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VOTE: Streetcar

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Started 4 years ago by DawonHawkins
Latest reply from JohnWirtz

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DawonHawkins
Sixty Spring (Downtown Columbus)
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The Hot Issue: Do you think Columbus City Council should proceed with the streetcar plan?
Tuesday, April 29, 2008 5:55 AM
Please go to http://www.Dispatch.com (THE HOT ISSUE) and vote TODAY for the city to move forward with the streetcar initiative! The naysayers were out in force at the city council public meeting last night and council will vote on this issue NEXT MONDAY NIGHT!
or click:
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/04/29/hotissue_streetcar.html?sid=101
Of course, the Dispatch and the news stations ran negative stories on the meeting, so we need to show that there is support for the city to continue to get more detail Ã¢â‚¬â€œ and they need money to proceed to the next phase.

Posted 4 years ago #
davescarpetti
C'ville
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The Dispatch in the piece entitled Streetcars aren't for all didn't seem to take a side. They reported what happened at the meeting.
And, the Hot Issue thing on the Dispatch site is pretty silly; anonymous ranting doesn't do much.

Posted 4 years ago #
zp945
Clintonville/Short North
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So many of the No responses seem to either want a larger system or think we should just give up on downtown. I saw more than one response saying we should spend the money to build a park along the river. Huh? I thought the city was already doing that.

Posted 4 years ago #
NerosNeptune
Goodale Park
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I think street cars would be neat, but why not spend the same amount of money updating the bus system? How many millions would it cost to buy a bunch of electric buses compared to this?
The dispatch ran an article from their archives not long ago about the old street car line, and the viewpoint at that time was that they were moving from streetcars to buses because the buses could move about more freely. The main argument I see for the streetcar is that they are cleaner, but electric buses charged from a clean power source would be just as clean.
I don't get the argument that permanence will bring economic development. I think business owners know that high street is a busy street to begin with that will always have buses going along it as long as there are buses. If it is going to be built to bring development due to permanence, wouldn't it be better to build the first stretch along a struggling stretch of road rather than the busiest?

Posted 4 years ago #
Cyclist
Peach District (State of Mind)
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NerosNeptune wrote I think street cars would be neat, but why not spend the same amount of money updating the bus system? How many millions would it cost to buy a bunch of electric buses compared to this?
The dispatch ran an article from their archives not long ago about the old street car line, and the viewpoint at that time was that they were moving from streetcars to buses because the buses could move about more freely. The main argument I see for the streetcar is that they are cleaner, but electric buses charged from a clean power source would be just as clean.
I don't get the argument that permanence will bring economic development. I think business owners know that high street is a busy street to begin with that will always have buses going along it as long as there are buses. If it is going to be built to bring development due to permanence, wouldn't it be better to build the first stretch along a struggling stretch of road rather than the busiest?
They are upgrading the bus system regardless of the streetcar issue. COTA is undergoing a huge expansion right now from adding dozens of busses, expanding routes. Lhota last night actually made a call out to for the need for more bus drivers saying that they are having difficulty filling all the new positions.

Posted 4 years ago #
DawonHawkins
Sixty Spring (Downtown Columbus)
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A lot of people see this as an "either/or" situation and its not. COTA announced last night that they are donating $50,000 to put towards the $2million engineering study.
So if COTA sees the streetcar initiative as an investment in diversifying Columbus' transportation options, and is literally putting their money where their mouth is, why are WE making it an "either/or"?

Posted 4 years ago #
Khanra

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Perhaps we here on this website have fallen into the trap of thinking most people in the city are for this project since we tend to talk to other liberal city dwellers? At least the mayor is on our side, maybe he can sway people in favor of this, though I do think that the route and development expectations need to be re-evaluated. I personally don't think it should go down the already well-developed and gentrified GV third avenue - i think it would be better to turn it on livingston and head into that inner city area just south of 70, or turn down Parsons.

Posted 4 years ago #
Mercurius
First Avenue
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44% Yes
56% No
Good job CU, keep it coming

Posted 4 years ago #
DawonHawkins
Sixty Spring (Downtown Columbus)
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info on modern streetcars

Get the Flash Videos

Posted 4 years ago #
Khanra

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NerosNeptune wrote If it is going to be built to bring development due to permanence, wouldn't it be better to build the first stretch along a struggling stretch of road rather than the busiest?
I agree with this statement, but a struggling street just doesn't hold the same potential as an already lively street. Maybe High St street isn't the best option. Perhaps a starter line from 71/Main St. to Front St. and then turning up to the Arena up to the would be better since it would boost River South's profile? The OSU anchor would be eliminated, but the Arena would then be added.

