February 6, 201312 yr My point is 49% of voters did not refuse to vote for pro-streetcar council and mayoral candidates. It's not the #1 issue for those voters.
February 6, 201312 yr ^49% of voters chose yes on Issue 48 in 2011. That's close enough for me to be worried about the support he'll get with an anti-streetcar stance. If that is enough to put Cranley in there with his stop the streetcar stance, I feel very bad about Cincinnati. Let's have both a failed subway and a failed streetcar. The citizens may have to speak up for the third time, and I hope they speak loud and clear.
February 7, 201312 yr ^49% of voters chose yes on Issue 48 in 2011. That's close enough for me to be worried about the support he'll get with an anti-streetcar stance. If that is enough to put Cranley in there with his stop the streetcar stance, I feel very bad about Cincinnati. Let's have both a failed subway and a failed streetcar. The citizens may have to speak up for the third time, and I hope they speak loud and clear. I'm not really worried about it. The only thing slightly disturbing is the campaign funding situation.
February 7, 201312 yr http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/news/region_central_cincinnati/downtown/horseshoe-casino-cincinnati-plans-complimentary-shuttle-service-with-partner-hotels Watch for streetcar opponents to start citing whatever this casino shuttle is going to be as a reason why private businesses are good and publicly supported streetcars are bad.
February 7, 201312 yr ^Mark Miller is slacking. Jake's post has been up a full 6 hours and he hasn't tweeted that link. Mark must still be tired from sleeping all day yesterday
February 7, 201312 yr http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/news/region_central_cincinnati/downtown/horseshoe-casino-cincinnati-plans-complimentary-shuttle-service-with-partner-hotels Watch for streetcar opponents to start citing whatever this casino shuttle is going to be as a reason why private businesses are good and publicly supported streetcars are bad. There is already a quote on the Cincinnati.com article from the coasties saying more or less.... the casino clearly saw how terrible the streetcar is so they had to make their own transit... and how the street car doesnt come close to the casino etc etc. same story different day.
February 7, 201312 yr Never mind the fact that the casino is opening over 2 years before the streetcar will be available. derp
February 7, 201312 yr I could have sworn I read a quote by Mann that says he is not opposed. This might just be pandering to both sides - he's been in politics a while. One of the most hotly debated issues in Cincinnati has been the citys planned $128 million, 3.8-mile streetcar line, which might be expanded if the first phase proves successful. The voters have twice given it the go-ahead and I respect that. I wouldnt change it at this point, Mann said. But its something that should be carefully looked at every step of the way. http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/news/local_news/After-long-absence-David-Mann-seeks-return-to-Cincinnati-City-Council He told me that he voted "No" on Issue 48. He's going to Seattle in a couple of months, and so I asked him to check out the streetcar there. He just doesn't know much about it, like most Cincinnatians. I've known him for many years, since college. He's a totally solid guy. I hope he wins.
February 7, 201312 yr http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/news/region_central_cincinnati/downtown/horseshoe-casino-cincinnati-plans-complimentary-shuttle-service-with-partner-hotels Watch for streetcar opponents to start citing whatever this casino shuttle is going to be as a reason why private businesses are good and publicly supported streetcars are bad. Well, it does have tires and all.
February 7, 201312 yr >so they had to make their own transit... Today Glen Beck said Obamacare is so expensive that he's going to build a hospital just for his employees.
February 7, 201312 yr >so they had to make their own transit... Today Glen Beck said Obamacare is so expensive that he's going to build a hospital just for his employees. Will the hospital have a padded room for Glenn???
