2013 Election (Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati: neighborhoods, quality of life, live in)

[TheMahValley]

Originally Posted by jbcmh81

Hmm.. I was almost convinced the city population was ready to keep the momentum moving forward and that you guys were finally moving away from the TP, conservative crap that has stifled growth and redevelopment. This is a big blow to that cause. You guys basically just elected a representative of COAST. Awful.

My thoughts exactly. So much for a forward thinking Cincinnati. Weren't we being told a couple days ago how liberal and progressive-thinking Cincinnati was? Yeah, so much for an urban comeback; this guy's an idiot.

Hey, at least you got Covington. Watch the development cross the river again.

[hensleya1]

Originally Posted by ArtVandalay84

Honestly, what in the hell are you even talking about?

ArtVandalay84--

It's time that the streetcar and the parking lot sellout join the empty riverfront transit center, the overpriced stadiums, and the subway on the ash heap of history.

While I think there is a time and a place for a streetcar, it is not here and not now. Come back with more money, a feasible plan to run the car from the riverfront transit center all the way up the hill in one construction project, with transfer connections to both Metro and TANK, and now we're talking. When the state pulled the funding, Cincinnati should have taken the hint - not now. Mallory and Qualls' intransigence has cost the city untold millions that will take Cranley years to undo.

The parking lease is just another onetime fix gimmick to balance a structurally imbalanced budget. And the pension fund liability is growing out of control.

These are huge challenges that John Cranley now faces and must address immediately, and I hope he can come up with a dozen possible solutions to each of them.

[jbcmh81]

Originally Posted by TheMahValley

My thoughts exactly. So much for a forward thinking Cincinnati. Weren't we being told a couple days ago how liberal and progressive-thinking Cincinnati was? Yeah, so much for an urban comeback; this guy's an idiot.

Hey, at least you got Covington. Watch the development cross the river again.

Maybe the city IS liberal and progressive overall now, but that population sure didn't show up yesterday and makes them essentially worthless anyway. The course of the city has been set, and it's in reverse.

I'm kind of wondering why I seem more upset over this than Cincinnati residents, but maybe that is part of the problem.

[Dayton Sux]

Hey, at least you got Covington. Watch the development cross the river again.

Covington is Aweseom

[cbusflyer]

Sad day. My brother and sister in law live in Oakley and they couldn't understand the benefit of the streetcar. They saw it as a huge waste if money but I argued that the streetcar is more of an investment tool. Fixed rail is something that is permanent and people who invest money in construction like things that are permanent. There is also the cool or hip factor to rail. Every city I have been to, I will take the light rail or street car. Part of it is curiosity but part is knowing that the best things to see and do in the city usually align themselves near the lines.
I hope this moves forward because of the amount already invested not only for Cincinnati's sake but for Columbus as well. We could use some more examples in Ohio of how rail can help development and finally get Columbus moving forward.

[jbcmh81]

Originally Posted by cbusflyer

Sad day. My brother and sister in law live in Oakley and they couldn't understand the benefit of the streetcar. They saw it as a huge waste if money but I argued that the streetcar is more of an investment tool. Fixed rail is something that is permanent and people who invest money in construction like things that are permanent. There is also the cool or hip factor to rail. Every city I have been to, I will take the light rail or street car. Part of it is curiosity but part is knowing that the best things to see and do in the city usually align themselves near the lines.
I hope this moves forward because of the amount already invested not only for Cincinnati's sake but for Columbus as well. We could use some more examples in Ohio of how rail can help development and finally get Columbus moving forward.

We already do... in Cleveland. It may help explain why Cleveland's downtown population growth exceeded that of the other two combined. It's not like there aren't tons of studies done on how fixed-track systems directly impact development patterns, and therefore, population.

That said, whenever Columbus does get its act together and present a rail plan, I don't expect the kind of opposition to it that Cincinnati has had. Columbus residents have proven in recent years that they want the city to be okay and move forward, from raising the sales tax rate during the recession to keep city services and development going, to consistently voting to approve practically every development bond issue, including the $842 million package just approved yesterday.

[Dayton Sux]

Cleveland built that dedicated busway, though, out toward U Circle area. Not a streetcar. Sort of a starter concept and probably cheaper than track and overhead wire. I used it when I was up in Cleveland and it seems to be pretty popular.



They have fixed rail but it dates back to before WWII (Shaker Rapid) and the 1950s (the rest of the Rapid system)

[Dayton Sux]

I myself am sort of skeptical about the streetcar concept, but heck there were two referendums on the project and it apparently is underway (contracts let, etc). Just finish it already.

[jbcmh81]

Originally Posted by Dayton Sux

Cleveland built that dedicated busway, though, out toward U Circle area. Not a streetcar. Sort of a starter concept and probably cheaper than track and overhead wire. I used it when I was up in Cleveland and it seems to be pretty popular.

They have fixed rail but it dates back to before WWII (Shaker Rapid) and the 1950s (the rest of the Rapid system)

BRT sort of functions as rail so long as it uses dedicated lanes. The one BRT system I use daily here in Mexico City has separate, dedicated lanes with special stations. It is very much like riding rail in every sense except that you're on a bus. It has also helped to spur development along its routes in the same way that rail would. It may be a cheaper solution to rail, but it has to be done right or it won't have the same effect. It can't just be a regular bus with signal priority or something.

[Dayton Sux]

BRT sort of functions as rail so long as it uses dedicated lanes.

That Cleveland busway did indeed have dedicated lanes and also it's own waiting platforms..& it seemed fairly frequent. Seems that they could convert this to rail sometime in the future if there's enough riders.