build the streetcar

I don't know how it could be made any clearer than this but here it is, from the City Manager,

The operating budget contains no line item money for streetcar, and even if it were not being built the deficit would still be $58.7 million.

If the streetcar isn't built, then the money doesn't exist.

Cincinnati Streetcar


From CincyStreetcar Blog,

On November 24th City Council passed an amendment to the Zoning Code to support higher density redevelopment around the Cincinnati Streetcar route. The amendment allows for the Parking Director to approve a 50% reduction in the required number of parking spaces for residential units along the streetcar line. If, following the reduction, the building would be required to have fewer than three parking spaces, then no parking spaces need to be required.


The Cincinnati median family income is $37,543, so half the families earn less than that, even an $100 a month would make a huge difference. AAA estimates it costs $400 a month to own a car, and we paid $15,000 for a parking spot which comes out to $75 a month. Now, if a 1,000 people downtown/OTR don't need a car or a second car that's $475,000 a month dumped directly into the local economy. So your question, where is the money going to come from to operate the streetcar, what's the ROI?
Right there, $5.7 million a year injected into the downtown economy where 57% of the tax base for the entire city comes from.
That doesn't even take into account the additional development investments from building the condos, bars and restaurants along the route.

I caution politicians, do not cave into the vocal minority of people, the leaders of which don't even live in the city. They are clinging to a maniacally strict adherence to an obsolete mindset and their vision for the future of Cincinnati is not only stunning in it's lack of imagination but is equally stunning for its horrifying lack of any kind of reason.

Cincinnati Streetcar


This has me thinking too, remember the haters who said the Art Academy move to OTR would be a total failure?
And the haters who said the new Fountain Square would be a complete waste of money and a failure?
Yeah look how that turned out.[where: 45202]best place to learn how to live downtown cincinnati ohio the ethos of Cincinnati

7 comments

7 comments:

  1. If only the fear-mongers were actually held accountable for their words.

    The people who said Fountain Square would be a boondoggle? They should never be allowed to call anything a "boondoggle" again. (What is a boondoggle?)

    I overheard somebody saying that the casino would never be built because the city can't do anything right. Little did that person know that the city has virtually nothing to do with the construction of the casino.

    How do people manage to ignore major facts, or be proven wrong again and again, and still maintain credibility?

    ReplyDelete
  2. "Little did that person know"

    I think that pretty much sums up all the morons out there who complain about boondoggles. They're reactionary and rarely ever base their idiotic critiques of the city on facts. The streetcar is a prime example of that.

    Also half of them don't even live in the city, so why does their opinion matter? Go protest in your own neighborhood.

    ReplyDelete
  3. "the casino would never be built because the city can't do anything right"

    Its funny people against the streetcar and recycling, things that will actually generate revenue, are for the casino that will be a net drain.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've seen businesses start to advertise as being, "on the streetcar route".

    I have seen realtors using, "on the streetcar route" as a selling point.

    There are businesses opening or planning to open, "on the streetcar route".

    Is that the definition of a boondoggle?

    How about for once instead of them spending all of their effort in negativity they contribute in a positive way to the future of the city and share in the success?

    ReplyDelete
  5. hey, one called Grif, documenting & posting examples would be helpful.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sorry. Here are a few that I know of that I have seen. There are others that I am tracking down.

    http://www.sibcycline.com/viewlisting.asp?mls=1230181&b=CIN&p=RESI&s=COND&m=1&sender=SearchResults&a=1201-Main-St--4-City-OH-45202

    http://www.sibcycline.com/viewlisting.asp?mls=1234022&b=CIN&p=COMM&s=COMM&m=1&sender=SearchResults&a=1709-Race-St-City-OH-45202

    http://cincystreetcar.wordpress.com/2010/09/22/urban-grocery-to-be-built-along-streetcar-line/

    http://www.cincybeerco.com/

    http://soapboxmedia.com/devnews/0720moerleinlagerhouse.aspx

    ReplyDelete