Transit?

By Walker Evans, Columbus Underground

May 28, 2014 - 6:00 am

 

Columbus has regularly been cited as the largest city in the United States with no passenger rail transit service of any kind at all.  And yet, despite that fact, our city seems to be doing ok.  Urban Analyst Aaron Renn has referred to Columbus as “The New Midwestern Star” and recently stated (at http://www.urbanophile.com/2014/05/26/checking-in-on-columbus/) that Columbus has “been growing at a reasonably rapid clip in both population and jobs, beating the US average significantly, though not measuring up to the Sunbelt boomtowns.  Columbus is basically what I mean by the ‘best practices’ city.”

 

So does Columbus actually need passenger rail service?  Aren’t we doing pretty well without it?  “Those are famous last words,” says Art Guzzetti, the Vice President of Policy at The American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

 

“We’re doing pretty well aren’t we?” he echoes. “That is not a forward-looking approach required to make a community grow. What does Columbus aspire to be as a region in the future, and how can we all observe the trends that are already happening? It’s better to figure out how we can skate to where the puck is going.”  Guzzetti hopes that some of the answers can be found in a new report released this month by APTA that showcases new information about the economic impact of public transportation investments.  He’ll be speaking today as a special guest at a Columbus Metropolitan Club luncheon focused the ROI of public transit.

 

MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/how-much-is-columbus-missing-out-on-without-rail-transit

I definitely like to see all of Ohio succeed, but as a Cincinnatian, the prospect of Columbus building a successful light rail network before we do is a little frightening.  I think it would raise Columbus to a whole other league, and Cincinnati might lose a whole generation of OSU students from Cincinnati that would stay in Columbus after graduation and never move back to Cincinnati (that is, moreso than what is already happening.)  But, I really shouldn't feel that way, because cooperation, not rivalries and jealousies, are what's needed within Ohio.  Maybe light rail in Columbus would finally be the catalyst to change attitudes towards transit and development in Cincinnati and across the whole state.

A little competition among the C's is not bad. Perhaps it will force them all to step up their game. The state/region has such a poor brand nationally that if Columbus starts to catch people's eyes it will in turn be good for Cincinnati, and vice-versa.

I definitely like to see all of Ohio succeed, but as a Cincinnatian, the prospect of Columbus building a successful light rail network before we do is a little frightening.  I think it would raise Columbus to a whole other league, and Cincinnati might lose a whole generation of OSU students from Cincinnati that would stay in Columbus after graduation and never move back to Cincinnati (that is, moreso than what is already happening.)  But, I really shouldn't feel that way, because cooperation, not rivalries and jealousies, are what's needed within Ohio.  Maybe light rail in Columbus would finally be the catalyst to change attitudes towards transit and development in Cincinnati and across the whole state.

 

The state of Ohio should take over all of the local transit agencies in the state (like NJ Transit) and transit should be supported by state taxes (Ohio Turnpike and reinstated estate tax).  That way they can make huge bus, streetcar, and train orders.  They can share spare parts and even maintenance workers. 

 

Again the critical characteristic of any transformative transit system for Columbus will be having lines from the northeast and northwest converge via bored tunnels into a tunnel stretching from Lane Ave. south to the statehouse.  This tunnel has stations at Lane, 11th, 5th, Convention Center/Amtrak, and Statehouse.  For example, the High St. line would continue north on High St., but streetcar lines on Indianola and Hudson (Cleveland Ave inbound to Hudson westbound) could travel from the UDF to High & Lane via a bored tunnel.  This brings transit into the region's #2 activity center in a way it simply couldn't otherwise.  Put streetcars on Hudson east to Cleveland.  Cincinnati faces the same dilemma.  Activity center #1 can be served without a lot of special infrastructure, but not both #2 and #1 by the same line without tunnels. 

 

I definitely like to see all of Ohio succeed, but as a Cincinnatian, the prospect of Columbus building a successful light rail network before we do is a little frightening.  I think it would raise Columbus to a whole other league, and Cincinnati might lose a whole generation of OSU students from Cincinnati that would stay in Columbus after graduation and never move back to Cincinnati (that is, moreso than what is already happening.)  But, I really shouldn't feel that way, because cooperation, not rivalries and jealousies, are what's needed within Ohio.  Maybe light rail in Columbus would finally be the catalyst to change attitudes towards transit and development in Cincinnati and across the whole state.

