brian korte Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 Be careful how much support you voice for moving these festivals to the Banks. As we all know, any good idea touted by streetcar supporters, no matter what, will be a no-go for the Mayor. It's not the ideas he dislikes; it's the people who present the ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanlammi Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 Honestly, that guideline was poorly written. It should have said: "The city will work with SORTA and festival/event organizers to minimize disruptions to the Cincinnati Streetcar service. This includes adjusting hours of operation for the Streetcar, closing either the downtown or OTR loop for small periods of time, and relocating events so blocks with streetcar service will remain uninterrupted." He didn't have to get all excited about this and declare a war between the streetcar and our beloved festivals. He should have handled this coolly and calmly. Instead he pulled out a shotgun to kill a mouse. Though I will never expect him to take the easy way in regards to rail transit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebillshark Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 Be careful how much support you voice for moving these festivals to the Banks. As we all know, any good idea touted by streetcar supporters, no matter what, will be a no-go for the Mayor. It's not the ideas he dislikes; it's the people who present the ideas. That's the worst form of parochialism there is. This mentality must be defeated for Cincy to prosper. Millenials, outside investors, businesses et al have no interest in or patience for a place that's run like that. I think this is why I became such a strong streetcar supporter in the first place. www.cincinnatiideas.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
climberguy714 Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 Though I will never expect him to take the easy way in regards to rail transit. Ditto. I can't wait until next election and hope he is not re-elected. I am honestly just so tired of his negativity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanlammi Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 Though I will never expect him to take the easy way in regards to rail transit. Ditto. I can't wait until next election and hope he is not re-elected. I am honestly just so tired of his negativity. Yvette for Mayor! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unusualfire Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 This is a gold mine for events. Taking people from one section to another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilworms Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 This is a gold mine for events. taking people from one section to another. Yeah look at all the shuttles that have to be run now to get people from Oktoberfest to the actual breweries, BAM you can actually not run shuttles as the streetcar would do the job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IAGuy39 Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 He is like an ex-girlfriend, who won't stop calling you when you are out drinking with your friends you hardly ever see, even though she is out of town on vacation with her friends. Then, when you sleep in late and feel like junk and don't get much done for a day, she starts to snap on you and say see, if you weren't such an idiot for getting drunk this never would have happened. Then you get into a big argument and say something you didn't mean to say, like "why can't you just support me when I am just having harmless fun with my friends?" She gets ticked and brings it up every time you get into an argument, saying "Remember when you said that this one time you a-hole!". Then you feel like you can't even go out with your friends anymore with out being attacked, and then, well I said ex-girlfriend... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCtoCincy Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 This entire scandal was made up. The Operating Agreement between the City & SORTA already says it can be closed down for 4 events of 3 days in length per year. It's almost a guarantee it will close down for the first Oktoberfest & the first Taste of Cincinnati. Let's just let it go... But in year 2 or 3, I predict everyone will see a value in this, and they'll be willing to adjust to make this a workable solution. Heck, they may actually be asking, please don't stop service, what can we do to help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanlammi Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 I guarantee that in the first year of operations every festival will be willing to adjust their layout to allow the streetcar to pass and mitigate parking demands Downtown. They realize how much this will help their event. It doesn't matter what this new guideline Cranley is writing actually says. They will be cooperative with SORTA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCtoCincy Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 I guarantee that in the first year of operations every festival will be willing to adjust their layout to allow the streetcar to pass and mitigate parking demands Downtown. They realize how much this will help their event. It doesn't matter what this new guideline Cranley is writing actually says. They will be cooperative with SORTA Oktoberfest