January 29, 201213 yr Doc Thompson was FIRED from 700wlw!!! The area's #1 mass transit/streetcar hater has been canned! http://cincinnati.com/blogs/tv/2012/01/29/eddie-fingers-back-on-wlw-am/
January 29, 201213 yr Doc Thompson was FIRED from 700wlw!!! The area's #1 mass transit/streetcar hater has been canned! http://cincinnati.com/blogs/tv/2012/01/29/eddie-fingers-back-on-wlw-am/ That's the best news that i've heard all week!! :clap:
January 29, 201213 yr Doc Thompson was FIRED from 700wlw!!! The area's #1 mass transit/streetcar hater has been canned! http://cincinnati.com/blogs/tv/2012/01/29/eddie-fingers-back-on-wlw-am/ That's the best news that i've heard all week!! :clap: This is a big deal for the issue of the streetcar. Thompson has been the #1 opponent of the streetcar and has used the airwaves to continuously bash the project. Every possible opponent has had free reign during his show to spew whatever they wanted to unchallenged I think its horrible the way Clearchannel let him go (During his honeymoon), but he was definitely a key component in the Smitherman ballot initiative and with all the Smitherman/Luken/Finney/COAST/Murray/Monzel/Lippert/Berding/Ghiz guest appearances. He constantly bombarded the project every chance he got even stringing it into issues that had nothing to do with a streetcar. 'Doc' Thompson segments(RIP) *13 segments from November 22, 2010 - Dec 30, 2010* *32 segments in 2011* - Includes 24 from July 5, 2011 - Dec 16, 2011 - Includes 11 from November 1, 2011 - Dec 16, 2011 * 7 segments in 2012 (Jan 1 - Jan 26) ----------------------- Total Numbers for 'Doc' Thompsons show # of hours devoted to the streetcar since Nov 22, 2010 *52 Hours (18 from Nov 1, 2011 - 1/26/2012) * Chris Smitherman appearances - 7 confirmed(Not including drive by call-in detailed summary of podcasts) - Appearances started on 7/27/2011 * Other Anti streetcar related guest appearances talking about the issue(Luken, Finney, Kuhl, Ghiz, Berding, Murray, Monzel, Rhodes etc) - 17 * Pro Streetcar advocate segments invited on to discuss streetcar -2 (Quinlivan and Thomas) *Anti Streetcar Guest segments -24 *Pro Streetcar Guest Segments -2
January 30, 201213 yr I wish we could get 100% grants from the government to built a metro like DC did. It would take a load off all communities it goes through.
January 30, 201213 yr ^I have to wonder if the Washington, D.C. Metro was a political answer to Stalin's Moscow system. Is there anything like the Washington, D.C. Metro anywhere else in the U.S.A.? In any case, it's highly unlikely that the feds will step in and fund something like that in Cincinnati. If it DID happen, we can pull out Living in Gin's work as a starting point. :-D
January 30, 201213 yr ^I have to wonder if the Washington, D.C. Metro was a political answer to Stalin's Moscow system. No you don't. I moved from Atlanta to DC in the late seventies, and remember being surprised how much less federal dollars were being provided to Metro compared to what Atlanta received.
January 30, 201213 yr Why wonder? Read this: http://www.amazon.com/Great-Society-Subway-Washington-Landscape/dp/080188246X
January 30, 201213 yr Washington Metro IS a showcase system and critics like to target its costs, but keep in mind it is VERY heavily used and has fueled a building boom that has changed the DC landscape. Demand is so heavy Metro can hardly keep up. Metro is clean and fast. You can't drive across DC as quickly and Metro runs very frequently. We risk sounding like streetcar critics by being too critical of it. Would Metro work here? Probably not. We are better to start off small with the streetcar and build from there.
