The board is on a roll today. ;) Now let get them federal $$$$.

Five members of council voted in favor of a resolution advising Dohoney to report back within four weeks on the fiscal impact that the financing plan will have on other capital projects planned by the city.

Ok, who were the council members that did not vote or vote against?  I am still trying to widdle down who to vote for on Nov. 6th.

 

This was only the economic development committee, not the full council. Only five members.

quick question (I fully support the street car by the way)

 

Taking the streetcar east along the river or up to Peeble’s Corner would spark new developments all along the line and provide greater access from the city to Eden Park.

 

Sounds good except for the primary owner of Peebles Corner is Larry Rhodes, you could put Jesus on the corner and that would not spur this man to do anything.

 

P.S.

watch channel 12 at 5 or six and see my friend Paul Yankee (and Ed) discuss the impact for the bars on Main.

Two members of the Economic Development Committee were absent today and hence did not vote: Chris Monzel and Leslie Ghiz.

 

We've met with both of them, and neither indicated they were opposed to the streetcar.

Five members of council voted in favor of a resolution advising Dohoney to report back within four weeks on the fiscal impact that the financing plan will have on other capital projects planned by the city.

Ok, who were the council members that did not vote or vote against?  I am still trying to widdle down who to vote for on Nov. 6th.

 

crowley

thomas

bortz

berding

qualls (as amended)

This was only the economic development committee, not the full council. Only five members

 

Doh~!! :-)Thanks Cramer!

 

 

The board is on a roll today. ;) Now let get them federal $$$$.

 

Agreed.  Not for Phase 1, though.  I want to be riding this thing in 2010, not still waiting in 2012.  Get that federal money ready to roll out expansions after the grand opening.  Really getting ahead of ourselves here, but wouldn't it be great if the money for a Phase 2 was ready as construction was wrapping up in 2010? Then those same crews could just keep on going up the hill to Clifton or over the bridge to NKY.  I'd hate to have a potential expansion debated for 5 years after this streetcar starts running.

the way i see it, if we build phase one with local funds and phase two with federal funds we will have an operational phase one in 2010 and an operational phase two in 2012-3, but if we try to build both at once with federal funds we will have an operational phase one in 2012-3 and an operational phase two in 2012-3

And the unreported news today?

 

Melody Sawyer Richardson was elected chairman of the board of SORTA this morning. She was a co-chairman of the 2002 campaign for better public transportation in Cincinnati.

 

In its own way, this was just as important as the vote at City Hall today.

 

Let the good times roll!

 

This is indeed key...and should not be overlooked.  There have been a few subtle moves relating to SORTA lately, and all seem to be positive steps for transit advocates in Cincinnati.

Thanks Cramer!

 

I didn't get a chance to find out how things went until now.  Reading your posts, I almost feel like I was there.  Much appreciated. 

 

This whole internet / mobile technology thing might just catch on after all!  :-)

Dohoney recommends the use of tax-increment financing revenue and city capital dollars to each cover $25 million of the project's price tag. Another $10 million would come from state capital grants and $11 million from the sale of the Blue Ash Airport. Another $31 million would come from private contributions and public/private partnerships, according to a report presented to City Council.

 

The report estimates that city would receive a $1.4 billion economic impact from its $102 million investment, much of that coming from the development of land within two blocks of the streetcar alignment.

 

Five members of council voted in favor of a resolution advising Dohoney to report back within four weeks on the fiscal impact that the financing plan will have on other capital projects planned by the city. The report will also evaluate how much capacity downtown TIF districts have to support the proposed streetcar spending.

 

The 3.9 mile loop would run a zigzag route along Main and Walnut streets downtown; then head west over 12th Street and Central Parkway, finally veering north along Elm and Race streets to the brewery district north of Findlay Market in Over-the-Rhine.

 

Within a few blocks of the starter loop city officials counted 92 acres of surface parking lots, providing lots of land for new development.

 

"I don't know how we can afford not to do it," said Councilman Chris Bortz, development committee chairman.

 

I recalled reading an article about similar streetcar systems in the United States. Most lost money, but not to a great extent that it was not offset by economic gains -- i.e. new urban developments, businesses and residents.

 

I don't know how the city cannot afford to do it. They must look ahead any troubling statistics that it may lose money in the short term and look long-term at all the intangible benefits. The news I've been hearing (and watching) is a _great_ start, and let's hope this momentum continues. If any other dates open for meetings and comments, I'll want to sit in on one!

This is a lot more than just some momentum...if you wait much longer there won't be meetings to sit in on; instead you'll just be observing crews working on building the system.  You heard right...up and running by Dec. '10.

