Month: May 2010

Categories
Development News Politics Transportation

OKI approves $4M for Cincinnati Streetcar project

The good news for the Cincinnati Streetcar keeps rolling the day after Cincinnati City Council approved $64 million in bonds to build the modern streetcar system. The Executive Committee for the OKI Regional Council of Governments announced earlier today that $4 million will be distributed to the Cincinnati Streetcar project through the Federal government’s Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality (CMAQ) program.

“The thing about the Cincinnati Streetcar is that it is more than a transportation project; it’s an economic development project which will open up development opportunities with a fixed transportation project,” described OKI Deputy Executive Director Bob Koehler.

The announcement means that there has now been $86.5 million in funding announced for the Cincinnati Streetcar which is projected to cost $128 million to build six miles of track connecting Cincinnati’s riverfront with its downtown, historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood and Uptown communities surrounding the University of Cincinnati.

“The Cincinnati Streetcar will help circulate residents, employees and visitors in Cincinnati’s urban core,” said Brad Thomas, Founder, CincyStreetcar.com. “The streetcar will also connect over half the jobs in the city with nearly 1 in 5 residents, and attractions that are visited by 12 million people each year.”

The urban circulator project received the highest ranking of the 14 total projects to receive funding through the CMAQ funds which will benefit roadways, transit and freight projects throughout the region. OKI’s Executive Committee also allocated more than $60 million from the federal Surface Transportation Program (STP).

The CMAQ projects were subjected to a rating system that was able to fund almost all of the requests made by OKI. The $4 million for the Cincinnati Streetcar will officially be authorized next spring, but were approved today to give project teams a jump start on the 2012-2015 Transportation Improvement Plan developed and overseen by OKI.

“The projects approved today are critical to continuing our efforts to provide our citizens with a variety of commuting options that will save them time and money while alleviating stress that comes from traveling on congested roadways,” OKI Executive Director Mark Plicinski explained. “OKI continues to move multi-modal projects forward which benefit our commuting population, environment and economy.”

Categories
Arts & Entertainment News

‘Nancy James Sings Big Band Jazz’ at the Carnegie – 5/13

Vocalist Colleen Sharp, comedian Michael Flannery and performer Nancy James will join the Madcap Puppets and the Sound Body Jazz Orchestra at the Carnegie Visual & Performing Arts Center on Thursday, May 13 at 7:30pm for “an eclectic evening of music, humor and entertainment.”

The concert will be headlined by Nancy James who will entertain the audience with her vocal jazz standards such as “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” and “My Funny Valentine.” James is an Emmy Award winner, and has been on the Cincinnati entertainment and music circuit for more than 30 years.

Organizers note that the third annual Carnegie in Concert series “strives to break the mold of chamber music offerings from yesteryear; and challenges established programming norms by blending traditional string quartets, wind ensembles and solo piano performances with gospel, jazz, musical theatre, Dixieland and other musical styles.”

‘Nancy James Sings Big Band Jazz’ is the final event of the six-part Carnegie in Concert series. Tickets range from $15 to $18 and can be purchased online or by calling (859) 957-1940. You can also purchase tickets in person at the Carnegie Visual & Performing Arts Center (map) Tuesday through Friday, from 12pm to 5pm.

Categories
Business News Transportation

American commuting patterns negatively impacting individual achievement

In Robert Pagliarini’s best-selling book The Other 8 Hours, he discusses how we use the eight hours of our daily lives, outside of the eight we presumably spend at work and at sleep, are what determine our success in life. Pagliarini urges readers to look beyond their job to find success in their life whether it be through starting a business, losing weight, developing a hobby or even getting control of your finances.

Pagliarini states in his book that, “You lose 8 hours to sleep and you sell (at least) 8 hours to your job. That leaves just 8 more. What are you doing during the other 8 hours, and more importantly, what are the other 8 hours doing for you?”

The book relies on the assumption though that each person has a clearly delineated, and evenly balanced, three-slice pie. This is obviously not reality, but if we were to follow Pagliarini’s advice by maximizing The Other 8, what would we find?

With 16 hours of the day already ruled out for work and sleep we have just 8 valuable hours to improve our lives in the way we choose. A 2005 study by the Telework Exchange showed that Federal employees spent an average of 233 hours of their life commuting each year – a number that does not factor in the time spent driving on daily errands. The study found that if Federal employees were to telework three days each week, that they would get 98 hours of their life back each year. Citing an average savings of an hour per day, the Telework Exchange study identified that those teleworking can earn an MBA 35 percent faster, read 25 books in a year, clean out 83 closets, or train for a marathon with the time saved by not commuting.