 

Generally, I think that the competition wouldn't be a bad thing.  As a Cincinnatian, I wouldn't say that I "fear" something like that happening.  Cleveland has had rail for a long time, and it's not in a whole other league than C-Bus or Cincy.  And if you consider the streetcar light rail, then it's almost impossible for Columbus to build a system before Cincinnati.

 

Practically, it sounds like Columbus has many of the same issues facing Cincinnati in terms of political will to get this done.  I generally consider Columbus to be more liberal than Cincy, but someone elsewhere in the thread (or maybe in the Cincinnati Streetcar thread, I dunno) made the point that any Columbus-wide votes necessarily take in a large amount of voters that are more suburban than urban.  In that regard, while Cincinnati may be hamstrung by having fewer residents and less money because of its limited geographical size, it does allow for the city proper to be greatly influenced by urban-minded voters; if it had Columbus-size boundaries, people from say Indian Hill would be voting on the streetcar.  This could be a real hurdle in getting a streetcar/light rail up and running in Columbus.  And as the recent zoo levy failure in Columbus demonstrates, the electorate of Columbus/Franklin County may look very skeptically at tax issues to fund big projects. 

 

In the end, I would be happy to see Columbus get a streetcar or light rail in place, but right now all we see are some stories advocating things like rail to the airport, a streetcar, or intercity rail to Chicago.  Until there is a real champion somewhere out there--politically, business-wise, or heck just an unrelenting advocate like John Schneider--it may be awhile for these things to come to fruition.  I hope they are successful, but the city sure seemed a heckuva lot closer to a streetcar a few years ago than it does to any rail now. 

Rail in Cleveland was not transformative because of the actual character of the Red Line and the Shaker Heights Rapid.  Neither of those are rapid transit lines straight down the major arterials i.e. the Euclid Ave. subway.  As soon as we point out the glaring flaws in Cleveland's red line routing, the Cleveland people get on here and start defending it.  The fact is the red line could be a supplementary line to a larger system but without the true spine of something like, say, the Red Line subway in Cambridge, MA, there is no transformative effect. 

 

That's why my enthusiasm for "rail" is very selective, to only the projects which I see as being very high return investments.  Grade separation between the DT and midtown area of any city should be priority #1 and in Columbus that is a 3-mile subway under High St. 

 

Generally, I think that the competition wouldn't be a bad thing.  As a Cincinnatian, I wouldn't say that I "fear" something like that happening.  Cleveland has had rail for a long time, and it's not in a whole other league than C-Bus or Cincy.  And if you consider the streetcar light rail, then it's almost impossible for Columbus to build a system before Cincinnati.

 

Practically, it sounds like Columbus has many of the same issues facing Cincinnati in terms of political will to get this done.  I generally consider Columbus to be more liberal than Cincy, but someone elsewhere in the thread (or maybe in the Cincinnati Streetcar thread, I dunno) made the point that any Columbus-wide votes necessarily take in a large amount of voters that are more suburban than urban.  In that regard, while Cincinnati may be hamstrung by having fewer residents and less money because of its limited geographical size, it does allow for the city proper to be greatly influenced by urban-minded voters; if it had Columbus-size boundaries, people from say Indian Hill would be voting on the streetcar.  This could be a real hurdle in getting a streetcar/light rail up and running in Columbus.  And as the recent zoo levy failure in Columbus demonstrates, the electorate of Columbus/Franklin County may look very skeptically at tax issues to fund big projects. 

 

In the end, I would be happy to see Columbus get a streetcar or light rail in place, but right now all we see are some stories advocating things like rail to the airport, a streetcar, or intercity rail to Chicago.  Until there is a real champion somewhere out there--politically, business-wise, or heck just an unrelenting advocate like John Schneider--it may be awhile for these things to come to fruition.  I hope they are successful, but the city sure seemed a heckuva lot closer to a streetcar a few years ago than it does to any rail now. 

