The official party should most definitely be somewhere on the proposed route!  :wink:

Randy has some detalis up on UrbanCincy - http://www.urbancincy.com/2008/04/streetcar-passes-fc-poised-to-pass.html

 

I am guessing the "kinda" unanimous comment from thomasbw had to do with the fact that Cole was not at the meeting, so the vote was 7-0.

 

Just to clarify, the entire motion was passed unanimously, except that Cranley voted no on the second paragraph about financing.  Cole was absent.

OK, that is helpful.  Thanks :)  Is there a copy of the motion available somewhere online?

I've covered what the motion entails, for the most part on UrbanCincy:

http://www.urbancincy.com/2008/04/streetcar-passes-fc-poised-to-pass.html

 

In a nutshell, this motion adds the connector to the Downtown/OTR circulator as part of Phase1.  This essentially adds an additional $35M to the pricetag that must be raised prior to any construction.  Everything else is the same in the motion...it is approving the routing/financing as presented by City Manager Milton Dohoney.

 

Cranley look like a fool today and it seemed as though members of City Council were getting tired of his tactics in addition to the very pro-streetcar crowd in attendance, city staff, etc.  Here are a couple good quotes I got from it this morning:

 

Chris Bortz was talking about how Cincinnati can't afford to not take this chance and said that, "this is a time for Cincinnati to be bold."  Jim Tarbell was the only public speaker and described the streetcar project as, "the single most important development project in the city and probably over the past decade."  Powerful words from a powerful man.

BTW, you should all try to go to the City Council meeting at 2pm today at City Hall.  Afterwards there will be celebration at City Cellars that will go as long as people are around...possibly all night.  :-D

Everything else is the same in the motion

 

Meaning it was based off of Bortz's motion or Qualls' motion?  (Primarily, I am concerned with how the motion laid out the specifics of what must be done in the next steps, and whether the entire plan is contingent upon such things as finding partners for the uptown circulator (not just the connector), and other nuances such as whether it requries that council prioritize SIDs over other financing means...)

Copy of the motion <a href="http://www.otrbrewerydistrict.org/files/streetcarmotion042108.pdf">here</a> (PDF link)

 

EDIT: Link fixed

^ You rock.  Mucho thanks!

The link above didn't work for me. If you're having the same problem, try this one:

 

http://www.otrbrewerydistrict.org/files/streetcarmotion042108.pdf

 

EDIT - link above was just fixed, just ignore my post.

yeah, you just have to trim off the _target=blank with the spaces url encoded spaces ;)

 

yeah, you just have to trim off the _target=blank with the spaces url encoded spaces ;)

 

 

Coding is not my specialty :-)

For those who attended the meeting today, were there any specific suggestions about how to cover the additional 35 million pricetag for the connector?

 

Enquirer just put out a blurb on it - http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080423/NEWS01/304230084

 

(I only ask, because presumably finance committee will need to approve whatever plan is developed for that portion of the funding independently? - meaning, this isn't FULLY out of finance yet...)

For those who attended the meeting today, were there any specific suggestions about how to cover the additional 35 million pricetag for the connector?

 

Enquirer just put out a blurb on it - http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080423/NEWS01/304230084

 

(I only ask, because presumably finance committee will need to approve whatever plan is developed for that portion of the funding independently? - meaning, this isn't FULLY out of finance yet...)

 

Nope, it's a giant question mark right now, and the biggest hurdle to overcome.

 

My hope is that after the administration does the studies and gets the other $ commitments, it will be apparent that the connector will have to wait and council votes to move forward with the downtown circulator only as phase 1.

Sorry if I've missed this, but will the connector be used prior to the uptown circulator, or will it just be unused tracks waiting to connect to something?

Hmmm, interesting... That is a bizarre turn of events. 

 

IMO, Its going to be hard to fund the connector because well, its not like it runs past some major chunk of money (or devel prospects) whichever route it takes.  Unlike the CBD/OTR circulator or an Uptown circulator, any connector route runs primarily through residential areas....

 

I didn't think that there was a TIF district that covers any of the possible connector routes, but am I wrong about that?

Sorry if I've missed this, but will the connector be used prior to the uptown circulator, or will it just be unused tracks waiting to connect to something?