February 7, 201312 yr Just for reiteration, Chris Smitherman may have some serious mental issues...We are not dealing with logical, rational streetcar opponents. We are dealing with the combined forces of a rabid Tea Party that honestly believes the streetcar is 'worse than 9/11' and this man below. Mind you, some of these are RECENT. Here's just a sample ---- "Smitherman Splits the city in 1st weeks" http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/01/26/loc_loc1asmith.html Chris Smitherman is the master of illusion," said Keith Fangman, the Fraternal Order of Police vice president. "He hoodwinked the voters into believing he wanted to improve police-community relations. And he has done the exact opposite Allen said no apology would be forthcoming. "My words were strong, they were harsh, but they were an appropriate response to an incredibly irresponsible statement by an elected official," he said. At a Martin Luther King Day event this month, Smitherman noted that King himself was branded as a "troublemaker." ----- Chris Smitherman starts singing about freedom during a podcast to support his petition for streetcar signatures in 2009 Cincinnati NAACP president Chris Smitherman spontaneously breaks into song, WDBZ, 4/25/09 on Vimeo ---- Then of course Livingingin's piece: http://metro-cincinnati.org/?p=2183 ----- Accusing Jeff Berding of being in the CIA http://www.cincinnatibeacon.com/index.php?/content/comments/antics_schmantics_smitherman_berding_fbi_and_cia/ ---- http://blackcincinnati.blogspot.com/2009/05/chris-smitherman-falls-from-councilman.html CHRIS is attacking EVERYONE and accusing ANYONE who disagrees with him of doing so because they are part of a grand conspiracy backed by the CIA and FBI to get him like, according to him, they did to Malcolm X and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ---- http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2003/11/29/loc_loc1counb.html Asked what his political goal is, he didn't hesitate a moment. "I want to be president of the United States," he said. The tone in his voice added, "Doesn't everybody?" "The police force - they are truly at the core of the African-American community's frustration," he said in an interview days before his swearing-in Monday as a Cincinnati City Council member. "You have a 21-year-old white officer who's never had an African-American friend in his life, and you dump him off in Over-the-Rhine at 3 a.m. and say, 'Police it.' We don't prepare our officers." Smitherman, 36, won't settle for being a millionaire. He wants to be a "decamillionaire" - and the fact that he knows the word for someone worth $10 million suggests he's put some thought into it.
February 7, 201312 yr I got some info on the contract with CAF. We're ordering 5 streetcars and they will be manufactured in Zaragoza, Spain on approximately a 4-week schedule. That means they will be manufacturing one per month. They will be shipped to New York where 60% of the work will take place in order to fulfill "Made in the USA" rules. The wheelsets and car body will be made in Spain but everything will be put together here, which is probably more labor intensive. The streetcar car barn on Henry St. will be made to house these five streetcars initially, but can be expanded to house up to 14 steetcars. The contract we have with CAF allows us to have more streetcars built to our specs on a contract that slides upward, so the longer we wait to order more, the more expensive they will be.
February 8, 201312 yr I got even nerdier tonight by tracking down the CAF facility in Zaragoza, Spain on Google Earth. As you can see it's a pretty big operation, with many streetcars and other transit vehicles under construction simultaneously: Here's a crop of that same image, with the roofs of several streetcars giving a sense of scale:
February 8, 201312 yr Cool! "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
February 8, 201312 yr The interesting part of that plant is that it has 1. no obvious public transportation for its workers (probably a bus) and 2. there is no freight railroad spur. I suppose the vehicles are partially disassembled after they are tested, then they are reassembled wherever they are trucked to.
February 8, 201312 yr Spain is a leader in streetcar manufacturing as well as one of the tops in the world in complexity and flexibility in their transit network. Ford is making products in Valencia, Spain instead of Cincinnati nowadays. Labor is far cheaper in Spain, and the Spanish government is incredibly pro-transit. Pro-education? The exact opposite.
February 8, 201312 yr It's a shame they are not built here in America. As if there's been any sort of market for American-made streetcars within the past 60 years. Final assembly is taking place at CAF's plant in Elmira Heights, New York, which is the former American Bridge facility that was acquired by CAF in 2001. CAF is also doing work for Amtrak and Houston's Metro at this facility. Prior to the CAF purchase, the Elmira Heights facility performed assembly and refurbishment for NYC Transit, Boston's MBTA, and Philadelphia's SEPTA. (Philly's new rolling stock on the Market-Frankfort Line were assembled in this facility when it was owned by Adtranz.) Made in the Twin Tiers: Wheels rolling at CAF USA
February 8, 201312 yr Just for reiteration, Chris Smitherman may have some serious mental issues... Watching his shows on Local Access cable make it clear in spades.
February 8, 201312 yr I got some info on the contract with CAF. snip The streetcar car barn on Henry St. will be made to house these five streetcars initially, but can be expanded to house up to 14 steetcars. The contract we have with CAF allows us to have more streetcars built to our specs on a contract that slides upward, so the longer we wait to order more, the more expensive they will be. Any idea how involved CAF will be in the design of the car barn?