This data is supportive of more than just teleworking, but reduced commuting and travel times in general. Those who are able to walk to work due to close proximity experience such savings, as do transit riders who are able to utilize their commute time for other enriching purposes that Pagliarini identifies as ways to improve your life.  Those who walk benefit doubly as they not only save themselves free time, but the time they do spend commuting helps to improve their health.

“Look around, anyone who is successful and lives a rich and meaningful life has used the other 8 hours,” Pagliarini exclaims. “Day in and day out, while others squander this time, they have invested it.”

The majority of people have overbooked schedules that do not have any more room to develop these personal attributes and improve their life. As a result that means each individual seeking success should look to maximize the free time they do have. Americans’ current commuting patterns dictate that approximately 15-20 percent of their “free time” is immediately wasted sitting in a car. If that time could be cut in half five to six days a week, the average American would experience similar time savings to the aforementioned federal employees who telecommuted three days a week, and experience similar benefits.

It appears that a clear option for Americans trying to improve their lives socially, financially, health-wise, or educationally is to cut out identified “life leeches” like commuting that suck up individual free time.

Categories
Business Development News

2nd wall collapse of Cincinnati’s oldest brewery forces demolition

Despite the efforts and desire of building owner Duane Donohoo to save the structure, Cincinnati’s oldest brewery was brought to the ground this past Sunday under an emergency demolition order from the City. Following the original wall collapse two weekends ago, the building at the northeast corner of Stonewall and McMicken (map), nicknamed “Brewers Blvd”, appeared destined to be rebuilt and saved from the wrecking ball, however high winds Friday triggered a second, larger collapse of the western wall leaving it as a dangerous liability.

With the one wall crumbling, and suggestions that the buildings facade may soon follow suit, Donohoo declined to fight the demolition out of concern for the safety of those in the vicinity of the building. Thus the oldest of seven structures that comprise the Clyffside Brewing complex in the northern section of Over the Rhine’s Brewery District has been lost.

When the two-story brick building was constructed in 1846, the facility brewed only a modest 275 barrels of beer in its first year of operation under its original moniker of George Klotter & Company. Since those days, expansions and ownership changes have seen the buildings produce ales and lagers under the banners of Sohn, Mohawk, the aforementioned Clyffside, and most recently as Red Top Brewing Company, before closing its doors on September 27, 1957, leaving over 150 Cincinnatians jobless

Regardless of this significant historical loss of the city’s history, Donohoo confirms the the redevelopment plan, which includes condos with terraced, city-view decks and indoor parking, will move forward in the remaining brewery buildings. When it is all said and done, Donohoo plans to put between $3-$3.5 million in the property, and still hopes for it to be an anchor of a revitalized Brewery District.

Categories
Development News Politics Transportation

Cincinnati commits $64M to build modern streetcar system

City Council’s Budget & Finance Committee voted yesterday 6-2 to approve $64 million in bonds that will fund Cincinnati’s modern streetcar system.  The move comes on the heels of a $2.6 million bond approval and now sends a clear message to the Federal government that Cincinnati is committed to this project financially.

The local commitment covers about half of the total $128 million streetcar system that will run from Cincinnati’s riverfront, through Downtown and Over-the-Rhine, and up the hill into the Uptown neighborhoods.  The Cincinnati Streetcar was also recently recommended for $15 million in State funds.

The Finance & Budget Committee meeting held yesterday attracted fewer people and public comments, but the breakdown was much the same.  Of the 10 people to speak, only one person, COAST’s lawyer, spoke against the project.  The other public comments were made by residents all over the city, business owners and students.  Over the course of the past two meetings that brings the public comment tally to 38 in favor, 4 opposed.

The City of Cincinnati will now wait to hear back from the Feds next month about another $25 million for the transportation project.  The Federal funding is considered to be critical for the project, but has been out-of-reach due to the lack of a local financial commitment to the project.  Streetcar supporters say that with this approval Cincinnati stands a much greater chance at receiving Federal funds that passed over Cincinnati during the first round of TIGER grants.

Roxanne Qualls, Laure Quinlinvan, Chris Bortz, Jeff Berding, Cecil Thomas and Laketa Cole voted in favor of approving the bonds for the Cincinnati Streetcar while Chris Monzel and Charlie Winburn voted in opposition.  Leslie Ghiz was absent.  The full City Council, which is made up of the same body, will vote on the measure this Wednesday, May 12 and is expected to pass with a 6-3 majority after Ghiz casts her opposition vote.

You can stay up-to-date on the Cincinnati Streetcar project by reading its blog, or by following the City’s official webpage where you can also make contributions online to help make the project become reality.  Follow @CincyStreetcar on Twitter for even more information.