 

It will be used.  Basically just an up/down ride from my understanding of things.

what are the potential routes for this connector chunk? Have those been explained yet?

They are being investigated.  You can see all kinds of ideas for these routes in this thread, but much further back.

 

Some possibilities are Clifton, and Vine (both of which have grades that a modern streetcar can climb without assistance)

 

Each has its downsides as well.

OK, off to the 2PM meeting.  I'll try to put up updates from the "smart" phone if there is anything major....

I hate to be a party pooper but adding the Uptown Connector to Phase I has the potential to cause tremendous delay, in my humble opinion.  I hope I'm wrong. 

 

I don't see a big reason to celebrate yet -- the issue has moved farther along the track but has a long way to go before it arrives at the station.

^Just say no to bad, bad puns. 

 

 

edit: was that a pun?  definitely a groaner, that's for sure.

seriously! lmao. I'm sitting here in a VERY painful Info systems intro class following these updates. I'd rather be dt at the meeting. Why is this class a 2 hour class!

I think this speaks volumes that Cincinnati-area students and other young people are watching the play-by-play of the streetcar vote/deliberations. It shows how important this project is to many young people in Cincinnati and might well be the same in other cities, too. Your grandparents did the same thing with their transistor radios by keeping up on daytime baseball games. I'm very excited for you all in Cincinnati. Your enthusiasm is very contagious.

General council meeting is just beginning.  Will update with any breaking news ;)

 

Cole not here for this one either.

Item 63, general approval of streetcar.  All yes.

 

Cranley objecting to financing (protesting tif and blue ash and taxes)

Monzel - ditto (complaining about money from other neighborhoods)

Bortz - agrees with financing, makes point about cbd taxpayers footing most of bill. Makes point about banks tif not intended to support banks.

^ Thanks for the effort, Cole. 

Qualls - talking about compromise.  Praising cranley and his "questioning".

 

Bortz - thank yous to tje administration

Mallory - thank yous to everyone, especially Bortz.  This city is going to move forward.

 

6-2 in support of financing

^  EDIT: wow!  that was fast!

 

 

Cranley objecting to financing (protesting tif and blue ash and taxes)

 

He's protesting the TIF, AND the Blue Ash airport money, AND "taxes"?  He voted for the motion this morning, which implies that he isn't opposed to building the streetcar.  Assuming that's true, what type of financing would he deem more favorable and appropriate? 

 

We may need to have a bakesale before this is over.

Third vote unanimous as well.

 

All passed overall... It is on to the next phase.

^Just say no to bad, bad puns. 

 

 

edit: was that a pun?  definitely a groaner, that's for sure.

 

Metaphor, not a pun!  A pun would be if I said something like, "This motion may give Council much more opportunity to choo on the issue and cause delay."  :roll:

 

^Just say no to bad, bad puns. 

 

edit: was that a pun?  definitely a groaner, that's for sure.

 

Metaphor, not a pun!  A pun would be if I said something like, "This motion may give Council much more opportunity to choo on the issue and cause delay."  :roll:

 

Please, think of the children.

 

and  :clap: for most of Council. 

He's protesting the TIF, AND the Blue Ash airport money, AND "taxes"?  He voted for the motion this morning, which implies that he isn't opposed to building the streetcar.  Assuming that's true, what type of financing would he deem more favorable and appropriate?

 

In the FC this morning Qualls actually requested that they break the voting up paragraph by paragraph on the motion for approval.  Every paragraph had unanimous support...except paragraph 2 which covered the financing portion.  In that case Cranley was the only dissenting vote...which makes you wonder why Qualls requested that it be broken up and not Cranley.

It should also be added that the additional $35M, for the connector, will have to come from private money as Dohoney put it.  Essentially the money the City is ponying up is going to stay constant with the additional $35M needing to come from elsewhere.  I think that it is a mistake to add the connector into this initial phase without proper planning/preparation.

 

Now City Staff will have to study the various connector routes (8-10 month process) while they are negotiating with businesses to help pay for this.  I think that it is very possible that the money gets lined up, but Dohoney essentially said straight up that the City really hasn't engaged anyone Uptown yet due to their initial planned timelines.  This is now going to be fast-tracked since all $137M is needed to be in place before construction can begin.  I still am confident that we'll be riding streetcars early 2011.

