It just sounds like a typical anti-rail argument to me. 

 

Ghiz said the exact same thing.  "I love streetcar but now is not the right time" or "We need to go back to the drawing board and plan something more inclusive"  Guess who also said this exact same phrases? 

 

-Chris Smitherman....Amy Murray....Wayne Lippert....You get the idea

 

-----

 

For so long we've had people like Ghiz in charge.  People only interested in doing whats in their best interest for their political career.  This leads to an environment of 'playing it safe' and stagnation.  Any remotely outside the box idea gets case aside as a 'boondoggle', evidence be damned.  This region being ultra conservative at times readily accepts it without researching.  Then they go to their typical game plans which involve some sort of pouting to the media and trying to change the rules by challenging the legality of it.

 

I am really proud of what you guys have accomplished in regards to this project.  This isn't just about a streetcar.  Its about standing up to the 'culture' in and around Cincinnati that for so long have had vice grip of your city.  Its about seeing the damage that the status quo politicians have done.  Its about reinvesting into the communities that have been neglected for so long.  Its about coming together and taking control away from those who don't have any interest in where you live.  Its about helping to change a mentality of a city that is its own worst enemy. 

 

Remember that tomorrow at the groundbreaking for the streetcar.  Remember:

 

1) Hit piece after hit piece by Barry Horstman(Including him walking at a 6mph pace for 3+ miles), The Enquirer Editorials, The Letters to the Enquirer

 

2) At minimum, a documented 175 hours devoted solely to bashing the project on 700wlw in addition to hundreds of hours on 55krc.  Misinformation, refusal to research, and conspiracy theories that would make those who believe the moon landing was a hoax shocked

 

3) Kasich and his all out assault on the project.  Influencing the TRAC board to remove the funding after it was originally their highest rated project, publicly denouncing the project, and now trying to influence companies like Duke behind the scenes.

 

4) Two ballot initiatives initiatives that would have amended the city charter and crippled the region for many years to come. 

 

We've even seen opponents ask honestly if the project is 'worse than 9/11'.

 

Now I realize its not done yet.  Duke is still politicizing aspects of the project to delay construction.  OKI is now waffling.  If this were ten years ago, I'd be concerned about the future outcome of this project.  But I'm not today.  Why?  Because we've seen projects under this new wave of Cincinnati leadership come to fruition against enormous odds.  We've seen The Banks, Washington Park, Gateway Quarter, Fountain Square Redevelopment, Riverfront Park, and so on.  Soon we will add The Cincinnati Streetcar to that list.

 

Cincinnati can be a positive message to the midwest and the US of what happens when one takes back their city.  Cincinnati, dare I say it, can be progressive in inspiring other cities that are struggling.  Cincinnati can be that example.  We've got a long ways to go but I am confident we are on the right path

 

Many around the area will see Mayor Mark Mallory and Ray Lahood cut the ribbon tomorrow afternoon.  But thousands like myself will see much much more than that

***Another reason the streetcar should stop on the South side of 2nd St.

Whoops....I'm not capable of operating UO this morning.  The NyQuil is taking its toll.

 

That post was referencing the graphic three posts up showing elevators.

It just sounds like a typical anti-rail argument to me. 

 

Ghiz said the exact same thing.  "I love streetcar but now is not the right time" or "We need to go back to the drawing board and plan something more inclusive"  Guess who also said this exact same phrases? 

 

-Chris Smitherman....Amy Murray....Wayne Lippert....You get the idea

 

-----

 

For so long we've had people like Ghiz in charge.  People only interested in doing whats in their best interest for their political career.  This leads to an environment of 'playing it safe' and stagnation.  Any remotely outside the box idea gets case aside as a 'boondoggle', evidence be damned.  This region being ultra conservative at times readily accepts it without researching.  Then they go to their typical game plans which involve some sort of pouting to the media and trying to change the rules by challenging the legality of it.

 

I am really proud of what you guys have accomplished in regards to this project.  This isn't just about a streetcar.  Its about standing up to the 'culture' in and around Cincinnati that for so long have had vice grip of your city.  Its about seeing the damage that the status quo politicians have done.  Its about reinvesting into the communities that have been neglected for so long.  Its about coming together and taking control away from those who don't have any interest in where you live.  Its about helping to change a mentality of a city that is its own worst enemy. 

