Author: Travis Estell

Travis joined UrbanCincy in 2009 as a contributor, and quickly took over technical responsibilities for the site. After growing up in Cincinnati’s east side in Goshen, Travis earned an Electronic Media degree from the University of Cincinnati in 2009. Since then, Travis has been working throughout the United States as a web development consultant. After living in Clifton Heights, Northside, and Over-the-Rhine, Travis now resides in Cincinnati’s Central Business District.

Categories
Up To Speed

What can cities do to roll out BRT faster?

What can cities do to roll out BRT faster?

The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) introduced its first Metro*Plus route in 2013. This type of service is often described as “bus plus”, meaning that it has some benefits over standard bus service, but is not quite up to the level of true bus rapid transit (BRT).

According to a recent post on Portland Transport, rolling out small, incremental improvements to bus service (as SORTA has done) may be more effective than focusing all effort into a small number of BRT routes. It may also be the best way to improve bus service while minimizing the number of political hurdles:

Don’t focus on “BRT” as a separate product, just focus on bus service improvements. In much of Europe, there is no “BRT”–the standard for basic bus service (at least on corridors) often involves things like greater stop-spacing, offboard fare payment, larger vehicles with all-door boarding, signal priority, and exclusive lanes (though not necessarily for the entire length of the route). […]

In many cases, do these quietly, without much fanfare, and without a big splashy project. Big splashy big-ticket projects are more likely to attract political opposition and political opportunism. As Harry S Truman said, “it’s amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”

Categories
Up To Speed

Fewer residents, more parking for new Clifton Heights development

Fewer residents, more parking for new Clifton Heights development

Many of us were sad to see the demolition of the historic mansion that housed the Christy’s & Lenhardt’s restaurant in Clifton Heights. At the time, a new six-story, mixed-use development was envisioned for the site, which would have included 210 student apartments, street-level retail, and a 245-space parking structure. However, the Business Courier reports that the development has now been downsized by its developers, although the size of the parking structure has curiously been increased:

The developer is now looking to build a mixed-use building on the 1.65-acre site with about 190 apartment units, according to materials filed with the City Planning Commission. The building will have two levels of underground parking with 380 spaces. A row of six, three-story townhouses with separate entrances will face Lyon Street. Finally, a separated commercial space of up to 9,000 square feet will be at the corner Clifton and West McMillan streets. […]

At this point, the proposed schedule for the project includes zoning in the third and fourth quarters of 2014, permitting in the first quarter of 2015, construction starting in the second quarter of 2015, completion in July 2016 and occupancy in August 2016.

Categories
Month in Review

Month in Review – September 2014

Afghan Whigs-5This month has been full of news about the new Cincy Red Bike system, the Ohio River Trail, and a proposed residential parking plan for Over-the-Rhine. UrbanCincy also looked into the history of the MidPoint Music Festival and how it evolved along with the city itself. If you missed any of them, check out UrbanCincy’s top five stories from September 2014:

  1. EDITORIAL: Cincinnati Should Embrace John Cranley’s Residential Parking Permit Idea
    UrbanCincy recommends identifying what the market rate for parking is throughout the city and establish districts where on-street residential parking permits can be purchased.
  2. With Membership Rates Set, Cincy Red Bike to Begin Operations Monday
    All of the 260 bikes and 30 stations throughout Downtown and Uptown are now up and running.
  3. Ohio River Trail Project Moving Westward from Center City
    While oft-viewed as an industrial stretch, it is a little known fact that Cincinnati’s western riverfront is actually one of the region’s largest green corridors with riverfront parks and wooded hillsides.
  4. Cincinnati Gentrified at One of Nation’s Fastest Rates Immediately Following Housing Boom
    “Another interesting case is Cincinnati, which barely changed in income ranking from 2000 to 2007 but has increased at a pace similar to Denver or Washington during the 2007 to 2010 period.”
  5. As Over-the-Rhine Evolves, So Does MidPoint Music Festival
    Unlike music festivals that take place in empty fields, like Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, MPMF lives and breathes within Cincinnati’s urban core.

 

Categories
Arts & Entertainment News Transportation

22 Photos From the 2014 Edition of Park(ing) Day in Cincinnati

Cheapside Cafe [Bradley Cooper]

The 2014 edition of the international protest related to the wasteful use of public land for automobile parking took place this past Friday. PARK(ing) Day, as it is known, took place in hundreds of cities across the globe, including Cincinnati.

As with past years, the majority of Cincinnati’s parking spaces turned temporary parks or hangouts were concentrated in the center city. Perhaps the most prominent installations were in Over-the-Rhine and across the river in Covington.

EDITORIAL NOTE: All 22 photos were taken by Travis Estell and Bradley Cooper for UrbanCincy on Friday, September 19.

Categories
Month in Review

Month in Review – August 2014

Check out UrbanCincy’s top five stories from August 2014:

  1. Initial $2M Phase of Cincy Bike Share On-Pace for September Opening
    Many of the system’s 35 stations are now installed around Downtown and Uptown Cincinnati.
  2. Will Main Street Follow in Vine Street’s Footsteps and Return to Two-Way Traffic?
    Since its conversion back to two-way traffic, Vine Street has also blossomed with dozens of new businesses. As a result, there have been several other examples of this type of conversion throughout Over-the-Rhine, including sections of Thirteenth and Fourteenth Streets.
  3. MOVE Coworking Aims to Offer Non-Traditional Workers Healthy, Active Workspace
    The “active collaborative environment” that mixes the traditional shared working space with a fitness training facility.
  4. Will Saks Fifth Avenue Remain in Downtown Cincinnati Following Collapse of its Kenwood Move?
    Saks could remain in its current downtown space or move to another larger retail space in the urban core.
  5. Apple Street Market Cooperative Hoping to Fill One of Cincinnati’s Food Deserts
    When Save-A-Lot closed its Northside store in November 2013, however, it got the attention of the Cincinnati Union Coop Initiative (CUCI) and sparked an effort to open a community-owned grocery store in its place called Apple Street Market.