May 13, 200421 yr Pretty ambitious... I'd say it's even less likely than the cap on Fort Washington Way.
May 13, 200421 yr I'm all for it. Cap them all! "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
May 14, 200421 yr When was this meeting held Tuesday? (I was listening to Residents of East North Broadway vs Comercial interests and city of Columbus part 15 that night) All the state and federal officials are lining up the $$$ to get this rebuilt one way or the other. I think I saw ODOT set aside $800 million for the project, majority of that I think came from the Federal transportation bill (pending?). Otherwise, I think it's a safe bet that there will be a cap of some sort between German Village/Brewery District and the CBD. Last plans I saw didn't include a cap between Olde Town East and the CBD (how about a cap over I-70 east instead?), and might be impossible to do with space considerations along I-71 between the east split and the I-670 mess. Otherwise, I agree with Chris, the more caps the better. (Make it like I-95 in Philadelphia....between the Whittman & Franklin Bridges)
May 14, 200421 yr great plan, very similar to FWW in Cincy (although the author misquoted the price, the city paid $10 million for the foundation footers for the caps, the total price is $100 million)
May 14, 200421 yr ^ Nice catch. You are right! Silly C-bus journalists smudging numbers. Do you guys practice fussy math up there?
May 14, 200421 yr Either that or Bill Habig, head of MORPC, gave out the wrong numbers (I wonder if he's throwing out bad numbers to dis-sway the public?) :???:
May 14, 200421 yr Author they need these caps! http://www.dot.state.oh.us/7071study/comments.htm has public comments about all the ideas...its a long page and has some really bad and good things said....here are a few of them that make me puke: "Get rid of the downtown posh condos and widen that highway. Tear down the brewery district the courthouse and the jail and widen that highway. Patrol that road and get the large trucks and hazardous materials off that stretch of road during commuter times." "The basic section of the I-70/I-71 funnel should be at least 10 lanes, consisting of at least 3 through lanes in each direction for I-70 and at least 2 lanes in each direction for I-71. Even if traffic were to grow at the conservative rate of 1% per year, 10 lanes would be warranted in the overlap area before the facility could even be let for construction. The overlap area should include collector-distributor facilities so that I-70 and I-71 access to/from Fourth & High Street can be achieved without main lane weaving through the East Interchange." "No, why waste the tax money we spent on the I-70 fix to waste on making it a city street? Why don't you take I-71 down Parson south and out Haul Road? " that first comment, i hope its a joke but im afraid its serious :stupid:
May 14, 200421 yr Why don't they just make it 250 lanes? Then traffic would flow VERY smoothly! :D Some people keep their heads up their asses.
May 14, 200421 yr they need these caps! http://www.dot.state.oh.us/7071study/comments.htm has public comments about all the ideas...its a long page and has some really bad and good things said....here are a few of them that make me puke: "Get rid of the downtown posh condos and widen that highway. Tear down the brewery district the courthouse and the jail and widen that highway. Patrol that road and get the large trucks and hazardous materials off that stretch of road during commuter times." "The basic section of the I-70/I-71 funnel should be at least 10 lanes' date=' consisting of at least 3 through lanes in each direction for I-70 and at least 2 lanes in each direction for I-71. Even if traffic were to grow at the conservative rate of 1% per year, 10 lanes would be warranted in the overlap area before the facility could even be let for construction. The overlap area should include collector-distributor facilities so that I-70 and I-71 access to/from Fourth & High Street can be achieved without main lane weaving through the East Interchange." "No, why waste the tax money we spent on the I-70 fix to waste on making it a city street? Why don't you take I-71 down Parson south and out Haul Road? " that first comment, i hope its a joke but im afraid its serious :stupid:[/quote'] Two schools of thought.... 1. Someone from Suburbia who only see Columbus as something they have to go through (IOW, hates cities) 2. Class warfare. Someone who lost their property or neighborhood when I-70 or 71 was built and views this as another rich get richer money grab. Yeah, it looks dumb on the surface, but there has always been prerocialism in Columbus. That's why it took over 50 years to get I-670 completed and why there should be (but isn't) a bridge/connector road between Bethel and Morse Rds in Northern Columbus. Sandor
May 14, 200421 yr Is that the mindset in Columbus?? heh whens that light-rail system going up there? When the population decides not to spend their money on their cars. This nowhere near a slam dunk as to happening....yet Sandor
May 14, 200421 yr ^ But it's chicken/egg. People won't feel confident giving up driving unless there is a better alternative, but a better alternative won't happen until people decide that the current transportation patterns are unsustainable. Sandor, I feel that the majority of people who lost land when the interstates were built are either dead, no longer hold a grudge, or have moved away. As for the people from suburbia who feel that Columbus should exist for their own personal transporation convenience, well, as the French say, "F**k 'em".