 

Remember that tomorrow at the groundbreaking for the streetcar.  Remember:

 

1) Hit piece after hit piece by Barry Horstman(Including him walking at a 6mph pace for 3+ miles), The Enquirer Editorials, The Letters to the Enquirer

 

2) At minimum, a documented 175 hours devoted solely to bashing the project on 700wlw in addition to hundreds of hours on 55krc.  Misinformation, refusal to research, and conspiracy theories that would make those who believe the moon landing was a hoax shocked

 

3) Kasich and his all out assault on the project.  Influencing the TRAC board to remove the funding after it was originally their highest rated project, publicly denouncing the project, and now trying to influence companies like Duke behind the scenes.

 

4) Two ballot initiatives initiatives that would have amended the city charter and crippled the region for many years to come. 

 

We've even seen opponents ask honestly if the project is 'worse than 9/11'.

 

Now I realize its not done yet.  Duke is still politicizing aspects of the project to delay construction.  OKI is now waffling.  If this were ten years ago, I'd be concerned about the future outcome of this project.  But I'm not today.  Why?  Because we've seen projects under this new wave of Cincinnati leadership come to fruition against enormous odds.  We've seen The Banks, Washington Park, Gateway Quarter, Fountain Square Redevelopment, Riverfront Park, and so on.  Soon we will add The Cincinnati Streetcar to that list.

 

Cincinnati can be a positive message to the midwest and the US of what happens when one takes back their city.  Cincinnati, dare I say it, can be progressive in inspiring other cities that are struggling.  Cincinnati can be that example.  We've got a long ways to go but I am confident we are on the right path

 

Many around the area will see Mayor Mark Mallory and Ray Lahood cut the ribbon tomorrow afternoon.  But thousands like myself will see much much more than that

 

 

Best post of the year, so far.

We'll send out something more formal on Facebook but I'm just giving you all the heads up here.  Tomorrow after the ceremonies, there will be some local businesses offering some deals to celebrate:

 

*Taste of Belgium: $2 off Champagne and $2 off select Drafts immediately following the Groundbreaking

*Arnold's: $2 Hudy Ambers and free sausages on a bun 2-6pm.

 

After the Ceremony, I'll be hitting up Taste of Belgium and then heading to Arnolds.

Ill be there with my wife and son on a much needed vacation day and covering for Urban Indy. Looking forward to seeing the group of supporters on this project :-)

I won't be able to make it to the groundbreaking itself (big review day at DAAP), but I'll try to swing by Arnold's later if I can.

>Cincinnati, dare I say it, can be progressive in inspiring other cities that are struggling.  Cincinnati can be that example.

 

The heat will remain cranked on the Cincinnati streetcar for the next 5-10 years.  I'm not optimistic that it will change suburban minds about construction of a network of suburban light rail lines.  What will change that attitude is if Columbus and Indianapolis do it. 

 

 

>(big review day at DAAP)

 

DAAP should be cancelling classes.  The DAAP planning students have been conpicuously absent from the streetcar effort, with the exception of whatever that event was at the Niehoff Studios.  There was so much hot air in that studio I thought to preemtively call the fire dept. 

>(big review day at DAAP)

 

DAAP should be cancelling classes.  The DAAP planning students have been conpicuously absent from the streetcar effort, with the exception of whatever that event was at the Niehoff Studios.  There was so much hot air in that studio I thought to preemtively call the fire dept. 

 

What event at Niehoff? Spring quarter 2010?

Oh are you taking about the Transforum event?

Pleas tell me the tagline for that one was "Transforum -- more than meets the eye."

I took a quarter of the 3-4 quarter series... there were 3 planning students in mine, me and 2 others. The rest (about 20) were a mix of fashion, architect, industrial design, and a couple econ. The most frustrating thing about that course for me was that it was focused on fixed-guideway transit and taught by two industrial design profs. Combine that with the fact that the rest of the students had no idea of the practicalities of transit, and we ended up with some pretty crazy proposals.

 

I am curious, though, to hear what others thought of that course series' outcomes.

>The Cincinnati Streetcar gets to within twenty vertical feet of the Transit Center.

 

The average voter has no idea where the transit center is or where the streetcar is planned to be built.  If Portune were to have just said this at a community event, the crowd would turn on you if you were to cut in and make a point of this scientific fact. 

 

 

But there's a bunch of people in NYC, St. Louis, Chicago and every other NL city that do because they think that's where you get on the subway when they visit for games. It's only logical for them to think that since every other NL city has a form of rail transit. Then they find out that we don't have anything like that and feel pity.

