young/creative? not interested in cars? You’re not welcome in Cincinnati
People accuse me of saying that everyone should live downtown and ride the bus.
No, that’s not what I’m saying at all, people want choices, and the young creatives coming up who can work anywhere they want, why would they chose Cincinnati? Cities need to continually reinvent themselves to attract and retain workers and employers. Creative destruction is very real, it doesn’t happen overnight, but is a gradual erosion of jobs and services.
Another argument I hear, money for the streetcar could be used to avoid police layoffs. This also is not true, the money for the streetcar does not exist and it won’t until bonds are sold FOR the streetcar.
So yes, this is all heading toward the streetcar debate.
COAST god bless’em have the emotional hot button to push and they're jamming that thing like the easy button!
The Urbanphile a Chicago blogger says about the streetcar and COAST;
"As for COAST and company...They appear to be a purely negative organization. They oppose things, namely spending and taxes. But they don't seem to be in favor of anything."
Obama and Governor Strickalnd among other leaders are wondering why Cincinnati would want to hamstring itself and lose out on Federal transportation dollars and the jobs they will bring.
Cincinnati cannot cut its way to greatness, we've seen how well that works for car and newspaper businesses.
Like the Cincinnati Biz Courier said, "Let’s be bold, not typical, on streetcar"
One more thing, a no vote on the Streetcar intiative is not a vote for the streetcar, its a no vote for bad government[where: 45202]
cincinnati ohio downtown
6 comments
Amen. I didn't understand the streetcar proposal until I moved downtown. Now I understand why it is needed, desired and the economic development it would bring not only along the streetcar route but to Cincinnati as a whole. I wish Cincinnati would just get behind this and stop being soo damn conservative for once.
ReplyDeletePlus, it's embarassing to be the second largest city in the US without any sort of rail system.
Cmon Cincy. This is a good thing regardless of the cost.
I was the same way, I didn't really understand until I lived in Cincinnati a couple years coming from a small town.
ReplyDeleteIts hard to understand until you've lived it.
Right on Bob! I'm for responsible spending -- and I think investing money in the city for this project is the right thing to do. Just because it costs money, even in a recession, doesn't mean it's wrong.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to live in a city that offers a variety of transportation options.
I'm here from following your Twitter and there's one point you missing: young, creative professionals can't work anywhere anymore. Cincinnati doesn't need a streetcar to attract people, they need a bus system that actually works. Praying my connection only comes 45 minutes late isn't attracting me to stay in the city long. Money towards Metro would be helpful.
ReplyDeleteGood point Tania!
ReplyDeleteChoices and options.
I've never had a bus show that late thank god, but I'm not saying it doesn't happen.
I caught a bus that i thought was 20 minutes late once but it was really the next bus 20 minutes early. Yeah, you can't run a system like that, but that's not a money issue.
ReplyDeleteI have seen young people are not as inclined to run out and get a car on their 16th birthday the way kids did when I was that age.
The minority of people want to live downtown and use mass transit. Putting this development to a vote is a real example of "tyranny of the majority" (which organizations like COA T & the Greens & Libertarians & the NAACP gripe about frequently.
hmmm
There are a lot of people saying to scrap the Streetcar proposal because a bus system would be "good enough". But I wonder how many of these same people would oppose a modern BRT bus system with dedicated right of way and signal prioritization, saying that it would be too expensive as well. Some people just don't understand the importance of comprehensive mass transit, or that a lot of young people today don't have any interest in owning a car! More and more young people don't want to deal with the hassles of regular maintanance, and the cost and inconvenience of having to drive and park for every little errand. Cincinnati is going to lose these people to big cities like New York or Chicago, or other medium cities like Austin or Portland. Many of those people are the college-educated young professionals that Cincinnati is finally realizing we need to keep, because they are the future of this city.
ReplyDeleteThanks Travis.
ReplyDeleteAnd its not just young people, I know people my age who are tired of the cost of cars, I certainly am.
Hmmm...what could I do with that extra $3-400 a month?