http://news.cincinnati.com/article/2...ined-with-hope
Enquirer has a pretty lengthy look at the various development options happening along the streetcar route. Construction on the line hasn't even begun and there are some huge deals underway.
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http://news.cincinnati.com/article/2...ined-with-hope
Enquirer has a pretty lengthy look at the various development options happening along the streetcar route. Construction on the line hasn't even begun and there are some huge deals underway.
The banks is really coming along too. Two of my friends just bought condos in the downtown area in the last month. There's more going on down there every day.
I hit the Righteous Room after the fireworks Sunday. It's a great example of how to do a downtown bar right. The ability to take advantage of the street with the open windows, and the courtyard area in back too. Nicholson's is re-doing their front area to open it up more too.
The Righteous Room has a great happy hour if you're downtown. Everything is half price.
You read the article and there are some who are already concerned that the increased development is going to displace the poor who reside there now. Comments to the effect of, as property values begin to rise the city needs to start planning on how to incorporate affordable (read subsidized or low rent) housing into the mix. WTF??? So we're (private and public) going to pump millions of dollars into cleaning up, revitalizing, redeveloping that area and we're concerned about where the people who are partly responsible for destroying it in the first place are going to live?
Welcome to the new America.Quote:
Originally Posted by sweet16
Just curious. Why do we need a street car that provides limited stops, uphill routes that are at best a traffic clogger, ? Why do we need a street car line that will have to have its operating costs subsidised or if they aren't, it will cost too damned much to ride?.
If it were a mass transit system such as a subway or el that could move people to and from downtown to various communities, it would make sense. But a street car line which is nothing more than a Cinderella's carriage that will supposedly invigorate redevelopment of the Over the Rhine area and Clifton or Vine Street Hill areas??? It's ridiculous.
Hey, maybe we should save the money and give it to the poor!!! Now that's a novel idea that's older than the hills on which the line will be built.:(
Why do we need a subsidized highway system? Why do we need busses? Why do we need bridges? Why do we need to re-do fountain square?Quote:
Originally Posted by wkrq59
The short answer is that downtown was dying, and still will die without investment. Street car programs in other cities have shown to encourage private investment because of the permanent nature of the tracks. The route is not subject to change, and because of the relative size of the capital investment to the operating costs, eliminating the route is not subject to the whimsy of an new city council or a sudden increase in gas prices.
The permanent, fixed investment brings private investment dollars in the form of bank loans for businesses to develop on the line that would not otherwise be available. It attracts business that are willing to speculate on a revitalized business and entertainment corridor. The revitalized corridor is an appealing place for young people to live when they graduate college. The increase in employable young people attracts larger businesses. There is a significant population of young people that is attracted to the idea of living without a car.
In 1980, Seattle and Cincinnati had about the same city population. In 2010, Seattle boasts approximately 617,000 residents to Cincinnati's 352,000. Seattle has a long running commitment to transit solutions, including street cars and light rail, and has enjoyed a huge increase in mass transit ridership during a time that Cincinnati is seeing decreases and higher fares to offset lost revenues.
Supporters of the streetcar see a continuing investment in transit solutions, of which the streetcar is one component. The streetcar on its own is not a drop-in solution. It is a step along a path of investment in the core of the city.
I know a lot of people that are against the streetcar. What I don't know is anyone who is pitching a better idea to invest and rebuild the population and business base in the heart of the city. What's your idea, Q?
I'm a Seattle resident. It's not exactly the poster child for public transit systems. The bus system works pretty well, but that's about it.
Compared to Cincinnati, it's the poster child. The reason I picked Seattle is about 30 years ago, both cities were in a very similar situation. The streetcar people love to point to Portland, but Cincinnati isn't going to be Portland. I'd be thrilled if Cincinnati became Seattle.Quote:
Originally Posted by smileyy
The point is, a commitment to investment in the city core draws residents, and growth is contagious.
Who is going to ride these streetcars? Where are they going?
I was talking to a friend who said that a big goal for the streetcar is to have the line reach XU.
That'd be really cool. The only thing I'd be worried about is having too many stops so it would take an hour to get to downtown. There's no reason to have many stops between XU and UC.
In addition, there's some talk about having a light rail line start at XU and wind through Hyde Park and eastern part of the county. The rail line is already there.