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Columbusite
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« Reply #30 on: December 12, 2006, 11:36:48 PM » |
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Your streetcars aren't going to cross any highways that are going to be under construction for who knows how many years, are they? If not, you guys will probably have your system up and running before ours, which looks to be the victim of unparalleled short-sightedness.
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thomasbw
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« Reply #31 on: December 12, 2006, 11:38:49 PM » |
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nope, the initial routing of one of the proposals is at this site www.citystreetcar.net it is a huge power point presentation but very cool.
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Columbusite
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« Reply #32 on: December 12, 2006, 11:46:20 PM » |
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Lucky bastards, we're probably going to have to pointlessly wait for construction to start in 2010 for 170-71, because for some reason having a streetcar go from downtown to the Arena District, Short North arts district & OSU isn't even being considered. I guess we want to keep our image and not get something done right on the 1st try.
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thomasbw
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« Reply #35 on: December 17, 2006, 11:37:18 AM » |
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Flights look like they are going to be about $400-$500 is that right? I'm trying to save up for a Segway so I might not be able to make the trip.
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John Schneider
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« Reply #36 on: December 17, 2006, 12:40:03 PM » |
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Flights look like they are going to be about $400-$500 is that right? I'm trying to save up for a Segway so I might not be able to make the trip.
In October, some people were getting out there for $250 on NW through Minneapolis. Generally good bargains through Indy on NW and Frontier via Denver. But, you're right, the Delta nonstops are expensive.
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David
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« Reply #37 on: December 17, 2006, 04:03:45 PM » |
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Lucky bastards, we're probably going to have to pointlessly wait for construction to start in 2010 for 170-71, because for some reason having a streetcar go from downtown to the Arena District, Short North arts district & OSU isn't even being considered. I guess we want to keep our image and not get something done right on the 1st try.
The Arena District and Short North are doing great. So is the Brewery District/ German Village (atleast it appears to be). What I'd love to see is the City of Columbus work with developers on a plan to add street cars and mixed use development for the east and/or west side. With the city spending so much money on transportation (fun transportation at that..) perhaps that would be enough to give the developers and banks enough reassurance? I'm drifting off into fantasyland though. I don't think that $24m per sq. mile would apply to Cincinnati if it were to connect downtown to uptown, since it would have to be elevated; wouldn't it?
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Columbusite
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« Reply #38 on: December 17, 2006, 05:55:56 PM » |
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I'm hoping that the wait for an extension to the east, west or ideally both, won't come too long after the first route is up, running & a success. The first route, as far as development goes, is looking to boost development downtown 1st and fill up those parking lots. Also, there's really nothing much outside of downtown on Broad St as far as things to see & do aside from the conservatory. There was no master plan made, which is unfortunate, since a lot of people who aren't on the 1st route will feel left out and probably aren't aware that future extensions will come. It's too bad they're left guessing as to whether or not they will get one. Make sure you guys clearly explain why have a streetcar and how it will work, where it will go for the first route and possible future routes. Here, there was a horrible job done as to why this is necessary and how it is going to be implemented.
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thomasbw
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« Reply #39 on: December 18, 2006, 09:49:06 PM » |
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Good news everyone, recently I brought up how the Mayor's Young proffessional kitchen cabinet had nothing to do with transportation. Well due to overwhelming demand by the YPKC powers that be, the mayor is forming a Young proffessionals transportation committee.
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Aetennis07
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« Reply #40 on: December 22, 2006, 10:54:05 PM » |
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So are we really get this, or do we have to vote for it again. This would be very nice to have in our great city. Cincinnati already is on the rise to new things, and ideas, and to me this is one of the great ones. The banks project is still a vision of what is to come, and hopefully that vision will be a reality soon, and hopefully this will come fast soon too.
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thomasbw
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« Reply #41 on: December 22, 2006, 11:15:02 PM » |
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In my opinion, the city could fund a limited streetcar system without a vote, a bond issue or tif financing would cover the costs of about 90-120 million. It might even be a money maker in the long term. (in terms of improved property values not fares).
Light rail would have to be a county issue or we need one hell of a rider on a congressional transportation bill. Especially if we start digging tunnels. This isn't to say this won't happen, but it will probably take a while or a huge jump in oil prices, which in a world potentially nearing peak oil is quite possible.
The mayor has expressed interest in mass transit, and at the YP bold fussion summit, he mentioned a 'cadilac' of a transportation plan. The Bank's developers have stated they wanted thousands of residential units and a streetcar line would help them cut down on the number of parking spaces that they need.
Write a letter to the editor.
