50 bucks? Why do programs meant to educate the public always cost so damn much?

It's also a fund-raiser for 1-Thousand Friends of Central Ohio, which is one of the groups advocating for things like streetcars, light rail and intercity passenger rail.  The $50 gets you a membership and a voice in the process.  That's coffee money for some people in a month at Starbucks..... and no, I'm not advocating anyone give up their daily jolt of House Blend.

Happy to report that slightly over 60 people attended, including advocates from All Aboard Ohio, 1-Thousand Friends of Central Ohio, The Sustainability Roundtable and the Downtown Residents Association.

 

Mike Reese, Mayor Coleman's Chief of Staff, confirmed that the option of making the inital route rach the OSU campus is being explored in lieu of running it into the German Village / Brewery District area until the I-70-71 split and the "caps" are done.  Reese also said that Mayor Coleman wants to have the initial streetcar line operational by 2012, the year of the Columbus Bi-Centennial.  He said the time between now and next Spring is critical for streetcar advocates to make their voices heard, as there will be a recommendation made by the consultants on both a route plan and a proposal on how to fund the engineering and construction by early Spring.

From Tim Doulin's "Cranky Commuter" Blog in the Dispatch.  If you go to the link below, you can also leave comments:

 

October 10, 2007

Street(car) Talk

 

Mike Reese, chief of staff to Mayor Michael B. Coleman, gave an update on plans for a Downtown streetcar system Wednesday night at The Venue at Smith Brothers on N. 4th Street.  A decision on whether to build a streetcar system will be made by the mayor and city council some time next year, Reese told about 50 people attending the event held by 1000 Friends of Central Ohio.

 

If it gets the green light, Coleman wants a “modern” streetcar system that is up and running by 2012, Reese said.  Efforts would focus initially on a High Street line, Reese said.  But there likely would be a new wrinkle.

 

With the Ohio Department of Transportation’s major reconstruction of the I-70/71 corridor likely to begin construction in 2012 or later, the city doesn’t want have to contend with that by building a streetcar line that would have to cross over top the freeway.  That means the High Street line wouldn’t extend to German Village and the Brewery District, as a working group appointed by Coleman last year mentioned.

 

Posted by Tim Doulin on October 10, 2007 9:04 PM

Full entry at http://blog.dispatch.com/commuter/

Running the line to OSU seems to make a lot more sense anyway.  I would think that OSU students would form a large base of carless users who would want to get to restaurants/bars/shops/jobs in Downtown and Short North.

The 70/71 Split - Screwing German Village and The Brewery District since the 1960's.

 

Happy to report that slightly over 60 people attended, including advocates from All Aboard Ohio, 1-Thousand Friends of Central Ohio, The Sustainability Roundtable and the Downtown Residents Association.

 

Mike Reese, Mayor Coleman's Chief of Staff, confirmed that the option of making the inital route reach the OSU campus is being explored in lieu of running it into the German Village / Brewery District area until the I-70-71 split and the "caps" are done.  Reese also said that Mayor Coleman wants to have the initial streetcar line operational by 2012, the year of the Columbus Bi-Centennial. 

 

Glad to hear the event had good attendance, Noozer.  And thanks for the breaking news on the Streetcars. 

Streetcars and Dollars

Supporters say a $100 million streetcar line can spur billions in Downtown development. But it remains to be seen who’ll pick up the tab.  

 

By Angela Palmer, Columbus CEO Magazine

 

When people first hear that Mayor Michael Coleman wants to bring streetcars back to downtown Columbus, they tend to laugh . . . until they realize the mayor isn’t joking.  Streetcars?  Really?  Sure, maybe in San Francisco or New Orleans where there’s a sentimental attraction and lots of tourists.  But Columbus?

 

“What you don’t know, you tend to have a negative image of,” says Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) President and CEO Bill Lhota.  “If Central Ohio’s going to continue to grow, it’s got to have a viable transportation network.” Streetcars, Lhota says, can be one component of that network.

 

Indeed, streetcars are making a comeback of sorts in cities across America. According to the American Public Transportation Association, more than 20 systems already exist in the United States.  And Urban Mobility Corp., a Washington D.C.-based consulting firm, reports another 40 U.S. cities, including Cincinnati, are considering streetcars.

 

Full story at http://www.columbusceo.com/article2.html

Phenomenal article.  Aside from the dig on mass transit requiring subsidies (but not mentioning that all forms of transit from air travel, to driving, to walking require subsidies), it was very well researched and through.  Time for a "job well done" letter to the author.