February 8, 201312 yr I got some info on the contract with CAF. snip The streetcar car barn on Henry St. will be made to house these five streetcars initially, but can be expanded to house up to 14 steetcars. The contract we have with CAF allows us to have more streetcars built to our specs on a contract that slides upward, so the longer we wait to order more, the more expensive they will be. Any idea how involved CAF will be in the design of the car barn? I doubt it. The car barn has been designed for a while. I know they traveled to at least Portland to check out the one (now two) they have there. It's a handsome building. Had to pass historic district muster. Demolition of the block building at the SW corner of Race and Henry will be the first act of the contractor selected to construct the line.
February 8, 201312 yr While I don't really understand why David Mann is running for council, unless he's really angry about all the selling of parking assets that's been going on (his office was in the Kroger building, so between the present parking plan and the sale of the Kroger garage at an enormous discount he's probably had an upfront view of it), I doubt he's going to be anti-streetcar. His stated platform is entirely conventional. I wonder what his thoughts really are on the City's finances. Increasing funding for neighborhood business districts is always popular, but that's not going to improve City finances. They definitely seem to be perpetually out of whack, most likely because of the depressed economy. The thing I'd like to know is how the City plans to build out the streetcar after the initial phase. The only way the City can really improve its balance sheet is on its on initiative is to take depressed areas (such as OTR) and inject enough capital into them so that you have people making decent salaries living there. This is obviously the plan but unless some sort of increased property tax is dedicated to further streetcar build-out; or unless SORTA or the streetcar SORTA subcommittee or whatever creates a real estate portfolio along the routes, or some combination of the two happens, public transit projects are forever going to be at the mercy of the feds, the state, and the local h8trs.
February 8, 201312 yr Can someone remind what the initial loop is? I've gotten lost with all the changes. IIRC, it's not initially going up to Clifton but it will be extending all the way to the Banks, correct?
February 8, 201312 yr While I don't really understand why David Mann is running for council, unless he's really angry about all the selling of parking assets that's been going on (his office was in the Kroger building, so between the present parking plan and the sale of the Kroger garage at an enormous discount he's probably had an upfront view of it), I doubt he's going to be anti-streetcar. His stated platform is entirely conventional. That's what we said about PG, then Smitherman/700wlw/55krc got to him
February 8, 201312 yr While I don't really understand why David Mann is running for council, unless he's really angry about all the selling of parking assets that's been going on (his office was in the Kroger building, so between the present parking plan and the sale of the Kroger garage at an enormous discount he's probably had an upfront view of it), I doubt he's going to be anti-streetcar. His stated platform is entirely conventional. That's what we said about PG, then Smitherman/700wlw/55krc got to him Dunno about Smiterman, but PG Sittenfeld was a streetcar opponent at the time he was circulating his petitions for City Council, even though he convinced a lot of people that he wasn't. That was way before talk radio got to him.
February 8, 201312 yr Can someone remind what the initial loop is? I've gotten lost with all the changes. IIRC, it's not initially going up to Clifton but it will be extending all the way to the Banks, correct? Findlay Market to the Banks (2nd Street).
February 8, 201312 yr Jake beat everyone to it: Cincinnati Streetcar project one step closer to fruition http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/news/local_news/Cincinnati-streetcar-project-project-closer-to-completion Cincinnati City Manager Milton Dohoney and Mayor Mark Mallory announced at a press conference that CAF USA Inc. will begin manufacturing up to five streetcars on Feb. 8 for the first phase of the project. The same day, construction bids on the project are due into the city.
February 8, 201312 yr Can someone remind what the initial loop is? I've gotten lost with all the changes. IIRC, it's not initially going up to Clifton but it will be extending all the way to the Banks, correct? Findlay Market to the Banks (2nd Street). Thanks.
February 8, 201312 yr From @BarryHorstman's Twitter feed: 3 companies submit bids to build Cincy streetcar project, according to City Hall. Firm picked to build cars also gets OK. @CinciEnquirer "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton
February 8, 201312 yr I have a friend that works in City Hall telling me that the lowest bid is 34% over the projected cost. Also was told the bid meeting is still going on and it looks like "a room full of unhappy people." Not saying this is 100% accurate, but that's what I was told.