is in the opening month. I have a feeling they may prefer to just have it shut down and figure things out for next year. No one wants to risk anything if they don't have to. Taste is in May, by then the Streetcar will be at 8 months of operating, perhaps they would be willing to try something different for year one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanlammi Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 ^They have 16 months to figure out a new layout. I wouldn't be surprised if they alter the layout of the festival this year to test something out. I think they can keep it downtown around Fountain Square, avoid streetcar construction/operations, and minimize traffic issues without sacrificing space. Keeping Government Square open would be nice, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jmecklenborg Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 This entire scandal was made up. The Operating Agreement between the City & SORTA already says it can be closed down for 4 events of 3 days in length per year. It's almost a guarantee it will close down for the first Oktoberfest & the first Taste of Cincinnati. Let's just let it go... But in year 2 or 3, I predict everyone will see a value in this, and they'll be willing to adjust to make this a workable solution. Heck, they may actually be asking, please don't stop service, what can we do to help. Um, these streetcars will only be running through the festival area once every 10~ minutes per direction. Is it really that big of a deal for a police officer to stand there and shoo everyone out of the way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebillshark Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 Here's how I would close off streets down at the Banks for a festival. If Oktoberfest wants to grow larger they should consider this move. You could put up some seriously humongous beer tents on the flat lawn by the river. Music stages could be on the Schmidlap lawn, by the Freedom Center, and by the river on each side of the Suspension Bridge. Mehring way would be closed so people could freely travel between booths on Freedom Way and the great lawn by the river. It would be neat to incorporate the Roebling too. I think you would get good vehicle traffic flow around the festival area. And of course the streetcar would be there to take festival goers to all points north (to German landmarks like OTR and Rhinegeist.) You could even set up something on Fountain Square so the Genius of Water doesn't get lonely. 5th Street is way too cramped for Oktoberfest as it is. If Oktoberfest were to expand down at the Banks it could get nationwide recognition like the Kentucky Derby or Indianapolis 500. www.cincinnatiideas.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eridony Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 You're invited on the very last Portland streetcar tour, ever. Cincinnatians have made 33 trips there since 2001 -- 490 total visits. Portland continues to amaze and has lessons for cities like Cincinnati. In mid-September, Portland will open its fifth light rail line and will complete the final segment of its 17-mile streetcar loop. And the weather will be excellent. Because we had so many people on our last tour, we're going to do two separate tours next time, one on September 21st and another on September 23rd. You could do it either day, and you could arrive earlier or stay later if you want. The Pacific Northwest is a great place, and many people travel on to Seattle and Vancouver or to the Cascade Mountains or to the Oregon shore. Cincinnati-Portland/Seattle airfares for those dates are pretty reasonable right now, but they will rise steeply over the next few months. I've reserved a bunch of rooms in a terrific hotel at a deeply discounted rate, but you could stay anywhere. If you're interested, write me here: [email protected] Is there a certain date you need to know by? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taestell Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Progress made in the past year... April 22, 2014: April 22, 2015: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Schneider Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 You're invited on the very last Portland streetcar tour, ever. Cincinnatians have made 33 trips there since 2001 -- 490 total visits. Portland continues to amaze and has lessons for cities like Cincinnati. In mid-September, Portland will open its fifth light rail line and will complete the final segment of its 17-mile streetcar loop. And the weather will be excellent. Because we had so many people on our last tour, we're going to do two separate tours next time, one on September 21st and another on September 23rd. You could do it either day, and you could arrive earlier or stay later if you want. The Pacific Northwest is a great place, and many people travel on to Seattle and Vancouver or to the Cascade Mountains or to the Oregon shore. Cincinnati-Portland/Seattle airfares for those dates are pretty reasonable right now, but they will rise steeply over the next few months. I've reserved a bunch of rooms in a terrific hotel at a deeply discounted rate, but you could stay anywhere. If you're interested, write me here: [email protected] Is there a certain date you need to know by? We usually have private rooms for our dinners, so I need to get a firm count to the restaurant a week or so in