RSS
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
The Dispatch wrote
Request for streetcar design is shelved
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
BY ROBERT VITALE
Bowing to criticism from council members who’ve complained about being left out of the debate and responding to concerns of residents and businesses, Mayor Michael B. Coleman removed a request to begin design of a High Street route and acknowledged he has more selling to do.
In a memo to Council President Michael C. Mentel pitching his $103 million idea as a catalyst for economic development, Coleman said, “While these issues are clear to me, our public needs more information.”
Council kept $2 million in the 2008 capital-spending plan that Coleman had requested for design and engineering of a 2.8-mile streetcar line from Downtown to Ohio State University. But it took the streetcar label off the money at the mayor’s request.
Councilman Kevin L. Boyce said last night’s decision to remove streetcar references from the $1.1 billion capital budget shouldn’t be interpreted as a rejection of the mayor’s plan. Leaving in $2 million without an earmark shouldn’t be interpreted as an endorsement, either, he said.
Comments
- cheap: i highly recommend the Millersport sweet corn festival of course,the cor
- Jimmy Mak: Thanks for the write-up! Just to clarify - this is the third year we've do
- Briana Henry: Well, eventually they plan to add more bands from the region...gotta start
- bucki12: I like the business model, but the internet sales part seems like something
- racheltb: I don't see the Ohio Shrimp Fest on the list. It is truly a good time. h
Top Stories
- Grandview Yard Seeks Retail Anchors for Next Phase of Development33
- Studio 35 Re-Opening is a Revelation17
- Attn: Columbus Creatives!14
- Philanthropy Friday: Bicentennial Towers 14
- More Downtown Public Artwork Coming to Scioto Mile11
- Liberty Place Adding Over 200 New Apartment Units to The Brewery District11
- Columbus Ranks #22 on List of Best Large Cities for Jobs in 201210
- The Short North's Summer of Construction10
- The Hudson Street Market Renovates, Faces Construction Woes10
- Wonder Bread Lofts will be Home to Mixed-Use Redevelopment10
Request for Streetcar design is put on hold
By: Walker
Related Posts:
:?
WOW. I really thought this had enough momentum to get done. I am sure this will set off a firestorm of a thread today.
I think it is good that the mayor is trying to do this the right way and not ram it down everyone throat because it is his pet project. Hopefully we can get to a place where most people are happy with the plan especially the businesses along the route that will be most effected.
I think that is disappointing. Hopefully it will get done though and not suffer too many more delays.
I hope Walker is eligible for part of the 250K budgeted for public information and education.
I was about to post a pretty angry response just because nearly every question people had at last week’s meeting dealt with “we need to see a bigger plan”. In my mind that was what the engineering study would do. Maybe I’m wrong. I’ll just say this for now……do we have to wait another year for the study?
Public officials in council need to be held accountable when we’re staring at $5, $6, $7, $8/gal gasoline in the future. At least O’Shaughnessy gets it.
Maybe the education aspect is going to be an attempt to speak on a larger plan in order to justify an engineering study.
Hey, forget the streetcar…we’re getting 12 million in improvements along Roberts and Morse Road!!!
YAY!
:roll:
one important part is that the money is still there, but it will need to be reallocated, reapproved, re-etc… before it gets spent. otherwise education and a larger consensus is never a bad thing.
i just hope:
a) this doesn’t mean the budget just grew 250k
b) it doesn’t push a start date for a rail based transportation line in Columbus back beyond 2012. I don’t care about the bicentennial, but i don’t think everyone realizes how long some of the projects take, and that every delay the timeline gets pushed back further.
Wasn’t the justification for a 2.8 mile High St. run economic development rather than transportation (high gas prices)?
Anyway, the article suggested that the study isn’t dead — just that the earmark has been removed. So it might return, depending on demands elsewhere or for this project. Or a reconfigured transportation plan might be studied.
Mostly…but it was also that this is the start of a broader, greener, more efficient way to get around town. The development is the primary driver, but the ability to live in those developments along the lines are what voters like me care about.
and another generation of creative people will now head to more progressive places. enjoy a real city kids! don’t forget to come back for christmas!!
I took the train to work today. I had the opportunity to read the paper while enjoying coffee. What a pleasant way to start the work day.
Columbus will get there.
Nah, those people will def. stick around for our amazing bus system.
I agree with the mayor when he says they have more education to do. The communication plan, if it even existed, was terrible and was a big part of why I, personally, was moved to question it. I’d like to apply now to contract out the communication and marketing moving forward.
It is my hope, though, that CUers don’t start slamming the council after so much faith was put in our elected officials (see many posts, many previous threads) to “do what’s right”. If you want to lay blame anywhere, lay it directly on Mike’s head for trying to push this project forward without thinking that people might not think this is so brilliant.
Don’t look to the city council to do anything about gas prices. They pay just like you do. Look to your state and federal officials for this. Bitch at them for a solution. Or stop driving. Columbus has a pretty good system of buses (with some flaws, I admit) to get you around town. And, really, if I can get my 10 yr old nephew to understand the bus schedule, I think a bunch of grown folks can. It’s not that hard.
Oh, yeah, please don’t think I find any joy in this. Relief, yes, satisfaction, no.
I figured Coleman would spend all the political capital he had left to push this project through, critics be damned. After all, this is his last term in office, isn’t it?
All in all, Mike’s a pretty good mayor, but I don’t think he has as much political capital as one might think.
Here’s the mayor’s memo to council for those who want to read it:
http://www.columbusunderground.com/archives/0501SCMemo.pdf
I’ll speak the strongest with my vote when re-election rolls around.
…and football games.