You'd have a much larger barn and yard for light rail. Minimum five acres.

Check this out from candidate Melissa Wegman

 

Wow....

^I'm not savvy with this kind of stuff.  Is there any way to file a compliant about blatant misinformation from candidates like this?  Board of elections or something?

The Ohio Elections Commission would handle complaints. http://elc.ohio.gov/complaint.stm

Where can I complain about the comma splice?

Where can I complain about the comma splice?

 

The Ohio Grammar and Punctuation Association?

http://wegman4cincy.com/the-issues.html

 

does she know that her "plan" for the streetcar is impossible? its insane to me that people believe this stuff.

Let's let the downtown loop get completed and operating. Then let's see if the money can be there for the uptown extension which is the next logical step, and which I predict will take at least 5 years to accomplish. Then maybe talk about a line along Montgomery Rd out to Pleasant Ridge. If I remember right that is where the old streetcar terminated. Can'e remember riding the streetcar that far but do remember the trolley buses which replaced it.

 

Talk of light rail out to Sharonville is definitely premature. The current streetcar is a Cincinnati project. Why would they want to be involved in a project which goes out of the Cincinnati boundaries and involves multiple governmental jurisdictions? Cincinnati is much better served by transporation which ties the City together, an uptown link, possible extension to Pleasant Ridge, and possibly a westward extension to Westwood. If Cincinnati can accomplish a streetcar system which covers a good portion of the City it will be a major feather in their cap. That should be their objective. Let the other suburbs recognize the value of the accomplishment and come with their hat in hand to request joining the game.

 

But first things first. Complete the system in Cincinnati and prove its value. At the current rate of accomplishment this is going to take several years.

 

 

^It is not cool for someone to hack into kjbrill's account and start posting things I actually agree with.  Someone alert the mods!

Jane Prendergast ‏@janeprendergast 8m

Kansas City mayor here tmrw to say he'll happily take city's fed. $ for KC streetcar.  #enquirervote

Concrete has been poured and the rails are set.

 

Rails go from 12th to 14th now, rebar to 15th and the construction trench just south of liberty.

 

Race street rail construction begins 12/26

KC mayor is in town.  at 130 he will be on the Buzz with Lincoln ware

 

At 215 he will be speaking in front of memorial hall

I lived in Kansas City briefly in the 1990s.  The area where their streetcar is being built is pretty dull compared to ours.  It's an old light industrial area like Spring Grove Ave in Camp Washington. 

Actually, in the vein of making underutilized assets more appealing, I thought a somewhere in Camp Washington to the American Can building in Northside route might make some sense.

^I agree, and I have had conversations with people about building on Spring Grove north to Northside.  The thing about that area is it has very good highway access, so there is potential for all types of development, not just medium to high end 3-4 floor residential like OTR.   

Charlie luken said the streetcar will cost $10mil a year to operate.  He said it can bankrupt the City

Mayor James killed it in Avondale. You should come to his news conference at Memorial Hall at 2:15p.

Charlie luken said the streetcar will cost $10mil a year to operate.  He said it can bankrupt the City

LOL - I think he meant BILLION

Mayor James killed it on the buzz. Destroyed all of Cranley's arguments in 15 minutes

^Please tell me the Enquirer will actually run a story.

The Enquirer never did run a story on rails going in the ground, did they?

Looking from the outside in now on Cincinnati, it's just baffling to me how self-destructive the politics are. The streetcar project is already underway, and anyone who's not totally ignorant about it must understand by now that it can't (much less shouldn't) really be traded for other city amenities. I've lived in many cities and seen my share of destructive politics. Chicago is fairly corrupt. Florida was just a mess after they elected that Teatard governor. Columbus has every reason to have transit, but is nowhere near it.

 

But Cincinnati takes the cake for the most odd, sad, inbred political landscape I've ever seen. The only explanation I have is that Cincinnati is so insular that hopeful politicians see every little issue as just earth-shattering, while meanwhile there is this minority of leaders with a more objective perspective like Mallory, Qualls, Sealbach...people that get out of town and understand that projects like the streetcar are actually just modest improvements to the city to keep it competitive with other cities. This shit is hardly a revolution.

Columbus has every reason to have transit, but is nowhere near it.

 

Anybody who really wants rail transit up here just leaves. Or never moves here in the first place. There's enough other cities in this nation that already have it that they don't mind bolting for it. People aren't as willing to leave Cincinnati at the drop of a hat like they are up here. And that's also why Columbus has so much apathy toward the city government. No need to care if you can just bolt or if you just got here and know you will be leaving again in a few years.

 

Be glad you have people in your city who actually care.