February 8, 201312 yr Not sure, my friend didn't get to actually check them out. But if the low bid was 34% higher than what the City thought the project would cost...................
February 8, 201312 yr ^If that's true, COAST and Smitherman and 700wlw would have been talking about it immediately Horstman speaks http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130208/NEWS/302080130/3-firms-bid-build-streetcar-tracks Three Firms bid to build streetcar tracks Meg Olberding, a spokeswoman for City Manager Milton Dohoney Jr., said that three companies submitted bids by Friday’s deadline for the Downtown riverfront to Over-the-Rhine streetcar line. City Hall, however, did not release any particulars about the bids, and Olberding said the bids themselves probably will not be made public until at least next week. While city administrators will spend weeks reviewing those bids, a company selected last spring to build five sleek, European-styled streetcars Friday got the green light from City Hall to move ahead with that portion of the project.
February 8, 201312 yr While I don't really understand why David Mann is running for council, unless he's really angry about all the selling of parking assets that's been going on (his office was in the Kroger building, so between the present parking plan and the sale of the Kroger garage at an enormous discount he's probably had an upfront view of it), I doubt he's going to be anti-streetcar. His stated platform is entirely conventional. That's what we said about PG, then Smitherman/700wlw/55krc got to him Dunno about Smiterman, but PG Sittenfeld was a streetcar opponent at the time he was circulating his petitions for City Council, even though he convinced a lot of people that he wasn't. That was way before talk radio got to him. Exactly. He tricked a lot of people. He's been opposing it since the beginning.
February 9, 201312 yr Amazon was slamming the streetcar again, for the three-minute period I heard. COA$T's twitter feed wasn't mentioned by name, but all the negative tweets about streetcars (the smell, homeless people, et cetera) were mentioned.
February 9, 201312 yr Amazon was slamming the streetcar again, for the three-minute period I heard. COA$T's twitter feed wasn't mentioned by name, but all the negative tweets about streetcars (the smell, homeless people, et cetera) were mentioned. Amazon's show on a Friday night? So that was heard by what ... 17 people?
February 9, 201312 yr Amazon was slamming the streetcar again, for the three-minute period I heard. COA$T's twitter feed wasn't mentioned by name, but all the negative tweets about streetcars (the smell, homeless people, et cetera) were mentioned. Amazon's show on a Friday night? So that was heard by what ... 17 people? 17 elderly shut ins.
February 9, 201312 yr This morning the streetcar was again the topic of conversation. Host Daryl Parks asserted that the streetcars are being hooked together into two-car trains. So by his logic, since they are buying only five streetcars, there will be just two "streetcars" on the route, with the fifth in storage. Also, he reverted back to the "walking is faster" thing, complaining first that "you can walk faster than the shuttle train at the airport", as his evidence that you can walk faster than this streetcar.
February 9, 201312 yr Bitter sore loser Chris Finney tweeted the following last night from the TOAST account: COAST @GOCOAST Party on, @MayorMallory & your band of thieves. But the hangover.... http://news.cincinnati.com/enquirertopnews/article?a=2013302080130&f=880 … 6:33 PM - 8 Feb 13 Via Safari on iOS Finney loses on the Streetcar at every turn and his crushed ego can't stand it.
February 9, 201312 yr 700wlw crowd and coast are just loud children pouting at this point. Cranley smitherman Murray winburn and the rest of the anti streetcar politicians/candidates are the ones to be concerned over
February 10, 201312 yr Is Mark Miller losing it? Did he create this 'female' twitter name? Victoria?Safarian @victoriasafarig Another day, another 16 firefighters browned out to subsidize Cincinnati's streetcar boondoggle going nowhere fast. Your safety comes last.
February 10, 201312 yr Is Mark Miller losing it? Did he create this 'female' twitter name? Victoria?Safarian @victoriasafarig Another day, another 16 firefighters browned out to subsidize Cincinnati's streetcar boondoggle going nowhere fast. Your safety comes last. Mark Miller lost it a long time ago, along with his job and credit rating. It's probably him, but it could be Jeff Capell or Frivolous Finney too.
Create an account or sign in to comment