Since the Portland Streetcar system is often mentioned as the "model" for what's being planned for Downtown Columbus & Cincinnati, the following is an interesting development.

 

Clang, clang -- a trolley may be in your future

Portland Streetcar - Planners want to know which neighborhoods will welcome new lines

Monday, October 29, 2007

DYLAN RIVERA

The Oregonian

 

The next big thing for your neighborhood: How about the Portland Streetcar?  Emboldened by the success of the downtown streetcar line, city leaders want to expand service into a network that would crisscross the city.  Unlike bus service, city planners say, a streetcar could generate business and political momentum for clusters of midrise housing and commercial centers that could spread the walkable feel of popular urban neighborhoods.

 

About 140 miles of the city's busiest streets show potential for new streetcar routes, said Patrick Sweeney, project manager for the Portland Office of Transportation. Those streets have dense enough housing, employment and shopping -- and are zoned for more.  In the next six months, the transportation office will rank potential routes based on neighborhood and business support. Technical details, such as relatively flat terrain and wide intersections for railcar turns, also will be evaluated.

 

Full story at http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1193622932249580.xml&coll=7

 

An excellent article making a case for investing in streetcars:

 

http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/12/04/good-streets-include-streetcars/

I'm being told that the City of Columbus will be holding a "City Summit" on January 29th at the Columbus Convention Center between 6 PM and 8 PM to discuss a series of projects the Mayor wants to either have completed or underway by the Columbus Bicentennial in 2012. 

 

Among those projects to be discussed is the Downtown Streetcar and the Mayor's office is looking at what the numbers of and how vocal are the supporters of the Downtown Streetcar plan: in other words: a large, vocal show of support is important.

Here's a major reason why cities like Columbus and Cincinnati have no choice but to look to sources other than Uncle Sam for transit funding for anything that runs on rail, whether it's streetcars or light rail. Even the model for how to do streetcars right faces this problem.

 

 

Federal rules prefer buses over streetcar expansion

Travel - Portland wants money for an eastside line, but the transit administration says buses are more efficient

Thursday, December 27, 2007

DYLAN RIVERA

The Oregonian

 

Portland officials, eager to expand the city's heralded streetcar line across the Willamette River, are learning that federal transit managers favor buses for efficiency and may delay or withhold construction funding.  The expansion, pegged to cost $147 million, would extend the streetcar from the Pearl District across the Broadway Bridge and south to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, nearly completing a streetcar loop of the city's core. The federal government, according to the Portland City Council's plan, would pay for half.

 

But the City Council scrambled in early September to meet a deadline to apply for funds, only to learn from the Federal Transit Administration that Portland is failing to meet a cost-effectiveness test that planners here say is biased against streetcars in favor of high-capacity bus lines.  At stake is about $200 million in federal money that could provide the first national program for streetcars in cities across the nation. More than 60 cities nationwide have ideas for emulating the Portland Streetcar and the dense mix of housing and commercial development that accompanies its downtown route.

 

Full story at http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1198734914306320.xml&coll=7

 

From a posting at the Columbus Underground:

http://www.columbusunderground.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=11462

 

Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 10:42 am   

Post subject: Coleman talks about Streetcars in CBUS Magazine 

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Did anyone else notice the interview with Mayor Coleman in the recent C-Bus magazine?  When asked how to keep young professionals he responded:

 

C-Bus Magazine wrote:

One of my ideas is to build a streetcar in our city. I think connecting the Ohio State University to the Brewery District, and the Arena District to the Discovery District, which is CCAD area and Columbus State, is something I think will add to the value of the city, and will be an element of the quality of life to young professionals finding Columbus as a place they want to stay. And anywhere that streetcar is located, you will see restaurants, retail, offices, and residential, all along the line. It will be the spur and difference-maker for economic development in our downtown, in addition to getting around. So it’s a huge catalyst for vibrancy, a huge catalyst for economic development, and a huge catalyst for just getting folks around...

 

Now we haven’t decided that we’re going to do it yet, because it’s a finance question. But we are very seriously turning over every stone to figure out how it can be built in this city. And I do not envision a trolley . . . this is a monorail on the ground . . . a very futuristic, contemporary line. We’re going to rename it from a streetcar to something else, and I might ask young folks, “What do you think we should name it?”

 

The interview is not dated but it does say this is 'fresh off his re-election victory'. Either way the fact Coleman is willing to devote a large portion of an interview to streetcars and make the jump from young professionals to something that is somewhat off topic is a good sign I think.