 

People from the outside think that just because you see a lot of split-levels and ranches within the City of Columbus that the people who live in them are suburban-minded individuals. That's not really true. Most people who live within the city limits identify with the city (except when their kids are in one of the fringe zones where you live in the City but are served by a suburban school district). Suburban-minded individuals here despise Columbus City Schools and will not send their kids to one -- they take a crappy suburban school full of hillbilles over a highly ranked city one such as the ones in Clintonville and NW Columbus.

 

I think your third paragraph is the biggest issue. People are constantly leaving Columbus. Rather than stay and fight for transit people bolt for "real cities" as they call them that already have rail transit. Their job opens up and somebody from a city or area with no jobs takes over their position. That person is happy just to have a job and doesn't mind the lack of transit. Or that person uses their job in Columbus as a stepping stone to move to a city with rail transit and other urban amenities. And little in the way of advocacy and guidance seen in Cincinnati. Mayor Coleman has a lot on his plate and can't do it alone. And City Council is so distracted by the schools mess and being berated by the public over the school system that they don't seem to be interested in advocating for specific capital projects. And they'd have a hard time explaining how rail transit could help the public schools by keeping educated parents and future parents from bolting to other cities.

 

Cincinnati doesn't have the bolting problem as bad. Once a Cincinnatian, always a Cincinnatian. Cincinnati's problem is their explosive suburban dwellers that think the city "lost" and doesn't deserve anything positive.

^I should have been clearer (and the post I am referencing is from ColDayMan at the top of this page, so maybe I am going blind).  When I say "suburban" I don't mean that they refuse to identify with the city--more that even though they living in the city, they live a more suburban lifestyle which may affect the way they vote on these things or perceive these issues.  Your example of ranches and split levels is a good one.  I would suggest that simply because of the greater size, there is a far greater proportion of Columbus residents who live in what I would characterize as post-war, auto-centric suburban-style developments in Columbus than in Cincinnati.  (History of when the development occurred obviously plays into that as well.)  I am theorizing (and this could be wrong) that those voters don't think quite the same way about things that are more downtown/urban-centric, like streetcars that will only serve 2-3 miles of the city, as the voters in German Village or the Short North.  And that would seem to affect the ability of these kind of projects to get off the ground.  Cincy has plenty of that type of housing, too, but a lot of the city is older and resembles more of a streetcar-oriented neighborhood (that would have actually been served by streetcar) than a post-World War II suburban style development.  Just like the "Old Columbus" sections compared to the farther out stuff in Columbus.   

Rail in Cleveland was not transformative because of the actual character of the Red Line and the Shaker Heights Rapid.  Neither of those are rapid transit lines straight down the major arterials i.e. the Euclid Ave. subway.  As soon as we point out the glaring flaws in Cleveland's red line routing, the Cleveland people get on here and start defending it.

 

Because the Red Line was originally intended to be a street-free, high-speed entrance into Cleveland for interurban electric railways and to supplement the streetcar system. Its routing was not intended to be used for intra-urban commuting, which is what it was bastardized into in the 1950s. And for that there is no defense, including by me.

 

However, since the factories along the Red Line are all gone, now is the time for the Red Line to become the transformative asset. And if you read the Cleveland transit threads, I'm sure you already know this is underway.

Rail in Cleveland was not transformative because of the actual character of the Red Line and the Shaker Heights Rapid.  Neither of those are rapid transit lines straight down the major arterials i.e. the Euclid Ave. subway.  As soon as we point out the glaring flaws in Cleveland's red line routing, the Cleveland people get on here and start defending it. 

 

:box:

 

:ohsnap:

 

Some people have no problem cursing old plans for roads, becuase they are outdated and no longer relevant, yet have different standard for old rail plans, that are equally out of touch with today reality.

 

For Cleveland simply having rail service from Amtrak and GCRTA makes us less hungry for better service and service expansion. For a history of said division look at the transit ideas for the future. thread.

Below is the video of the Columbus Metropolitan Club forum on 'Return On Investment of Public Transit'.  John Carroll, a developer head of Portland Streetcar from Portland, Oregon, and Arthur Guzzetti, vice president of the American Public Transport Association spoke and took questions.  Columbus Underground also had an interview with each person HERE and HERE - posted earlier in this thread:

 

People are always asking why Columbus doesn't have streetcars or light rail.  Mostly it's because Columbus is a business-oriented community.  Columbus will get streetcars and/or light rail when the local business community gets behind it.  And up to now, they haven't been.

