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City OKs streetcar study
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
By Robert Vitale
Columbus will continue to study streetcars, but consultants also will begin examining how the 2.8-mile line envisioned by Mayor Michael B. Coleman could become part of a regional rail system.
City Council members gave their OK last night to a $300,000 contract extension for streetcar consultant HDR Inc., which already has been asked to revamp the financing plan for Coleman’s $103 million proposal.
Supporters said HDR will look as well at how streetcars would coexist with buses along the proposed High Street route and how they would fit into commuter-rail plans that are resurfacing a decade after central Ohio voters rejected the idea.
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City Council OKs Columbus Streetcar study
By: noozer
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it’s an encouraging article. maybe they are starting to think like the city planners they should be. of course, i’ll probably be old and grey by the time a regional network is built. let’s hope the state can nudge them along to get started, provide some funds. it looks like the thought processes are moving that way now. i think our city could be more convinced rail would work if the 3C line was built, at least a streetcar. i know it would work. i don’t have the time to divulge. it’s in-depth.
Good. Hopefully this round will yield better results than the last. I like that consideration for greater commuter-rail plans are going to be part of the study.
I’m over it.
I’m going shopping for a Hummer this weekend, looking for a new apartment in Plains City, and plan to still take Bugsy to Schiller Park every day.
Slow and steady progress is better than nothing.
:D
I’m looking forward to seeing the regional plan!
I told you all that your day would come. And thanks alot for not going to City Hall and making a big stink. That Surly Girl chick is pretty cool though! And she made alot of sense. Slowing this train down (had to go there) was the best thing that could happen. Everybody is on the same page, and it looks alot better for the future of the project. KUDOS goes to Mike Brown and the rest of the Mayor’s staff for getting it right, and to city council for demanding it.
Government works again!
I’m going shopping for a Hummer this weekend, looking for a new apartment in Plains City, and plan to still take Bugsy to Schiller Park every day.
It’s a great time to buy a Hummer! Up to $30,000 off list price! Just hope you don’t want to sell one anytime between now and the apocalyse.
No one was planning on it.
I hardly think that a few people planning on showing up to meetings and making concise comments in support of continuing this process is “making a stink”. As I stated before, most of us are smart enough not to be stupid.
Also, I believe you are referring to Ms. Liz Lessner. Did she speak? She is indeed very articulate.
Government works again!
The concept that you are somehow involved in city government and consistently discouraging people from intelligently making an argument in a public forum makes me really, really sad.
I think I’d call privately rounding up all the black churches in town to rally around opposing the “yuppie train” making more of a stink than anything the pro-streetcar folks have done.
I am glad though, that you have deemed “your way” as the “right way”…bravo, and good luck on your egomaniacal plot to rule the city in the way you deem appropriate.
We all have our ears to some listening post, huh.
I think I’d call privately rounding up all the black churches in town to rally around opposing the “yuppie train” making more of a stink than anything the pro-streetcar folks have done.
OMG please tell me you are kidding about that!
What page would that be? It is certainly not the page that has a touchdown pass scripted. More like a punt and celebrating that we didn’t fumble is setting the bar pretty low.
I fully agree that the project needed to have better connections to other planning and that Council was right in taking its responsibilities seriously and not just endoring executive fiat. Right now though, I see little in firm commitment from Council to any sort of fixed transportation infrastructure or even a reasonable and objective benchmark on costs or funding by which to say ‘yeah’ or ‘nay.’ Trying to have it all ways is good politics, but not good governance.
I recognize that the potential outcome is better than the original plan, but I am not blinded into pretending that a bigger payout means the lottery odds are better.
If we want anything to happen, I suspect the governed need to keep the heat on the government so that more comes out of this than paydays for consultants.
A.
I think I’d call privately rounding up all the black churches in town to rally around opposing the “yuppie train” making more of a stink than anything the pro-streetcar folks have done.
I am glad though, that you have deemed “your way” as the “right way”…bravo, and good luck on your egomaniacal plot to rule the city in the way you deem appropriate.
What?
When did I say “my way was the right way”? I am not sure what you are implying. I did say that “the mayor’s staff” got it right. and I did commend city council for demanding a better proposal. This is exactly what I am talking about when I say that there are folks on here who just spew negativity, regardless of the situation. You just don’t get it. The CITY won in this regard. There is now a new movement, that is being funded to potentially get a streetcar, and a larger, regional system here. The Mayor did a great job of putting the right people in the right place to get this done. You should be celebrating, not talking about “egomaniacal plots” and “rounding up all the black churches (WTF?)”.
It is folks like you who give the entire effort of the well spoken critics on this board a bad name. You are the reason that I asked the good folks on this forum to not have a rally at city hall. “Rounding up all the black churches? Are you serious? This is a great example of the people winning. And it is important to point out that both branches of government worked this out together. The Mayor and Council did the people a favor, and we should all be celebrating.