 

The rest of the interview is on page 19 of the pdf link below.

http://www.cbusmagazine.com/C-BUS_JanuaryFebruary2008.pdf

 

Similar situation and issues being discussed in Atlanta as there are in Columbus.

 

Peachtree streetcar pushes for funding

 

Will intown residents be willing to foot most of the bill?

By Thomas Wheatley

Published 01.09.2008

CreativeLoafing.com

 

After months of brainstorming, studies and handshakes, the group dreaming of a new streetcar along Peachtree Street may be inching closer to its goal.  Advocates say sleek, electric-powered people movers could be a reality within six years.  But there are some big ifs, the biggest of which is the one that's tapped the brakes on many a grand transportation vision in Atlanta: funding. 

 

In a series of public workshops this month, the Peachtree Corridor Partnership will get a chance to hear what the community thinks of the project – and the property-tax hike that would help fund it.  The partnership is betting that a $190 million first phase of the streetcar in Midtown and downtown would kick-start what eventually will become a 14-mile stretch of transit, road improvements, parks and new streetscapes from Fort McPherson to Brookhaven.

 

Full story at http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/peachtree_streetcar_pushes_for_funding/Content?oid=390603

 

I attended the Mayor's "Citizen Summit" last night and the voting was overwhelmingly in favor of improved rail-based public transit and other transportation enhancements that create more options for connecting downtown and neighborhoods.  Even though the Downtown Streetcar was never named as a specific project in any of the polling questions, there were 30 to 40 people carrying signs supporting it as well as light rail and intercity passenger rail.

 

Below is the story from this morning's Columbus Dispatch:

 

Residents of all ages dream, vote

Bicentennial to-do list will need trim, mayor says

Wednesday,  January 30, 2008 6:29 AM

By Robert Vitale

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Mychal Culpepper isn't running for office or anything -- at least not yet.  But the 12-year-old has a bold plan for the future of Columbus.  "We should market Columbus for new jobs to attract more people," said the Hilliard Memorial Middle School student from the Far West Side. "We'd attract different people, and Columbus would grow and grow and grow, and we'd be a world-renowned city."

 

Twelve-year-olds got to vote last night at a "citizen summit" called by Mayor Michael B. Coleman to gather input for a to-do list of improvements he wants in place for the city's 200th anniversary in 2012.  About 2,000 people came to discuss the future in groups of two to 10.  On hand-held devices, they registered support for better walking and biking trails, more programs for kids, improved recreation centers and a public-transportation system that includes street cars.

 

When it came to a list of ideas for energizing Downtown -- reconnect it to bordering neighborhoods, improve the riverfront, boost retail and entertainment options, or add affordable housing -- "all of the above" was the runaway winner.

 

Full story at http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/01/30/Townhall.ART_ART_01-30-08_B1_L9970NT.html?sid=101

I thought it was phenomenal when the crowd burst into an uproar after "investigate rail based transit" dominated with 45% of the vote.  Good night for transit in Columbus indeed.  The Mayor practically go smacked upside the head by the citizens who kept pointing out that as an area that needs improvement.

I'm told that kind of response is what the Mayor was hoping to see.  I was talking with one of his aides today and he confided that the mayor was hoping to see perhaps 500 people show up and was completely blown away when over 1,700 people RSVP'd and then over 2,000 showed up.

 

This was a great evening for transportation choice.

Here's some detail on the numbers and results from the Citizen Summit:

 

Citizens voiced loud and clear the need for transportation choices including light rail. When citizens voted on options for what it is we want most for Columbus, or what will help make Columbus great, or what is it that's holding us back from being great - improved public transportation, transportation options and light rail was voted in equal to or well above other choices.   

 

Even in response to a question on how to preserve/protect the natural environment, "reducing car use" was voted the best way by 44%, with 'recycling' trailing with 26%, 'green technologies' with 25%, 'green spaces' with 8%, and 'protection of waterways' with 4%.

 

On the question of what makes neighborhoods great:  walkability and transit came out on top.

 

On the question of how to improve sporting and recreation, walking and biking trails garnered 33% of the votes. 

 

On the question directly relating to transportation, 'options related to rail' earned 45% of the votes: 'public transportation' 25%, 'improved bus' and 'more bike and pedestrian options' each received 12%, 'education' on transportation issues 5%, and 'information on carpooling' 2%. 

 

Even on a question that had received the most equally balanced responses - (economics and what areas would most help Columbus become competitive): 'investing in downtown' and 'emerging transportation' choices hailed 22% each, 'support small business' garnered 20%, 'factories' (I believe) earned 19% and 'education' earned 18%.

