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The state of Ohio was given 8.2 Billion in Federal Stimulus money and has launched a website to take requests. There have been thousands of submissions so far. Of course, many of the requests are for roads and bridges - construction and repairs. Some of the other requests included Broadband Internet services, counties requesting equipment like computers and copiers and kitchen/office remodels, and small businesses requesting money to launch their business plans or expand on their current business. Here are a few of the non road/sewer related projects being requested in Franklin County:
$150,000 to provide 3 jobs to make repairs to the Santa Maria. It needs caulking, woodwork, mooring and other repairs.
$30,000,000 and 6,000 jobs to demolish the Delphi and Westland Mall sites to help redevelop Columbus’ Western Gateway.
$18,000,000 and 360 jobs to build a new animal shelter. The land has already been bought and the project is in the design phase.
$500,000 and 3 jobs for Central Ohio Bicycle Coalition to do a spring event called Bicycle Mode Shift to promote using bicycles as a mode of transportation.
$11,700,000 and 500 jobs for Port Columbus to relocate a runway.
$10,000,000 and 100 jobs for Columbus Public Health to expand on their Healthy Homes, Healthy Ohioans Program.
$6,000,000 and 172.2 jobs for ODOT to put noise barrier walls along I-71.
If you’d like to take a look at the submitted requests, here is a link. Just because a project is listed, does not mean it will be funded. Do you have a project to submit? Do it here.
Interesting. I like the Westland Mall and Airport projects the best out of this group.
Noise barrier walls along 71 though? Ugh. And what exactly is a .2 job?
I think you can tell which I like.
Does it seem like there’s been a lot of addition by subtraction proposals lately (city center, westland/delphi, OSU buildings)?
Those of us who live along and very close to I-71 (Linden area and north) love the idea of getting the noise barriers. They already have them north of Morse Rd. – its time we get them down here.
Looks like my little hometown has plans for spending all $789 billion!
yes to this:
$30,000,000 and 6,000 jobs to demolish the Delphi and Westland Mall sites to help redevelop Columbus’ Western Gateway.
West Columbus needs that bad. It kills me that just a few months ago they plopped another strip mall in that area.
I feel for the people who had homes along where the highway was before it was built. But it is a choice to live near a highway and I don’t like having odot pay to put noise barries there when there are, I think, better ways to spend the money. I have no sympathies for people who buy homes along 71/other highways in new developments. I think those people should live with the noise, or the developers should pay for the barriers.
I think a half-million for 3 jobs to promote biking is an awful lot of money if the ultimate goal is to create jobs and stimulate the economy.
And while the noise barrier construction would create construction jobs, there’s really little to no maintenance that follows.
The reason I like the Westland & Airport projects is because they have a lot of potential to create ongoing permanent jobs and continued growth and development.
Over here in my North Linden neighborhood, I believe 71 was built after the neighborhood started (which is why Cooke Rd. has that weird little jog between the east and west sides of 71. I think most of Columbus neighborhoods along 71 were probably at least started when the freeway came through. Delaware County (and very north Columbus) is a different story. Also, if we want to help old neighborhoods like mine to be attractive for growth (or rebirth) things like the noise barriers are a great start.
I don’t like the government paying for A LOT of things that don’t pertain to me in anyway or to fix problems that people have gotten themselves into. But, then again…it’s that what everyone wants from the government now? A bailout?
Walker do you know what page the COBAC proposal is on?
3 jobs isn’t much. I would be curious to know their plans for the money.
There is also “Equipping the Next Generation”
“This project would employ 100 adults between the ages of 55â€Â75 with knowledge of knitting, crocheting, quilting, sewing, cooking or some other craft, to teach middle school aged students these particular skills. This would give the youth basic skills which seem to be coming to extinction in our society. All supplies would be supplied, and compensation would be given to the instructors and the students. No degrees would be required, just basic skills which can be passed down to the younger generation.”
at a cool million.
“Traffic Demand Managemnt via encouraging and supporting the mode shift from auto trips to bicycle trips. The program will encompass a modeâ€Âshift program and a comprehensive bicycle parking / endâ€Âofâ€Âride facility program.
The purpose of the Mode shift Program will be to organize, promote, and run â€Ââ€Âwith numerous partners including the City of Columbus, Central Ohio Transit Authority, and Capital Crossroads an annual spring event to encourage everyone to get out of their cars and to make bicycling, walking, and busing a part of their everyday routines for getting to work, to school, to shopping, to restaurants, to entertainment, to sporting events, and everything else.
The effect of the annual spring event will be carried on throughout the year by means of a year around Commuter Challenge among institutions, businesses, as well as public and private organizations to encourage modeâ€Âshift throughout the year. End of Ride Facilities program would entail consulting, and selling, businesses to develop and install appropriate bicycle parking and other facilities to overcome barriers to choosing bicycling as a primary form of transportation.”
Found it, finally. Reading that, it sounds a little better. But if we’re going to see the money spent on bikes to any extent, I would rather see the Alum Creek Trail finished and any other money put towards the bike ways plan. It would be great to see something done toward “end of the ride facilities” but you have to get people there first.
$500,000 and 3 jobs for Central Ohio Bicycle Coalition to do a spring event called Bicycle Mode Shift to promote using bicycles as a mode of transportation.
As a non-car owning, full time cyclist I have to say that this would be a colossal and reckless waste of funds. I hope our politicians have more sense than this.
My belief is that this group no longer represents people who use bikes as a real form of transportation. There are always exceptions, but my gut tells me that they represent mostly wealthy suburban recreational riders at this point.