advance. I'll probably have to give up any unclaimed hotel rooms sometime in August. And the airfares in that market are really expensive for last-minute travel. But you've got plenty of time to make plans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cincySAL Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Progress made in the past year... April 22, 2015: Why do the overhead wires look so terrible in that photo? I thought the wires were going to be pretty minimal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjakucyk Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 ^ Because it's a telephoto shot. Also that's where all the turnouts into the maintenance facility are. It's hard to tell if they've finished tensioning all the wires and setting everything straight yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taestell Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 ^ Because it's a telephoto shot. Also that's where all the turnouts into the maintenance facility are. It's hard to tell if they've finished tensioning all the wires and setting everything straight yet. This is a photo of Henry Street, which is where the streetcars pull into the rail yard at the end of the night. Notice the three tracks going off to the left. So there is a separate overhead wire for each of those tracks. The wire will be barely noticeable on regular straight track sections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IAGuy39 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 I read a lot about other streetcars in the US, and for some reason I feel that Cincinnati has the best new system. Tucson has seemed to really embrace theirs as well. I don't think you can compare Tampa, Little Rock, Dallas, Atlanta, etc. to our system. Also I have a buddy from the Detroit area and he said he was excited about their system. He did some research on it and he said it sounds really similar to ours. My buddy who used to live in Salt Lake said he used their system all the time (I think more long train light rail?) and said it was great, and thought this system would be as well. I just wish the Mayor didn't make such a big dang deal about it every single chance he gets, because people around here listen to the news and are loyal to the Enquirer, which is all about the drama. Quite a pity it is that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwulsin Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 I read a lot about other streetcars in the US, and for some reason I feel that Cincinnati has the best new system. What makes you say it's the "best"? Just curious what - in your eyes - makes it stand out above the other systems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jmecklenborg Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Cranley appearing *in studio* this morning on 700WLW to talk about moving the festivals and marathon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IAGuy39 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 I read a lot about other streetcars in the US, and for some reason I feel that Cincinnati has the best new system. What makes you say it's the "best"? Just curious what - in your eyes - makes it stand out above the other systems. By no means am I an expert, but here is why I think this: 1.) It starts a connection from the major entertainment destination in the metro area of 2.2 million people, the Banks with GABP and PB Stadium. The Banks also is a place many suburbanites and out of region people congregate, i.e. Indianapolis folks for Reds games, a lot of UC students and people visiting friends at UC, and generally people knew to the area and convention goers. 2.) It passes directly through the heart of the CBD, Fountain Square retail area. This area and the blocks close by house a lot of workers, and it also is an area where there is a lot of business that is growing. It is also within 2 blocks of Race Street, where the new DH HQ is opening and there will be more and more retail on that strip. Suburbanites will eventually catch on that they can drive down to the banks and park easily, and take the streetcar to the Race Street future retail strip for shopping and restaurants, etc. 3.) It passes through the Washington Park corridor and is a block from the Vine Street foodie scene and also drops off on 12th and Main area bar scene, another hot spot in the region. 4.) It terminates around Findlay Market, which is continuing to see more and more investment and also is a food shopping area. Basically, it hits a huge amount of hot spots in the region, where suburbanites can figure out that they only have to park once and can hit all in one day on a weekend. For permanent residents who live in downtown or OTR, they will be able to easily take the streetcar to work and to entertainment options, shopping, groceries, etc. The other part is that it is spurring a huge amount of investment a long the tracks in OTR where rehabs are expensive. As more and more rehabs are done and the spaces filled in between, OTR will continue to become a bigger and bigger tourist spot within a larger radius of the Midwest and Upland South. This will in turn allow it become a more attractive spot for employers. Because of the streetcar, as OTR and downtown surface parking fill in, young professionals from all over will hear that you can live in Cincinnati car free. People love moving to Chicago and increasingly Minneapolis because of the car free