January 30, 201213 yr Keep in mind that when Metro's master plan was approved, the population of the greater Washington, DC area was roughly 2 million, or about the same as greater Cincinnati now. In the case of both the Washington Metro and Portland's MAX light rail system, both systems got their start when each city rejected proposals for extensive freeway systems that would've decimated many urban neighborhoods, and managed to shift the freeway funding towards rail transit. Unfortunately, that ship has already sailed here in Cincinnati.
January 30, 201213 yr A main reason why the Washington Metro was possible was because most land in the District is owned by the federal government. As such, there were no power battles over station location, as is the case everywhere else. Many subway plans have been fought by those land owners whose competitors stood to gain an advantage by the configuration of proposed lines and stations.
January 30, 201213 yr No question about it: Washington Metro is a unique proposition for many reasons.
January 30, 201213 yr So Doc Thompson was fired due to historically low ratings during the 9 a.m. to noon timeslot, huh? Gee, WLW, ever think that maybe listeners are sick and tired of your constant, relentless railing against the streetcar? Imagine that: People don't want to hear Chris Smitherman and Leslie Ghiz whine about the same thing, day after week after month. Doubt WLW will learn. No doubt Scott Sloan will pick up right where Thompson left off.
January 30, 201213 yr ^I don't think Sloan will be as bad. Before I destroyed the radio in my car I used to listen to him at nights and with Tracy. Seemed like he rarely even discussed the streetcar and when he did, I recall him being skeptical, but not rude and untruthful like the unemployed doctor. On the subject of the Washington Metro having had most of its land being owned by the Feds, doesn't SORTA own the majority of the ROW and land for where future light rail would go? I.E. CL&N tunnel and Oasis Line? If the Oasis commuter line is going to happen like they've been playing it up to be, it's going to be great seeing trains utilize the RTC. An exciting time to be a Cincinnatian - The Reds are good and just outside the stadium we're seeing the streetcar line and commuter rail come to life.
January 30, 201213 yr Eastern Corridor discussion was moved... where? Why, to the Eastern Corridor thread where it belongs! :) "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 30, 201213 yr The folks around here who bristle at the mere hint of a tangeant couldn't get through 10 pages of the 2010 Mark Twain autobiography.
January 30, 201213 yr "How will Cincinnati pay for the streetcar?" http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2012/01/30/slideshow-how-will-cincinnati-pay-for.html
January 30, 201213 yr "How will Cincinnati pay for the streetcar?" http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2012/01/30/slideshow-how-will-cincinnati-pay-for.html That headline is, not surprisingly, misleading at best, because the article is about breaking down the costs of the streetcar, not about funding it. Anyway it was useful in showing exactly that, how the different costs break down. How come design costs are so high? What do they entail?
January 30, 201213 yr Typical design fees for engineering (and architecture as well) are usually around 10-12% of the construction cost. Even if there isn't a whole lot to show "on paper" there's a lot of man hours in research, planning, analyzing, basically all the "figuring stuff out" that goes into it.
January 30, 201213 yr To what date was the meeting rescheduled? Hasnt been announced yet... We'll hear about it through every media outlet though when its announced
January 30, 201213 yr February 10 is the rumor I've heard. Pretty sure anyone can call & ask the clerk of council actually.
January 31, 201213 yr Then we should make groundbreaking that day, with or without Ray Ray...... Bet that would get Smitherman's panties all bunched up. :wink:
January 31, 201213 yr The article cites a "Project management plan version 4.0." Is that available online?
January 31, 201213 yr Interesting sidenote to watch: Ray Lahood's son is being held in Egypt and is being barred from leaving http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71981.html LaHood may have other more important things on his mind in the meantime aside from attending Cincinnati's construction ceremony...
January 31, 201213 yr ^I hope he and the others have a safe return, but why is the GOP backing a group who is supposed to monitor the Egyptian elections? Not to drag in a bigger issue here, but I really hope the streetcar breaks ground well before election season. The project has been tossed around enough in the local political arena. I'd hate to see it become a political hostage like the subway was. LaHood and the Obama administration have been big supporters of not only our streetcar, but similar projects in the nation. I'd hate to see the fate of it and its funding should the national executive regime change before construction has started.