May 14, 200421 yr ^ But it's chicken/egg. People won't feel confident giving up driving unless there is a better alternative' date=' but a better alternative won't happen until people decide that the current transportation patterns are unsustainable.[/quote'] All I can say to that is COTA held a meeting concerning their rail proposal (their Downtown to Worthington line) in Clintonville back in February and there were many concerns voiced from noise to traffic congestion (the proposed train is supposed to run in the middle(?) of High St through OSU and the Short North) to convience. Along with that, many of these public transit companies have bad public image they have to fight off as well. Personally, I have my concerns with COTA running any sort of Rail line in Columbus. ^ Sandor' date=' I feel that the majority of people who lost land when the interstates were built are either dead, no longer hold a grudge, or have moved away.[/quote'] Except that they have children and not all them do move away. The disdain and hatred is passed on generation to generation. I've seen it at the two meetings for I-70/71 split reconstruction I've been to. I've seen it at the two meetings concerning East North Broadway and High St in Clintonville (though that debate has been a little more constitant and not as long running) And even 10 years ago when there were discussing about routing a new interstate from Toledo to Columbus to Portsmouth (I-73), there were some who referenced I-71 being built 30 years prior and US 23 in Delaware County. Home and neighborhood is a hard thing to do away with. ^ As for the people from suburbia who feel that Columbus should exist for their own personal transporation convenience' date=' well, as the French say, "F**k 'em". [/quote'] You can do so as long as they stay in the minority. But it doesn't take much for the minority to hold things up. Sandor
May 14, 200421 yr Author Why don't they just make it 250 lanes? because then they would probably have to clear out some of the parking lots downtown. and i heard the rail line was to run up the tracks just east of fourth street...or are those different plans?
May 15, 200421 yr ^I heard that too. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
May 21, 200421 yr and i heard the rail line was to run up the tracks just east of fourth street...or are those different plans? The plan I saw (from Cota back in January) was to use the current tracks (east of Indianola/4th) south past Clintonville, then shift over to High St. through Campus, Short North, downtown, all the way to the Brewery District. Looking at my Fast Trax flyer from December, it does mention using Summit Street, so I don't know which street Cota is planning on using, other than they were talking about going to the Brewery District when I last saw them. Sandor
May 21, 200421 yr Author from http://www.cotafasttrax.com/faq.php 21. If the light rail line travels up and down Summit and 4th, will parking on those streets be eliminated? COTA is currently studying the best alignment for the light rail, including options on 4th and Summit Streets and High Street. On 4th and Summit, the trains could run on either side of the street, but both configurations would be designed to minimize the reduction of on-street parking. By running the trains in existing travel lanes, most of the parking could be preserved, although some parking would be needed for station locations. Running the trains in the travel lanes would also serve as a traffic calming feature. so it looks like cota doesn't even know where the line will be
May 21, 200421 yr Bah, let parking be relegated to the numerous side streets. Plus, if there's rail, I'm sure some garages would be built. I dunno, parking on Summit or 4th seems tantamount to ditching your car on a highway shoulder.
June 10, 200421 yr from the dispatch. looks like it won't happen ODOT seeks opinions on best fix for split High cost eliminates tunnel and cap options State highway officials want the public?s help to come up with the best way to fix the I-70/71 split Downtown. Many of the 100 people who attended said it?s difficult to determine a favorite. Others said easier fixes are possible. Larry Davis' date=' president of the Ohio Trucking Association, said he?s frustrated that ODOT rejected an option to reroute I-71 traffic to I-670, a plan ODOT officials said would require widescale building demolitions and wouldn?t repair the split. "If you took all the traffic up to I-670, you solve this problem today," Davis said. Some said ODOT isn?t sensitive to neighborhoods. "It just doesn?t seem like they take the human aspect into consideration," said Ed Virtue of Olde Towne East. "From what I?ve seen, they?ll either make us another island or not do anything to help us." Some area bicyclists said ODOT hasn?t considered them, either. "Columbus has the opportunity to become a nice city for people who live here and not just people who drive through it," said Marcus Linckelmawn of Victorian Village. [/quote'] In this instance, I believe ODOT is damned if they do, and damned if they don't. No matter what they choose, someone (or group) will be unhappy.
