Thursday, March 08, 2007
Why Rail Transit
Okay... I know, by now it's a dead horse, but I am going to continue to beat it. Cincinnati/NKY talks a lot about attracting and retaining the 'creative class'. Label it however you want, but in a nutshell, cities have a vested interest in ensuring a strong, educated workforce.
Quality of life is a key component in this, and quality of life is a major aspect of transit. When someone is on a job search and has comparable job offers in multiple cities, that is when things like transportation and entertainment comes into play.
Right now Cincinnati is probably outpacing many cities of comparable size in entertainment. With all the cultural institutions (Aronoff, Playhouse, Symphony, Know, etc), college and professional sports, and dining options, it's hard to say that what you're looking for isn't in Cincinnati.
Transit is another question. You've read me talk about street cars, and ultimately light rail. This is so important. If you don't believe me take a look at what happens to development when you rely on highways and roads instead of trains and mass transit.
From Light Rail Now Website - http://www.lightrailnow.org/facts/fa_sf-cin-lrt-hwy-photoessay_2006-09a.htm
San Fransisco - In this view of downtown San Francisco and its waterfront, on the surface and visible in the photo is a surface light rail line and a streetcar line, along with cable cars, electric trolleybuses, and diesel buses
Cincinnati - In this photo of downtown Cincinnati and its waterfront, besides the great swaths of concrete of the roadways themselves are the vast parking lots and garages necessary to accommodate the battalions of private motor vehicles which this combined land use and transportation policy is designed to encourage
It's time to get rid of some of the cars, and start being smart about transit.
Quality of life is a key component in this, and quality of life is a major aspect of transit. When someone is on a job search and has comparable job offers in multiple cities, that is when things like transportation and entertainment comes into play.
Right now Cincinnati is probably outpacing many cities of comparable size in entertainment. With all the cultural institutions (Aronoff, Playhouse, Symphony, Know, etc), college and professional sports, and dining options, it's hard to say that what you're looking for isn't in Cincinnati.
Transit is another question. You've read me talk about street cars, and ultimately light rail. This is so important. If you don't believe me take a look at what happens to development when you rely on highways and roads instead of trains and mass transit.
From Light Rail Now Website - http://www.lightrailnow.org/facts/fa_sf-cin-lrt-hwy-photoessay_2006-09a.htm
San Fransisco - In this view of downtown San Francisco and its waterfront, on the surface and visible in the photo is a surface light rail line and a streetcar line, along with cable cars, electric trolleybuses, and diesel buses
Cincinnati - In this photo of downtown Cincinnati and its waterfront, besides the great swaths of concrete of the roadways themselves are the vast parking lots and garages necessary to accommodate the battalions of private motor vehicles which this combined land use and transportation policy is designed to encourage
It's time to get rid of some of the cars, and start being smart about transit.
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One of my future neighbors at Parker Flats had some excellent thoughts on this
"Now just imagine. You're a tourist visting Cincinnati. After grabbing breakfast at the Netherland. Grab the Infinate loop at the Banks (I am naming it that because the street cars complete a figure eight loop at the Banks station) But not before visiting the Freedom Center and Baseball Hall of Fame. Stop by the Convention center for an event or take a tour of Music Hall on your way up Elm Street past restored Historic Washington Park. Visit Findley Market for lunch. Then Get off at Main and tour the art galleries, and maybe catch a show at Ensemble. Then make your way back to Covington at Main Straus and tour the neighborhood bars and shops and finish shopping and dining at Newport at the Leve. Imagine what would happen to all these areas. Imagine how cool these neighborhoods will become. No other city in the country matches this area for historical beauty and so many facinating neighborhoods. It only needs a path to make it happen."
And if they throw a spur up to U.C. I'm selling my car.
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"Now just imagine. You're a tourist visting Cincinnati. After grabbing breakfast at the Netherland. Grab the Infinate loop at the Banks (I am naming it that because the street cars complete a figure eight loop at the Banks station) But not before visiting the Freedom Center and Baseball Hall of Fame. Stop by the Convention center for an event or take a tour of Music Hall on your way up Elm Street past restored Historic Washington Park. Visit Findley Market for lunch. Then Get off at Main and tour the art galleries, and maybe catch a show at Ensemble. Then make your way back to Covington at Main Straus and tour the neighborhood bars and shops and finish shopping and dining at Newport at the Leve. Imagine what would happen to all these areas. Imagine how cool these neighborhoods will become. No other city in the country matches this area for historical beauty and so many facinating neighborhoods. It only needs a path to make it happen."
And if they throw a spur up to U.C. I'm selling my car.
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