Mayor James killed it on the buzz. Destroyed all of Cranley's arguments in 15 minutes

Is it available online anywhere??

Mayor James Press Conference

 

http://www.wcpo.com/news/political/local-politics/watch-roxanne-qualls-discusses-streetcars-with-kansas-city-mayor

Looks like a John Schneider siting in the background!

 

Looks like a John Schneider siting in the background!

 

 

^ Guilty as charged, Your Honor.

Mayor James Press Conference

 

http://www.wcpo.com/news/political/local-politics/watch-roxanne-qualls-discusses-streetcars-with-kansas-city-mayor

Qualls could do with a bit of his personality & enthusiasm. This current mayoral race is kinda like Spock v. McCoy.

Columbus has every reason to have transit, but is nowhere near it.

 

Anybody who really wants rail transit up here just leaves. Or never moves here in the first place. There's enough other cities in this nation that already have it that they don't mind bolting for it. People aren't as willing to leave Cincinnati at the drop of a hat like they are up here. And that's also why Columbus has so much apathy toward the city government. No need to care if you can just bolt or if you just got here and know you will be leaving again in a few years.

 

Be glad you have people in your city who actually care.

 

I live in Columbus.

 

It will be interesting to see what happens as Columbus continues to grow and densify, which I believe it will. But you could probably say that about a lot of cities.

 

I also agree it will be interesting to see what happens when Cincy's streetcar starts running. What will the cities around it do?

>What will the cities around it do?

 

Columbus will need better public transportation after the streetcar sends Cincinnati into bankruptcy and the entire population up and resettles in cow town. 

Cranley said yesterday in business courier he'd sell our streetcars to Kansas City.

 

Meanwhile, in reality,  john Deatrick said that would be impossible given that our cars were made specifically for Cincinnati and specifications wouldn't work for kc

 

Yet another lie

 

^My understanding is that your CAF cars have heavy duty motors that put out enough torque to climb Vine St. hill.  From what I know about KC it's pretty flat.  Our equipment may well be overkill for a KC system...same goes for Detroit.  And anybody know if there is a difference in gauge? 

I am aware of at least one North American city that uses a unique wide gauge.

^My understanding is that your CAF cars have heavy duty motors that put out enough torque to climb Vine St. hill.  From what I know about KC it's pretty flat.  Our equipment may well be overkill for a KC system...same goes for Detroit.  And anybody know if there is a difference in gauge? 

I am aware of at least one North American city that uses a unique wide gauge.

 

Dont know the exact specific reasons, but here's was Deatrick said:

 

A suggestion that Cincinnati could simply sell any streetcars and related items to other cities building such systems is unrealistic, Deatrick said.

 

“For materials already fabricated into something per the contracts or partly fabricated, we would likely have to pay to have them scrapped,” he said. “They would have no worth because they were produced per our specifications and under our conditions, not another city’s.”

 

http://www.wcpo.com/news/political/local-politics/cincinnati-streetcar-manager-cost-to-cancel-project-is-unknown-no-funding-plan-yet-for-uptown

 

Here's what John Cranley said:

 

“I wish Mayor James all the best and would love to help him out by selling him our streetcars once I’m elected mayor,”

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2013/10/25/exclusive-qualls-open-to-the-idea-of.html?ana=twt&page=all

^My understanding is that your CAF cars have heavy duty motors that put out enough torque to climb Vine St. hill.  From what I know about KC it's pretty flat.  Our equipment may well be overkill for a KC system...same goes for Detroit.  And anybody know if there is a difference in gauge? 

I am aware of at least one North American city that uses a unique wide gauge.

 

Dont know the exact specific reasons, but here's was Deatrick said:

 

A suggestion that Cincinnati could simply sell any streetcars and related items to other cities building such systems is unrealistic, Deatrick said.

 

“For materials already fabricated into something per the contracts or partly fabricated, we would likely have to pay to have them scrapped,” he said. “They would have no worth because they were produced per our specifications and under our conditions, not another city’s.”

 

http://www.wcpo.com/news/political/local-politics/cincinnati-streetcar-manager-cost-to-cancel-project-is-unknown-no-funding-plan-yet-for-uptown

 

Here's what John Cranley said:

 

“I wish Mayor James all the best and would love to help him out by selling him our streetcars once I’m elected mayor,”

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2013/10/25/exclusive-qualls-open-to-the-idea-of.html?ana=twt&page=all

 

Cranley is sounding more and more irresponsible by the day. At this point, even if I were not a streetcar supporter and was inclined to vote for him, I'd be starting to get quite concerned over his absolute, finite, nothing-else-to-consider position to scrap this project.