Seicer, Consider attending the latest installment of The Connect Cincinnati Streetcar Conference, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 3 at Xavier University’s Schiff Banquet and Conference Center. The event, which is free and open to the public, is hosted by the Urban Transit Network.

 

UTN was founded this summer by a group of Xavier students. UTN is dedicated to improving Cincinnati through transit-oriented development and working to build a coalition in support of the streetcar initiative. For more information about the group, e-mail them at [email protected]

Perhaps. It's a free weekend... and I could use some education on streetcars :)

Sounds good except for the primary owner of Peebles Corner is Larry Rhodes, you could put Jesus on the corner and that would not spur this man to do anything.

 

Boy, is that right!

 

How old is Rhodes, anyway?  How close is he to death?

I get the feeling that most people are on board with this project.    Don't get me wrong, there are some ney sayers out there.    But not as much as there were for the revamp of the fountain.   

 

I drove down McMicken and through the brewery district last night.    This area really needs a stiff kick in the arss!   This line couldn't hurt!

 

It is great to hear officials acknowledging future lines to NKY and Clifton, but lets figure that out once this first phase in under construction.    Plenty of time for all that.

Libertarians who don't live here or know the details of our Streetcar proposal call it idiotic:

http://www.reason.com/blog/show/123001.html

WOW those people have some nerve.  Here is what will happen. Property values along the line should rise. The rent in the occupied buildings will rise. That will basicly force out the criminal element, sadly to other parts of town.

$102M for streetcar line

'Need to seize the momentum'

BY MARGARET A. MCGURK | [email protected]

 

A link to comment on the streetcar project:http://frontier.cincinnati.com/comments/threadview.asp?threadid=177

 

Undaunted by a $102 million price tag, five Cincinnati City Council members Tuesday voted to push forward with plans for a streetcar line from Freedom Way in downtown to McMicken Avenue in Over-the-Rhine.

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071017/NEWS01/710170375

Libertarians who don't live here or know the details of our Streetcar proposal call it idiotic:

http://www.reason.com/blog/show/123001.html

 

I just had to respond to that utter nonsense:

 

Randy | October 17, 2007, 9:44am | #

It seems that a lot of you are completely unfamiliar with Cincinnati and are judging it as such. This line is not meant to revitalize downtown...that has been happening for the past five or so years with thousands of new residents, dozens of new restaurants/bars/clubs, plummeting crime and more.

 

The streetcar system is meant to connect that activity together and act as a catalyst to spark more. OTR is already undergoing massive changes with condos being bought up at unanticipated rates (and that's in a crappy housing market).

 

Knowledge is power...educate yourself before you start spouting off at the mouth. If you would like citations and/or examples of what I'm talking about it is no problem, because anyone who is familiar with Cincy and actually knows what the heck is going on can tell you easily.

Right on Rando!!  :clap:

Here's the full story on the new SORTA Chair:

 

Business Courier of Cincinnati - October 16, 2007

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2007/10/15/daily24.html 

 

Tuesday, October 16, 2007 - 5:12 PM EDT

 

Richardson to chair SORTA board

 

A local real estate executive has been elected to chair the board of the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA).

 

Melody Sawyer Richardson will succeed Lamont Taylor, who resigned Tuesday to fulfill commitments with the American Public Transportation Association, according to a news release. Taylor will remain as a board member.

Nice Randy!

 

There are some really negative comments on the Enquirer comment board for the streetcar. People are so ignorant to the plans and what is going on downtown. Mostly its people from West Chester and Mason who are saying things, and they have no say in what happens in the city anyway.

 

It's about damn time we stop catering to the suburbs.

^ I sent in a comment about 20 minutes ago saying essentially the same thing. The negative feedback from the suburbs on this is unbelievable!  SHOUTING: Hey Loveland, no one cares what you think!

I too sent one into the Enquirer boards...but they take forever to review and post the comments on there.  I sent mine in about an hour ago...I don't think it has gone up yet...I just sent in another one:

 

It is simply amazing how uneducated people are about this.  First off, there will be NO taxes used to pay for this.  Secondly, I would recommend doing some reading.  There are the feasibility reports available online, as well as, the minutes from yesterday's meeting about the finances.  Oh and there are also a couple of websites out there that can inform you how streetcars actually work and what the rationale is behind them.  I've said it before and I'll say it again...KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.  EDUCATE YOURSELVES BEFORE MAKING DUMB COMMENTS!

 

It really is amazing...people are talking about how they don't know where the money is going to come from and that there taxes will probably go up?!?!  Are you kidding me...wake up morons!  Others make comments illustrating how they clearly don't even know what the proposed route is...but they surely are knowledgeable enough to negatively comment on it.  Just amazing.

Some people have no clue.