I took a quarter of the 3-4 quarter series... there were 3 planning students in mine, me and 2 others. The rest (about 20) were a mix of fashion, architect, industrial design, and a couple econ. The most frustrating thing about that course for me was that it was focused on fixed-guideway transit and taught by two industrial design profs. Combine that with the fact that the rest of the students had no idea of the practicalities of transit, and we ended up with some pretty crazy proposals.

 

I am curious, though, to hear what others thought of that course series' outcomes.

 

As a pure design exercise, I thought there were some compelling ideas, and it served an important role of getting people to talk about rail transit on a regional level. And outside observers need to be mindful that the main purpose of any design studio is to get students to think critically and broaden their ways of thinking, not to necessarily design the most pragmatic or realistic solution to a design problem. (There are plenty of other courses at DAAP that deal with the boring technical stuff, but they never host fancy exhibits of their work.)

 

That said, it was obvious that many of the students had little or no understanding of transit technology, or the pros and cons of various forms of transit. Their regional "map" was a random mishmash of light rail, streetcar, heavy rail, commuter rail, aerial tram, monorail, PRT, BRT, you name it. It's as if they went out of their way to throw every conceivable form of fixed-guideway transit against the wall, regardless of wether it made sense or not. (Ideally, most cities would prefer to have just one or two forms of rail transit, so that maintenance is simplified and routes can be somewhat flexible. Compare Chicago's flexibility in having a single specification for its rapid transit fleet to Boston, which operates four subway lines that are almost completely incompatible with each other.)

^It's funny you mention that. When there's high profile games they have the center open (i.e. Philly, St.  Louis or day games when a ton of school groups come). Even when they don't have it open, I've noticed they turn on the lights. On more than one occasion I've seen people confuse it for a subway. I was walking out of a game after we beat St. Louis and was jabbing back and forth with some St. Louis folks who said: "At least our city isn't by Kentucky, but hey, at least you have a subway (pointing at Transit Center). When did you get that?"

 

We didn't.

 

I'm glad the streetcar will connect to it, but more importantly - The Banks. However, after reading into this Eastern Corridor plan, it seems terrible. The RTC would seem to be a great spot for Intercity busses and taxis with rail potentially mixed in in the future. Any idea why it wasn't considered as the streetcar maintenance facility?

I believe the RTC wasn't considered for the maintenance facility because it would require too much non-revenue track to get to it. 

"At least our city isn't by Kentucky, but hey, at least you have a subway (pointing at Transit Center). When did you get that?"

 

Because having East St. Louis across the river is SOOO much better than Newport and Covington.  Cardinals fans.  :roll: 

Please tell me the tagline for that one was "Transforum -- more than meets the eye."

 

Swish.

 

>Cincinnati, dare I say it, can be progressive in inspiring other cities that are struggling.  Cincinnati can be that example.

 

The heat will remain cranked on the Cincinnati streetcar for the next 5-10 years.  I'm not optimistic that it will change suburban minds about construction of a network of suburban light rail lines.  What will change that attitude is if Columbus and Indianapolis do it.

 

I'd say that the biggest concern once the streetcar is up and running is resting on our laurels.  The biggest worry I have is that we will continue to see suburban style building in downtown, OTR, and Uptown/Corryville.  We need infill on parking lots and empty lots around the streetcar, buildings that front the street, and buildings that are taller.  Basically, we need to double-down.  Not only is it the right thing to do (it's also doubling down on 3CDC's investments) but it will give Cincinnati a distinctive edge vis-a-vis Indy and Columbus.  It's important for those cities to do well for Cincinnati to do well, but its also important to make sure we are pushing the assets we have that they don't to deal with the advantages they have but we don't (state capitols, unigovs [if you're into that.  The streetcar is a good example of a situation where a unigov would have probably been detrimental]).

^I don't think for a second we'll be resting on our laurels (okay, maybe that afternoon).

We'll send out something more formal on Facebook but I'm just giving you all the heads up here.  Tomorrow after the ceremonies, there will be some local businesses offering some deals to celebrate:

 

*Taste of Belgium: $2 off Champagne and $2 off select Drafts immediately following the Groundbreaking

*Arnold's: $2 Hudy Ambers and free sausages on a bun 2-6pm.

 

After the Ceremony, I'll be hitting up Taste of Belgium and then heading to Arnolds.