Here's the official John Cranley statement taken from his facebook page.  This is ridiculous

 

 

Today, Vice Mayor Qualls is holding a press conference with the Mayor of Kansas City to promote the streetcar.

 

With all due respect to the Mayor of Kansas City, he doesn’t understand the priorities of Cincinnati or the fact that this streetcar is not going to create jobs or develop Cincinnati neighborhoods. It will only drain Cincinnati taxpayer wallets.

 

Having said that, I wish Mayor James all the best and would love to help him out by selling him our streetcars once I’m elected Mayor.

This all gives me very horrible flashbacks to the 2010 gubernatorial election.... who let this guy be a Democrat?

At 1pm in Roxanne Qualls Walnut Hills Office tomorrow, there will be a pro-streetcar canvas. 

 

2718 Woodburn Avenue.  We have NINE days until election.

 

Cranley has shown now he will do anything and defy all rationality just to stop the project at COAST/700wlw/Smitherman's bidding.

 

 

 

Also, Jean-Francois Flechet, Owner of The Taste of Belgium, just wrote a letter coming out STRONGLY in support of the Cincinnati Streetcar

 

From Jean-Francois Flechet

Owner, Taste of Belgium

 

Dear Friend,

 

I moved to Cincinnati in March 2000, just before the riots. At the time Cincinnati was not what it was today and in all honesty, I could not wait to get out!

 

Over time Cincinnati grew on me. One day I caught myself telling a group of locals that they did not give the city the credit it deserved. Unbeknown to me I had become a fan.

 

I now call Cincinnati home. I live here, I work here, I’m creating jobs, I love it here!

 

I love what our leaders have done with this city over the past 10 years; the way they methodologically executed it, piece by piece. Look at the Banks (a brand new neighborhood built from scratch), Smale riverfront park, downtown & fountain square, the revival of OTR, the new casino. Look at Washington park where you now see black & white kids playing together in the fountains and playground.

 

Cincinnati is in the news again, not for riots this time but for the amazing economic development that has happened over the past 10 years. This city has changed so much it has barely recognizable. People are calling Cincinnati progressive! That would have Mark Twain turning in his grave.

 

There were plenty of naysayers arguing that none of this would work in Cincinnati: nobody would come to the banks, why spend so much money “moving the fountain”. Those are essentially the same people arguing that the streetcar will not work.

 

I want to live in a progressive city and I am proud of calling Cincinnati home.

 

I choose to build my restaurant at the corner of 12th and vine because it was on the streetcar line. Without the promise of the streetcar and the commitment of the city to OTR, I would never have picked that location. The promise of the streetcar created 40+ jobs. Business has been good and we opened a new Bistro on Short Vine in Coryville this past Monday. I know .. Coryville! Don’t judge, wait and see Coryville explode in the next couple of years! This location will create another 50-60 jobs.

 

If you receive this email you probably know that I have been a streetcar supporter for a long time. I’m from Europe, I grew up with access to public transportation and I’m an economist by trade (previous life, before I began waffling) and the streetcar is great tool to trigger economic development.

 

You and I have most likely had more than a few conversations about the streetcar; its economic benefits, the importance of the permanence of the track, the fact that it would help revitalize OTR, bla bla bla. You might have joined me at city hall to address council or, possibly driven with me to Columbus, to address the TRAC. You’re familiar with the numbers 9 and 48.

 

I thought that after electing pro-streetcar mayor, pro-streetcar council and defeating two referendums the battle was over and streetcar opponents would go quietly.

 

I was hoping that local politicians could finally move on and start talking about other issues.

 

As a restaurant owner I do not like to endorse politicians. We serve food to people of all political convictions. I do not care about your political affiliation or who you voted for; my goal is to serve you as many waffle & chicken as often as possible!

 

As you may know, the mayoral election is between two democrats Roxanne Qualls and John Cranley who voted 97% of the time together when they were sitting on council. Based on those records, you could be misguided and think they are politically equivalent. Based on the very low turnout during the primary it seems that the public is not paying attention.

 

Please pay attention!

 

John Cranley did not decide to run his campaign based on past difference with Roxanne Qualls but decided to re-invent himself (and along that a lot of facts) to campaign as an anti-streetcar crusader.

 

I went to the last mayoral debate yesterday at the Hyatt and Cranley mentioned, blatantly ignoring all sources contradicting him; that the city could cancel the streetcar project and maybe lose 20 millions.

 

Experts, administration and reporters all agree that it would now cost more to cancel the streetcar than to finishing the first phase.

