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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.
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Request for Streetcar design is put on hold
By: Walker
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Are there no Grassroots groups pushing for a development of this rail car proposal/plan? It seems the majority of the people AGAINST the Rail Car are people who don’t even live/work in the area where the rail car will be tested/developed/implemented. They don’t have much of a grasp that major metropolitan areas have viable systems of Mass Transit – which Columbus greatly lacks. (Though these are also the same people who voted against a COSI levy that would’ve raised taxes only by a few dollars a few years back)
I am a transplanted Brooklynite now living here in Columbus for the past 5 years and in order for us to shake the “Whats in Columbus? Cows and Corn?” stereotype that people have of us, we need improvements like a mass transportation system that will revitalize our soured excuse of a downtown metropolis. (and not to mention a shot in the arm for the area between the Courthouse and City Center)
Coleman is a fine mayor and I hope he has enough push to get this through the planning stages. (This could be his Robert Moses-esque mark on Columbus) for future generations. Sometimes people need more of a PUNCH IN THE FACE approach rather than a breath on the neck tactic.
In short, is there no guerrilla style/street team movement to educate the public on the benefits of a street car system for Columbus? Planning, Funding, Infrastructure, Environmental, Tax breaks, etc? If not, it seems the CU community should spearhead such a project. If we are the generation to take over this city in a few years, it should be our voices that jumpstarts the transformation and revitalization of our town as we forge ahead.
I am a transplanted Brooklynite now living here in Columbus for the past 5 years and in order for us to shake the “Whats in Columbus? Cows and Corn?” stereotype that people have of us, we need improvements like a mass transportation system that will revitalize our soured excuse of a downtown metropolis. (and not to mention a shot in the arm for the area between the Courthouse and City Center)
Coleman is a fine mayor and I hope he has enough push to get this through the planning stages. (This could be his Robert Moses-esque mark on Columbus) for future generations. Sometimes people need more of a PUNCH IN THE FACE approach rather than a breath on the neck tactic.
In short, is there no guerrilla style/street team movement to educate the public on the benefits of a street car system for Columbus? Planning, Funding, Infrastructure, Environmental, Tax breaks, etc? If not, it seems the CU community should spearhead such a project. If we are the generation to take over this city in a few years, it should be our voices that jumpstarts the transformation and revitalization of our town as we forge ahead.
I think you are totally wrong on the live/work in the area assessment. One of the best observations I heard on the last city council meeting was exactly the opposite of that. Almost all of the speakers (including myself) that were against the proposal were people who live, work, or own businesses (again, like myself) in the area that will be effected by the streetcar. Almost all of the supporters were from areas slightly outside the area, i.e. grandview, clintonville, ote…
I agree wholeheartedly.
This is, of course off-topic, since the High Street streetcar has nothing to do with those issues.
Have to say after using the Washington DC Metrorail for the last ten days and loving it…I am even more convinced the streetcar isn’t the way to go…since there are no street widening plans in affect for the areas these streetcars are going to be on…driving is going to become a huge hassle and for those of us who have to drive as part of our job no matter what, the streetcar will be our enemy.
Plus as a visitor, I was able to get EVERYWHERE without a car. How nice would it be for visitors to Columbus be able to get on the metrorail at the airport and ride it to downtown in less than 15 minutes for under $2.00? The streetcar will probably take 2-3X that due to being street level and still having to deal with traffic. If this is about development and bringing in visitors, I think we are right on the money for not pushing this forward so quickly.
Are busses your enemy? :?
Almost all of the speakers (including myself) that were against the proposal were people who live, work, or own businesses (again, like myself) in the area that will be effected by the streetcar. Almost all of the supporters were from areas slightly outside the area, i.e. grandview, clintonville, ote…
Not to start anything. Its a valid question I’m asking since I don’t know what business you have, but wouldn’t a streetcar/mass trans system bring more “foot traffic” to these streets if people don’t have to worry about having to find parking spaces? Or are you more worried about the down time your storefront will have during construction? Honest and curious question.
I don’t think any detailed schedules have been made public, but judging by how long it’s taken us to get to this point (2.5 years), you’d have to be pretty optimistic to think that we could have anything up and running in the next 3-4 years.
.
Putting an item in the Capital Improvement Budget is not the same as actually voting to spend the money, if my understanding is correct. There can really only be a delay if there was a vote to not spend the money on the study at all.
I suspect/hope that CC is simply being prudent. They avoid getting too far out on a limb while the details are still too nebuluous for comfort but with the money slotted in there, it can be allocated on short notice w/ a single vote.
