Tag: public policy

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Business Development News Politics Transportation

Ohio’s TRAC approves reallocation of $51.8M from Cincinnati Streetcar

Ohio’s Transportation Review Advisory Council (TRAC) decided to move forward Tuesday morning and reallocate $51.8 million in state-appropriated federal funds from the Cincinnati Streetcar project. The unprecedented move reverses a unanimous recommendation, by TRAC, in December to support the state’s highest-ranking transportation project based on cost-effectiveness, economic development and environmental impacts.

“We recognize that the prior TRAC recommendations overcommitted the state to more transportation projects than it could afford,” said Ken Prendergast, executive director of All Aboard Ohio. “But I fail to understand why, other than a political agenda dominated by oil, highway and exurban interests, the highest-ranking project in the state was completely eliminated.”

In previous votes, TRAC had approved and recommended money for the modern streetcar project based on a non-political scoring criteria that gave the project 84 out of 100 points. Thus, the removal of all of the project’s funding left many feeling that politics were injected into what is meant to be a non-political process. Out of all fiscal balancing approved on Tuesday, 52 percent came from the neutering of the Cincinnati Streetcar, and more than 80 percent from the Cincinnati region.

“It is unfortunate the State has injected politics into this process,” explained Cincinnatians for Progress chairman Rob Richardson. “We have a vision for providing transportation choices and it’s a shame Governor Kasich doesn’t share that same vision.”

Civic and business leaders descended on Columbus Tuesday morning in a last ditch effort to try to preserve the $51.8 million in funding for the modern streetcar project. It was estimated that nearly 100 people showed up for the meeting with the overwhelming majority showing up in support of the Cincinnati Streetcar project. A total of three people spoke in opposition to the project (Chris Finney, Tom Luken’s daughter and Tom Luken’s neighbor). Conversely, seven people (maximum allowed) spoke in favor of the project.

Specifically, a Christ Hospital representative stated that should the Cincinnati Streetcar be built the hospital would move forward with a planned $350 million expansion. Dustin Clark from the University of Cincinnati Student Government also cited a recent poll that showed 85 percent support amongst the UC student body for the project.


Cincinnati officials and streetcar supporters gather before the meeting [LEFT]. TRAC board members weigh their controversial decision shortly before voting 6-1 to reallocate the Cincinnati Streetcar’s $51.8 million [RIGHT].

Those residents and business owners left defeated, with many feeling cheated in the process. Additionally, All Aboard Ohio and the Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) condemned TRAC’s vote as the “antithesis to its legal purpose, and as anti-urban in its project selection.”

“This reversal of fortune does nothing to help Ohio’s downtowns,” said Jack Shaner, deputy director of the OEC. “It will only cart jobs and economic development to the exurbs and beyond. Steel rails, by contrast, are magnets that help keep downtown urban cores vibrant by attracting investment while reducing tailpipe emissions and raising the quality of life.”

Following the meeting, Mayor Mallory told UrbanCincy that the funding process had clearly become political, and that the City would reassess its strategy. Many expect that the project will still move forward, but with a scaled-down approach that would cut out the connection to uptown in the initial phase.

“The streetcar’s economic impact has been fully vetted by nationally-renowned experts,” Qualls said, citing a new study released last week that showed the streetcar would increase access to 130,000 jobs in the region. “Once again, the facts come down in support of the streetcar.”

Meanwhile at the meeting, Councilmember Quinlivan spoke pointedly to the support of those University of Cincinnati students and other young people.

“We know there’s a new sheriff in town, but he has not performed lobotomies on the TRAC members,” stated Quinlivan. “We’re not building the streetcar for grumpy old men; we’re building it for young people who want it. This is an essential attraction tool for young professionals.”

Photographs from April 12, 2011 TRAC meeting by Jake Mecklenborg for UrbanCincy.

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Development News Transportation

Guangzhou’s bus rapid transit system wins city international transport award

Streetfilms, in partnership with the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP), produced a new video highlighting Guangzhou’s bus rapid transit (BRT) system. The BRT system won the city the 2011 International Sustainable Transportation Award from ITDP, and currently serves 800,000 passengers each day.

The system is by far the largest BRT system in Asia, but comes in behind Bogota’s Transmilenio system which serves 1.2 million riders daily. The similarities are striking though. Both Guangzhou and Bogota include robust stations and heavily dedicate right-of-way. The systems are also being built in combination with other forms of transport instead of lieu of them.

“You must also think about multi modal integration,” says Xiaomei Duan, Chief Engineer, Guangzhou BRT Project. “For example, on this corridor we have three metro stations integrated with our BRT station, and around the BRT stations we have our bike stations.”

Guangzhou is the second largest city in the world with approximately 25 million people, and it is one of the fastest growing cities in the world. The implementation of the new BRT system was done, in part, to cut carbon emissions, reclaim space for people and reduce traffic congestion.

The Guangzhou BRT system opened in February 2010 and was designed to now be completely integrated with the city’s new bike share network and metro system.

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Business Development News

Take a ride on the Portland Streetcar

Photojournalist Jeremy Mosher traveled to Portland, Oregon to produce a video for Soapbox Cincinnati on that city’s modern streetcar system. In the video he spoke to long-time residents, business owners, new residents and visitors about the system.

“It [streetcar] definitely spikes business in the neighborhoods it goes through,” said restaurant owner Aaron Sweet. “Our restaurant is based right on the streetcar line and right on one of the streetcar’s stops. So we have a huge amount of business that comes in to our restaurant because of that streetcar stop. Without that stop this restaurant wouldn’t be half as successful.”