 

That's mostly because Columbus hasn't needed it for its economic growth up to now.  Commuter times are among the lowest for metros the size of Columbus.  You pretty much can drive and park anywhere you want to go - even in Downtown and the Short North.  Which was the reason the founder of Columbus Underground titled his recent article on the subject: How much is Columbus Missing Out on Without Rail Transit?

 

However, now that the business and political leadership in Columbus is reaching for higher aspirations, we're getting an answer to that question.  When the RNC dropped Columbus off its short list for their 2016 national convention, a lack of public transit options was cited.  When the massively successful Arnold Classic comes to Columbus every year, they need to spend heavily on shuttle buses to connect the multiple venues and hotels spread throughout downtown.  And as more and more people are living in the Short North and Downtown, they are looking for more convenient transportation options to connect the Short North/Downtown and German Village/Brewery District.

 

The business and political leaders are always talking now about taking Columbus "to the next level".  And some form of streetcar and/or light rail is going to be a part of that.  The trick is building the consensus to get behind it.  Columbus was getting to that point in 2007 and 2008, when the Mayor's Streetcar Committee issued a recommended downtown streetcar line.  Then the 2008 "Great Recession" hit hard.  All that momentum was lost while the City and businesses stabilized their budgets.

 

Now we are starting to see this issue bubble back up again.  Last month, COTA's downtown CBUS circulator route started - more about that here.  And it features a route very similar to the previously proposed streetcar route connecting the Short North-Downtown-German Village/Brewery District back in 2008.  And it is off to a good start.  However, the benefits of rails vs. buses for economic development return is the difference between permanence vs. transience - something that the developer head of the Portland Streetcar System pointed out so well in the CMC video in the previous post.

 

That's the type of agrument for better transit that can be persuasive here.  When the convention center and downtown hotels can see this benefitting them.  When developers in the Short North and Downtown can see this benefitting them.  When business and political leaders can see this taking Columbus to that next level they want to achieve. --- To paraphrase what I said previously - when the local business community sees this as being "good for business", we'll see streetcars and/or light rail in Columbus.

I agree with a lot of what you've said there.  I think that the commute times are a big deal--it is pretty easy to get around with a car in Columbus--and the timing of the 2008 recession certainly put it in a very difficult spot.  And there is obviously less of a reason to do something that may be transformative from a business development perspective if the city feels like it's doing well already. 

 

I don't know so much about the "business-oriented" aspect of it.  I would argue that Cincy is at least as business-oriented as Columbus, and perhaps even more so, but the streetcar is certainly not being built because business got behind it.  Now, if the point is that the only way that this kind of thing can happen is IF business gets behind it in Columbus, I confess that I have no idea about that, and don't know the facts ont he ground so to speak.  But I think that projects like this are in a lot of ways more political than business-oriented, and if someone in Columbus (whether part of or supported by the business community or not) has the political will to get the project going, it could certainly happen without the business community getting behind it. 

 

I will be watching with interest to see what happens next, in either event. 

The cast of characters who have their hand in decision making is much larger in Cincinnati.

As a former resident of C'Bus, my feeling is that the city would be better to develop a streetcar system for its close-in neighborhoods, as opposed to light rail. Aside from that, I also think a greater need is for a regional/commuter rail line which would run from Port Columbus airport to downtown and then to Delaware County. The explosive growth there has left US Rt 23 a traffic and stoplight choked road. How this gets done, I haven't a clue, except to say the so-called "titans" of the business community need to get on board.

 

People are always asking why Columbus doesn't have streetcars or light rail.  Mostly it's because Columbus is a business-oriented community.  Columbus will get streetcars and/or light rail when the local business community gets behind it.  And up to now, they haven't been.

 

That's mostly because Columbus hasn't needed it for its economic growth up to now.  Commuter times are among the lowest for metros the size of Columbus.  You pretty much can drive and park anywhere you want to go - even in Downtown and the Short North.  Which was the reason the founder of Columbus Underground titled his recent article on the subject: How much is Columbus Missing Out on Without Rail Transit?