Egomaniacal plots(lol)…Get over yourself.
I think I’d call privately rounding up all the black churches in town to rally around opposing the “yuppie train” making more of a stink than anything the pro-streetcar folks have done.
OMG please tell me you are kidding about that!
I’ve not heard of this either. Did something happen that I missed?
Also, “not speaking up” might be one of the worst ideas I’ve ever heard. I will NEVER leave my entire life and what I want to see happen up to a handful of people. I’m pretty sure there have been millions of dollars spent into the saying “Let your voice be heard”. I have also recieved multiple emails from government officials who are pro-streetcar asking for more people to come down and talk who are in favor, because you better believe it that the anti-streetcar people will be there. And here is the major problem with that; every major local news publication will also be there and will write a story on these meetings. If all they hear is how 15 citizens dont want a streetcar, that is what they are going to print. Now you have 10 of thousands of people reading Anti-Streetcar news and a good majority WILL believe it if it’s true or not.
Also, the only reason this study is going any further is because of people like Liz, Walker, etc. did speak up in one way or another.
I’m going to grab some popcorn for this one…
Only someone in politics would consider sending off more checks to consultants as worthy of celebration.
I will celebrate when there is something concrete to celebrate. Right now, I have skeptical optimism. Optimism since I am that kind of guy. Skeptical since there are still plenty of outs available for the pols and that is seemingly by design.
A.
Only someone in politics would consider sending off more checks to consultants as worthy of celebration.
I will celebrate when there is something concrete to celebrate. Right now, I have skeptical optimism. Optimism since I am that kind of guy. Skeptical since there are still plenty of outs available for the pols and that is seemingly be design.
A.
It’s ok to smile Andrew. Being a skeptic is fine, but this really is a good thing. We are getting something in return from the consultants. It is not like city council is approving the money for those guys to do nothing.
I though you guys WANTED a streetcar.
Am I starting to see cracks in the ice?
Just when it looks like things are going your way, you forsake the plan? That’s not what I would expect from some of the “Unofficial Streetcar Supporters”. Shocking developments. I was giving you folks credit for your “quiet advocacy” and now it seems like you’re flip flopping.
I guess that is to be expected, it IS an election year.
Andrew Hall=John Kerry
I am glad though, that you have deemed “your way” as the “right way”…bravo, and good luck on your egomaniacal plot to rule the city in the way you deem appropriate.
What?
When did I say “my way was the right way”? I am not sure what you are implying. I did say that “the mayor’s staff” got it right. and I did commend city council for demanding a better proposal. This is exactly what I am talking about when I say that there are folks on here who just spew negativity, regardless of the situation. You just don’t get it. The CITY won in this regard. There is now a new movement, that is being funded to potentially get a streetcar, and a larger, regional system here. The Mayor did a great job of putting the right people in the right place to get this done. You should be celebrating, not talking about “egomaniacal plots” and “rounding up all the black churches (WTF?)”.
It is folks like you who give the entire effort of the well spoken critics on this board a bad name. You are the reason that I asked the good folks on this forum to not have a rally at city hall. “Rounding up all the black churches? Are you serious? This is a great example of the people winning. And it is important to point out that both branches of government worked this out together. The Mayor and Council did the people a favor, and we should all be celebrating.
Egomaniacal plots(lol)…Get over yourself.
So…they did it the “right way”…in shorthand, “your way”…as opposed to the previous way, which was “the wrong way” and “not your way”.
It’s important to note that both branches of government were working together on this prior to a certain sad sally on Council who derailed it and launched a veritable anti-streetcar campaign.
That’s not delusion, that’s the way it is.
That “informational” campaign you want so badly is needed to offset the “informational” campaign that took footing early on in this opposed to the streetcar. It was organized, it was funded, and it’s not a mirage to see it for what it is.
This isn’t a great example of the “people winning”…this is a great example of something that was great for everyone now costing more because it became a political gambit to convince them it wasn’t.
You want me to send you links to Council or the mayor or otherwise stating this was a STARTER LINE from the conceptualization moment on? This didn’t garner anything new other than dollars spent to appease.
That’s it.
in summary: The starter line, as it always was, costs 300,000.00 more now so that we can pay consultants to tell us that it is a starter line that can connect to other light rail…which was voted down already…and that all of us here at least already knew…to present a bigger picture to people who weren’t voting on it in the first place so that it can secure the position of the people who are at political risk by not opposing it as it was.
Clear enough?
BRAVO!
One last thing, now that I’m all streetcar fired up again…don’t you think that 300k might have been better spent doing the ENGINEERING STUDY THAT WE HAVE TO DO ANYWAY?!?!?
So, we’ll do a 300k study to say “yeah…this streetcar can connect to a light rail servicing the whole metro area…IF the engineering study says it’s feasible in the first place…but we don’t have one of those”
Apperently someone doesn’t understand sarcasm. I’ll grab some popcorn too. :D