 

Here's the facebook invite. All are welcome and please throw this up on twitter if you don't mind- http://www.facebook.com/events/276852079049524/

I'd say that the biggest concern once the streetcar is up and running is resting on our laurels.  The biggest worry I have is that we will continue to see suburban style building in downtown, OTR, and Uptown/Corryville.  We need infill on parking lots and empty lots around the streetcar, buildings that front the street, and buildings that are taller.  Basically, we need to double-down.  Not only is it the right thing to do (it's also doubling down on 3CDC's investments) but it will give Cincinnati a distinctive edge vis-a-vis Indy and Columbus.  It's important for those cities to do well for Cincinnati to do well, but its also important to make sure we are pushing the assets we have that they don't to deal with the advantages they have but we don't (state capitols, unigovs [if you're into that.  The streetcar is a good example of a situation where a unigov would have probably been detrimental]).

 

I haven't heard anything about Cincinnati's Smart Code proposal in awhile, but it's exactly what's needed around the streetcar route.

http://library.municode.com/HTML/19996/level2/TIXIZOCOCI_CH1425PALORE.html#TIXIZOCOCI_CH1425PALORE_S1425-23REPA

 

^I don't know if that works but the City has at least started to acknowledge the impact of the streetcar in the zoning code.

Below that post, Deters also said he supported an 'armed revolution' against the tyranny of the United States and Obama.  Hopefully the feds will be knocking at his door soon

Below that post, Deters also said he supported an 'armed revolution against the tyranny of the United States'.

 

I just read that. Someone needs to send that to the Secret Service.

Below that post, Deters also said he supported an 'armed revolution against the tyranny of the United States'.

 

I just read that. Someone needs to send that to the Secret Service.

 

I reported him to facebook for threats

That said, it was obvious that many of the students had little or no understanding of transit technology, or the pros and cons of various forms of transit. Their regional "map" was a random mishmash of light rail, streetcar, heavy rail, commuter rail, aerial tram, monorail, PRT, BRT, you name it. It's as if they went out of their way to throw every conceivable form of fixed-guideway transit against the wall, regardless of wether it made sense or not.

 

LIG: Do you teach at DAAP?  I graduated from DAAP in the 70's.  I know streetcars because I rode them as a kid and teen...but when I was in planning school at DAAP I was amazed by the way I kept having to explain to other students what a streetcar is.  And for that matter, many had no basic understanding of any kind of mass transit technology.  With all due respect, the students from the east coast, and the foreign students, had a much better perspective.   

^ I'm a Masters of Architecture student at DAAP and originally from Cincinnati, but I've spent most of my adult life in Chicago, NYC, another other cities with extensive rail transit systems. While living in NYC I worked for an architecture firm that does a lot of work for the MTA and the Port Authority, and I was a Project Architect on a couple of major PATH projects.

Capell,

 

Deters already erased your comment.

The Cincinnati field office for the Secret Service: (513) 684-3585

Poor disbarred former attorney/fired radio host/ washed up restauraneur Eric Deters can dish it out but he can't take it.

bah - and now the Monocle "doesn't exist"

gotta love small minded, thin skinned lawyers

That said, it was obvious that many of the students had little or no understanding of transit technology, or the pros and cons of various forms of transit. Their regional "map" was a random mishmash of light rail, streetcar, heavy rail, commuter rail, aerial tram, monorail, PRT, BRT, you name it. It's as if they went out of their way to throw every conceivable form of fixed-guideway transit against the wall, regardless of wether it made sense or not.

 

LIG: Do you teach at DAAP?  I graduated from DAAP in the 70's.  I know streetcars because I rode them as a kid and teen...but when I was in planning school at DAAP I was amazed by the way I kept having to explain to other students what a streetcar is.  And for that matter, many had no basic understanding of any kind of mass transit technology.  With all due respect, the students from the east coast, and the foreign students, had a much better perspective.   

 

To be brutally honest, I learned almost nothing from my BS in planning at DAAP. Other than how to use various software. I learned almost everything I know about urban issues through my employers, reading books by people like Duany and Kunstler, and through places like UrbanOhio.

 

I graduated from DAAP having no idea how big a road was, much less any technical information on transit. Nearly 100% of what I learned came from one employer, and the internet.

I can't speak to DAAP's planning program, but so far my M.Arch. program has been a pretty intense mix of technology and theory. In fact, compared to most other architecture schools, DAAP has a reputation for skewing more towards the technical/pragmatic side. (OSU's architecture program, for example, has a reputation for being much more theoretical.) And no doubt there's a big difference between graduate and undergraduate programs, as I think at least 90% of undergrad education at any university is about teaching kids how to learn, since most high schools do such a terrible job of that these days. You don't actually start learning anything in-depth about your field of study until you get to the graduate level.

