Streetcars in Cincy?

[cincinnati chili]

I think rail makes more sense if the purpose is to move people from the burbs to the core. A rail along the river out to the casinos, a rail up I-71 to King Island, a rail across the river. These forward thinking ideas have been put forward and were of course killed by the voters who, like Steve Chabot insist that "we could buy everybody in the district a car for what this light rail boondoggle would end up costing taxpayers." (hello Steve...that's kind of the point!).

Light rail is not a bad idea if the purpose is to move people around the metropolitan area efficiently and to improve access to the urban core. But streetcars? I have a hard time understanding how planting tracks in the street A) is more efficient than buses or B) is a better way to spend transportation dollars in a small downtown. This is just an attempt by the OTR development interests to create a novelty that will spur development in their area. While I have no problem with supporting development of OTR and other parts of the downtown core, I think it is folly to believe that streetcars would be anything more than an attraction. Now, if they want to talk about bringing them back and reconstructing the inclines as a way to create a tourism buzz, then I'm all for it. Just don't try to sell it to me as a better alternative to buses. Buses may not be nostalgic, but they work.

well said. I agree 1000%

[GoGoWhiteSox]

Streetcars would be awesome! Sadly, I don't think it'll happen though. Cincinnati is just that way I guess.

[vaticanplum]

Only if Jim Coombs or Chris Denorfia gets elected to city council.......

Who's Jim Coombs? I assume this is a baseball reference, but I got nothing.

[westofyou]

Who's Jim Coombs? I assume this is a baseball reference, but I got nothing.

A poster who lives in Fla and has a dog.

[WMR]

Ahh the banks...

Come on, who needs it? we love that empty ditch right next to our Reds stadium dont we?

You should see it after a big rain. Glorious.

There's nothing like the smell of a mudpit in the morning.

[Yachtzee]

Ahh the banks...

Come on, who needs it? we love that empty ditch right next to our Reds stadium dont we?

Looks like they've got it set up for location filming for "The Sandlot 3"

[Ltlabner]

Ahh the banks...

Come on, who needs it? we love that empty ditch right next to our Reds stadium dont we?

But part of that mudpit has been paved for the circ de sole (which I'm sure made the city a bundle of money..... ). So now instead of a big giant mudpit it's a big giant asphalt pit.

This town needs Arn Bortz, "Action Mayor" and his side kick, Management Man to get this trolley deal done.

[Redsland]

You should see it after a big rain. Glorious.

There's nothing like the smell of a mudpit in the morning.

It smells like morass.

[Yachtzee]

You know what would get things moving on the Banks? Have Larry Flynt threaten to buy it and put up a Hustler Casino.

[Highlifeman21]

I think rail makes more sense if the purpose is to move people from the burbs to the core. A rail along the river out to the casinos, a rail up I-71 to King Island, a rail across the river. These forward thinking ideas have been put forward and were of course killed by the voters who, like Steve Chabot insist that "we could buy everybody in the district a car for what this light rail boondoggle would end up costing taxpayers." (hello Steve...that's kind of the point!).

Light rail is not a bad idea if the purpose is to move people around the metropolitan area efficiently and to improve access to the urban core. But streetcars? I have a hard time understanding how planting tracks in the street A) is more efficient than buses or B) is a better way to spend transportation dollars in a small downtown. This is just an attempt by the OTR development interests to create a novelty that will spur development in their area. While I have no problem with supporting development of OTR and other parts of the downtown core, I think it is folly to believe that streetcars would be anything more than an attraction. Now, if they want to talk about bringing them back and reconstructing the inclines as a way to create a tourism buzz, then I'm all for it. Just don't try to sell it to me as a better alternative to buses. Buses may not be nostalgic, but they work.

If light rail for the City of Cincinnati can get voted down b/c of an autobody garage in Deer Park, that says something about this metropolis.

Instead of building light rail out to the casinos in Indiana, why not pass the vote to allow casinos in Ohio and get a piece of the action? Everytime I'm at either Belterra or Grand Vic, at least 80% of the cars in the parking lots have OH license plates. I can't comment on Argosy, b/c I can't stand that casino, but I would venture a guess it would be a higher % of OH license plates due to the closer proximity to the border.

[Matt700wlw]

Thank goodness for the Freedom Center, or that land between the stadiums would be nothing but a waste....

[WMR]

It's truly amazing how such an incredibly valuable piece of land could just SIT THERE, not making ANY money for ANYBODY for all of these years. Only Cincinnati.