Others spoke about the convenience of having streetcars in combination with light rail and bus transit options, while some simply spoke about the social benefits of having such a system.

Portland’s streetcar system began operations in 2001, and is a 4.8-mile segment that serves more than 12,000 daily riders. Three half-mile extensions to the south were made betweem 2005 and 2007, and 3.3-mile eastern extension is currently being built and will go into operation in 2012. Additional expansions are planned, but have yet to progress beyond initial planning stages.

Cincinnati’s streetcar system will use similar vehicles and track design as Portland’s. Cincinnati’s system would include an initial 5.9-mile route from the riverfront to uptown, and is expected to serve nearly 8,000 daily riders. Under current estimates, Cincinnati’s streetcar is expected to become operational in 2013.

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Development News Transportation

First Eastern Corridor open house raises additional questions about plan

First proposed in the late 1990’s, the multi-modal Eastern Corridor plan concluded its Tier 1 planning in 2006. After four years of inaction, planning for commuter rail on the Oasis line resumed in May 2010. Tier 2 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis and preliminary engineering is currently underway and preferred alternatives will be determined in 2012.

As the plan moves forward, project leaders are holding three community open houses this week to provide an opportunity for the public to learn more about the project and offer feedback at the midpoint of this planning phase. But because there will not be any official decisions concerning track alignment, vehicle type, etc., until 2012, those who attended the April 5 open house at the Leblond Recreation Center on Riverside Drive were frustrated by the inability of planners to answer specific questions.

The primary concern of open house attendees was the proposed use of diesel locomotives. Area residents are familiar with the sound of the line’s periodic freight trains and the Cincinnati Dinner Train, and fear that frequent high-speed diesel commuter train service will significantly impact their neighborhoods. Most expressed that they would be more welcoming to the proposed commuter service if it took the form of electric light rail or modern streetcar technology similar to that of the proposed Cincinnati Streetcar.

Several concerned citizens, including Arn Bortz, Managing Partner of Towne Properties, observed that the Oasis Commuter Rail is designed to serve far eastern Hamilton County and Clermont County to the detriment of those who live in Cincinnati. Thayne Maynard, President of the Cincinnati Zoo, said that he moved to Newtown to be close to the Loveland Bike Trail, and is worried that the Oasis commuter rail might scuttle plans for the Ohio River Trail between Downtown and Lunken Airport.

Planners assured those in attendance that “No Build” is a possible outcome of the Tier 2 work, in which case all of these concerns can be forgotten. But the completion of Tier 2 work will not determine how capital funds are acquired or which local entity will operate the line. The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) is the most likely operator. With the vast majority of SORTA’s funding coming from a .3% Cincinnati earnings tax, it appears that a special source of revenue will be needed for the Oasis Line as it is expected to terminate near I-275 in Clermont County.

Further complicating the issue, UrbanCincy investigated the Eastern Corridor plan in August 2010 and discovered several significant flaws that have yet to be addressed by project planners.

Two more open houses are scheduled to be held. The first will take place on Wednesday, April 6 at the R.G. Cribbet Recreation Center (map), and the second on Thursday, April 7 inside the Milford High School cafeteria (map). Both open houses will take place from 5pm to 8pm, and will include an open comment/Q&A session beginning at 7pm.

Eastern Corridor Open House photograph by Jake Mecklenborg for UrbanCincy.

Categories
News Politics Transportation

Ohio’s TRAC prepares for large public turnout, changes rules for Cincinnati Streetcar hearing

On March 23, Ohio’s Transportation Review Advisory Council (TRAC) was greeted by 32 Cincinnati Streetcar supporters. The residents and business owners went to Columbus to let their voice be heard on the state’s highest-rated transportation project that appeared ready to be gutted by a new administration set to cancel all investments in rail transportation.

The presence of these individuals not only came as a surprise to many on the council, but also made several of the members reconsider the idea of making the state’s highest-rated project shoulder 52 percent of all proposed cuts in a “fiscal balancing” effort.

“The number one rated project is recommended to take the brunt of the cuts…that’s a problem for me,” William Brennan stated at the March 23 meeting.

Other council members, UrbanCincy‘s Jenny Kessler reported, shook their heads in agreement with Brenna as he made the statement. Fellow council member Antoinette Maddox suggested that all new projects be sunsetted, or that cuts be made to lower-ranking projects to avoid such drastic cuts to the state’s highest-rated transportation project.

The public comments and debate made no impact on the TRAC’s recommendation that day as they followed marching orders to cut 100 percent of the Cincinnati Streetcar’s state administered funding.

The results of the meeting, combined with an “unprecedented attack” on the streetcar project from Governor Kasich, lit a fire within many Cincinnatians who have supported the streetcar project for years. Groups began organizing to continue to show the TRAC their support for the project at the upcoming April 12 meeting where they will hold a final vote on the recommendation to strip the Cincinnati Streetcar of $51.8 million.

Anticipating a large turnout for the April 12 public hearing, the TRAC has rewritten its speaking guidelines for such meetings. At the April 12 meeting only, the TRAC has restricted public comment to 40 minutes for the Cincinnati Streetcar project. Opponents will be allotted 10 speaker positions getting two minutes each. Supporters will get only seven positions with two minutes each, plus an additional six minutes for a representative from the City of Cincinnati, totalling 20 minutes.

The TRAC has also stated that Room GA, in which the meeting will be held, will be open to the public beginning at 9am. The council also states that overflow seating will be provided in Room GB if necessary. The meeting is scheduled to start at 10am.

Cincinnati Streetcar supporters photograph by Sherman Cahal.