Posts tagged “Transportation”

Episode #2: Transportation Poverty

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On the second episode of The UrbanCincy Podcast, Randy, Jake, and Travis discuss the transportation poverty faced by senior citizens in Cincinnati and other U.S. cities. We also discuss the problem of suburban developers externalizing their costs onto taxpayers, and we address listener feedback from our discussion on bus rapid transit (BRT) systems.

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Kasich supports tolls to fund new Brent Spence Bridge

Ohio Governor John Kasich (R) announced he supports using tolls as a method to fund the Brent Spence Bridge project. The plan—to build an additional double-decker bridge to supplement the current bridge—has not yet been funded and isn’t expected to be completed until 2023. Julie Janson, leader of the Build Our New Bridge Now coalition, tells the Cincinnati Enquirer:

“We are grateful that Gov. Kasich sees this project as an important investment for the economic development of our region,” Janson said Thursday. “Tolls are one of many funding options being considered, but until the funding plan is developed, there is not a preferred funding option.”

Cincinnati receives national bicycle award, announces bike share feasibility study

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City officials announced today that Cincinnati has been named a bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists. The award comes after two previous failed attempts, and makes Cincinnati one of three Ohio cities to receive the recognition.

Leaders say the award is as a result of the city’s ongoing efforts to add bike lanes, sharrows, dedicated bicycle parking to streets across the city, and frequently seek feedback from the bicycling community. The designation also illustrates a huge improvement since 2009, when the local community gave the city a “C” in its first bicycling report card.


Cincinnati officials announced today that a bike share feasibility study will begin in June and will be completed by August. Taipei bike share photograph by Randy A. Simes for UrbanCincy.

Since that time, City Council has passed a new bicycle safety ordinance requiring vehicles to maintain a three-foot passing distance when passing bicyclists, and banning cars from driving or parking in bike lanes. Additionally, the city’s Department of Transportation & Engineering (DOTE) has been working to add bicycle parking at special events such as the Midpoint Music Festival and inside parking garages such as at Fountain Square.

Efforts by other organizations have also helped improve the city’s bike friendliness. Three local transit agencies teamed to offer free rides to bicycle commuters on Bike to Work Day in 2011, and non-profit Queen City Bike has offered a list of bicycle-friendly destinations across the region.

City officials and bicycling advocates also took the opportunity today to announce that Cincinnati will begin a bike share feasibility study for the region’s urban core. The process, officials say, will begin in June and be completed by August this year. The work will be done by Alta Planning+Design, which is the same firm that has developed and implemented bike share programs in Washington D.C., Boston and New York City.

“We’re honored to be included among America’s most bicycle-friendly communities,” said DOTE director Michael Moore. “The award, as well as the bike share study, shows the city’s continued commitment and investment to making bicycling a viable transportation option for our residents.”

Bike share programs utilize rental kiosks that typically host 10 to 12 bicycles available to anyone interested in using them. Bike share kiosks across the United States typically accept credit card payments, but best practices around the world allow users to utilize a payment card that is integrated with the region’s bus, rail, and taxicab networks.

Users are allowed to pick up and drop off bicycles at any kiosk location, unlike car share program which require drop-off at the same location as pick-up. Officials say that a website for the bike share program will soon be launched, and will offer those interested a place to learn more and provide their feedback on potential kiosk locations.

EDIT: The original version of this story incorrectly stated that Cincinnati was the only city in Ohio to receive the Bicycle Friendly Communities designation, when in fact it is one of three (Dayton, Columbus).

What can Ohio’s failed high-speed rail program teach us about America’s standing in the world?

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When Governor John Kasich (R) gave away $400 million intended to start passenger rail service along what is known as the 3C Corridor, it spelled the end of Ohio’s high-speed rail aspirations for the foreseeable future.

While those aspirations were well intentioned, they were also quite modest. Initial service would have had trains traveling at top speeds of 79 miles-per-hour between Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland. In an effort to keep upfront capital costs low, simple stations were also proposed along the corridor’s length.

In a city like Cincinnati, which boasts one of the grandest passenger rail stations in the United States, the 3C Corridor proposal left Union Terminal off the map in order to avoid the costly approach into the station through the congested Queensgate rail yard.


Cincinnati’s famous Union Terminal serves light Amtrak service and museum-goers today. Photograph by Jake Mecklenborg for UrbanCincy.

America used to build big things. Ohio used to build big things. This, it appears, is no longer the case, and it makes one wonder if the United States is even capable of building inspirational and useful structures like the Miami and Erie Canal, Union Terminal, or Interstate Highway System again.

The fall from grace may not be as noticeable if it were not for the exact opposite trends playing out across Asia, where the economic scale is tipping.


Hong Kong’s $1.3 billion West Kowloon Terminus Station will serve as a dramatic entryway into the global city from mainland China. Renderings provided by Aedas.

In contrast to the modest, and failed, 3C Corridor, leaders in Hong Kong will soon realize an extension of China’s high-speed rail network into the heart of their city. A 16-mile link will be built from Hong Kong’s Kowloon district to the region’s border with Shenzhen.

Most notable is that the entire 16-mile, $8.6 billion stretch will be underground and terminate in what will become the world’s largest underground high-speed rail station. It is a critical link that will open up those on the mainland to Hong Kong via the entire 87-mile-long Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Link.

Passengers arriving in Hong Kong will not only be treated to a center city arrival at 124 miles-per-hour, but also an arrival to a truly inspirational structure meant to not only provide a critical service, but awe those exposed to it. The investments will halve the amount of time it takes to travel between Hong Kong and Guangzhou, and will be completed in 2015.

America has also been an inspirational place for people around the world, and America has always built and done things that inspire us all. It appears that current policy makers may be content with resting on those past successes instead of investing in the country’s future, and ushering the United States into another generation of global leadership.

The economic crisis hits transit hard in cities like Pittsburgh

Cities across America continue to see ridership increases on their transit systems, but are feeling an even greater pinch from ongoing government austerity measures forcing service reductions. More from The Transport Politic:

The counter-intuitive result is that cities that are doing well economically are able to pay for improved transit services whereas those with many economic problems — the ones where transit is often needed most — are left to cut operations dramatically. Thus regional inequities are reinforced.

Taxicab commission recommends sweeping reforms

Cincinnati’s notoriously unregulated taxis may finally become more uniform should recommendations of the Cincinnati Taxicab Advisory Commission become reality. Some of the changes include standardized cab fares throughout the region, more taxi stands, and establishing a “Bill of Rights and Expectations.” More from the Business Courier:

Councilman Wendell Young (D) sponsored a motion last fall to convene the commission, a task force charged with preparing a set of policy recommendations for council to consider and enact. “I want to be sure that the first and the last impression of our city that visitors have, which is often a cab ride, be a first-rate experience. Our taxi industry needs reform, and this event helped spark an urgency and an energy to get the work done.”

Episode #1: Bus Rapid Transit

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On the inaugural episode of The UrbanCincy Podcast, urban planner Natalia Gomez Rojas joins the UrbanCincy team from Colombia to discuss bus rapid transit (BRT) systems. Randy and Natalia discuss their experience using the TransMilenio system in Bogotá, and the lessons Cincinnati and other U.S. cities can take away.

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