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The Dispatch wrote
Does Columbus desire streetcars?
Thursday, July 17, 2008
BY TIM DOULIN
While city officials retool their proposal for a Downtown streetcar line, the debate over whether the city needs one continued yesterday. But the discussion at a Metropolitan Club luncheon didn’t come any closer to resolving the question.
With rising energy costs, the time is right for a $103 million, 2.8-mile streetcar line on High Street from Downtown to the Ohio State University campus area, proponents said. And it would boost development along and near that corridor, they say. “We need a more balanced and diversified transportation system for this region to grow,” said Chester Jourdan, MORPC executive director.
Developer Robert Weiler, a COTA board member who said he was speaking on his own behalf, not on behalf of COTA, led the debate against a streetcar, saying Columbus already has a fabulous rapid-transit system. “It’s called the freeway.”
Comments
- itinerantfoodie: Not one mention of Huntington Park or their sparse advertising. (Seriously
- Liz Samuelson: Why can't they just pay someone to do it versus a contest? I really like t
- RichLauro: Awesome! Good for Justin and best wishes!!
- Liz Samuelson: @jpizzow – Thank you for the compliment, yes lots of potential and lots o
- Taz Devil: Oh, and it should be finished soon considering that they work late into the
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CMC: Does Columbus desire streetcars?
By: noozer
Related Posts:
I’ll sign.
Who would we send it to? Who is the director of the board?
I say we do this ON PAPER at a few CU meetups and elect one of our more articulate members to present it in person.
I’ll sign.
Who would we send it to? Who is the director of the board?
I say we do this ON PAPER at a few CU meetups and elect one of our more articulate members to present it in person.
I will DEF. put my Herbbie Hancock on that. I can see this guy about 80 years ago……..”Why do we need cars, we have horse and buggy to get around”.
Mailed today:
As a taxpayer in Franklin County, a resident of the City of Columbus and as a citizen who has invested in and cares about the future of the central Ohio region, I am appalled by the recent public comments made by one of your COTA Board members, Mr. Robert Weiler.
At the recent CMC luncheon, he made disparaging comments about mass transit and lauded our freeways as being a just fine solution. While such retrograde thinking is surprising for a member of the board charged with anticipating the future transportation needs and meeting them, I am very upset by the fact that Mr. Weiler makes public comments identifying himself as a member of COTA’s board and then saying that he is not speaking in that capacity. I believe he also made similar statements at a City Council meeting as well. If he wishes to speak as a developer with large vested interests well outside of downtown and whose interests might well be negatively impacted by inner city transportation like a streetcar, then he should step forth and say, “I am Mr. Robert Weiler and I oppose the streetcar because it won’t benefit me.â€
In my role as a subsidizer of COTA and citizen of the central Ohio region, I ask that Mr. Weiler be removed from the board of COTA and replaced with someone who is able to separate their own interests from their role on the COTA board.
Sincerely,
Andrew Hall
I’ll sign.
Who would we send it to? Who is the director of the board?
I say we do this ON PAPER at a few CU meetups and elect one of our more articulate members to present it in person.
I’m in, and would be happy to put my thoughts on paper.
We did a streetcar letter writing campaign at Warehouse Cafe one Sat. morning, and that seemed to work out well. Maybe do the same for this?
Weiler’s sabotaging transit from the inside out. He should be charged with transit treason.
Given how much $$ he’s spent recently buying up farmland and starting development around Sunbury/Galena it IS entirely possible he has an agenda against urban development, and will work against anything that strengthens the downtown developments which are now in competition with these exurb developments.
There is such a clear conflict of interest here its not even funny. He knows that if the downtown area becomes more attractive than the farmland he’s turning into cheap tract housing that he stands to lose millions.
Date Time Location Description
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
8:00 a.m.
Columbus Urban League, 788 Mt. Vernon Ave.
The Central Ohio Transit Authority Board of Trustees will meet
The public can speak at these.
A.
As a taxpayer in Franklin County, a resident of the City of Columbus and as a citizen who has invested in and cares about the future of the central Ohio region, I am appalled by the recent public comments made by one of your COTA Board members, Mr. Robert Weiler.
At the recent CMC luncheon, he made disparaging comments about mass transit and lauded our freeways as being a just fine solution. While such retrograde thinking is surprising for a member of the board charged with anticipating the future transportation needs and meeting them, I am very upset by the fact that Mr. Weiler makes public comments identifying himself as a member of COTA’s board and then saying that he is not speaking in that capacity. I believe he also made similar statements at a City Council meeting as well. If he wishes to speak as a developer with large vested interests well outside of downtown and whose interests might well be negatively impacted by inner city transportation like a streetcar, then he should step forth and say, “I am Mr. Robert Weiler and I oppose the streetcar because it won’t benefit me.â€
In my role as a subsidizer of COTA and citizen of the central Ohio region, I ask that Mr. Weiler be removed from the board of COTA and replaced with someone who is able to separate their own interests from their role on the COTA board.
Sincerely,
Andrew Hall
oh yeah!
As a taxpayer in Franklin County, a resident of the City of Columbus and as a citizen who has invested in and cares about the future of the central Ohio region, I am appalled by the recent public comments made by one of your COTA Board members, Mr. Robert Weiler.
