Vote Early This Week: No on 9!!!

As written by the folks at millvalley:

Few people know this, but this week and this week only, you can register and vote for mayor, city council candidates and especially against Issue 9 -- the anti-rail amendment to our city's constitution.

It's really simple to do, and you'll miss the crowds on Election Day.

So at 11:30a this Tuesday, rail supporters are gathering downtown at the Board of Elections (824 Broadway) to register and vote early. Any U.S. citizen over 18 and now living in Hamilton County, even if you just attend school here, can register and cast a vote in this all-important election.

If you're not sure whether you are registered to vote, they will look it up for you. If you're not registered, they will register you on the spot. Bring your driver's license and any other evidence that you live in Cincinnati/Hamilton County -- a utility bill in your name, a paycheck stub with your local address on it, an apartment lease, etc.

The following candidates for Mayor and City Council are the only candidates in favor of Issue 9, the anti-rail Charter Amendment. And all of them are opposed to the Cincinnati Streetcar too:

* Anti-rail candidate for Mayor -- Brad Wenstrup

* Anti-rail candidates for City Council -- Chris Monzel and Charlie Winburn

All of the other candidates for Mayor and City Council are pro-rail and against Issue 9.

Please forward this email and bring some friends. Ask them to vote "No on Nine!" See you Tuesday.

New and Improved CincyStreetcar.Com

The folks over at CincyStreetcar.Com have updated and expanded their website making it much more informative and comprehensive. If you know someone who is either a Streetcar critic or not sure what they think about the streetcar plan this is a great resource to refer them to. There are lots of links to articles, videos, interviews and pictures that accurately and fairly describe what a modern day streetcar is and what it can do for a city.

Check it out for yourself: Click Here

Any Means Any

Lunken Airport Site for 3-C Train Station?

The Enquirer reports that Lunken Airport has been chosen as the site for the 3C train station by state officials. Read Here

Okay, I have to rant a little:

Really?! What a terrible idea! Unless someone can convince me otherwise, I can't imagine a worse place for the train station!

Now, like everything else in Cincinnati, the only way to access the train station will be to drive your automobile, very far, especially for those who live in the northern or western parts of town, over to Lunken airport, and try to find a spot to park in some expensive parking lot.
What are visitors from out of town supposed to do when they arrive? Pay for a cab? Rent a car? Wait for someone to pick them up in another automobile? They are no where near downtown so they will have no idea where to go when they get here. At least by having it near the boathouse they would have been close enough to downtown that it would have been relatively easy to find a hotel room downtown, a restaurant, bar, whatever. But now, nothing.

The whole attraction to rail transportation, at least in my eyes, is the fact you can ignore your car for once and not have to worry about driving or parking and instead just walk, take public transportation, hop on a train, enjoy a book or listen to music, nap, do whatever you want while you enjoy the ride. When you make trains easily accessible to people and neighborhoods via walking or taking public transit (streetcars!) the rails actually get use. When you add that extra step of having to drive somewhere, find a spot to park and worry about how much its going to cost to leave your car in a lot over the weekend it kind of kills the whole convenience thing.

I know they say that it is only temporary, but even while its there its just not going to get as much use and no one will ever support building a more permanent, hopefully better thought out location for the next station. If they don't link the 3C station to the streetcar or a light rail system, it will never work and hardly anyone will ride it. If, however, they make the station easily accessible by many different modes of transportation, (either foot, bike, streetcar, or light rail) it will get a ton of use.

Okay, I'm done, I feel better now.

Streetcar Route Virtual Tour

Check out this awesome Virtual Tour created by Queen City Discovery! They did a really nice job highlighting all the key points along the route and showing exactly how inclusive this project will be. Check it out!

Streetcar Tour

Anti Rail Amendment Cartoons

3C Corridor Passenger Rail Plan: Location of Cincinnati Station

Of the two options being discussed as possible locations for the train station needed to start up passenger rail service between the 3C corridor, I'm not sure which one I favor.

Though I love The Union Terminal and I feel it would be amazing to actually see that station being used for what it was intended, I'm just not convinced it would be the best spot for train service now. Its kind of far away from Downtown, not very easily accessible by anything except automobiles and is located in a completely industrialized part of town where no one lives. I fear it wouldn't get used as much simply because of its inconvenient location.
The downtown location to me makes more sense. Its in a central location within walking distance to the city where all of the areas hotels, restaurants and entertainment is located. It would be easy to get to by the Streetcar system, buses, there's plenty of parking garages around downtown. The banks will be very close by, the new transit center underneath the stadium is right there and would make sense in the long run to make some use of that, with either streetcars, light rail or the 3C trains.

But, I wanted to get everyone else's opinions on this. I haven't heard all sides of the argument yet, so maybe my mind can be changed based on what I hear.

PARK (ing) Day Today!

Lots of people PARK (ing) on the streets of OTR today. Here's a pic from this a.m. out in front of Park and Vine and the Segway store. There's free coffee at the Park and Vine spot. There's also supposed to be outdoor dining in front of Tucker's today, though I haven't been up that way yet. I'm getting hungry though, maybe I'll be heading up there too:)

No on Nine for Stronger Neighborhoods

9-9-09 Vote NO on Issue 9!!

As announced by Cincinnatian's For Progress today, the Anti-Rail Charter Amendment has been given a number on this November's ballot: Issue 9 and what a better day to spread the word than 9-9-09!

Be sure to start spreading the word that we all need to vote NO ON ISSUE 9!

Anti-Passenger Rail Charter Amendment Public Debate Tonight

Bobby Maly of Cincinnatian's For Progress and Mark Miller from WeDemandAVote will be going head to head tonight in a public debate discussing this November's Ballot Initiative on the Anti-Passenger Rail Charter Amendment. Should be a lively discussion to say the least. All the information can be found at the link below:
Anti-Passenger Rail Charter Amendment Debate