 

The only question that had the response option 'all of the above' was  "what would make the best downtown?"  And, the highest of the individual responses, which held 15%, was 'connect downtown with neighborhoods'.

 

One question was regarding the bicentennial celebration itself:  28% of the citizens felt the bicentennial should celebrate the legacy of the future; while the second and third place suggestions were by  'investing in the arts' (21%) and with a 'large celebration' (18%)

 

Three questions were asked before and at the end of the event (I'm not phrasing them exact since I don't have the questions in front of me). 

I believe the responses I recorded (below) were from the end of the meeting responses:

 

What is the most important aspect of Columbus in it becoming a great city?

17% - diversity

17% business growth/job creation

17% public transportation

15% our neighborhoods

13% downtown

  8% arts and culture

  7% education

  4% safety and crime

  2% health care

  1% other

 

What's holding us back from being a great city?

24% transportation issues

21% apathy

19% self esteem

17% public education needs

  6% jobs

  1% other

12% crime

 

What will you treasure most about Columbus now/in 10 years?

29% hometown feel

21% people

19% neighborhoods

11% diversity

  8% low lost of living

  7% historical and cultural resources

  5% OSU

  2% other

 

So a big message was: Invest in transportation and use the bicentennial celebration as a legacy to that commitment.

Robbie Banks advocates for the importance of downtown Columbus streetcars to the members of the Great Lakes Urban Exchange:

 

“Columbus Needs a Streetcar”

Robbie Banks, Columbus, OH

February 4, 2008 

 

Columbus demands an alternative mass transit system. Downtown parking is an issue. Gas prices are at an all-time high. An environmentally-beneficial streetcar system is exactly what Columbus needs to provide connectivity, spur economic development, encourage a pedestrian-friend downtown and enhance downtown as a sense of place ...

 

... More at http://gluespace.wordpress.com/2008/02/04/columbus-needs-a-streetcar-by-robbie-banks-columbus-oh/

^Great find.  Never heard of this organization or website before. 

 

Very clever name and logo!

 

Cincinnati is VERY close to closure on their Cincinnati Streetcar project.  A key meeting will be coming up on February 25th, at Cincinnati City Hall, for the Finance Committee.  This is one of the last hurdles.  If you have the time and/or desire...you might want to drop on by to show your support for rail transit in Ohio.  You might be able to pick some things up for Cbus' own streetcar effort.

 

Find out details HERE:

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,15284.0.html

Been pasing a lot of the Cincy streetcar news to my contacts with the Streetcar Group here in Columbus, including the Mayor's staff.  Trust me, you are being watched with a lot of enthusiasm here in C-Bus.

This Downtown Streetcar Enews was forwarded to me today by a friend.  Don't know if anyone already receives this or has heard of this E-newsletter before.  However, its new to me, so I thought I'd pass it along.

 

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We're Online! — CHECK IT OUT

 

Official Columbus Streetcar Web Site

http://downtowncolumbus.com/development/streetcar.php

 

Please forward this newsletter to anyone that may have an interest in Columbus streetcars.

 

If you received this newsletter as a forward and would like to subscribe, please send an email to [email protected]

 

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Four Reasons Streetcars Make Sense 

 

1.  Spur economic development and create jobs

 

2.  Connect people to destinations like OSU, Downtown, the Arena District and Short North

 

3.  Provide an affordable and environmentally-friendly way to get around downtown – Green travel

 

4.  Give Columbus a unique image with modern streetcar

 

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Bicentennial Summit Shows Strong Support for Streetcars

 

More than 1,600 people attended the 2012 Citizen Summit and made it clear that they want to celebrate the Columbus Bicentennial with a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly downtown - complete with a creative arts scene, thriving night life, and excellent public transportation.  People were particularly excited about rail transit.

 

Transportation rose to the top time and again in citizen voting and made an impression on Mayor Coleman and Bicentennial Commission Chairs, Abigail Wexner, Dr. Gordon Gee, and Bishop Timothy Clarke. Now the discussion is moving to the neighborhoods.

 

What will make our neighborhoods great?  If you think streetcars need to be part of the neighborhood discussion, please plan to attend one of the five scheduled meetings set for late February.  This is your chance to give your input on how to make Columbus a leading 21st century city.  So come out and show your support for streetcars.