At the recent CMC luncheon, he made disparaging comments about mass transit and lauded our freeways as being a just fine solution. While such retrograde thinking is surprising for a member of the board charged with anticipating the future transportation needs and meeting them, I am very upset by the fact that Mr. Weiler makes public comments identifying himself as a member of COTA’s board and then saying that he is not speaking in that capacity. I believe he also made similar statements at a City Council meeting as well. If he wishes to speak as a developer with large vested interests well outside of downtown and whose interests might well be negatively impacted by inner city transportation like a streetcar, then he should step forth and say, “I am Mr. Robert Weiler and I oppose the streetcar because it won’t benefit me.â€
In my role as a subsidizer of COTA and citizen of the central Ohio region, I ask that Mr. Weiler be removed from the board of COTA and replaced with someone who is able to separate their own interests from their role on the COTA board.
Sincerely,
Andrew Hall
Excellent work. Just a thought, CU needs a petition application where you can create and sign online petitions. Your signature can be saved under your profile.
In addition to a letter send to Lhota:
Dear Mr. Weiler,
As a resident of Columbus I am disappointed in the comments The Dispatch reported you made at a recent Columbus Metropolitan Club discussion about streetcars. While I understand every person has a right to his or her opinions, I feel your attitude that Central Ohio’s freeways are an adequate transportation system to be extremely out-dates and harmful to Columbus’ future.
To create a better quality of life and economic opportunities for our region, we need action on public transportation. Regardless of the merits of the Mayor’s current streetcar proposal, I feel streetcars and light rail are vital.
In your capacity as a COTA board member, you have the ability to affect transit policy. From your personal views, I am unconvinced that you are acting in the public interest. I respectfully request you resign from the COTA Board.
I’m appalled that your so-called “green mayor” continues to ride around in an eight-cylinder, gas-guzzling, air-polluting Mercury Grand Marquis while touting the environmental benefits of his silly streetcar proposal. How hypocritical!
As a taxpayer in Franklin County, a resident of the City of Columbus and as a citizen who has invested in and cares about the future of the central Ohio region, I am appalled by the recent public comments made by one of your COTA Board members, Mr. Robert Weiler.
At the recent CMC luncheon, he made disparaging comments about mass transit and lauded our freeways as being a just fine solution. While such retrograde thinking is surprising for a member of the board charged with anticipating the future transportation needs and meeting them, I am very upset by the fact that Mr. Weiler makes public comments identifying himself as a member of COTA’s board and then saying that he is not speaking in that capacity. I believe he also made similar statements at a City Council meeting as well. If he wishes to speak as a developer with large vested interests well outside of downtown and whose interests might well be negatively impacted by inner city transportation like a streetcar, then he should step forth and say, “I am Mr. Robert Weiler and I oppose the streetcar because it won’t benefit me.â€
In my role as a subsidizer of COTA and citizen of the central Ohio region, I ask that Mr. Weiler be removed from the board of COTA and replaced with someone who is able to separate their own interests from their role on the COTA board.
Sincerely,
Andrew Hall
Excellent work. Just a thought, CU needs a petition application where you can create and sign online petitions. Your signature can be saved under your profile.
/salute Andrew Hall
:roll:
he wouldn’t need to drive if we had the streetcar.
Andrew, do you mind if I use that letter as well? I can’t think of anything I’d want to change in that.
On another angle:
Bickis asked Weiler what the Central Ohio Transit Authority can do to make buses exciting to ride, “versus scary for people to ride.”
Weiler noted that COTA is buying new buses to replace an aging fleet.
“But as far as the scariness is concerned: Are they scared because of the other people getting on the bus?” Weiler asked. “You are going to have the same scariness of people getting on the streetcar.”
Does anyone else not like the implications of this? Public transit should not be perceived as inherently scary. This to me looks like a bit of class warfare – you don’t see poor people calling public transit “scary.”
except that the mayor continues to live in the suburbs of Columbus (eastmoore) and would still have to drive downtown in order to get to the streetcar.
he wouldn’t need to drive if we had the streetcar.
Excellent idea, as long as everyone is very careful not to drop food on their letters.
Does anyone else not like the implications of this? Public transit should not be perceived as inherently scary. This to me looks like a bit of class warfare – you don’t see poor people calling public transit “scary.”
You don’t see anyone who rides COTA every day calling it scary no matter what their median income is. I used to ride every day and I found it to be mostly populated by students and professionals just like me.
of course, some people think I’m a little scary in person too, so I guess there is no pleasing everyone.
I suspect this was being said by a gentleman who will say just about anything to support his position.
Bickis asked Weiler what the Central Ohio Transit Authority can do to make buses exciting to ride, “versus scary for people to ride.”
Weiler noted that COTA is buying new buses to replace an aging fleet.
“But as far as the scariness is concerned: Are they scared because of the other people getting on the bus?” Weiler asked. “You are going to have the same scariness of people getting on the streetcar.”
Does anyone else not like the implications of this? Public transit should not be perceived as inherently scary. This to me looks like a bit of class warfare – you don’t see poor people calling public transit “scary.”
I think lots of people are afraid of the homeless. I don’t think that’s class warfare. I think it’s because they don’t like being hassled. If that’s what Bickis was referring to, then Weiler is absolutely right.
Other ways streetcars are less scary than busses: 1) They’re quiet, and 2) You know where they’re going to go. This makes them much more approachable for people who aren’t familiar with transit (the vast majority of people).
IIRC he often rides his bike in from home to his office. I do not know what his personal vehicle is.
The city’s motor pool fleet is really what you’re complaining about here. That’s where that big black car came from.
Then he should stop driving it to save on gas costs. Afterall, he has directed the police department to cut down on the use of its helicopter fleet due to gas cost concerns.
IIRC he often rides his bike in from home to his office. I do not know what his personal vehicle is.
The city’s motor pool fleet is really what you’re complaining about here. That’s where that big black car came from.
yeah, he should either just telecommute from home or sleep in his office at city hall, now that would be green! :roll: