Soapbox blog #2

Thank you for the interesting feedback on my previous blog. I certainly concur with “getbackcincy” on the urban redevelopment theme.

At a time when many cities are struggling to maintain some semblance of a downtown, Cincinnati is making tremendous strides.

I had the opportunity to attend a NAACP event on Saturday night and spent half an hour speaking with some women from Wisconsin in town for the convention.

They were impressed by the activity around Fountain Square, the construction beginning at the riverfront and the overall vitality of our downtown. Sometimes we are so focused on the negative that we fail to realize just how far we’ve come downtown and how much better off we are compared to many mid-sized cities around the country. That said, we still have far to go, but it’s exciting to have someone from out of town tell you that you’re on the right track.

Imagine Cincinnati three years from now: phase one of the Banks is complete, the streetcar line is operational, the new School for Creative and Performing Arts is open, and Queen City Square joins our already impressive skyline. I bet you those folks from Wisconsin will be back to see it.

“Long-time Bus Rider” shares some of the concerns we at Metro are hearing throughout the community. The bottom line is that more people want transportation options and as a community we’re going to have to figure out exactly how that takes shape.

Now, some questions for you:  Should Metro buy articulated buses (think bigger bus with an accordion in the middle) to run along our major transportation corridors? Are neighborhoods interested in developing transit hubs to allow for increased community-to-community service? Do we want to see smaller vehicles running in neighborhoods and feeding into main line service?

Please continue to post your thoughts here and let us know. 

I think that for too long people in our community have viewed public transportation as an option only for those who have no option. A choice that isn't a choice at all.

Communities that have seen growth in the last few decades are the ones that realize that viable public transportation means greater freedom for all of us. 

Even if you never take a bus, imagine if Metro's 23 million annual trips were made in personal vehicles. At 80,000 trips per workday, that's 40,000 more cars on our streets and highways each and every day.  40,000 more parking spaces we'd need to build. 40,000 more vehicles polluting the air that our children breathe. Transit allows us to all breathe easier.

For those who do take public transportation, many tell us one of the greatest advantages leaving your car at home and the feeling of freedom that brings with it. The freedom to spend 25 minutes during your commute not cursing at the driver ahead of you, but reading the paper or talking to your neighbors or simply catching up on some sleep.  In the days of $4 a gallon gas, transit means the financial freedom to spend money on a dinner with a loved one or improving your home instead of pouring it into your gas tank.

Living in Over-the-Rhine, working downtown and relying on public transportation has given me a tremendous amount of personal freedom. Many don’t believe me when I say that I haven’t purchased a drop of gasoline this year.
 
There's no doubt that energy concerns are driving greater interest in public transportation in Cincinnati. However, putting energy considerations aside (which is tough to do at the moment), we see that the communities that are consistently attracting young, talented workers - the types of individuals that drive a strong regional economy, are the places that have viable public transportation.

Why? Because mass transit creates dense walkable communities. The types of communities that are marketable to a new generation of urban dwellers who crave excitement and activity. Whether considering massive cities like Chicago or New York, or much smaller ones like Portland or Austin, young people are flocking to cities that have vibrant urban cores serviced by great public transportation.

When we look at our great public spaces and neighborhood business districts within the city, what we too often fail to remember is that these central corridors were built on a fundamental accessibility to viable public transportation.

When we focus on transit-oriented development and more broadly, on transit-oriented communities, we open ourselves up to possibilities our city has not seen before.

Cincinnati is an amazing place to live, work and play. We have multiple unique assets that are crying out for investment - investment that is brought about by economic development and foot-traffic and sometimes, just a little more tender love and care.

This city, this queen of the west, is a fascinating and wonderful place to call home. I'm proud to be part of the amazing work that's being done to help improve our region and I can't wait to see where we will be in just a few short years.

I want to hear from you.  We want you to talk to us about what you want and need Metro to be.  Let’s start the dialogue.  Where do you want to grow?