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BallHatGuy
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« Reply #42 on: December 28, 2006, 03:54:46 PM » |
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Somewhat related, but I went to Union Terminal on December 26th and the place was packed and I thought it would be neat if there was a trolley or some sort of cross-town mass transit that could link say Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal with Findlay Market & OTR, Fountain Square, Taft Museum, Mt. Adams, and the Art Museum? (Yes, Bus Route #1 covers some of this but it needs to be more tourist friendly and I honestly think the Zoo portion could be served from an north-south trolley, etc. hitting the Zoo, Hospitals, UC, OTR and Downtown). On Tuesday we went to the Art Museum for lunch (which was awesome) then stopped at Krohn and then CMC.
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Jskinner
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« Reply #43 on: December 28, 2006, 04:29:23 PM » |
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The #1 route runs once an hour, and is usually empty. I've used it a few times and with kids it costs us $8 round trip to go 1 mile. This won't cut it for tourists and families. Maybe if there was a one-day tourist pass or something like that, a family could use that as a way to see some museums etc..
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UncleRando
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« Reply #44 on: December 28, 2006, 04:50:37 PM » |
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2 years ago me and a few of my fellow classmates thought we would do the 'planner' thing and take the bus to Union Terminal from UC for a field trip (rather than driving). It took us over a damn hour to get there from UC....that is REDICULOUS!!! We were late for our tour, and most normal people would have been scared away by the lack of any clear information on how to get from here to there  I guess it just takes practice (although I have managed alright on NYC's, DC's, Chi's, and Philly's transit systems on first go..whats wrong here).
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cramer
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« Reply #45 on: December 28, 2006, 05:40:07 PM » |
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I think from UC to Union Terminal, the best you could do is about a half hour, which is decent but depends on excellent timing. Depending on the vagaries of your transfer, it could take a while. I guess the best way is to take the 17 or 18 downtown, walk to 4th street and catch the 1. There's a trip planner at sorta.com that helps.
By the way, the word is spelled ridiculous, with an i in the first syllable.
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John Schneider
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« Reply #46 on: December 28, 2006, 07:47:42 PM » |
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I'd be surprised if Cincinnati's study of potential streetcar routes doesn't include a route between Downtown and the Museum Center. Just SWAG, really.
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cincydrewinclifton
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« Reply #47 on: December 28, 2006, 08:40:21 PM » |
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Lucky bastards, we're probably going to have to pointlessly wait for construction to start in 2010 for 170-71, because for some reason having a streetcar go from downtown to the Arena District, Short North arts district & OSU isn't even being considered. I guess we want to keep our image and not get something done right on the 1st try.
lol thats okay we can always hold to our image and build a tunnel to not use 
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John Schneider
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« Reply #48 on: January 07, 2007, 01:09:10 PM » |
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Dear Cincinnatian, As you may know, our city has commenced a serious study of a downtown streetcar, one of about forty similar efforts underway in the United States and Canada. Some of the thinking is, our downtown is burdened by high-cost parking, especially for residents. In parts of Over-the-Rhine and downtown, on-site or nearby residential parking is unavailable at any cost. So an amenity that enables Cincinnatians to rely less on cars would make it easier for them to live nearer to their jobs, shop at Findlay Market, and access cultural institutions in and around downtown. A starter streetcar project could be constructed without a general tax increase and would act as a spine for later extensions to Uptown and other close-in neighborhoods. Downtown residents seem to like the idea; they voted 2:1 for light rail and streetcars in the 2002 countywide vote that lost 2:1. And there are more downtown residents these days, with many more on the way. Portland, Oregon is the only American city with modern streetcars. Built in the Czech Republic, these vehicles are essentially one-car trains. They have much higher capacity than buses, and they are smooth-riding and very quiet. Developers of new condominiums along the streetcar route in Portland are able to sell very nice apartments with less (or no) parking. As a result, many of the new residents do most of their shopping and entertaining in their own neighborhoods, and much of the money formerly spent on cars and parking gets spent on better housing instead. Also, Portlanders walk a lot more, which is good for commerce and for public safety. Dozens of civic delegations from around the world descend on Portland every year to learn more about how Portland is accomplishing this. It is an amazing story, one of several strategic investments which have completely revived this once-moribund city over the last twenty-five years. The Alliance for Regional Transit has been leading groups of Cincinnatians to Portland for several years to better understand what's happening there -- 268 of us have made the trip so far. Ask around. You undoubtedly know someone who has been on one of these tours, probably several people. The tour starts at Noon on Friday and continues through a late dinner that evening. Most people usually arrive Thursday night and return on Sunday. Mt. Hood's skiing is superb this winter, and you could stay busy for weeks discovering the joys of downtown Portland, probably America's best Cincinnati-sized downtown. We'll be staying at Portland's best hotel: http://www.5thavenuesuites.com/fasprai/index.html. The hotel will charge you $139 per night for as many nights as you want to stay. In addition, the Alliance charges $97 per person for lunch and a great dinner on the day of the tour. We'll have a least one speaker to let us know more about what's going on there. The Delta nonstops to and from Portland are expensive, but they are very convenient. Cincinnatians sometimes find fares in $250 range by flying on Northwest through Minneapolis. Many people bring spouses or friends along on these trips. Sometimes people living in other cities join us. If you'd like to come along, please write back to johnschneider@protransit.com, and I'll send more information. It's a fun weekend, and you'll learn a lot. See for yourself. Thanks for your time. John Schneider
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Quimbob
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« Reply #49 on: January 07, 2007, 01:35:38 PM » |
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do you have a schedule further out ?
airfares with less than a weeks notice are insanely high.