lifestyle, and Cincinnati is the next one in line in the Midwest. I believe it is the best compared to the others because Cincinnati has already the regional population to re-build the core and the tax environment to attract new business as this happens. People want to live in a city that feels like a big city and looks like a big city and Cincinnati has those features. I don't think the Atlanta route hits the big regional hot spots like Cincinnati does. Dallas's system is small and basically crosses a bridge. Tampa has a heritage and it doesn't seem it hits the hot spots of the region either. Little Rock is a small metro which can't hold a candle to the size of Cincinnati and it is also a heritage trolley. Tucson seems they are embracing their system and the route is decent. Detroit has a very nice route and a big metro to sustain it. I think Tucson, Detroit and Cincinnati have the best new systems by far because of their routing and size of the metros. Also, the density of the built environment and the potential of OTR as a tourist spot in a large radius, and the the potential for new employer relocation because of the attractiveness of downtown and OTR, makes Cincinnati more of a mini - Chicago that is much more affordable than Chicago with better weather. That's why I think Cincinnati has the best system. Sorry long post!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Schneider Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 I'm in pretty regular contact with several of the leaders of the national streetcar movement, and all of them believe Cincinnati is going to have a great system. The thing we have, which no other city has, is diversity of uses: six Fortune 500 employers along the route, one of the nation's largest -- and still mostly vacant -- historic districts, two-thirds of the region's major cultural attractions, professional sports, new parks and schools and gobs of entertainment venues. That's what makes Cincinnati unique. On the wires ... along 95% or more of the streetcar route, the single wire will be barely noticeable. I have gobs of photos from Portland under different colors of skies, in tree coverage, against buildings of many different colors, and it's true, you barely notice them. Often when I take people there, after a few hours on the tour, I sometimes ask people if they have noticed the wires yet. Most people haven't. However, where the line turns or crosses, you do see a lot of extra tensioning wires coming in from the side, and that's what you see in the photo above. Brace yourself for a lot of sniping when they wire-up 12th and Race over the next few weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cincySAL Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Thanks for the explanation? So then I'm assuming there will be a lot of wires on the 2nd street turns? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taestell Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Looks like the overhead wire went up on Race Street overnight. 12th Street is also being milled in preparation for repaving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmicha Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Race Street is looking pretty good these days. New sidewalks along much of it, mostly repaved now, the overhead wires look good, etc. I noticed the wires this morning when I left for work. So close to seeing the trains going by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim uber Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 The wire will be barely noticeable on regular straight track sections. The wires certainly, yes, but haven't you been noticing the galvanized horizontal booms from each pole? I'm not really complaining - I mean the wires can't suspend themselves. But I have noticed how the booms "line up" from a distance and create a visual that's hard for me to completely ignore. It's made me wonder if they could be painted a particular color to make them less visible. Although I'm not sure that's possible and it would cost money to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwulsin Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 The wire will be barely noticeable on regular straight track sections. The wires certainly, yes, but haven't you been noticing the galvanized horizontal booms from each pole? I'm not really complaining - I mean the wires can't suspend themselves. But I have noticed how the booms "line up" from a distance and create a visual that's hard for me to completely ignore. It's made me wonder if they could be painted a particular color to make them less visible. Although I'm not sure that's possible and it would cost money to do. Would it be possible to add small lights to the booms, sort of like the lighting on Gano St behind Metropole/Nicholsons? https://www.google.com/maps/@39.103066,-84.513467,3a,22.9y,78.1h,90.57t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sjUXsd46sv-i0EgXi4tosFQ!2e0!6m1!1e1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helmespc Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Eh.... I feel like the kind of beer that people are drinking in OTR is not the kind of beer that you're dragging between bars. Spending $7 for a craft beer in a solo cup sounds like a waste. So back on topic, and still talking beer.... I'd really like to see the streetcar running *at least* as late as Rhinegeist is open. I can see a lot of people hitching a ride back to