 

However, now that the business and political leadership in Columbus is reaching for higher aspirations, we're getting an answer to that question.  When the RNC dropped Columbus off its short list for their 2016 national convention, a lack of public transit options was cited.  When the massively successful Arnold Classic comes to Columbus every year, they need to spend heavily on shuttle buses to connect the multiple venues and hotels spread throughout downtown.  And as more and more people are living in the Short North and Downtown, they are looking for more convenient transportation options to connect the Short North/Downtown and German Village/Brewery District.

 

The business and political leaders are always talking now about taking Columbus "to the next level".  And some form of streetcar and/or light rail is going to be a part of that.  The trick is building the consensus to get behind it.  Columbus was getting to that point in 2007 and 2008, when the Mayor's Streetcar Committee issued a recommended downtown streetcar line.  Then the 2008 "Great Recession" hit hard.  All that momentum was lost while the City and businesses stabilized their budgets.

 

Now we are starting to see this issue bubble back up again.  Last month, COTA's downtown CBUS circulator route started - more about that here.  And it features a route very similar to the previously proposed streetcar route connecting the Short North-Downtown-German Village/Brewery District back in 2008.  And it is off to a good start.  However, the benefits of rails vs. buses for economic development return is the difference between permanence vs. transience - something that the developer head of the Portland Streetcar System pointed out so well in the CMC video in the previous post.

 

That's the type of agrument for better transit that can be persuasive here.  When the convention center and downtown hotels can see this benefitting them.  When developers in the Short North and Downtown can see this benefitting them.  When business and political leaders can see this taking Columbus to that next level they want to achieve. --- To paraphrase what I said previously - when the local business community sees this as being "good for business", we'll see streetcars and/or light rail in Columbus.

 

I've been told by several people that owners of the Dispatch are particularly opposed to rail and that they have made their views clear to Mayor Coleman.

Yeah. The family doesn't want any more Democrats in the city. Rail transit makes Ds show up and keeps them from leaving.

jdm00 - I get what you mean by big projects like this being more political than business-oriented.  That's certainly true.  But in Columbus big politically-oriented projects like this don't happen without business support.  Or rather the support of "The Titans".  That's what GCrites and BuckeyeB are also saying.

 

"The Titans" - for those not familar - are the top business leaders in Columbus.  They are generally led by whoever is the current leader of the Wolfe Family - owners of the Dispatch, WBNS TV, AM, FM and the Ohio Company investment firm.  In more recent years, the Limited Founder Les Wexner and the current president of Nationwide Insurance are also up at the top of the Titan list. 

 

Business First did a profile of the current leader of the Wolfe Family - John F. Wolfe - in 2011 at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2011/12/30/businessperson-of-the-year-john.html.  In it, they noted that he was at the center of the two biggest political issues in Columbus: (1) the relocation of the casino and (2) the public purchase of Nationwide Arena.

I've been told by several people that owners of the Dispatch are particularly opposed to rail and that they have made their views clear to Mayor Coleman.

 

I'd be surprised if the Wolfe Family was vehemently opposed to streetcars or rail.  The 2007-08 streetcar effort got pretty far along before the 2008 Great Recession stopped it.  Plus, the Dispatch Printing Company has a 10 percent ownership stake in Nationwide Realty Investors - the developer of the downtown Arena District.  And they've supported other downtown development interests.  Which is what I meant by "when the local business community sees this as being "good for business", we'll see streetcars in Columbus".

 

I think if COTA's new downtown CBUS circulator route - which closely follows the 2008 proposed streetcar route connecting the Short North-Downtown-German Village/Brewery District - is a success, we might start seeing some Dispatch editorials praising it.  And then maybe some editorials talking about the benefits of streetcars vs. buses for economic development return.  If that happens, the political leadership will find a way to make streetcars happen.

Yeah. The family doesn't want any more Democrats in the city. Rail transit makes Ds show up and keeps them from leaving.

 

You're having a little fun with John Schneider aren't you?  Because the ship has sailed on preventing Columbus and Franklin County from turning deep blue.  Just look at the red vs. blue map KJP posted HERE in the 2016 Republican National Convention thread.

