Image Courtesy: Portland Sentinel
It has been sometime since my last blogpost but it cannot come in a more opportune time than to talk more about rail and alternative transportation. The other day I had the opportunity to catch a debate on Issue 9, one of the ballot issues for the City of Cincinnati in the upcoming November 2009 elections. Coming from a country that survives on mass transit systems, it just bothers me to acknowledge the fact that Midwest is still not warm and fuzzy regarding promotion of rail, streetcars, rapid transit etc. Understand that the density requirements might not warrant such a system but the issue is way more than that. Buying into an expanded rail system or something permanent needs a huge paradigm shift from the individually owned and driven car owned culture; its a social change.
But c'mon-isn't it time yet? Although the oil prices are lower than the same time last year mostly because of the economic downturn but it is going to rebound to the higher prices sooner or later. And this is the time to make such sweeping changes of introducing a mass transit such as streetcar.
The debate session was a healthy dialog to highlight the pros and cons of Issue 9, which not only includes streetcar but also other forms of transportation improvements and ROW acquisitions. Proponents/supporters of streetcar voiced opinions about the economic development that can happen around the streetcar lines and as such the need to turn down the ballot issue (examples of other cities were cited along with ROI and how streetcar passively helps to increase ridership in other forms of available transit). It was also discussed that if the ballot measure goes thru’ it will mean never-ending referendums for any and all improvements much like California governance. Opponents of streetcar/supporter of Issue 9 argued that as federal budget requirements do not differentiate between streetcars, passenger rail, trolley etc. the language has to be the way it is and how bad it could be to spend taxpayers money to spend on another potential failed plan much like the subway, Union Terminal and 70Mil downtown transit center which had no ridership so far. At the end of the debate an informal voting was taken and out of approx 50 attendees the “Nays” for Issue 9 overwhelmingly outnumbered “Ayes”.
At the end of the day the streetcar initiative will help in economic development along the permanent lines as evidenced by other cities and best practice examples. That means more jobs and a pro-development environment-let's put Cincinnati on the map from the streetcar perspective.
Cincinnatians - PLEASE VOTE and VOTE "NO" to help the streetcar initiative!!!