OTR from Rhinegeist at the end of the night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwulsin Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Eh.... I feel like the kind of beer that people are drinking in OTR is not the kind of beer that you're dragging between bars. Spending $7 for a craft beer in a solo cup sounds like a waste. So back on topic, and still talking beer.... I'd really like to see the streetcar running *at least* as late as Rhinegeist is open. I can see a lot of people hitching a ride back to OTR from Rhinegeist at the end of the night. I agree it should be open late... but one point of clarification about "hitching a ride back to OTR from Rhinegeist": Rhinegeist already is in OTR. But I know what you mean that it would be nice for the streetcar to be running when Rhinegeist closes at midnight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmicha Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 I'd even be in support of a very limited operation schedule from midnight to 2 a.m. where trains are only coming every half hour or so. It would help move people around at the end of the night without being a huge financial expense. But that also sounds like a really lame compromise to appease people like Cranley who think it's unnecessary entirely. A 10-minute increment from 6 pm - 2 am on weekends would probably result in much higher ridership numbers and prove its usefulness to people who don't necessarily live Downtown or in OTR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnus Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 The Open Container "discussion" has been moved to the appropriate thread: Ohio Outdoor Refreshment Areas (Open Container Districts) "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCtoCincy Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Portland's streetcar ends at 11:30, and their peak ridership is 11AM to 7PM. While it may seem like this awesome idea to have it go to 2AM, many places have seen that you really just don't get a huge amount of ridership. I go to Rhinegeist a lot, like maybe once a week, and yet I think i've been there past 1am maybe 2 times? I'd say having the system end at 1AM gets a lot of the late people, but that you don't need to go to 2AM if the money isn't there. That one hour difference is 104 service hours per year. 1 week is about 116 service hours, so you're talking about almost an entire additional week's worth of service, so that bar hoppers can get home in that last hour. Also, frequency is the most important thing in a circulator. If you run the system every 30 minutes from 12 to 2 am, youre talking about 4 trips. If you walk outside and just miss the streetcar, you're waiting 5-12 minutes, you're not waiting 30 minutes- you're going to end up walking or something else. I do think, however, the system can save money by running 9AM-10PM on Sunday instead of 6AM-10PM. That's a whole lot of extra hours that could go to increased service during peak hours (11AM-7PM). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GCrites Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 The wire will be barely noticeable on regular straight track sections. The wires certainly, yes, but haven't you been noticing the galvanized horizontal booms from each pole? I'm not really complaining - I mean the wires can't suspend themselves. But I have noticed how the booms "line up" from a distance and create a visual that's hard for me to completely ignore. It's made me wonder if they could be painted a particular color to make them less visible. Although I'm not sure that's possible and it would cost money to do. If you paint something that is galvanized already then you're looking at something that'll last a really long time. That's why you don't see rusty Porsches that were built after the mid 70s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slumcat Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 ^In Dayton we have trolley wires all over the place. People notice them initially (like if you're new to the city) but after a while people get so used to looking at them they don't even notice them anymore...regardless of what kind of supports they use--we have all kinds. Meanwhile, BTW, what does everybody think about funding streetcar operations from parking permits? Seems to me the Enquirer published this today as front page news, but really....hasn't this idea been around for a while? Seems like it was news on this thread before? Maybe the apparent "news" is the split between Cranley and Mann who opposes using residential money to recoup streetcar expenses. Don't know, I don't follow Cincinnati politics as closely as I did when I lived there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Cincinnati_Kid Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 Outbreak of streetcar syndrome has cure Don Mooney 1:42 p.m. EDT April 24, 2015 Don Mooney is a Cincinnati labor attorney. Twitter: @DonMooneyJr Is it all that springtime pollen? Or a reaction to the bright colors of tulips blossoming in Lytle Park? Maybe it’s just a way to change the subject from an outbreak of gun violence in our town’s outlying neighborhoods, despite the extra cops on the city payroll? Whatever the cause, this spring has seen a virulent outbreak of SDS – Streetcar Derangement Syndrome. It rivals the unexpected but devastating scourge of FDS (Flouride Derangement Syndrome) last seen here in the late 