Guest Blogger on Cincy Streetcar Blog

Here's a link to a nice post on Streetcars. Check it out!

State of the Streetcars

This week the City of Cincinnati will be interviewing companies who are submitting proposals to design, build, and operate the streetcar system.
Protransit Link

Enquirer Article on Washington Park Renovations

Here's another article featured in the Enquirer today this time discussing the upcoming plans for Washington Park. The article tries to highlight that "long time residents" are skeptical about the plans. They interview two admittedly alcoholic homeless people who say they use the park as a gathering ground to meet up with other alcoholics and drug addicts.
Doesn't this highlight the need to do something about this huge problem? Even the homeless addicts who hang out there admit that the park is simply being used as a gathering ground for criminal activity!
The fact that this city has allowed that space to be abused like this for so long is absolutely ludicrous! This park should be a safe, attractive meeting ground for people to walk through, read books in, take their kids to, etc. etc. Instead, its being used as the worst display of human filth you can possibly imagine.
The Washington Park renovation is one of two projects in Over the Rhine that I believe is going to be crucial to finally cleaning up the neighborhood and stabilizing it for years to come (the other being the streetcars of course).
Those people who use that park for exactly what the article points out have got to go. If the Drop Inn Center and other social service agencies in the neighborhood refuse demand that the people they serve do something to clean up their lives, then the city and the neighborhood's new residents should demand and enforce it themselves.
Washington Park must be cleaned up.
In my opinion, all of the progress being made in OTR is a waste if Washington Park is allowed to stay in its current state.
What do you think? Comment Below.

Over the Rhine Feature Article In Enquirer

Check out this large, multi-page spread in the Enquirer today! Looks like all of the new stuff going on in OTR is gaining some attention.
OVER THE RHINE ARTICLE

Obama to help with Streetcar Project

City Council is hoping to get some help from the Obama economic stimulus plan to help fund the Streetcar Project. This project fits perfectly within the new President's plan for improving the economy and job market by funding infrastructure improvements and investing in alternative transportation (rail transit). The project will help create jobs immediately and also help stabilize the city's neighborhoods and provide economic benefits for years to come. City Manager Dohoney is currently in the process of compiling a report on the status of the streetcar project funding and is scheduled to report back to city council in March.
The already supportive city council will likely be even more supportive of the streetcar project after Councilman Cranely's resignation and the appointment of pro-streetcar democrat Greg Harris who will be filling his seat. Cranely was one of two council members not fully supportive of the streetcar plan. Harris has been quoted to be very supportive of the streetcars and sees the project as vital for moving Cincinnati ahead into the 21st century. As long as streetcar advocates are able to successfully fight off the recent NAACP's ridiculous opposition to this progressive project, it looks as if the streetcars are well underway to becoming a reality in Cincinnati.
Read more here.

Cincy Streetcar Blog

Check out the new Cincy Streetcar Blog!!
This is a great new site created by the folks at CincyStreetcar.com as an outlet for sharing news, updates, and facts about the new Cincinnati Streetcar System. Already they have some great stuff up there and I'm sure it will continue to grow as the year goes on.
With all the opposition the streetcar plan has recently been faced with, this site and all the blogs that support it will be instrumental in keeping the public informed and showing the city's leadership that the citizens of Cincinnati really want the Streetcar plan to succeed.
Show your support by regularly visiting the Cincy Streetcar Blog and sharing it with everyone you know. The more we educate people on the benefits of a modern rail transit system for Cincinnati, the greater our chances of making it a reality.
Thanks!

Streetcars "Under Fire"

The Cincinnati Enquirer ran two articles yesterday and today highlighting a new drive against the Streetcar System by the NAACP, Citizens Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes (COAST), WeDemandAVote and others. I'm not sure why the Enquirer felt it necessary to run two articles about this on two separate days, but it makes you wonder who they are looking out for.
Article 1 December 23, 2008
Aritlce 2 December 24, 2008
Regardless, the articles point out that these organizations are the same groups who were successful in blocking other city projects that they did not agree with in the past. They feel that the Streetcars are a waste of money and refer to them as "Choo-Choo Trains". They are trying to start a petition demanding that this issue be placed on the Nov. 2009 ballot so that it can be decided by popular vote.

We can not let this happen!

We already know that Hamilton county voters as a whole are against spending money on rail transit (Remember the Metro Moves Campaign?) because many of them are conservative, suburban dwelling people who have no interest in improving our City's urban core. Most of the opposition is ignorantly minded and overlooks all of the actual facts regarding the benefits of rail transit.
The streetcars are an investment in our city's urban core and are ESSENTIAL for making Cincinnati competitive for jobs, residents and new businesses. Our city's future well being depends on making the streetcars a reality.
Please take the time this week and next to send emails to our council members reminding them of how important the streetcar system is for our city and tell them how strongly you support their efforts to bring rail transit to Cincinnati.
Just copy and paste the links below to your email address book and start sending letters.
Our voices can have a HUGE impact on keeping the Streetcar Plan "on track."
Thank you for your cooperation!

City Council Emails:
david.crowley@cincinnati-oh.gov
laketa.cole@cincinnati-oh.gov
jeff.berding@cincinnati-oh.gov
chris.bortz@cincinnati-oh.gov
john.cranley@cincinnati-oh.gov
leslie.ghiz@cincinnati-oh.gov
chris.monzel@cincinnati-oh.gov
roxanne.qualls@cincinnati-oh.gov
cecil.thomas@cincinnati-oh.gov

City Manager Email:
citymanager@cincinnati-oh.gov