 

What's wrong with our feet??? Downtown is small enough to walk through. And we are a fat nation who desperately need exercise. So no, this is not a good idea, it's a bad one. A far better idea is light rail connecting the suburbs on all three sides, and I'm all for it. How much will it take? Let's find the money! Hey, if we could make the I-75 Union Centre exit happen with private funds, we can do this, too.

--M., Cincinnati, Tuesday, June 12, 2007 - 1:10:00 PM

 

$100 million dollars to go four miles and connect 2 neighborhoods (OTR and Downtown). I wish we could buy those buses that look like streetcars, and invest the remaining $95 million of unearned future tax income in Cincinnati Public Schools.

"Officials in Cincinnati, a city that's been in decline for decades (maybe a century),"

 

Not a god damn century!     Why do people even talk when they have no idea what the hell they are even talking about?      Dude needs to start out by getting a calender.  He has no sense of TIME.

Streetcar on WLW between 12:30 and 1:00p today.

who's segment is it? McConnel? or Willie?

That's Willie's slot.

 

Ahem.

i wonder how positive he will be about it. He generally seems to like the idea. Of course, whether he likes it or not, he always takes the devil's advocate position.

Listening online.

God Bless!         Willie's for it!            Big John does a hell of a job getting the point across and sticking to the subject.

Willie's for it!? I'm surprised. I'll have to listen to the podcase later to catch it. Unfortunately I can't listen at work. Hopefully John can give us a summary on here though....

I get giddy just thinking about a streetcar travelling up Main towards me to pick me up at 12th and take me to Findlay Market.  :-D

Just got over!     Awesome feedback from Bill, he contiued to talk up the city after John left.   He promises to not be as negative about the city anymore.  He wants to be more positive about the stories he reports.

 

Outstanding job AGAIN John!

True story: Willie is a long-time light rail supporter.

Rando, great response to the Reason Foundation. However I've found it doesn't pay to "reason" with the "Closed Mind Foundation." They've never met a rail project they didn't like (along with some other things). Must be such an unfulfilling life to carry such large chips on one's shoulder all the time. It's probably what keeps them going 'round in circles on so many issues.

^ At least they're consistent.  Libertarians generally don't support anything that isn't 100% privately funded and managed.  Basically, if it isn't national defense and the government has any involvement in it at all, they oppose it as an infringement on the free market.  I totally disagree with their position on rail and especially the views of Cincinnati expressed in that article.  The problem is that most Libertarians are unable to compromise and live in a fantasy land where federal, state, and local government(s) don't need to have a hand in development, regulation, or funding.  (Just for full disclosure, I'm registered Libertarian)

Also, it's official, I didn't make the cut on The Enquirer's streetcar discussion board.  Clearly whatever I had to offer wasn't in the same league with this gem:

 

 

"I think since Cincinnati the majority of the people in jail are from Cincinnati that they should forget this foolishness and contribute toward a new jail.

 

--Joe Getz, Harrison, Ohio, Wednesday, October 17, 2007 - 7:42:00 AM"

I'm going to stop saying these people are from the suburbs and instead say they're from "the outer reaches."

reading those comments on enquirer.com is quite disheartening.  I truly cannot believe how much ignorance exists.  all these people keep screaming about new taxes.  The last time I checked, this isnt going to be payed for by taxes.  All people had to do was read the article to figure that out. 

ahhh, wait a tic....

 

 

Richardson, who is director of the commercial real estate division for Comey & Shepherd

 

Someone forgot to tell me!  I seem to remember interviewing her along with Sweeney.  I am going to have to ask if I work for her now.

atlas..... clearly there's still a lot of educating to do.  But I sense this plan has got legs and will happen.  Nothing converts the naysayers like having something up and running that they can ride and better understand.  Most of these folks have never seen a streetcar or a light rail vehicle and have no point of reference to create a better understanding.  So they fall back on what they think they know out of their own benign ignorance.

 

A good public education campaign won't reach all of them.... some of them truly are morons... but most have got a functioning cranium and can grasp a good primer on streetcars and how this system would be financed and built.  But the education effort had better start agressively and soon.

Well said, Noozer.

Same here ... I try to avoid reading these types of forums. I can only take so much ignorance.

Scott Sloan is talking about the streetcar proposal on WLW, and he has no idea what he's talking about.

Talk radio is the refuge for the ignorant and the hosts encourage it.  Thank God for NPR.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071018/EDIT01/710180310/1090

If somebody has a Sharonville or Mason below their name I don't even bother to read it WGAF what they think, they can ride around in their car while I ride my streetcar. :-P Like Bortz stated this IS the most important thing to happen in cincinnati in the last 75 years.