 

Bicentennial Neighborhood Meeting Schedule

 

- Northwest Columbus: Tuesday, February 19 (6-8:30pm) Centennial High School (1441 Bethel Road, Columbus, OH 43220)

 

- East Columbus: Tuesday, February 19 (6-8:30pm) Eastmoor High School (417 Weyant, Columbus, OH 43227)

 

- Northeast Columbus: Thursday, February 21 (6-8:30pm) Mifflin High School (3245 Oak Spring Road, Columbus, OH 43229)

 

- South Columbus: Thursday, February 21 (6-8:30pm) Parsons Elementary (3231 Lee Ellen Place, Columbus, OH 43207)

 

- West Columbus: Thursday, February 21 (6-8:30pm) West Mound Elementary (2051 West Mound Street, Columbus OH 43204)

 

For more information about the meetings, or to RSVP (preferred but not required) please visit the project website at http://columbus2012.org/ or call 614-424-6204.

 

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BTW: Attended a meeting of the Columbus Young Professionals this evening and we got an updated presentation on the Streetcar Plan from Mike Reese of Mayor Coleman's staff.  A couple of news bits:

 

• There should be an announcement within the next 45 days about a funding proposal for the plan.
  
• The public response about the streetcar and the need for more rail and transit options from the Citizen Summit made a strong impression on the Mayor.
  

 

 

Good wrap-up of the latest Streetcar presentation at:

 

http://columbusretrometro.typepad.com/columbus_retrometro/2008/02/proposed-columb.html

Those are a couple of great updates.  Maybe we'll get some good news on the streetcar front this year.

Thanks for the update on the Columbus Streetcar - very good news indeed to hear they are nearing a funding decision.  There is one thing that I have always questioned about the preliminary engineering though - why is there so much concern about whether it will be compatible with light rail?  I guess I am assuming that by "compatible" that they mean to run light rail over the same tracks as the streetcar or perhaps replacing the streetcar with what was the North Corridor light rail route.  For those posters that understand this more, please feel free to enlighten me, but why would you want to have these two rail systems competing over the same ridership? Or maybe worse yet, why would you get rid of the streetcar to have light rail run the same route? 

 

I guess I have always thought that a more efficient system would entail the streetcar route plus a commuter line working in tandem in the North corridor.  You could serve the same ridership, but at less of a cost.  Also, a commuter rail line (DMU perhaps) is more compatible with other plans (freight and Ohio Hub trains) in the corridor.  The streetcar could follow the same route as proposed in the current plan and the commuter line could run from Delaware to downtown Columbus (Arena District), which would allow it to serve the brownfields that the City is hoping to have redeveloped.  I would also think it would be possible have an interface of the two modes - perhaps in the OSU/Fairgrounds area - so that commuters could get on the streetcar or vice versa. 

 

 

 

 

By compatible, what they mean is that portion of the Streetcar line that would serve the immediate Downtown (Front Street to I-670).  If a light rail system is built, it will likely pass through Downtown Columbus, much as the interurban cars and Columbus streetcars did way back in the day. They wouldn't actually compete for riders, since light rail would service areas beyond the efficient reach of a streetcar system.  I think it shows that serious thought is being given to an integrated transtportation system, as opposed to having a bunch of isolated, stand-alone rail lines.

 

The portion of the streetcar lines that would carry (and I know this sounds odd) heavier light rail vehicles, would have to have a deeper base or foundation.

 

Commuter rail and intercity passenger rail would have to run in existing railroad corridors as that equipment is way to big and heavy for street-running.

 

 

Here's a story from Indianapolis, which is often referred to as a comparable city to Columbus.  They, too, are looking at a downtown streetcar system.  And, like Columbus, are looking at the Portland model of how it was done and what has been the return on the investment.

 

Desirable? 

Portland makes it work, but viability here uncertain; obstacles include timing, money, getting public on board

Sat. February 23 - 2008 

Chris O’Malley -  [email protected]

Indianapolis Business Journal

 

If the introduction of modern streetcars to one West Coast city can be replicated here, Indianapolis would see new, higher-density housing and related retail and restaurants shadowing the line. Fallow areas crossed by the tracks would become fertile for new investment.  At least that was the case in Portland, Ore., a city mesmerizing to Indianapolis civic leaders, who last month formed Downtown Indianapolis Streetcar Corp.

 

They risk being run out of town on a rail: a streetcar line will cost at least tens of millions of dollars amid city fiscal woes and the current property tax outrage.  Yet the economic development potential—and the practical value of being able to better move people in one of the nation’s leading convention and sporting event cities—is an intoxicating risk.

 

Full story at http://www.ibj.com/html/detail_page.asp?content=11605

Story from the Christian Science Monitor about various cities considering streetcars.  Columbus is featured prominently in the article.