Posted 4 years ago #
somertimeoh
Harrison West
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I made the mistake of reading the comments. Damn, why do I do this to myself!?! If that really is the mentality of the majority in this (and I use this term now very loosely) city, then we're screwed.

Posted 4 years ago #
Brewmaster
Portland, OR
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somertimeoh wrote I made the mistake of reading the comments. Damn, why do I do this to myself!?! If that really is the mentality of the majority in this (and I use this term now very loosely) city, then we're screwed.
Yep. I think all of us young optimists in Columbus should immigrate to another city and set up a "Little Columbus". We could have our own little German Village Italianate, Vic Village Victorian home, Grandview Duplex, and Downtown Loft. Of course, it would be located on a streetcar line to prove that they actually attract development.

Posted 4 years ago #
Eddy Monday

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Definitely a hot topic.
We have more on the subject on ColumbusING.
http://www.columbusing.com/?p=752

Posted 4 years ago #
Indie Pen Dent
Victorian Village
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Brewmaster wrote
somertimeoh wrote I made the mistake of reading the comments. Damn, why do I do this to myself!?! If that really is the mentality of the majority in this (and I use this term now very loosely) city, then we're screwed.
Yep. I think all of us young optimists in Columbus should immigrate to another city and set up a "Little Columbus". We could have our own little German Village Italianate, Vic Village Victorian home, Grandview Duplex, and Downtown Loft. Of course, it would be located on a streetcar line to prove that they actually attract development.
Columbusopia? :shock:

Posted 4 years ago #
dru
IV
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somertimeoh wrote I made the mistake of reading the comments. Damn, why do I do this to myself!?! If that really is the mentality of the majority in this (and I use this term now very loosely) city, then we're screwed.
Dispatch polls are made to depress. It's not that people are voting no, it's the strange logic they use. Illegal immigration? Somalia? Nothing is downtown?
At least most of the naysayers on CU are arguing against the funding mechanism or the proposed routing. These are realistic critiques.

Posted 4 years ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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CU tends to be a much more reasoned and well thought. Healthy opposition and debate is always a good thing.
Columbustopia sounds awesome...

Posted 4 years ago #
lilbit
GV
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Why can I only read three comments at a time on the Dispatch site? So I'm forced to look at new ads every time the page reloads? Ugh, what's the point?
Their website is difficult to navigate in general. It could be a great resource, but it's not. It's very disappointing.

Posted 4 years ago #
somertimeoh
Harrison West
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dru wrote
somertimeoh wrote I made the mistake of reading the comments. Damn, why do I do this to myself!?! If that really is the mentality of the majority in this (and I use this term now very loosely) city, then we're screwed.
Dispatch polls are made to depress. It's not that people are voting no, it's the strange logic they use. Illegal immigration? Somalia? Nothing is downtown?
At least most of the naysayers on CU are arguing against the funding mechanism or the proposed routing. These are realistic critiques.
I know, I know, that's why I shouldn't have looked.
PS - I still consider myself a newbie to Columbus so I may be missing something, but what is up with all the Mayor Coleman hatred? He won his re-election so where were all these bitchy people on election day if they hate him so bad. OR are the people posting not even Columbus residents?? I think if you don't live in Columbus proper your opinion should go straight down the crapper :)

Posted 4 years ago #
joev
Merion Village
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I think it's a natural law or something that the people who vote on Dispatch polls who disagree with me tend to do so early in the day. The people I agree with are slackers who don't chime in until after noon.

Posted 4 years ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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somertimeoh,
To help you understand politics in OH and why there seems to be such hatred for Coleman at times, here goes:
See the people in this fine state fail to recognize that we elect our leaders to bring balance to the debate. We are too selfish in the state and we see the ME attitude reflected constantly. Rather than recognize that our leaders may be able to pull back and look at all sides of an issue and come up with an idea that, hopefully, balances the issue and moves forward, our citizens want mob rule.
So we have the smoking ban, a lack of casinos-with our tax revenues, jobs and tourism flooding over the borders, and the legislature debating for a number of weeks what constituted inappropriate touching of adult entertainers. Because Mayor Coleman does not embrace the beaten puppy mentality of most of our leadership, timidly licking your hand while cowering in fear, and, instead, embraces a bold and refreshing vision of our city and what it is and can become, you see the hatred come out of the wood work.

Posted 4 years ago #