Author: Randy A. Simes

Randy is an award-winning urban planner who founded UrbanCincy in May 2007. He grew up on Cincinnati’s west side in Covedale, and graduated from the University of Cincinnati’s nationally acclaimed School of Planning in June 2009. In addition to maintaining ownership and serving as the managing editor for UrbanCincy, Randy has worked professionally as a planning consultant throughout the United States, Korea and the Middle East. After brief stints in Atlanta and Chicago, he currently lives in the Daechi neighborhood of Seoul’s Gangnam district.

Categories
News

Boehner’s stimulus priorities contradict public opinion

Many Americans believe strongly that the infrastructure spending plan should look beyond widening our highways and building new roads. According to a recent study (pdf), 80% of Americans believe it’s more important that a stimulus plan include efforts to repair existing highways and build public transit rather than build new highways. 45% of those polled go on to say that construction of new highways should “definitely” or “probably” not be included in the plan.

The American public has seen the days of highway spending dominate their lives. As a result we are damaging our environment, limiting our transportation choices, and negatively impacting our health. It appears as though House Minority Leader and Republican from West Chester Township, doesn’t agree.

“I think there’s a place for infrastructure, but what kind of infrastructure? Infrastructure to widen highways, to ease congestion for American families? Is it to build some buildings that are necessary? But if we’re talking about beautification projects, or we’re talking about bike paths, Americans are not going to look very kindly on this.”
-John Boehner (R-OH)

It is a real shame that when Americans are standing up and proclaiming that they want a change in the way we allocate our transportation resources we also have politicians who are standing up for the status quo. Boehner needs to quit worrying that his constituency feels negatively towards comprehensive transportation – because they don’t.

Over the past decade or so I-75 through Butler County has been widened, Union Centre Boulevard interchange built, SR 129 (Michael A. Fox Highway) built, and the new Liberty Interchange is under construction. Over that same period the City of Hamilton has seen their bus service disappear, rates have gone up on Metro express routes, and the Ohio Hub Plan is looking for some federal money to get going. It should also be noted that Boehner was one of the few opposing votes to a measure supporting increased funds for Amtrak service in Ohio (even Steve Chabot supported it).

With all this highway spending does America or Boehner’s district (map) really need additional highway capacity and more highways? Mr. Boehner (contact info) should be supporting democracy and freedom for Americans. We are strangled by an automobile oriented society that leaves no other choices for most Americans. Democracy, freedom, and choice would all seem to be things Boehner would support; so why doesn’t he?

The 2009 Growth and Transportation Survey was conducted by Hart Research Associates, January 5-7. Hart Research Associates telephoned 1,005 adults living in the U.S. The study has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Photo from Getty Images

Categories
Business News Transportation

The future of CVG and its travelers

The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, CVG, is in a transition period. The airport has been known for its sky-high fares and single airline dominance (Delta) for some time. At the same time CVG has brought new companies, people, and bolstered the region’s corporate presence since its start in 1947.

The airport itself has completed a third north/south runway and an extension of the primary east/west runway within the past decade (Runway Project Map). More recent work has been on the development of a new transportation center, for buses, on the east side of Terminal 3. These improvements have increased capacity and efficiency of the airport in a way that positions CVG well for future success.

The problem though is the state of the airline industry. Fuel prices are going up, as are the costs associated with security measures. CVG in particular has been hit even harder by the several nearby competing airports (Louisville, Dayton, Columbus, Indianapolis) that often offer cheaper flights with less hassle. So what’s an airport to do?

Well CVG has started to aggressively pursure several new airlines, as well as, looking for existing juggernaught Delta to increase its operations here as operating costs out of Atlanta look to be rising. The news is that in addition to Delta, low-cost carrierAirTran may be in the mix to fill the low-cost void at CVG.

UrbanCincy has also been informed that a brand new airline is looking into offering non-stop flights, from CVG, to several business/travel destinations. Preliminary plans call for this service to start prior to this upcoming Summer season (more information coming soon).

So what does all of this mean for CVG and Cincinnati area air travelers? Increased competition, especially from low-cost carriers, may result in lower fares from the primary controlling force at the airport – Delta. Lower costs at CVG may be bad news then for Dayton’s airport that currently capitalizes off of CVG’s failures. Thus illustrating the tricky business of airline travel, and highlighting the paradigm that when you solve one problem, you create another.

Categories
News

Cincinnati’s own American Idol Star

First of all, I know…weird topic for me to cover. But on the way in to work yesterday I heard a conversation, on the radio, about a certain American Idol contestant. I don’t watch the show, but found the contestant they aired particularly interesting since a) she is from Cincinnati, b) sung an original song that she wrote and, c) that original song was called “Nati.”

Check out Leneshe Young’s story and performance that blew the judges away. If Cincinnatians weren’t obsessed with reality shows enough, this will serve as a big reason to follow AI this year.


Leneshe Young Audition

Categories
News

UrbanCincy and the Streetsblog Network

This website is proud to be the first Cincinnati-area blog to become a member of the Streetsblog Network. This national blog network is focused on sustainable transport, smart growth, and livable streets issues.

The network serves as a “one-stop shop for transportation policy goodness” with over 170 blogs contributing their best work from a local perspective all over the nation. If you feel that another blog, or your own, is qualified to be a part of this network then please fill out the nomination form and start contributing today.

UrbanCincy hopes to contribute its local perspective on transportation and smart growth issues here in Cincinnati. This will extend beyond the normal coverage of Cincinnati’s modern streetcar proposal and also cover topics such as complete streets, development patterns, and livability issues. Help UrbanCincy accomplish this goal by offering specific topics to cover. As always, share your thoughts on the issues through the comment section provided with each article.

NOTE: UrbanCincy’s good friend, CincyStreetcar Blog, has also become a member of this national network within the past day. View its Streetsblog Network profile here.

Categories
Business Development News Transportation

Around Town

“On a recent Saturday with about 10 other young professionals, locked in a new, for-sale Over-the-Rhine condo that didn’t have any heat talking about how we can make Cincinnati a better place for people like us. It was organized by CincyPAC — a political action committee of about 1,100 young professionals who specifically target Cincinnati City Council races to lobby for a better city for those in their age bracket — as a retreat where we might invigorate ourselves for this fall’s council elections.”

During this retreat the young professionals discussed what it is that could improve Cincinnati. Naturally their discussions were taken over by talks of the proposed streetcar system. As this effort progresses to bring fixed-rail transit to Cincinnati, the number of passionate supporters continues to grow. It’s not just the political wonks, it’s the young people, residents, business owners, and others who have seen what streetcars have done elsewhere, and what they once did for Cincinnati. Stay tuned as more and more get on board.

On another completely unrelated note. If you’re one of those people who believe nothing is happening at The Banks, well you’re wrong. While the bad economy has plagued many projects, it has been a gain for others like The Banks. Contract after contract is coming in under budget due to the competitive bidding process for the work. Small-business participation has exceeded initial goals, there have been 9,000 work hours without a lost-time accident, and the project is making some very visible headway.

LEFT- You can see the first of the two-level parking decks that will lift the development out of the flood plain.
RIGHT – You can see the support columns rising first along the path of what will be Freedom Way.

Photos courtesy of Chad McCann