While I support the streetcar, I too am somewhat discomfited by the lack of details.
A.
incredible…all you took out of that was a shot about busses? Hmm lets add another street level mode of transportation to roads that are already heavily trafficked…its called a cluster F and you seem to be the #1 supporter of it.
as much as I would like to see a competitive election in this sleepy town of ours, it ain’t goona be based on this issue. Before folks start threatening to take their toys and move to more urbane places, or throw the bastrads out, try political organizing first. If Council knows one thing, it is which way the wind is blowing, and clearly there is not a consensus let alone a clear majority in favor of the street cars. If folks on CU want street cars so badly, then it is time for you to get organized, talk to folks who dont have high speed DSL, or who live beyond the High st. corridor, ie the majority of the residents of the city…one other suggestion, mocking those who may disagree with you on an issue is hardly a startegy for success, though it may make for good entertainment.
Plus as a visitor, I was able to get EVERYWHERE without a car. How nice would it be for visitors to Columbus be able to get on the metrorail at the airport and ride it to downtown in less than 15 minutes for under $2.00? The streetcar will probably take 2-3X that due to being street level and still having to deal with traffic. If this is about development and bringing in visitors, I think we are right on the money for not pushing this forward so quickly.
…so, you went to a city with a rail system you loved…and are now opposed to our starter line because it’s not the same comprehensive system they had there?
+1
Maybe I should have made my point more clear. High St. downtown already has bus only lanes…so you can’t drive in them during rush hour anyway. So now we’re down to the 1-2 mile stretch of High St. between the Short North and Campus, but people should be using 3rd/4th instead anyway. They’re one way streets with six times the capacity and the lights are all timed for your driving pleasure.
Additionally…I don’t see THIS as something that will cause much of a difference in traffic above and beyond busses. Especially not to the level where they should be considered “the enemy” of all motorists.
I’ll remember that the next time I read “yuppies”, “trolley”, “bar hop”, or “drink the kool aid” in one of these threads.
Almost all of the speakers (including myself) that were against the proposal were people who live, work, or own businesses (again, like myself) in the area that will be effected by the streetcar. Almost all of the supporters were from areas slightly outside the area, i.e. grandview, clintonville, ote…
Not to start anything. Its a valid question I’m asking since I don’t know what business you have, but wouldn’t a streetcar/mass trans system bring more “foot traffic” to these streets if people don’t have to worry about having to find parking spaces? Or are you more worried about the down time your storefront will have during construction? Honest and curious question.
It’s not that I don’t want to answer your question. I really do. But for the benefit of my friends on here that have heard it all before, I will ask that you kindly refer to my many, many earlier posts regarding that issue.
I am pleased to see the mayor’s memo supporting the streetcar which such understanding. From the feeling I got from last week’s meeting I knew this “on hold” was coming. Due to our lack of federal funding sources due to Iraq, projects such as this will have a tougher time getting started. A number of the cities with streetcars already in place had that “other” funding to start from. Maybe the best option is to wait for the right president to come along and provide the neccessary funding for this streetcar and maybe even a light rail network.
I support the streetcar.
Of the cities that currently have the streetcar, did any have to fund the streetcar only with local or state dollars? (Which would be the case here)
I agree wholeheartedly.
This is, of course off-topic, since the High Street streetcar has nothing to do with those issues.
Seconded. I’m getting really tired of hearing that anyone against the streetcar isn’t for all those things mentioned above.
I’ll remember that the next time I read “yuppies”, “trolley”, “bar hop”, or “drink the kool aid” in one of these threads.
that would be a refreshing change for you eh? mocking those you disagree with is an excellent strategy if you do not want to see change or support what could be called the status quo…look at what Clinton and McCain are engaged in with Obama.
…and now we’re waaaaaay off topic.
amazing how $12 million can be budgeted on remodeling city hall and making it more “parklike”, without a massive flamewar, but at the suggestion of the city spending $2 million for an *engineering study* to figure out if streetcars are even worth farther consideration and you better be wearing asbestos underpants!
Hotchee-mama!
I think it’s just the fact that we tried passing a levy for light rail almost a decade ago and it failed; there’s no indication that enough has changed that it would succeed on a second attempt now. The streetcar line is not meant to be the final link in the chain, only the next one. The point is that the dive-in-headfirst approach (going straight to a comprehensive light rail system) failed, so a gradualist approach is called for: not committing too much capital to any one project at once and letting development start small and get bigger.
Trying to start big ended up with no start at all.