There are already plans to push the Bike To Work Week effort into a Bike Any Trip, year round effort- and this would take next to no investment with a few smart, creative people on board. Hell- the program and technology will already exist by mid march. So, save your $$ Ohio- you can use this system/program for free.
Of course, you would have to build partnerships with people who actually ride to know this. This group- not so good at that.
Not to mention that $500K would rival sfbike.org’s budget- one of the oldest (1970) and largest (over 10,000 members) bicycle advocacy organizations in the country.
After being in San Francisco recently I would find it a stretch if you said you needed more money to run a group in Columbus.
This smells like a bailout money grab. Shame on them.
Agree 100% with Mike and others on the bike thing. If 500k went to something physical to support biking, I’d probably get behind it…but for a single event to “promote” biking??? Not so much. Seems like 500k could put in a few bike rental stations, better racks, minimal pathing, more COTA racks, just about anything that would ACTUALLY make biking an easier option instead of cheerleading.
There are valid infrastructure expenses for cycling- but you can engage a very active and passionate group of people to fuel any promotional event (as we have seen with Agora, Independents’ Day, and a host of other events). Now these take a budget, but they also take building partnerships and creating real investment opportunities for businesses and partners in the community.
There are events, say the Columbus Arts Festival, that do have a large budget and warrant it- such an event does more to promote the economy and to create revenue because there is a) a wider audience, and b) a commodity as a component of the event. I’m a cyclist. I love cycling. Let’s attract more people, sure- but it is still a niche activity/lifestyle. No way, no how do you need more than $10-20K to throw the bash of a lifetime… if you have people in the community who support you. Even then, this is a luxury event.
As far as using some of the funds for staff funding- I have real concerns about this. Here’s an idea- create some value. That will fund a staff. Don’t take bailout funds from some worthy project to fund a staff. If you don’t create real value, can’t get investment from sponsors/businesses and/or through member fees and contributions- then you are not relevant. The people have spoken. Step aside and let someone who can raise capital (human and fiscal) do the job. I would like to see this go the other way. Clean out the staff this group currently has. Don’t throw good money after bad.
SFBC (sfbike.org) gets over 2/3 of their income from membership dues and individual donations (their annual report dates a bit back, so I’m approximating conservatively- they have double the membership now). 10% comes from grants, and around a quarter comes from events + other.
Sorry, kids, you have to do the work to build an organization, learn to work with others, and grow a membership and group of contributors. You don’t get to take a shortcut that is the equivalent of economic bypass surgery toward being a productive parnter in the our community- you gotta prove you can manage the funds and build relationships first- and I can speak first hand that this group is very bad at that.
What is the best place to voice these feelings up the political chain? I’m off to poke around on that site to get some contact information to speak out against this request. I urge others to do the same.
I’ll let you guys know if my simple freedom of speech here gets me sued. I’ll post the paperwork if that happens.
This type of money grab for pet projects is what worries me most about the use of the stimulus money. This needs to produce jobs and quickly, for the sake of our economy and if Obama’s going to be able to maintain his political capital. I really think the state needs to take a long and very strategic view of using these funds (and doesn’t spread them like peanut butter all over the state or tries to fund the best infrastructure/job related programs.)
I’m for $500K for bike programs that build infrastructure and actually produce employment, but this concept seems pretty outrageous.
Thanks for posting your thoughtful response about the COBAC request Mike. I think your point is right on target.
I would love COBAC or someone (really, the City would be most appropriate) to get that $500k and build some great infrastructure such as adding some bike lockers downtown and at some of the park/ride spots and a staffed downtown bike center with lockers and showers – that would actually create jobs. (obviously I haven’t done any sort of feasibility study on these so don’t attack me about whether or not these are sustainable – they’re just daydreams for me).
Similarly, I agree, there is a lot of tear down effort going on in and around Columbus. I think this is appropriate in these particular cases and would like to see that stimulus money put to work. The whole westland mall area is a disaster (I’m stuck working out here nowadays – god I miss downtown). I’d love to see the mall come down and that whole area become green grass until the day comes that a developer decides to make an investment.
Infrastructure is always good. Reading through the Bikeways plan, here are some ways to spend that 500k:
The Hilltop connector is estimated at 81k
The High Street “Share the Road” Campaign is estimated at 100k for infrastructure improvements, studies for bike lanes in the UD, studies to turn bus lanes to bus/bike lanes and the “Share the Road” campaign itself
Town-Bryden Boulevard @ 80k (10 less for the Oak street version)-this, arguably, can be the last thing done here
The SR161 MUP is 1.2 million, could fund half or a quarter to get it started
Another idea would be to give COTA the money for “bike buses”, I’ll dig the link up here in a minute. A transit agency out west takes a handful of buses during the season, rips most of the seats out and puts bike racks in their place. I don’t know what the going rate for a bus is, but if we could even take 4 of the older stock and retro fit them for year round bike use, create a N-S route and an E-W route you could hopefully bridge the gap out the suburbs.
Also reading through some of the requests, I saw a handful of “please fund my business idea”.
Why not use the stimulus funds to create a business loan program to encourage new small business development. Have a review panel that would evaluate the business plan, marketability, financing and so forth and could offer a low interest loan payable over a longer period with no payments over the first 5 years or so.
ETA
Grant is in the process of (hopefully) rolling out their own commuter station open to the public. I’ll get that link in a minute as well.
Grant Lockers and Showers
“Bike Bus”
(Yay Bikes!)
More on the “Bike Bus”
(news article from the city)