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Taste German wines at eight Gateway Quarter shops at first Grape-Vine Friday

The Gateway Quarter Merchants Group will be hosting the first “Grape-Vine” Friday throughout the Gateway Quarter in historic Over-the-Rhine on Friday, October 2 from 5pm to 7pm.

Eight different merchants are encouraging the public to “sip, shop and socialize” throughout the shopping district. The event is the first of what will becoming a monthly happening that will feature a wine of the month in each of the participating stores where visitors can stop in and enjoy a complimentary tasting while they shop and socialize.

The October Grape-Vine will feature German wines in respect to ongoing Oktoberfest celebrations. Each of the merchants this month have worked with City Cellars on their wine selection and will have information to share about each selection. If you like what you’re tasting, then you’re encouraged to visit City Cellars just down the street for your very own bottle (or two).

Metronation, Segway of Cincinnati, Mica 12/v, Outside, A Lucky Step, Joseph Williams Home, Switch and Coffee Emporium are all participating while Lavomatic will feature a wine special on a select German wine. Below Zero Lounge will also be hosting an evening cabaret hosted by Carol Sherman Jones and Sherry McCamley from 7pm to 9:30pm making for a perfect place to head after you finish your sipping, shopping and socializing.

Grape-Vine Friday is scheduled for the next two months on November 6 and December 4. There is plenty of free on-street parking in and around the Gateway Quarter plus parking available at the 12th & Vine parking lot and the Gateway Garage which can be accessed off of 12th Street or Central Parkway. There are also lots of bike racks available and Metro bus service (plan your trip now).

Lavomatic Cafe photo by 5chw4r7z. Yes I used your photo again 5chw4r7z.

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Metro looking for public input as potentially massive cuts loom

In light of the recent budget shortfalls, Metro is being forced to make tough decisions on operations for the region’s primary transit service. The bus agency is now projecting a $16-plus million operating and capital budget shortfall in 2010 due to the ongoing recession which has resulted in lackluster income tax revenues for the city of Cincinnati – where Metro receives most of its funding.

With these new projections Metro officials are now considering a 20 percent service reduction or some other combination of service reductions and fare increases. The changes will pose major issues for the thousands of residents who use Metro on a daily basis for their travel needs. Acknowledging the potential severity of these cuts Metro is urging its customers to provide comments on the various options they are considering to balance the budget.

  • Metro service: Up to 20% of service reduced
  • Weekend service: Eliminate Saturday and/or Sunday service
  • Base fare: Up to $0.50 increase (Zone 1, City of Cincinnati)
  • Zone fare: Up to $0.25 increase in addition to base fare increase (Zone 2, Hamilton County)
  • Transfer charge: Up to $0.25 increase
  • Monthly passes: Increase monthly pass and Fare Deal sticker prices to reflect fare increases
  • Zone 1 pass discount: Eliminate the $5 monthly pass discount

Metro is also considering two options that would impact service for those riders with disabilities utilizing Metro’s paratransit service.

  • ADA service only: Provide service only at the level required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (Access currently provides limited service to some “grandfathered” customers that goes beyond what the ADA requires)
  • ADA maximum fare: Up to the ADA-allowable fare (twice Metro’s fare for a comparable trip)

If you would like to have your thoughts heard on the matter you can do so in a variety of ways. On Friday, October 2 Metro will be hosting a public comment day at the Duke Energy Convention Center (rooms 237-238) from 7am to 7pm. Metro officials will be giving a brief presentation every hour on the hour, and the public is encouraged to come by at any point during the day to electronically record their comments for the public record.

If you’re unable to stop by between 7am and 7pm on Friday, you can still share your comments with Metro by filling out an online comment form; sending an email to Metro; faxing your comments to (513) 632-9202; filling out a comment forms available on Metro buses, Government Square information booth, and the sales office in the Mercantile Building arcade; or by mailing your comments to Metro at 602 Main Street, Suite 1100, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.

All comments must be received by Oct. 2, 2009 to become part of the official public meeting record and will be considered by the Southwest Ohio Region Transit Authority (SORTA) when deciding on which option to choose.

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This ain’t your parent’s Over-the-Rhine

On Tuesday, September 1 I took a stroll through Over-the-Rhine. It started with a private tour of the soon-to-be Neon’s Unplugged off of Main Street. From there I hit up Coffee Emporium with one of Cincinnati’s best photographers and the authority on Cincinnati transit – Jake Mecklenborg.