June 11, 200421 yr Author yes, damn odot :lol: the trucker said all problems would be fixed if they send trucks to 670, but 270 sounds even better. and not enough money to do the cap...that sounds like a familiar problem
June 11, 200421 yr yes' date=' damn odot :lol: the trucker said all problems would be fixed if they send trucks to 670, but 270 sounds even better. and not enough money to do the cap...that sounds like a familiar problem[/quote'] Actually, flip/floping the I-670/70 designations wouldn't be a bad idea in my opinion either. The only possible catch would be, how much traffic could I-270 handle between Gahanna and Reynoldsburg with an I-70 multiplex? MORPC/ODOT are already starting a study on the far east side freeways so maybe it could work.
February 6, 200520 yr Did anything come of this? Has it been shelved, have they come up with a more feasible plan, etc.?
February 7, 200520 yr Author ^they started construction on it last october. didn't you see the thread? hahhaaa okay no, the goings right now are that due to lack of funds, plans have been shelved.
April 2, 200520 yr This has been a topic since 2002, when meeting after meeting after meeting after meeting after meeting started taking place. Since there will be future developments, I decided I might as well start a thread on it. The study concerns that weak-ass jog of I-71/I-70 between DT and German Village/Brewery District. Construction is not expected to start until 2007 or 2008. Here's the website for the project. There's more than enough here to kill an afternoon: http://www.dot.state.oh.us/7071study/default.asp
April 2, 200520 yr Author should this thread be merged with the really old one about whether it should be capped?
July 12, 200519 yr BTW, there will be public meetings coming up in August. Is anyone going? I got this stuff from the project website: NEW INFORMATION ON PLANS TO REBUILD I-70/71 “SPLIT” The Ohio Department of Transportation will hold a series of public meetings to share new information and analysis on four concepts that would rebuild the Interstate 70/71 downtown “split.” The concepts range in complexity from improving the existing freeway system to rebuilding the entire corridor. The analysis will compare each concept based on safety, accessibility, traffic flow, cost, environmental and community factors. ODOT will also share information on ramp locations, traffic volume and potential environmental impacts. The I-70/71 split is the most congested, high-crash freeway location in the state. It was built more than 40 years ago, and carries about 175,000 vehicles a day — about 50,000 more than the highway was designed to handle. As a result, the highway experiences about three crashes each day. ODOT plans to make a final decision for fixing the corridor by February 2006. Public Meetings will be held: August 2 & 3 Open House from 5 to 7 p.m Presentation at 5:15 and 6:15 p.m. (Room 119C) Columbus Health Department Auditorium 240 Parsons Avenue (corner of Parsons and Main) Free parking in rear August 9 Open House from 5 to 7 p.m. Presentation at 5:15 and 6:15 p.m. German Village Meeting Haus 588 S. Third St. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Michelle May at (614) 644-8309
July 29, 200519 yr RANKINGS OF 4 PLANS FOR SPLIT UNVEILED ODOT seeks reaction to ideas for fixing I-70/71 Downtown Published: Friday, July 29, 2005 NEWS 01D By Tim Doulin THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Under all options being considered to fix the I-70/71 split, some Downtown exit and entrance ramps will be closed or moved to safer locations. Motorists still will be able to access Downtown destinations, but they will be doing it a different way, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation. "We are changing the access, but you can still get there,'' said Michelle May, spokeswoman for ODOT.
August 1, 200519 yr I think I have some from 2 years ago. Besides being out of date, they are slightly buried right now as well (I spent the weekend moving from one side of LSU to a different side)
August 20, 200519 yr Man, caps over I-70/71 have been talked about for a decade now. Here's hoping all parties can actually commit to it. Considering the City of Columbus and ODOT are still feuding over the oversized billboards downtown though, it'll be interesting to see if both sides can work out something on this project.