[KronoRed]

While condos, the Levee, apartments and the like spring up all over the place on the other side of the river.

Keep thinking ahead Cincinnati!

[DoogMinAmo]

While condos, the Levee, apartments and the like spring up all over the place on the other side of the river.

Keep thinking ahead Cincinnati!

Not to pick on you Krono, because it is quite abundant in this thread and in the city, but you were the last post. I realize it is the 'in' thing to do, complain about Cincinnati and the bureaucracy, but how much do you (collective) really know about the city?

The city for the first time in decades had a positive population gain in the last census. Condo development projects are popping up all over the place, not to mention many old buildings are being renovated. The banks seems to be under true, progressive management; finally a developer has been selected and the city and county are no longer fighting it over. Fountain Square is being renovaed to give the city center a new image. Over-the-Rhine is slowly being gentrified and recapturing its past glory.

While I more than agree the past leadership of the city has been horrible, please don't deny the progress that has been made and seems to be on its way. It is akin to Reds fans blaming Castellini for the 2003 promis by Bowden.

I would much like to change the instinctual response by most to immediately claim anything good can't happen in this city, even if there are few like me. It can and will, if everyone wants it to. People have to believe in the city's future not just to rid it of the negative image, but also to want to live there and believe in the concepts of an urban core, and to create a demand for which supply is certain to follow. A good portion of this, surprising as it may be, is occurring now as we speak. If you truly are bothered by the city image and choices of the past, then help change.

Something is wrong with the city you say; then why not do anything about it?

[Yachtzee]

Not to pick on you Krono, because it is quite abundant in this thread and in the city, but you were the last post. I realize it is the 'in' thing to do, complain about Cincinnati and the bureaucracy, but how much do you (collective) really know about the city?

The city for the first time in decades had a positive population gain in the last census. Condo development projects are popping up all over the place, not to mention many old buildings are being renovated. The banks seems to be under true, progressive management; finally a developer has been selected and the city and county are no longer fighting it over. Fountain Square is being renovaed to give the city center a new image. Over-the-Rhine is slowly being gentrified and recapturing its past glory.

While I more than agree the past leadership of the city has been horrible, please don't deny the progress that has been made and seems to be on its way. It is akin to Reds fans blaming Castellini for the 2003 promis by Bowden.

I would much like to change the instinctual response by most to immediately claim anything good can't happen in this city, even if there are few like me. It can and will, if everyone wants it to. People have to believe in the city's future not just to rid it of the negative image, but also to want to live there and believe in the concepts of an urban core, and to create a demand for which supply is certain to follow. A good portion of this, surprising as it may be, is occurring now as we speak. If you truly are bothered by the city image and choices of the past, then help change.

Something is wrong with the city you say; then why not do anything about it?

Those are good points, Doog. However, I would be careful before jumping on the bandwagon for touting change in the city. Cleveland is notorious for giving people false hope about a turn around. In the late '80s and early '90s, everyone praised Cleveland for its urban renewal in the flats and the Gateway area. Cleveland was supposedly undergoing this great renaissance that everyone pointed to as a model for other cities. The city was supposedly running a huge surplus and people were making big plans for the future. Unfortunately, the recession in the early 2000s following the dot com bust really hit Cleveland hard and NE Ohio started hemmorhaging jobs, not only in the tech field, but in just about every area. Then Jane Campbell took over the mayor's office and discovered that the supposed surplus they had was all smoke and mirrors. Once the beacon of revitalization in the Rust Belt, Cleveland has fallen back into the pack of places with more people leaving than staying. I think a large part of that fall has been Cleveland's inability to get the Mayor and City Council on the same page regarding development. Major attempts to revitalize a neighborhood near downtown are met with opposition from factions in City Council who want to "preserve" the "character" of the neighborhood.

Cincinnati has already suffered major setbacks in its attempt to revitalize downtown and Over-the-Rhine. I remember things were looking pretty good until Timothy Thomas was shot and all hell broke loose. That right there set Cincinnati back 10 years. It's not far fetched to think that something else could happen that would blow up the Banks project and any attempts to revitalize Over-the-Rhine. The only way they can ensure that progress continues is by ensuring that the mayor, city council, and county council all work towards the same goal. Are you confident they can do that? Has there been a radical change in local leadership that indicates the dawn of a new era in Cincinnati politics sufficient to encourage people to put aside their skepticism?