While at Coffee Emporium we were joined by the likes of Mayor Mallory and much of the Taking the Stage cast. We would have grabbed some photographs, but we both seemed to think that would be creepy and decided to enjoy some coffee and conversation instead.

From there Jake and I walked the neighborhood capturing much of the new energy and activity taking place. In the collection of photos below you will see Gateway Quarter businesses, new Vine Street streetscaping, Trinity Flats infill project, City Home townhouses, and a bunch of other scenes from around the rapidly changing neighborhood. To view all of the photos with additional narration visit my photo thread on UrbanOhio here.

After that I hit up a cocktail hour of sorts at Soapbox’s new digs in the Gateway Building on Vine Street where we met with a lot of really great people with great ideas for Cincinnati. Following those good times I ended the day in OTR at Lavomatic for some drinks with a couple of UrbanCincy’s finest writers – David Ben and Jenny Kessler. Great day.

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Metro receives $700k grant for Uptown Crossings transit hub

Representative Steve Driehaus (D-OH) has announced another large chunk of money for transportation projects in the Cincinnati region. Funding in the amount of $677,160 has been awarded to the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) for a new transit hub in Uptown Cincinnati.

SORTA operates the largest transit service in the region, Metro, and will be using the nearly $700,000 from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for their planned Uptown Crossing Project that will construct a new transit hub with restrooms and facilities for bus drivers, shelters, and a pavilion located near the Cincinnati Zoo.

Representative Driehaus believes strongly in the transit investment saying that, “as we work to improve our transportation infrastructure, we need to modernize transit facilities and expand access for riders. This funding will help SORTA move forward on this critically important project.”

Image provided by Metro

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Don’t Outlaw Choice

Often, those seeking to pass Issue 9 base their skepticism for rail transit on the idea that the success of such a system is unknowable. They claim that there is no way to tell the specific impacts an integrated transportation system will have on our city. Their argument is only true to a point. While pin-point specific data cannot be known until after a system begins operation, there is an ocean of data available from the scores of cities that have chosen to invest in this technology.

Look, if Cincinnati were the first city to come up with the idea of rail transportation, the opponents’ skepticism would be legitimate and welcomed. But we have already seen the effects in literally DOZENS of cities. The results are in and these systems work. The vast majority of their skepticism is baseless, unproductive, and downright ignorant when considering the amount of data that exists supporting rail transportation in its various forms.

Why would they attempt to ban all funding for a public good? Transportation is a public good with public benefits. Because transportation has public benefits and is considered a basic public service, transportation in ALL its forms (including roads) is publicly funded. Just as I-75 wasn’t funded by an individual or a company, neither should rail be. Local leaders need options of how to pay for this public service.

So where does the money come from? In many instances, the large public benefit of transit encourages federal and state funding. But if Issue 9 passes, the ability for Cincinnati leaders to obtain that funding becomes impossible. Federal dollars are highly competitive, and only the cities with the strongest and fastest applications will receive those dollars. Requiring a public vote will slow the process to the point where Cincinnati is taken out of the running. This leaves no choice for local leaders but to fund these projects with just local dollars.

Therefore, to pass Issue 9 is to eliminate choice. It eliminates the choice of city leaders to find funding. But more significantly, it eliminates the choice of how Cincinnatians live.

Passing Issue 9 will outlaw the choice to either drive or take a commuter train to work in the morning.

Passing Issue 9 will outlaw the choice of Cincinnatians to either drive or ride high-speed rail to that conference in Chicago, that protest in DC, that OSU game in Columbus, that concert in St. Louis, that holiday in New York City.

Passing Issue 9 would outlaw the choice to take a train to Bengals game, or pay for $3/gal gas and $15 for parking on top of $80 dollar tickets and $8 beers.

Passing Issue 9 eliminates the choice between having a worry-free night on the town, or having to call it an early night so as to not drive while intoxicated.

Don’t outlaw choice. Vote No on Issue 9.

For more information, visit Cincinnatians for Progress. There you can see who else wants to preserve choice, check out their blog, see other reasons why Issue 9 leads to ineffective governance, sign up to volunteer, request a yard sign, or even donate to the cause.

Image credit here.