 

Up to the late 90's Columbus and Franklin County were much more Republican-leading.  But since then, it's been going heavily Democratic.  In 1999, Democratic Mayor Coleman won a competitive race.  In 2003, the Franklin County Republicans couldn't even field a GOP candidate!  And in 2007 and 2011, the GOP mayoral candidates against Coleman were tokens. --- In late 90's, Columbus City Council was divided 4-D's and 3-R's.  Now it's all 7 D's and there hasn't been a Republican elected to the City Council since 2003. --- And even in the larger Franklin County, the County Commissioners makeup went from 3-R's in the early 2000's to 2-D's and 1-R today.

I've been told by several people that owners of the Dispatch are particularly opposed to rail and that they have made their views clear to Mayor Coleman.

 

I'd be surprised if the Wolfe Family was vehemently opposed to streetcars or rail.  The 2007-08 streetcar effort got pretty far along before the 2008 Great Recession stopped it.  Plus, the Dispatch Printing Company has a 10 percent ownership stake in Nationwide Realty Investors - the developer of the downtown Arena District.  And they've supported other downtown development interests.  Which is what I meant by "when the local business community sees this as being "good for business", we'll see streetcars in Columbus".

 

I think if COTA's new downtown CBUS circulator route - which closely follows the 2008 proposed streetcar route connecting the Short North-Downtown-German Village/Brewery District - is a success, we might start seeing some Dispatch editorials praising it.  And then maybe some editorials talking about the benefits of streetcars vs. buses for economic development return.  If that happens, the political leadership will find a way to make streetcars happen.

 

The Dispatch was vehemently opposed to intercity passenger rail in 2010 and editorialized against it. I don't think they care one way or another about streetcars or light rail.

Yeah. The family doesn't want any more Democrats in the city. Rail transit makes Ds show up and keeps them from leaving.

 

You're having a little fun with John Schneider aren't you?  Because the ship has sailed on preventing Columbus and Franklin County from turning deep blue.  Just look at the red vs. blue map KJP posted HERE in the 2016 Republican National Convention thread.

 

Up to the late 90's Columbus and Franklin County were much more Republican-leading.  But since then, it's been going heavily Democratic.  In 1999, Democratic Mayor Coleman won a competitive race.  In 2003, the Franklin County Republicans couldn't even field a GOP candidate!  And in 2007 and 2011, the GOP mayoral candidates against Coleman were tokens. --- In late 90's, Columbus City Council was divided 4-D's and 3-R's.  Now it's all 7 D's and there hasn't been a Republican elected to the City Council since 2003. --- And even in the larger Franklin County, the County Commissioners makeup went from 3-R's in the early 2000's to 2-D's and 1-R today.

 

That's true. The one place in Ohio that has changed demographically and politically is Franklin County/Columbus.

I've been told by several people that owners of the Dispatch are particularly opposed to rail and that they have made their views clear to Mayor Coleman.

 

I'd be surprised if the Wolfe Family was vehemently opposed to streetcars or rail.  The 2007-08 streetcar effort got pretty far along before the 2008 Great Recession stopped it.  Plus, the Dispatch Printing Company has a 10 percent ownership stake in Nationwide Realty Investors - the developer of the downtown Arena District.  And they've supported other downtown development interests.  Which is what I meant by "when the local business community sees this as being "good for business", we'll see streetcars in Columbus".

 

I think if COTA's new downtown CBUS circulator route - which closely follows the 2008 proposed streetcar route connecting the Short North-Downtown-German Village/Brewery District - is a success, we might start seeing some Dispatch editorials praising it.  And then maybe some editorials talking about the benefits of streetcars vs. buses for economic development return.  If that happens, the political leadership will find a way to make streetcars happen.

 

The Dispatch was vehemently opposed to intercity passenger rail in 2010 and editorialized against it. I don't think they care one way or another about streetcars or light rail.

 

I suppose that I was making the assumption that 3C opposition meant light rail/streetcar opposition. Nonetheless, the changing political landscape of Columbus doesn't necessarily mean that the paper's owners like it.

 

See: The Dispatch buying the left-leaning Other Paper and shutting it down; also buying Columbus Monthly in the deal and removing anything political or that would reveal semi-secrets of how the city really works and filling it with restaurants and home improvement info.

I've been told by several people that owners of the Dispatch are particularly opposed to rail and that they have made their views clear to Mayor Coleman.

