Cincinnati's Boondoggle Choo-Choo (Findlay: crime, neighborhood, to live)

[PerryMason614]

I was in Cincinnati yesterday along Central Parkway. First time I've been on Central Parkway in a long time.

I noticed no choo-choos were running, at least during the time I was there.

I also noticed how awkward it is for cars to drive in the lane with the choo-choo tracks. The channels are too big and you can't really straddle it without your tires driving over one of the holes. Must also be a danger to pedestrians.

But, again, no choo-choos were running?

[austiNati]

was downtown last night, and the night before...and the night before...and the trains were running. Even more so, there were decent crowds on it. Do you naysayers go downtown and streetcar watch to make sure that every single one is jam packed with riders? Use that energy for something more productive. The anti-transit obsession in Cincinnati is just plain weird at this point.

[jbcmh81]

Originally Posted by austiNati

was downtown last night, and the night before...and the night before...and the trains were running. Even more so, there were decent crowds on it. Do you naysayers go downtown and streetcar watch to make sure that every single one is jam packed with riders? Use that energy for something more productive. The anti-transit obsession in Cincinnati is just plain weird at this point.

They pull the same thing with buses- "I saw one today that had no one on it!! What a waste!!" I live in a city with something like 22 million people and take transit every single day. They have one of the most heavily used transit systems in the world here, with billions of individual rides on every existing form every year. It's so crowded that they add a new line every few years. But even here, there are certain times of the day in certain directions when trains and buses are relatively empty. Those same naysayers would see them and claim it's a waste. All systems have busy and quiet times of the day. I don't think Cincinnati's system is without flaws. Due to the many issues, especially political machinations, it didn't end up being nearly as useful and good as it could've, so it's been used as a self-fulfilling prophecy for the anti-transit folks- make it suck and then claim transit sucks kind of thing- but its problems are not beyond fixing and it shouldn't be used as an example to judge transit systems overall. Cincinnati needs more forward-thinking leadership, not the Cranley types, that can make its current system better, if not expand it.

[cincydave8]

I literally lost brain cells reading OP's post.

[mike1003]

Originally Posted by cincydave8

I literally lost brain cells reading OP's post.

Clowncil lost brain cells before they pushed the Choo-Choo through

[jbcmh81]

Originally Posted by mike1003

Clowncil lost brain cells before they pushed the Choo-Choo through

Didn't the city residents vote for it... twice? State and at least some city leadership seemed hostile to it, but the city voted democratically for it.

[cincydave8]

Yep, despite all the crying and temper tantrums by suburbanites and Cranley the streetcar passed through council and was voted on approved by the residents of the city, twice. But local talk radio needs people in cars for ratings so they will always attack mass transit while the enquirer knows they'll get clicks on anything that attacks the city. Luckily, other news organizations do actual reporting. For instance you won't see the anti-streetcar trolls on this board (none of whom live in the city) posting articles like this:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinna...Oal0Rj-bPE9wls
“The space in Model Group’s Market Square development was particularly attractive because of its proximity to Findlay Market, location along the Cincinnati Bell Connector streetcar line and being in a neighborhood where some MKSK employees already live and others want to live.”

[SenseofPlace]

I find it interesting we have all these threads about the streetcar and we find another suburban troll to create another thread about how they hate the thing. Can we start getting more educated posters on this forum? Common sense should be required before they approve posters.

[jbcmh81]

Originally Posted by cincydave8

Yep, despite all the crying and temper tantrums by suburbanites and Cranley the streetcar passed through council and was voted on approved by the residents of the city, twice. But local talk radio needs people in cars for ratings so they will always attack mass transit while the enquirer knows they'll get clicks on anything that attacks the city. Luckily, other news organizations do actual reporting. For instance you won't see the anti-streetcar trolls on this board (none of whom live in the city) posting articles like this:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinna...Oal0Rj-bPE9wls
“The space in Model Group’s Market Square development was particularly attractive because of its proximity to Findlay Market, location along the Cincinnati Bell Connector streetcar line and being in a neighborhood where some MKSK employees already live and others want to live.”

I find the transit debate to mostly be about class rather than anything else. A lot of people think transit is only for poor people, so therefore they view transit as a threat to property values, culture, and that it will bring crime with it. They’ll never see it as an alternative to a car because they don’t think that’s a rational choice that anyone of means will make.

[mike1003]

Streetcar advertising was 70 percent off budget in 2018, bringing in just over $100K.

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/new...ing/2463770002

This is the gift that keeps on giving!

Where is the new operation manager of the folly