 

Desire grows for streetcars

Urged by mayors and advocacy groups, US cities and towns are examining the possibility of returning the forgotten vehicles to their streets

By Cristian Lupsa | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor

From the February 5, 2007 edition

 

Columbus, Ohio, might not be your image of booming America, but Mayor Michael Coleman says an explosion of jobs and immigration have made it the second-fastest-growing city in the Midwest from 2000 to 2005 (after Indianapolis).  Now in his second term, Mayor Coleman is determined to shape Ohio's largest urban area – once No. 3 behind Cleveland and Cincinnati – into a 21st-century city.

 

His plan includes a streetcar system that would connect Columbus's spread-out downtown attractions, and bring an estimated 6 to 1 return on the initial investment, according to a city-commissioned study.  They are riding streetcars into the 21st century?  Is this "Back to the Future"? Well, yes.

 

More: http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0205/p13s01-lign.html

And Paul Bonneville from Columbus Retro Metro has something to say about Downtown Columbus Streetcars too.  Its over on his blog/website at http://columbusretrometro.typepad.com/columbus_retrometro/2008/02/laying-the-trac.html#more.

 

 

Does anyone know what the attitude is towards Buses using High Street while the Streetcar is in place?

I think you will see some re-configuration of buses along the Downtown Portion of High Street with the advent of streetcars.  The presence of streetcars could actually allow COTA to have more flexibility by freeing up some buses to add service/frequencies to other routes.

Actually I don't believe it will make that big of an impact, here is why.

 

The trolly is designed to serve only a certain length of high street and downtown (the first phase anyways); it is attempting to attract people that do not normally use public transit and some people that currently do use public transit.  However, during peak hour bus service, much of the #2 riders will be coming from areas that will not receive trolly service; since it is not going north of campus (per the current plan).

 

The buses and trolley will reach maximum capacity during peak hours, this is where the problems will arise.  The #2 still must service the same length of high street to prevent transfers, since transfers are the bane of public transit, and COTA's customers will complain if it doesn't.  Along with the #2 is the #31 worthington, rerouting this around high street may be possible but very difficult.  Some Circulators, such as the OSU-Arlington that serve Lennox, will overlap with the trolly line but this will not prove an issue since it is in an area next to campus that has plenty of street space. 

 

I am hearing that the city wants COTA to run the trolley now and they would pay for construction.  I prefer a trolley bus and believe the arguments against it are primarily bunk.

 

I was wondering if the city itself voiced any opinions about the buses running down the same section of high st.  Since, if they do not plan on rerouting traffic, the area will be extremely crowded at peak times.

Trolley buses were tried by COTA and failed miserably.  COTA even used them as circulators in the downtown (COTA-Link) and that was a bust. They wound up leasing them out for special parties and even that catch anyone's fancy.  Trolley buses (theoretically) look cute, but most people view them as a thinly-disguised bus.

 

If we are going to have streetcars, give me the real thing.

This Columbus Alive blog post is kinda on the topic that polis and noozer were discussing here earlier.

 

http://www.columbusalive.com/?sec=blogs&story=sites/alive/php/blog.php&blog=City_Limits

 

Streetcars vs. COTA buses

Columbus Alive - City Limits Blog

Posted by John Ross on February 28, 2008

 

Since I interviewed Mayor Michael Coleman last January and again in November about his streetcar plan, I've been following the continuing saga of an ambitious, though somewhat misguided public-transit system.  To get up to speed, read Brittany Kress' excellent coverage of the most recent developments at http://www.columbusalive.com/?sec=blogs&story=sites/alive/php/blog.php&blog=City_Limits/2008/02/streetcars_on_track.html.

 

The extensive plan would link neighborhoods along High Street, between Mound Street and 11th Avenue, with a modern type of monorail streetcar.  Coleman has promised not to raise taxes for the project, which he expects to boost the local economy by millions.  I agree with his expectations, and several cities, including Portland, Oregon, have seen bumps with mass-transit rail systems.

 

What the city needs to realize is that streetcars and improved public transportation should be viewed as separate goals.  Both are crucial to our welfare, but streetcars will do little to alleviate our need for effiicient modes of mass transit that run past 10 p.m. on Saturday night.

 

Read more at http://www.columbusalive.com/?sec=blogs&story=sites/alive/php/blog.php&blog=City_Limits/2008/02/streetcars_vs_cota_buses.html

Here is the Columbus Alive article referenced in the previous post...