1960s, or the ongoing pandemic of TDS (Toll Derangement Syndrome), which fortunately has been restricted to communities south of the Ohio River . http://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/contributors/2015/04/24/outbreak-streetcar-syndrome-cure/26307385/k Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cincinnatus Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 I just got back from Germany last week. I'm more convinced than ever on rail transit. That country is so well connected by trains its hard to believe (streetcars, light rail, subway, regional, and highspeed lines). We did everything via train the whole time we were there and loved it! There's nothing like it here in the states (and I've spent time in all of the big cities here with subways, lightrail, etc). Berlin was especially impressive with its use of streetcars. Many of their vehicles were just like the ones we're getting here. We should be very excited. I don't need to preach to the choir here, but I think the fundamental problem is that this region is full of a majority of people who don't understand what streetcars are for (don't fully know why that is, but I suspect its due to lack of travel experiences or living elsewhere). John's trips to Portland are exactly the kind of eye opening experience that these people desperately need. At this point I think all we can do is hope that once our system is in place that at least some of these people will come downtown and use it and start to see its effectiveness in terms of moving pedestrians around efficiently and conveniently. Regardless, I think this city is going to really take off once this system is running and we're going to see it extended all over the place whether our current council/mayor wants it to or not:) In 2017 many people considering systems are going to be coming to Cincinnati rather than to Portland. Great point, Jake! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Hash Posted April 25, 2015 Share Posted April 25, 2015 Opponents have hinted at burning the houses of supporters now through social media. This is what ultimately happens when you have childish leadership. Streetcars will be rolling through our streets within months. I can not fathom why anyone who calls themselves anything other than a Cincinnati hater (let alone a lover of this fine city) would not be doing everything possible to promote and boast over this move into the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Schneider Posted April 25, 2015 Share Posted April 25, 2015 I just got back from Germany last week. I'm more convinced than ever on rail transit. That country is so well connected by trains its hard to believe (streetcars, light rail, subway, regional, and highspeed lines). We did everything via train the whole time we were there and loved it! There's nothing like it here in the states (and I've spent time in all of the big cities here with subways, lightrail, etc). Berlin was especially impressive with its use of streetcars. Many of their vehicles were just like the ones we're getting here. We should be very excited. I don't need to preach to the choir here, but I think the fundamental problem is that this region is full of a majority of people who don't understand what streetcars are for (don't fully know why that is, but I suspect its due to lack of travel experiences or living elsewhere). John's trips to Portland are exactly the kind of eye opening experience that these people desperately need. At this point I think all we can do is hope that once our system is in place that at least some of these people will come downtown and use it and start to see its effectiveness in terms of moving pedestrians around efficiently and conveniently. Regardless, I think this city is going to really take off once this system is running and we're going to see it extended all over the place whether our current council/mayor wants it to or not:) In 2017 many people considering systems are going to be coming to Cincinnati rather than to Portland. Great point, Jake! ^ Except the wine's not as good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Schneider Posted April 25, 2015 Share Posted April 25, 2015 Here are the details on the two streetcar tours of Portland this fall. As you know, there will be two tours this time, one group on Monday, September 21st and another on Wednesday, September 23rd -- your choice. Since we will start early in the morning, you'll need to arrive the day before. Goes without saying that we'll be spending a lot of time on the Portland Streetcar, but we'll also be on Portland's newest light rail line which opens a few days before we get there. And you'll travel through North America's deepest transit tunnel because a tunnel will be needed if we're serious about getting rail to Uptown. The tour ends after a late dinner. To participate in this tour, make your air reservations as soon as possible. Lately, some Cincinnatians have been flying to Seattle, taking one of the fast trains to Portland, and flying back to Cincinnati from Portland. Or vice versa. Worth doing if you have an extra day or two. Or longer -- Seattle, Olympic National Park, the San Juan Islands, and Vancouver are all sure bets. Weather in the Pacific Northwest is usually excellent in September. Make the most of it. After you've booked your flight, please send a check in the amount of $125 per traveler to the made out to the Alliance for Regional