August 21, 200519 yr im glad to see that the caps are still in. :-D i think it would be very nice to do that from spring street down to second street! they could have shops, restaurants, and parks on top of the caps. i wonder if they would really consider the boulevard idea? if they do, i wonder what they would name it? they should name it after a prominent columbus figure head or famous person
August 21, 200519 yr ODOT is not going to bring in the money for the Caps. Columbus wants the caps and to have them will have to figure out to get them paid for. Right now, I'd put money on ODOT not building caps because Columbus brought them back into play too late in the process.
August 21, 200519 yr ^Agreed. Columbus doesn't have the money to build this grand scheme either. While is sounds nice, something tells me it won't happen.
August 21, 200519 yr And since it's formation in 1973, ODOT has been in a continual boom/bust cycle. Compared to the Voinovich years, this is a bust cycle.
October 11, 200519 yr From Suburban News Publications, 10/5/05: Cash needed to make 'split' cap a reality By ROSEMARY KUBERA Show us the money. That's what the Ohio Department of Transportation is telling the city of Columbus and developers who want to create a so-called Grand Boulevard along, and capping over, the Interstate 70-71 "split" south of Downtown. The German Village Society supports the concept. http://www.snponline.com/NEWS10-5/10-5_gvcap.htm
October 12, 200519 yr I thought that we'd be getting some of that federal transportation funding for this project, but from other news articles I've read, a lot of that funding is now in jeopardy due to the gulf coast rebuilding efforts being a higher priority. Hopefully ODOT can still pull off the cap idea. I'd love to not have to see or hear 70/71 unless I'm actually driving on it. ;)
October 12, 200519 yr Interesting side note: the I-670 cap on North High Street just won a local architectural award for its design and innovation. That ought to show ODOT, who originally resisted the idea of a cap, that such things can be more than just window-dressing and actually serve a transportation function. There are some very good photos of the cap at the following wed address: http://columbusretrometro.typepad.com/photos/short_north/04_dscn0754.html The storefronts on the cap are almost all full and business appears to be good. My understanding is that it is also generating more foot traffic in the Short North and Arena Districts, since it sits exactly in between the two very popular areas.
November 24, 200519 yr State balks at deck on I-70/71 split Boulevard proposed by the city too costly, ODOT analysis says Thursday, November 24, 2005 Tim Doulin THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH A grand boulevard envisioned by the city and other local officials to welcome motorists Downtown may be too grand for the state. Though it has not been eliminated from consideration, the late-entry proposal as a way to untangle and rebuild the I-70/71 split would not only be the most expensive of five options under consideration, but also one of the more difficult to build, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation. http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/11/24/20051124-D1-01.html&chck=t
November 24, 200519 yr Sounds like the same issues we are facing in Cleveland with the Innerbelt project. In other words, the more expensive options would promote economic development in the core city, while the ODOT-recommended option could cause significant harm to the core. It's time ODOT realizes they don't exist in a vacuum and that their projects don't end at the highways' berms. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
November 24, 200519 yr ODOT fought the I-670 "cap" tooth and nail before it was built. They finally came around when local forces prevailed, and now it is a huge success. You'd never know a major Interstate runs underneath it... you can't see it or hear it. The "cap" itself carries North High Street over I-670 and is bordered on either side by a series of restaurants and small shops that were built on the "cap" and the facade is a recreation of the original facade of the late, lamented Union Station. (Photos are courtesy of ColumbusRetroMetro.com )
November 24, 200519 yr Thanks for sharing. While I'm not familiar with this area, it is certainly heart-warming to see that Ohio's cities are pretty damn tired of ODOT's one-size-fits-all transportation policy. If the cities continue to emphasize the importance of the surrounding neighborhoods when evaluating transportation improvements, I have to think that eventually it might sink in with the policy makers. Great pics, by the way! I have two words for the ODOT hacks: Embarcadero Freeway.
November 24, 200519 yr Thanks for sharing. While I'm not familiar with this area, it is certainly heart-warming to see that Ohio's cities are pretty damn tired of ODOT's one-size-fits-all transportation policy. If the cities continue to emphasize the importance of the surrounding neighborhoods when evaluating transportation improvements, I have to think that eventually it might sink in with the policy makers. Great pics, by the way! I have two words for the ODOT hacks: Embarcadero Freeway. So you following the Whitehurst Freeway debate then?