 

Streetcars On Track

February 28, 2008

By Brittany Kress

Columbus Alive

 

Columbus will find out in a month or so if streetcars are in the city’s future.  Mayor Michael Coleman and Columbus City Council’s decision hinges on whether the idea, which has been approved in theory, is financially feasible.  That question is being studied by engineering consulting firm HDR Inc. and Capital South Urban Redevelopment Corporation, with a proposal expected in late March or early April.

 

Getting an initial High Street rail line in place -- not including annual operation costs -- is estimated at $105 million, and it’s a cost the mayor has promised not to pass along in taxes.  Instead, the city is doing some creative brainstorming and considering adding a surcharge for parking in garages and lots, charging Columbus visitors a fee, using parking-meter revenue or diverting income from bond packages up for a vote in November, said Michael Reese, Coleman’s chief of staff.

 

Full story at http://www.columbusalive.com/?sec=blogs&story=sites/alive/php/blog.php&blog=City_Limits/2008/02/streetcars_on_track.html 

 

This isn't purely a streetcar story, but it is the centerpiece in MORPC's overall 4-year transportation plan.

 

MORPC STUDY

Sweeping transit proposal unveiled

Saturday,  March 1, 2008 6:22 AM

By Jim Woods

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

As central Ohio grows to an estimated 1.7 million people by 2030, transportation planners say it will take billions of dollars to keep up with roads, mass transit and even bike paths.  The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission released a study yesterday of the transportation needs of Franklin and Delaware counties, as well as parts of Licking, Fairfield and Pickaway counties.  The plan includes support for a streetcar line between German Village and Ohio State University, which the plan estimates will cost $64 million to $154 million.  And it anticipates the need to spend $1.4 billion by 2030 to expand Central Ohio Transit Authority bus service in the region.

 

It also offers a long list of projects to build new roads and widen existing ones.  For example, enlarging the I-270 interchange at Rts. 33 and 161 in Dublin should be completed sometime between 2020 and 2030, the plan says, at a cost of up to $392.3 million.  The projects add up to $14.83 billion.  Chester Jourdan Jr., executive director of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, said there is a real question about whether the federal government will be able to fund as many projects in the future.

 

Full story at http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/03/01/transport.ART_ART_03-01-08_B1_D49GN4A.html?sid=101

Spending $64 million to $154 million in non-taxpayer money on a Streetcar sounds like a hell of a deal compared to spending up to $392 million in taxpayer money on enlarging a single highway interchange at 270 & 161/33.

 

Either way, glad to see MORPC endorsing the Streetcars and other forms of alternative transit. :D

The trolley buses COTA used in the past were at a very different time population wise and executed poorly. 

 

I'll be glad if the trolley works but I still think it costs society more than it will make and the research against bus trolleys are still bunk.  They are used more often and quoted as "failing more" because of it, coupled with terrible studies on public opinion of buses being tagged onto trolley buses.  I guess I just don't understand the desire for a trolley line, I have ridden them, felt that they were, if anything, way to slow and restrictive.  Seems that people don't like buses because that is what they see all the time.  However trolleys have been tried and are occasionally true, I hope Columbus has the density for it and changes the way traffic flows to downtown.

Portland didn’t have to dig very deep or relocate many utilities. In a trench less than one-foot deep, contractors dropped in a long, 9-inch-tall basket weave of reinforcing rods—with streetcar rails attached. They poured in concrete and leveled it with the street.

 

Contractors worked in an 8-foot wide area, minimizing traffic disruption. “We did three blocks in three weeks,” Dannen said.

 

So why is it going to take 4 years for the streetcars to be up and running after they get the green light this month?

Spending $64 million to $154 million in non-taxpayer money on a Streetcar sounds like a hell of a deal compared to spending up to $392 million in taxpayer money on enlarging a single highway interchange at 270 & 161/33.

 

Either way, glad to see MORPC endorsing the Streetcars and other forms of alternative transit. :D

 

I'd be curious to see how much engineering work has gone into that $392 million (and when it took place).  With commodities costs rising as quickly as they are, it wouldn't surprise me if that number doubled through detailed design and gathering actual bids.

 

My guess is funding and I believe the whole project is going to be done in various phases, creating multiple branches.  Where did you find out that it would take 4 years?

Mayor Coleman's State of the City address is tomorrow.  Think they'll be any streetcar announcement?

He is supposed to address it from what I'm told.  It would be great to see the kind of turnout of support like we saw at the recent Mayor's Summit.