January 31, 201213 yr McCauley monorail works 01/31/12 at 9:13am by Letters Editor | 0 Comments [no link provided]
January 31, 201213 yr Is Mr. Dixon from Forward Quest? I'm having a time-warp moment, taking me back to the 1990s. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 31, 201213 yr McCauley monorail works 01/31/12 at 9:13am by Letters Editor | 0 Comments [no link provided] Wow. The suburbs are amazing. I can't tell you how many times I've heard similar things about monorails or "that China magnet train." If Cincinnati's topography isn't suitable for anything, it's the numerous lanes of I-75.
January 31, 201213 yr McCauley monorail works 01/31/12 at 9:13am by Letters Editor | 0 Comments [no link provided] Wow. The suburbs are amazing. I can't tell you how many times I've heard similar things about monorails or "that China magnet train." If Cincinnati's topography isn't suitable for anything, it's the numerous lanes of I-75. Yes, David Dixon, you are absolutely correct. With Cincinnati's challenging typography, it's much easier to widen a highway ROW to 250 feet, together with all the new bridges and interchanges, than it is to construct a 35-foot wide light rail line. And of course it's much easier to build and maintain an elevated rail line, complete with elevators and other access, than it is to build it on the ground.
January 31, 201213 yr I think with some of these people, the monorail at [that big theme park near Orlando*] is the only form of fixed-guideway transit they've ever experienced. If we built a light rail line and simply called it a monorail, they probably wouldn't even know the difference. * for some reason the UO software is omitting the word "D*sney"
January 31, 201213 yr I think with some of these people, the monorail at Disney World is the only form of fixed-guideway transit they've ever experienced. If we built a light rail line and simply called it a monorail, they probably wouldn't even know the difference. We have a winner!! :clap: :clap: :clap: "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 31, 201213 yr That PRT proposal must have had some impact. There was a guest on Kunstler's podcast that was under the impression that the PRT people were what was holding up the streetcar. I corrected that on their forum. It was actually the first time I'd heard of the PRT proposal in Cincinnati. This isn't really the place for details about it, but I'm actually not that curious about it anyway. PRT is only useful in extremely specific situations.
January 31, 201213 yr I don't think this answer has ever been answered: Why don't we just paint a bus to look like a trolly and use the 1-2 billion dollars this system will cost on a new jail or schools or police/fire? :bang:
January 31, 201213 yr The "personal stories" about life with this PRT in 2015 are classic. Here are some highlights: "Tom doesn't park in downtown Cincinnati anymore. He parks, on a monthly basis, at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center garage, then uses his Sky Loop card (he could use Visa or Mastercard) to open the front car in the Sky Loop line at the garage. He punches in Station 26, which takes him directly to the Atrium Two station, in the lobby." "Plans are in the works to extend a branch of the Sky Loop to the Party Source and Bellevue shopping area, paid for by the retailers, of course. It should be completed in a year or two." "Jack and Merry live in Newport at 6th & Saratoga, within a block of the Sky Loop station at the Millennium Monument." And I love the operating plan: "The second problem was the annual operating cost, including debt service. It was recognized that the public was used to cheap, subsidized public transit, and the goal of the Sky Loop would be to make it a profitable enterprise. So a public campaign, designed to demonstrate that using the Sky Loop would save everyone time and money over using your auto, was funded by the stakeholders, starting a year before the Sky Loop was finished. As a result, the public accepted the idea that spending $50.00 per month on a Sky Loop card was well worth it, as more than half this amount was saved just on cheaper parking, and the Sky Loop offered unlimited access to the entire downtown area." Remember this entertaining side show the next time some "skeptic" questions the streetcar project. “All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.” -Friedrich Nietzsche
January 31, 201213 yr ^ However ridiculous all of this reads today, you really had to be there for a year and a half during the late-1990's+ sitting through all the stupid meetings while this was being discussed. Would you believe, for example, that this thing used boat-trailer wheels, or that its 24/7/365 air conditioning system was a mere car air conditioner, or that the monobeam it was supposed to run on deflected by 37" under load when it turned the corner at Fountain Square? And that building owners would gladly give up space and pay for the cost of the stations in their buildings which had to be on the third floors because it had to pass over the skywalks? But all was not lost. Thanks to the PRT initiative, the need for a downtown circulator was indentified, and the modern streetcar emerged from the Alternative Analysis as the Locally Preferred Option. There was so much bi-state support for it that it was kept in the OKI plan even after MetroMoves went down at the polls. Having it in the Long-Range Plan gave license to the City of Cincinnati to study it and for the Feds to fund it. So for that, we should be grateful.
