The Future of Rail in Cincinnati (Washington, Ada: sales, maintenance, sales tax)

[Wilson513]

Originally Posted by grmasterb

I agree that the streetcar is a silly project, but something has do be done to improve mass transit in cities like Cincinnati. I mean, do you really want everyone who can drive behind the wheel of a car?

Yes.

[grmasterb]

Originally Posted by Wilson513

Yes.

Well, then I'm sorry, but that's a pretty nonsensical approach to human mobility. Let's face it, there are some people who can drive who shouldn't drive. But those same people still have to get to work and run errands.

[Chemistry_Guy]

Rail transportation is great for making a city more tourist friendly, and it is useful for transporting people in congested areas where the roads are gridlocked. I don't think it is useless, but I don't think it is the cost effective option for Cincinnati at this time.

To me, it makes more sense to invest in commercial rail than commuter rail. The qualities associated with rail transit (efficiency when fully loaded, more predictable transit times, fewer longer trips, fixed routes, etc) are much more suitable for shipping goods than people with highly variable schedules. Filling up our road capacity with 18 wheelers and using our rail resources for impractical people-moving doesn't make sense in the Cincinnati region.

I do think there could be a place for rail in the future connecting downtown to the 'inner ring suburbs'. The current streetcar route just doesn't do anything practical.

[flashes1]

Originally Posted by austiNati

Because the city voted for it TWICE, and the money had already been given to us. Out of the $130 Million needed, only $50 million came from Columbus.

Yea the city voted for it twice, but I loved how the street car people purposely wording the ballot language to make it confusing. Goebbels would have been proud. And, $50 million of $130 million is approx. 40%. That's a very significant percentage.

[CinciFan]

Originally Posted by flashes1

Yea the city voted for it twice, but I loved how the street car people purposely wording the ballot language to make it confusing. Goebbels would have been proud.

Check your facts. COAST, the people trying to stop the streetcar, wrote the ballot language.

[unusualfire]

Originally Posted by flashes1

Yea the city voted for it twice, but I loved how the street car people purposely wording the ballot language to make it confusing. Goebbels would have been proud. And, $50 million of $130 million is approx. 40%. That's a very significant percentage.

Correction we got NOTHING from Columbus for the streetcar. And wrong about the ballot language. Makes you sound like a kid running around playing in play ground.

[jbcmh81]

Originally Posted by CinciFan

Things clearly haven't been working here for the past 50+ years, as evidenced by massive population decline and neglect of Cincy's neighborhoods. Something clearly has to change if Cincinnati is to improve as a city.

I'm glad we have people in this city who are willing to take a cue from other sucessful cities around the country, and try to improve Cincinnati by trying something different. Rail.

Sorry you can't see the vision.

Agree, it's nice to see Cincy moving forward with this. It's amazing to me how something that works everywhere else magically cannot possibly work in Ohio.

[jbcmh81]

Originally Posted by Wilson513

Not so. The gasoline tax imposed on cars and the licensing fees imposed on trucks not only cover the cost of the highways, they cover the money being squandered on the rails.

That's total bullsh*t, actually. Or did you not notice that ODOT is broke. Gasoline taxes do NOT cover road construction and maintenance, and highways have never been a moneymaker in all the years since Eisenhower giddily promoted to bulldoze them through the urban cores.

[jmecklenborg]

The small portion of the federal gasoline that is allocated to transit is done so in part to fullfill federal ada mandates. So it helps fund metro's access service and similar services in rural areas.

[wolden]

Originally Posted by ZnGuy

good post.
IMO it is pie in sky wish by liberals who believe that government should subsidise their life or some form of socialism...America can not continue the ridiculous spending...

I think you've been fooled. Clearly this was pushed, at the most basic level, by the people who stand to profit from the route in terms of their real estate investments. Those people believe that society owes them a huge return on the financial risk they are taking, and that they deserve to be rich enough to buy a multimillion dollar house far from the street car.

In turn the people really driving this project, the construction companies and all the investors, sold it by fooling the liberals into believing it would revive the city.

All I am saying is follow the money. In this town it's not hard to do. Most people are just talking their book. They think that is both normal and moral and the way to get ahead.