 

Cranley went on arguing that the money allocated to the streetcar could be reallocated to other and better projects. It simply cannot. The money channeled from the federal government to the city can only be used for the streetcar project. That money would need to be returned. Mayor of Kansas was here this afternoon, touring Cincinnati and looking at the development of the streetcar. I’m sure he’d be more than happy to take the money that would need to be returned to the federal government if Cranley was to be elected.

 

This would make Cincinnati the only city in the US with two unfinished rail projects (subway and streetcar). This would guarantee that the city would not receive any money from the federal government for rail projects in the foreseeable future.

 

That would mean spending money, a lot of money, for getting nothing in return. That would be a 100% negative return on investment.

 

John Cranley made this mayoral election another referendum about the streetcar.

 

As I said earlier, I do not like to endorse politicians. But I want to live in a progressive city, I want to take the streetcar to uptown, to the banks. I want to see Cincinnati flourish. And with that, I do not endorse John Cranley.

 

Cincinnati is on the right track (pun intended) and this is a critical election for the future of this beautiful city. We need leaders with vision, capable of moving the city forward and invest in the future.

 

Join our hosts next Tuesday at the new Taste of Belgium on Short Vine in Coryville to meet and greet Roxanne Qualls and discuss the future of Cincinnati.

 

Spread the word, bring a friend, better bring a streetcar skeptic and we’ll convert him. Talk to people, this election is critical. Above all, make sure you go out and vote on election day!

 

Oh! And if you come you’ll get to see a really cool new restaurant!!! You’ll see how much Short Vine is about to change. We have plenty of parking at the back of the building, off University Ave.

 

Hope to see you there.

 

Regards,

 

Jean-François Flechet

"@germanrlopez: .@CinciEnquirer endorses @JohnCranley for mayor but acknowledges difficulty of canceling streetcar and parking plan: http://t.co/UiZC7TuAaD."

Despite being early supporters of the parking lease, and after the last election saying it was time to drop the opposition to the streetcar, they endorse the candidate which used opposition to those things as the means of differentiating himself from the other candidate. That inconsistency is what had me thinking maybe they would endorse Qualls. I'd really love to know the behind-the-scenes details on these decisions. Because I cannot decipher the rationality. The "reasons" they wrote are so forced and hollow, in light of positions the paper has previously taken on the relevant issues.

This is a small bump. Can be bad if we don't do anything. Can be good if we all double up and work extra hard

To the streets!  If streetcar supporters turn out,  Qualls wins.  If the vote is low,  Cranley wins.

 

It's as simple as that.  Qualls is within the margin of error to win based on the latest polls according to Derek bauman

Little correlation between who the Enquirer endorses and who gets elected. Still, it's time to get off the computers and go volunteer for Roxanne -- phoning and knocking on doors, the stuff of winning campaigns.

 

Streetcar supporters are meeting up at Neon's at 4:00p today.

To the streets!  If streetcar supporters turn out,  Qualls wins.  If the vote is low,  Cranley wins.

 

It's as simple as that.  Qualls is within the margin of error to win based on the latest polls according to Derek bauman

 

So Roxanne is already behind? Shouldn't we just be turning our attention to Council, then?  Cranley stomped her in the primary and the Enquirer endorsement isn't going to hurt him.  Time to cut bait on lost causes and fight to preserve what matters.

  ^ No.

  ^ No.

 

Why?  If I care about the streetcar then why put effort into a Sisyphean task for Roxanne when I get maybe help preserve/increase a council majority that will cock-block Cranley?  I'd much prefer Roxanne, but unfortunately reality has intruded and still allows the chance to preserve the streetcar.

^ I guess it depends upon your objective.

 

Cranley won't be able to cancel the streetcar that's under construction, but he can surely cause it to fail and prevent it from being extended to other neighborhoods.

^I hope that's true, but I'm worried. Is there any positive news on qualls?  I feel like I hear pro-Cranley stuff every day, and I just keep waiting for qualls to do something.

^ I guess it depends upon your objective.

 

Cranley won't be able to cancel the streetcar that's under construction, but he can surely cause it to fail and prevent it from being extended to other neighborhoods.

 

I completely disagree with your premise.  I think he can and he will IF able (i.e. has a complicit council).  If he gets elected, which looks increasingly likely, he has to cancel it or his mayorship immediately comes undone.  Sure, it will be a complete shitshow but he has to do it or he will have lost the other half of the city (those that want it canceled).

I don't live in Cincinnati so the only thing I can do for the election is encourage my son and DIL who do live in the city to go and vote against Cranley.

 

I can't believe the Enquirer would endorse someone still publicly proclaiming to halt the streetcar construction without giving it a fair shake to be successful. I am sure glad I guit giving them any of my money some time ago. Not only did I cancel my paper but I refuse to pay them anything to access their website.