January 31, 201213 yr OMG, you reminded me that they weren't calling a monorail, but a monobeam! Thanks for the memories..... "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 31, 201213 yr Isn't there a "strange rail technology" thread? Maybe that's a good place for this. BTW, none other that Robert Pulliam of Tubular Rail infamy popped up the other day in response to Ed D'Amato's letter that appeared in the Newark newspaper. What a crackpot.
January 31, 201213 yr Well, Lahood will be in Atlanta to kick off their streetcar construction tomorrow.... http://www.atlantaga.gov/index.aspx?recordid=667&page=632 http://www.facebook.com/AtlantaStreetcar#!/AtlantaStreetcar?sk=wall Cmon Cincy, lets gooooo
January 31, 201213 yr A monorail type thing over the Ohio River connecting TB & NOTL would be cool. Something kinda like the contraption in Memphis that goes out to Mud Island.
January 31, 201213 yr Well, Lahood will be in Atlanta to kick off their streetcar construction tomorrow.... http://www.atlantaga.gov/index.aspx?recordid=667&page=632 http://www.facebook.com/AtlantaStreetcar#!/AtlantaStreetcar?sk=wall Cmon Cincy, lets gooooo Let's hope Cincinnati has already booked a day with him, but just hasn't announced it yet?
February 1, 201213 yr ^ Dahoney and Mallory don't want to give Boris and Natasha too much time to concoct a dastardly plot!
February 1, 201213 yr ^ Dahoney and Mallory don't want to give Boris and Natasha too much time to concoct a dastardly plot! Boris and Natasha! That's good, thanks for the morning laugh!
February 3, 201213 yr Business Courier making all of their Streetcar articles "Premium". Wanted: Streetcar builders. Experienced applicants only Business Courier by Dan Monk, Senior Staff Reporter Companies interested in contracts to build Cincinnati’s planned streetcar system might want to start looking for a bidding partner now. Don Gindling, principal construction engineer for the project, said the city will want specialized skill sets when it invites bids for $34 million in streetcar construction services later this year. These skill sets include the specialized knowledge required for installing T-rails and “catenary” networks, which are overhead wires that would power the streetcar. The $110 million project includes an initial phase with 16 stops between Fountain Square and Findlay Market, along with a maintenance shed for railcars that will likely... Cont (Premium Article) "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton
February 3, 201213 yr Police Chief Craig was on 550 with Brian Thomas this morning, and Thomas insinuated that the streetcar was cramping the police budget. The whole situation was saved by the bell, as they were going to a commercial break just as the topic switched to the streetcar, and they never follwed up on it. Yesterday, Thomas revealed that he had no knowledge that the city owned a railroad, got mad because it was "losing money", and agreed with a caller who said that "they" need to sell it like "they're" selling Drake. I mean, this guy is an attorney and doesn't appear to be acting dumb -- he literally doesn't know this stuff and literally can't separate the city (railroad) and county (Drake) in his mind, and seems to not know that sales of assets can't be used to shore up the pension fund.
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