 

Anyway, we're getting off-topic here...

Anyone have any idea on how long the streetcar groundbreaking will last? I only get an hour for lunch and really want to be there.

Duke Energy's Cincinnati streetcar stance disputed

Business Courier by Dan Monk and Lucy May

 

In Cincinnati’s battle with Duke Energy over critical streetcar utility work, experts have picked a side.

 

Duke stunned city officials Feb. 8 when the utility announced its gas, electric and chilled water lines must be moved at least 8 feet away from rail lines for the $110 million streetcar project. And Duke said it wouldn’t pay the $18.7 million estimated cost for moving them.

 

City officials countered that they weren’t convinced an 8-foot separation was necessary. And a Business Courier review of practices in other cities and interviews with streetcar experts found the city appears to be right: Many ...

 

Cont (Premium Article)

Looking at today's Enquirer you'd hardly know we were breaking ground today

That's a great article by the BizCourier.  Can anyone post it to the Duke FB page?

That's a great article by the BizCourier.  Can anyone post it to the Duke FB page?

 

Unfortunately it requires a subscription.

 

Sad to see that the Enquirer has chosen to exit the information business.

Anyone have any idea on how long the streetcar groundbreaking will last? I only get an hour for lunch and really want to be there.

 

Less than an hour.

Looking at today's Enquirer you'd hardly know we were breaking ground today

 

Shhhhh.

 

If you listen closely, you can hear the crying of Bill Cunningham, Chris Smitherman, Charlie Winburn, Tom Luken, Mark Miller, Chris Finney, Chris Monzel, Leslie Ghiz, Doc Thompson, Marc Amazon, Darryl Parks, Brian Thomas, Eric Deters, and Mary Kuhl blowing in the wind. 

I'm a subscriber, and the article supports the city's position with several quotes from experts in other cities.

^That's good to hear.  Whether that information will take hold in the rest of the media is another story.

There is also this piece from the Business Courier...

 

Cincinnati wants mulligan on Blue Ash deal

Business Courier by Dan Monk

 

The city of Cincinnati is asking for a do-over on its 2006 contract to sell 130 acres of Blue Ash Airport land.

 

And Blue Ash, which bought the land, has responded: No, thank you.

 

City Manager Milton Dohoney last week told Cincinnati City Council that a new contract is needed to satisfy Federal Aviation Administration  concerns over the use of airport sale proceeds for non-airport purposes. The Courier reported in December that the FAA warned the city that it can’t use Blue Ash sale proceeds to pay off $11 million in streetcar bonds. That threatens an important piece ...

 

Cont (Premium Article)

Looking at today's Enquirer you'd hardly know we were breaking ground today

 

Shhhhh.

 

If you listen closely, you can hear the crying of Bill Cunningham, Chris Smitherman, Charlie Winburn, Tom Luken, Mark Miller, Chris Finney, Chris Monzel, Leslie Ghiz, Doc Thompson, Marc Amazon, Darryl Parks, Brian Thomas, Eric Deters, and Mary Kuhl blowing in the wind. 

 

HAHAHAHA! (I hear it loud & clear!)  BTW--by chance, will Chris Smitherman be there? ( after all, there will be many cameras present...)  :wave:

Looking at today's Enquirer you'd hardly know we were breaking ground today

 

Well you can't expect the Enquirer to bump the story about whether kids should learn about beer steins in school from the front page in favor of the streetcar ground breaking.  That would be silly.

Just got informed that I have to attend a luncheon at noon and be in another meeting at 1. So there goes any chance of going for me. Still a proud day to be a Cincinnatian though. Looking forward to seeing everyone's photos and stories.

 

By chance, any news stations or radio streaming this event live? Anyone know?

Just got informed that I have to attend a luncheon at noon and be in another meeting at 1. So there goes any chance of going for me.

dude, I can sub for you at the luncheon

The Monocle's dissapearance last night appears to have been a glitch

Couple quotes from the biz courier -

"Many communities have utilities located much closer to their streetcar rails – with no problems."

Tim Borchers, owner of Tampa-based City Rail Solutions LLC, said utilities often see streetcar projects as a way to get their aging infrastructure replaced at no charge.

"If you went to Europe and talked about the utility thing, they would laugh"

Watch the groundbreaking live: http://www.wlwt.com/video/30483820/detail.html