Transit, ATTN: John Schneider, 203 East Eighth, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45202. This sum covers the cost of lunch, drinks and dinner on Monday or Wednesday, plus train and aerial tram tickets and meals and gifts for our speakers. We don't make any money from leading these trips, and whoever leads the trip also pays his or her own way. When you send in your check, let me know how you wish to be identified on the trip roster -- "president of ABC Company" or "Clifton resident" or however. Our speakers sometimes want to know their audiences. Also, please include the name of anyone traveling with you and how they wish to be identified. We'll need your cell phone number(s) because if it's a big group, we're bound to lose someone on a train somewhere. Having your number will help us reconnect. Finally, please give me the dates of your arrival and departure from the hotel. Once in a blue moon, we catch a hotel booking mistake. Right now, airfares on Delta are around $400 and as low as $270 on Frontier. They will be much higher closer to the date of the tour. As soon as your check arrives, I will send you a code that enables you to book a room at Portland's best hotel, the Monaco, at the highly discounted rate of $169 per night plus tax for the nights of September 20th - 24th. You can see photos of Hotel Monaco here: http://www.monaco-portland.com/portland-hotel/index.html. I checked the hotel's web site, and these rooms are listed for $203 to $428 per night on those nights, so we're getting an amazing deal. You may be able to extend your stay at the lower rate - ask when you reserve. And of course, you could stay at anywhere else. I can tell you what I know about other hotels. There are lots of good choices, but do plan to stay in downtown. Otherwise, the logistics may get complicated for you. Hope you can make one of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian korte Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 Be careful how much support you voice for moving these festivals to the Banks. As we all know, any good idea touted by streetcar supporters, no matter what, will be a no-go for the Mayor. It's not the ideas he dislikes; it's the people who present the ideas. Great UrbanCincy editorial: It’s Time to Consider Moving Major Festivals to Central Riverfront http://www.urbancincy.com/2015/04/editorial-its-time-to-consider-moving-major-festivals-to-central-riverfront/ Expect to hear the mayor's opposition in 3, 2... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taestell Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 Will Cranley ride the streetcar? "If it's a convenient and affordable way for me to get to where I'm going, sure," Cincinnati's mayor told The Enquirer on Monday. "I use Red Bike a lot, but in the winter, it might make more sense (to take the streetcar)." Sounds like he's wised up a little bit and realized that, oh crap, I need to cut back on the "it doesn't go anywhere" type of rhetoric. Also: "I think the streetcar was a mistake, but since we're building it, I want it to be successful," Cranley said. "That's why we're trying to get the residents who live in Over-the-Rhine to pay more for the streetcar." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCtoCincy Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 Great progress over the weekend crossing Central Parkway. This week they will be doing part of Walnut during the week, then back to Main over the weekend for crossing Court St. By Monday, May 4 they will be almost to 9th St on Main. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jmecklenborg Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 Great progress over the weekend crossing Central Parkway. This week they will be doing part of Walnut during the week, then back to Main over the weekend for crossing Court St. By Monday, May 4 they will be almost to 9th St on Main. 700 WLW is in the habit of announcing weekend intersection closings for streetcar construction, as if it's something on par with the work on I-75 or the weekend closings of I-71 for the MLK interchange. Last Friday they announced this past weekend's closing with "More problems from the streetcar -- Central Parkway will be closed...". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnus Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 Opponents have hinted at burning the houses of supporters now through social media. This is what ultimately happens when you have childish leadership. Streetcar comment investigation: No charges Councilman Christopher Smitherman, who alerted police to the comment, told The Enquirer he would not press charges. "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caseyc Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 Commentary on recent events: http://www.soapboxmedia.com/features/042815-casey-coston-streetcar-opponents.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taestell Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Getting around to uploading some of my streetcar photos from the past month. Race Street being milled (4/13): Resurfacing in progress (4/18): Finished (4/22): Near the MOF (4/22): Wire is up on Race (4/23): Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Schneider Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Excellent. Mind if I use these? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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