Though it's not entirely about the Downtown Streetcar, here's Mayor's Coleman's State of the City address.  Will somebody please tell Barbara Carmen none of this is about NOSTALGIA? Let her know about it... [email protected]

 

But the real news is that Mayor Coleman has set a date to disclose the details of how the streetcar will be funded and developed.

 

Coleman calls for curfew crackdown, 'Town Square' at City Center

Thursday,  March 13, 2008 7:39 PM

By Barbara Carmen

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman wants to crack down on kids violating curfew, create more "green" jobs and turn the High Street side of City Center into a town square ringed by shops.  In his ninth State of the City speech, Coleman drew a roadmap for his third term.  He pushed for sustained progress in a city that, he said, is "neither cow, nor town."

 

Many of his plans, however, sound nostalgic: His Columbus would have electric streetcars Downtown, a town square, more bike paths, neighborhood farmers markets and a quaint Downtown park with benches, swings, and tables for chess and dominos tables.  He said he'd layout how to pay for the streetcars on March 27.

 

Full story at http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/03/13/osc.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

Here's the text of what Mayor Coleman had to say in his State of the City address about Streetcars and Rail....

http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/03/13/fulltext.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

 

Streetcars and rail

 

The cost of living keeps rising, especially the cost of just going to work: gas prices, parking, oil changes and maintenance. I was listening to a guest on the "Wall Street Journal Report" the other day who said, "Don't be surprised if gas prices may reach $9 a gallon in America." That's right, $9 a gallon.

 

Yesterday, I saw a gas station selling gas for $3.60 a gallon. Let me do the math on this: If you fill your 20-gallon tank once a week with $9 gas, you will pay an average of $180 a week. That's $8,640 a year! $9 per gallon. No way!

 

The cost of gasoline in Great Britain in February was $8.52 per gallon, in the Netherlands, $9.42 a gallon. Our city is not prepared even for $4 a gallon, which is right around the corner, and will force families to make tough choices.

 

We must begin to move toward better transit in this city or our residents won't make it to work, our businesses will wither and our city's future will be in jeopardy.

 

Every president of the United States of America and every Congress for the past 25 years has said our country is too dependent on foreign oil. Well, the time has come for Columbus to declare our independence.

 

It's time to start with a 21st century streetcar in Columbus. Electrified, sleek, modern streetcars that operate alongside cars on High Street, and connect Downtown with the Short North, Italian Village, Ohio State's campus.

 

A study by the Danter Group projected that streetcars in Columbus would help spur thousands of new jobs, new housing, new hotel rooms, new visitors and, most importantly, about half a billion dollars in new economic development.

 

Streetcars will help us connect people to our stores, our restaurants, the life Downtown and neighborhoods to each other. Most of all it will give the working man and woman the freedom to get to work without digging ever deeper into their pockets for gasoline.

 

On March 27, I invite you to join me at City Hall, to hear from the financial experts and planners on how we can build and operate the first rail transit system in our city in generations.

 

Finally, I want to say tonight that I join our Governor, Ted Strickland, in urging Amtrak and the Federal Government to bring a rapid transit passenger line through Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati.

 

We are far too reliant on the automobile. Our city was built to accommodate them with roads, highways, stop lights, parking meters and traffic jams. And as we sit at the traffic light, waiting for it to change, or on the cell phone or stuffing a doughnut in our mouth our belts are getting tighter because our waists are getting bigger.

 

Looks like there's going to be more streetcar news later this month.  But it sure looks encouraging.

 

Though it's not entirely about the Downtown Streetcar, here's Mayor's Coleman's State of the City address.  Will somebody please tell Barbara Carmen none of this is about NOSTALGIA? Let her know about it... [email protected]

 

 

It wouldn't be a Barbara Carmen article without some dig toward city government.

I can only assume her comment on nostalgia is meant to be negative.  If so how dare she bash some of the key tools of downtown revitalization.  Just because all she has seen was the monstrosity of uncontrolled suburban sprawl that ignored "good planning" does not mean using tried and true tools is a poor idea. It really disgusts me when people argue against efforts to revitalize downtown (not when they argue about which alternative to use mind you). 

 

On the topic of rail and streetcars: If Columbus really wants to push towards better transit I believe that COTA needs to merge with the city or be directly connected to the city.  There are talks of moving the administration, at least planning, scheduling, and the like downtown.  I really support this initiative but there is little talk about the conceptual future of transit in Columbus within the ranks of COTA.  I wonder if the city would be interested in supporting a sort of citizens for public transit organization.  Would anyone be interested in joining it if it did exist?  Sort of a public support group that could work with the city, COTA, the public, and local businesses to promote public transit development and what not.