 

I'd be surprised if the Wolfe Family was vehemently opposed to streetcars or rail.  The 2007-08 streetcar effort got pretty far along before the 2008 Great Recession stopped it.  Plus, the Dispatch Printing Company has a 10 percent ownership stake in Nationwide Realty Investors - the developer of the downtown Arena District.  And they've supported other downtown development interests.  Which is what I meant by "when the local business community sees this as being "good for business", we'll see streetcars in Columbus".

 

I think if COTA's new downtown CBUS circulator route - which closely follows the 2008 proposed streetcar route connecting the Short North-Downtown-German Village/Brewery District - is a success, we might start seeing some Dispatch editorials praising it.  And then maybe some editorials talking about the benefits of streetcars vs. buses for economic development return.  If that happens, the political leadership will find a way to make streetcars happen.

 

The Dispatch was vehemently opposed to intercity passenger rail in 2010 and editorialized against it. I don't think they care one way or another about streetcars or light rail.

 

I suppose that I was making the assumption that 3C opposition meant light rail/streetcar opposition. Nonetheless, the changing political landscape of Columbus doesn't necessarily mean that the paper's owners like it.

 

Agreed. The demographics might have changed, but the Wolfe family has not. They are still very conservative.

Damn, The Other Paper is gone?  Ugh.  Whoever their music reviewer was was hilarious, especially his annual scuffle with Rush fans. 

Yeah. The family doesn't want any more Democrats in the city. Rail transit makes Ds show up and keeps them from leaving.

 

You're having a little fun with John Schneider aren't you?  Because the ship has sailed on preventing Columbus and Franklin County from turning deep blue.  Just look at the red vs. blue map KJP posted HERE in the 2016 Republican National Convention thread.

 

Up to the late 90's Columbus and Franklin County were much more Republican-leading.  But since then, it's been going heavily Democratic.  In 1999, Democratic Mayor Coleman won a competitive race.  In 2003, the Franklin County Republicans couldn't even field a GOP candidate!  And in 2007 and 2011, the GOP mayoral candidates against Coleman were tokens. --- In late 90's, Columbus City Council was divided 4-D's and 3-R's.  Now it's all 7 D's and there hasn't been a Republican elected to the City Council since 2003. --- And even in the larger Franklin County, the County Commissioners makeup went from 3-R's in the early 2000's to 2-D's and 1-R today.

 

That's true. The one place in Ohio that has changed demographically and politically is Franklin County/Columbus.

 

HamCo also has turned blue, albeit to a lesser extent.

Damn, The Other Paper is gone?  Ugh.  Whoever their music reviewer was was hilarious, especially his annual scuffle with Rush fans. 

 

John Petric? I see him at the grocery store from time to time.

Commuter rail being considered to link Port Columbus to downtown

By Evan Weese, Staff Reporter

Columbus Business First - Oct 31, 2014, 1:06pm EDT

 

Long on the wish list of Mayor Michael Coleman, light or commuter rail is being studied by his Jobs, Expansion and Transportation task force as an easier way to navigate Central Ohio.  The 14-member task force, formed in April, met Friday for its penultimate meeting before final recommendations are made early next year, with much discussion centered around the topic.

 

The JET task force's economic development and air services working groups shared updates, but it was William Murdock, executive director of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission and chair of a working group on regional transportation, who spoke in more depth about his team's efforts, including a months-long study set to be released in 60 to 90 days.

 

The study's not just considering fixed rail but also the use of airport land for a multi-modal transportation hub that would bring together rail, bus and even bike, for connectivity to employment centers such as downtown, Easton Town Center and Ohio State University.

 

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2014/10/31/commuter-rail-being-considered-to-link-port.html

Light rail to Port Columbus, along High Street being recommended to JET task force

 

A rail link between downtown and Port Columbus International Airport is among recommendations being made by a group of Ohio State University students looking at mass-transit feasibility for Mayor Michael Coleman's Jobs, Expansion and Transportation task force.

 

Eleven students from the semester-long course - created to work real-world consulting assignments - considered how the city might go about implementing a mass-transit system, Professor Chad Gibson said. The assignment, at the suggestion of advocacy group Transit Columbus, was to look specifically at an airport-to-downtown connector.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2014/12/commuter-rail-to-port-columbus-along-high-street.html

^This is excellent.  Let's hope C-Bus keeps the pressure on for airport rail.