Just to be sure everyone is on the same page, there is still *a lot* of political work to be done.  This is just step one.  Getting 60+ million in private funding is going to be no small feat.  Getting uptown buy in isn't going to be easy given that this is just a connector (hard sell to tall to the hospitals for support when the connector alone will likely end a little more than a mile from their facilities)

 

Its time to celebrate getting this far, but IMO we have yet to crest the hill.  That said, I'm having a beer and steeling myself for round 2!

Streetcars get go-ahead

THE ENQUIRER

 

 

Cincinnati City Council today approved a proposed streetcar plan that has a $65 million question mark on funding. The vote was 6-2.

 

The streetcar system would link downtown, Over-the-Rhine and Uptown.

 

The action gives City Manager Milton Dohoney authority to start looking for private contributors to help pay for the streetcars. Construction cannot begin until those contributions are guaranteed.

 

Dohoney’s original plan called for about $30 million in private contributions, sponsorships or other participation. He told the committee earlier he could not start asking for that money without the backing of a formal commitment from City Council.

 

The plan adopted today calls for building a connector that goes up the hill from Over-the-Rhine to Uptown at the same time a downtown loop is built.

 

The addition of the Uptown connector adds an extra $35 million to the $102 million price tag for Dohoney’s original proposal. City officials now must come up with a way to cover that cost before proceeding.

 

Voting against the proposal were council members John Cranely and Chris Monzel. Voting for were Jeff Berding, Chris Bortz, David Crowley, Leslie Ghiz, Roxanne Qualls and Cecil Thomas. Absent was Lakota Cole.

 

 

^Very good point. It seems to me that Uptown Consortium still needs to be convinced of the project's value. 

 

 

Where would the private monies come from?

 

^----"There is still *a lot* of political work to be done."

 

    Agreed.

 

   

Just want to say from all of us in C-bus to all of you in Cincinnati and on urbanohio.com who pushed hard for this to happen....GREAT JOB !!!  :clap: :clap: :clap:

 

Yes, lots of hard, political work to be done yet.... but it's the hard work that makes reaching the goal worth it.

Just to be sure everyone is on the same page, there is still *a lot* of political work to be done.  This is just step one.  Getting 60+ million in private funding is going to be no small feat.  Getting uptown buy in isn't going to be easy given that this is just a connector (hard sell to tall to the hospitals for support when the connector alone will likely end a little more than a mile from their facilities)

 

Its time to celebrate getting this far, but IMO we have yet to crest the hill.  That said, I'm having a beer and steeling myself for round 2!

 

very true, but step 1 is crucial, so at least we can check one thing off.

 

what is the proposed route/stops for the uptown area anyways?

Cramer for President!

Well, with fuel prices so high, it seems like an opportune time to be making the case to the business community about contributing to Cincinnati's first foray into modern rail.   

 

Who knows, maybe the more ambitious plan of expediting the Uptown component will get UC, et al, involved and help stir up interest.  OR, maybe the Administration will get feedback from the business community and Uptown to get the Downtown/OTR circulator finished first and work on Uptown later.  Depending on the connector's route, it's possible IT could ironically end up being a Streetcar to nowhere.

 

 

Private financing aside, I'm glad we made it this far. We're moving along. This is good news.

 

Thanks Cramer for the updates.

Cramer, your efforts are greatly appreciated for those of us that couldn't be there!

Thanks Cramer!

 

As for UC getting involved: They're broke.

^LOL!!!

It was a good day for the city of Cincinnati.

 

This is not the end of the campaign to bring streetcars to the city, but a crucial step that solidified our political will.

 

There are miles to go before we sleep and countless more hours of advocacy before the streetcar is a reality, but today we should be happy, rejoice and celebrate.

 

The Young Professionals, bloggers, and subscribers of alternative media are, now, more important than ever in their advocacy of the Cincinnati streetcar. The next phase is to convince business and institutional leaders of the city that streetcars are vital to their continued growth.

 

I want to thank you all for the work you have done in furtherance of the cause and thank you in advance for the work that is yet to be done.

 

Cincinnati has turned the corner, and is moving towards it fullest potential.

 

Thank you.

pics

 

http://5chw4r7z.blogspot.com/2008/04/new-day-in-cincinnati.html