November 24, 200519 yr Oh, absolutely! I work a block from the Whitehurst. From what I have gleaned, the District wants to get rid of the Whitehurst because simply, it is an eyesore. I think the unspoken motive is that the District wants a more people-oriented city, as opposed to having cars fly through it at 100 mph. The suburban car commuters seem to be the only ones really cheesed off at the idea. Their ire really galls me, because they live in different states, and don't pay DC taxes. It becomes a question of "To what extent are DC residents willing to subsidize car commuters from out-of-state?" We deserve a beautiful place to live and work, and I'd rather have my tax dollars used to support DC residents instead of those in BMWs and Mercedes who choose to live in Maryland and Virginia.
December 2, 200519 yr Looks like the Ohio Department Of Thoughtlessness is at it again. Somebody needs to step up and make a damn decision here! This is going on 4 years of studies and NO engineering has been done yet! We need a leader to step up with a funding plan and budget offsets. ODOT wary of city's plan for 70/71 split Adrian Burns Business First Columbus' chosen plan for redesigning the congested Interstate 70/71 split isn't the best option available, says a study by the Ohio Department of Transportation. The proposal, submitted in July by the city, Columbus Downtown Development Corp. and others, calls for widening Fulton Street onto an elevated deck over the westbound lanes of I-70. The idea aims to use the deck to halve the expanse of the I-70/71 corridor, allowing for the transformation of Fulton Street into a green boulevard that would complement renewal efforts planned for the nearby RiverSouth district. The boulevard would also control traffic moving from the expressway onto city streets.
January 26, 200619 yr Wednesday, February 1, 2006 (Still) Fixing the Split: I-70/71 Plans at a Crossroads Noon - 1:15 p.m. at the Athletic Club, 136 E. Broad Street Bob Milbourne President & CEO, The Columbus Partnership Gordon Proctor Director, ODOT If you've ever attempted to navigate the junction of I-70/71 you would no doubt agree with ODOT that the downtown split is the most congested, high-crash freeway in Ohio. It was designed half a century ago and built in the ?60s to carry what must have seemed like a very generous 125,000 vehicles per day. Today, 175,000 vehicles travel this stretch resulting in two crashes daily! For the past year, ODOT has been studying four alternatives that would rebuild the freeway, ramps and nearby city streets. In July, the city asked ODOT to analyze and consider a more costly fifth alternative - the "Grand Boulevard." The alternatives under study range in cost from $580 million to $830 million. ODOT has $425 million committed to the project through 2011 and will build the highway in phases focusing on the most congested, high-crash areas first. All of the alternatives untangle the I-70/71 overlap by rebuilding the interchanges at State Route 315 and I-71 and changing the location of travel lanes for each. The five alternatives differ in how they tie the freeway system into the downtown street network. ODOT's Director Gordon Proctor will discuss the project from the state's perspective and Bob Milbourne of the Columbus Partnership will provide the local viewpoint and priorities. ODOT expects to have the final plan for the corridor by this summer. RSVP Wednesday, February 1, 2006 (Still) Fixing the Split: I-70/71 Plans at a Crossroads Noon - 1:15 p.m. At the Athletic Club of Columbus, 136 E. Broad St. (Reservations made by email will receive a confirmation within 24 hours by the CMC staff via email. If you do not receive a confirmation, please call the office at (614)464-3220 to verify that your reservation has been received.) To sign-up for a forum, simply reply to this e-mail. Please provide us with your name, any guests names, a method of payment, and your phone number. Wednesday, February 1 Regular Entree: Roasted Turkey Breast Mashed Potatoes & Green Beans Lemon Cream Cake Vegetarian Entree: Grilled Vegetable Plate Fruit and vegetarian plates must be pre-ordered. Please let us know in advance if you require an alternative entree. Pre-registration and pre-payment by AmEx, Visa, MasterCard, check or cash is required no later than noon on the day before the forum to be guaranteed Call the CMC reservation line at (614) 545-3220, or for more information call (614) 464-3220. All prices include lunch. Individual Prices: $15 for CMC members $25 for guests of CMC members $30 for the public (Reserved table prices (includes sign with your company's name) Table of 8 - $144 for CMC members, $188 for the public. Table of 10 - $180 for CMC members, $235 for the public.
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