500 v 1400 bucks
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John Schneider
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« Reply #50 on: January 07, 2007, 01:45:15 PM » |
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do you have a schedule further out ?
airfares with less than a weeks notice are insanely high.
500 v 1400 bucks
No, I book these trips when the hotel will give us a good deal. We'll probably go again in June, but the hotel and air fares will be higher then since that's the peak season. We're not going in a week, but in six weeks -- on February 16th. I'm sure you can get there for less than $500.
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Columbusite
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« Reply #51 on: January 07, 2007, 03:09:59 PM » |
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So Cincinnati has only just started a study on streetcars for the city and yet has a longer thread than Columbus which has finished its study. If this site is anything to go by, there are even more people there who are enthusiastic & pro-streetcar, which should bode well.
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Eigth and State
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« Reply #52 on: January 07, 2007, 04:26:57 PM » |
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^---- Cincinnati has been studying streetcars ever since streetcars were invented! Well, we have at least since the time that the uncompleted subway was built.
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John Schneider
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« Reply #53 on: January 09, 2007, 01:36:16 PM » |
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In today's USA Today:
Cities rediscover allure of streetcars
In Portland, Ore., ridership of its downtown streetcar system has tripled projections.
By Haya El Nasser, USA TODAY
The streetcars that rumbled and clanged through many American cities from the late 1800s until World War II helped shape neighborhoods. More than a half-century later, streetcars are coming back and reviving the same neighborhoods they helped create.
Several cities have resurrected the streetcar tradition and about three dozen others plan to — from Tucson, and Birmingham, Ala., to Miami and Trenton, N.J.
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thomasbw
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« Reply #54 on: January 09, 2007, 03:05:30 PM » |
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The important thing to look at in this article is the public investment multiplier.
10 to 1 in Little rock
28.5 to 1 in Portland (based on a 80 million dollar project)
18 to 1 in Tampa.
Also it seems like almost every streetcar line is about 2.5 miles.
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John Schneider
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« Reply #55 on: January 11, 2007, 04:53:49 PM » |
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Just learned that Cincinnnati City Council member Chris Bortz and City Architect Michael Moore will be on Channel 12 "Newsmakers" this Sunday to talk about the city streetcar study, now underway and due to be complete in April.
Starts at 11:00a on Channel 12, Cincinnati. Tune in and see what they say. If you like what you hear, send a note to Chris Bortz @ Cincinnati City Hall, 801 Plum Street, Cincinnnati 45202.
Also, send a note to the host, Dan Hurley, at WKRC Channel 12, 1906 Highland Avenue, Cincinnati, 45219. Once in a Blue Moon, he reads letters on the air.
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UncleRando
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« Reply #56 on: January 11, 2007, 08:51:02 PM » |
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WOW!!! Thats some good/encouraging news. I know that public officials usually like to keep things quite and out of the public eye until things seem VERY promising. So as I said, I find this VERY ENCOURAGING!!!
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thomasbw
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« Reply #57 on: January 14, 2007, 11:21:50 AM » |
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The Channel 12 newsmakers broadcast about the streetcar was awesome. It bodes well for the project.
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noozer
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« Reply #58 on: January 14, 2007, 11:38:59 AM » |
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Good luck with this my friends! I served on the Mayor's Working Group for the Downtown Columbus Streetcar proposal and part of our group visited Portland for a first-hand look and came back with rave reviews and information confirming that introduction of the line and its extension have had a very significant and positive effect on both business and residential development, but on traffic congestion as well.
The interesting thing about Portland's system is that it didn't even come close to the city's convention center and it still had a huge impact. Columbus' system will serve to connect both downtown venues, as well as the Short North, Columbus Convention Center, German Village and the Arena District. It is also being designed to be an expandable system.
BTW: I was in St. Louis recently on business and rode their light rail system extensively. Amazing how well used it is, and at all hours of the day and evening. They have a new multi-modal transportation center under construction near the current Amtrak station.
I was also very impressed with the Busch Stadium stop. Very clean and well-lit. The stops are also monitored by security cameras and it was not unusual to see police and security guards maintaining a polite but noticeable visibility in the area.
And I gotta tell ya... the sight of the new Busch Stadium when you arrive at the station is awesome!
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atlas
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« Reply #59 on: January 14, 2007, 12:21:31 PM » |
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The Channel 12 newsmakers broadcast about the streetcar was awesome. It bodes well for the project.
Is the video streaming anywhere?
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