Tag: Transportation

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Business News Transportation

The future of CVG and its travelers

The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, CVG, is in a transition period. The airport has been known for its sky-high fares and single airline dominance (Delta) for some time. At the same time CVG has brought new companies, people, and bolstered the region’s corporate presence since its start in 1947.

The airport itself has completed a third north/south runway and an extension of the primary east/west runway within the past decade (Runway Project Map). More recent work has been on the development of a new transportation center, for buses, on the east side of Terminal 3. These improvements have increased capacity and efficiency of the airport in a way that positions CVG well for future success.

The problem though is the state of the airline industry. Fuel prices are going up, as are the costs associated with security measures. CVG in particular has been hit even harder by the several nearby competing airports (Louisville, Dayton, Columbus, Indianapolis) that often offer cheaper flights with less hassle. So what’s an airport to do?

Well CVG has started to aggressively pursure several new airlines, as well as, looking for existing juggernaught Delta to increase its operations here as operating costs out of Atlanta look to be rising. The news is that in addition to Delta, low-cost carrierAirTran may be in the mix to fill the low-cost void at CVG.

UrbanCincy has also been informed that a brand new airline is looking into offering non-stop flights, from CVG, to several business/travel destinations. Preliminary plans call for this service to start prior to this upcoming Summer season (more information coming soon).

So what does all of this mean for CVG and Cincinnati area air travelers? Increased competition, especially from low-cost carriers, may result in lower fares from the primary controlling force at the airport – Delta. Lower costs at CVG may be bad news then for Dayton’s airport that currently capitalizes off of CVG’s failures. Thus illustrating the tricky business of airline travel, and highlighting the paradigm that when you solve one problem, you create another.

Categories
News

UrbanCincy and the Streetsblog Network

This website is proud to be the first Cincinnati-area blog to become a member of the Streetsblog Network. This national blog network is focused on sustainable transport, smart growth, and livable streets issues.

The network serves as a “one-stop shop for transportation policy goodness” with over 170 blogs contributing their best work from a local perspective all over the nation. If you feel that another blog, or your own, is qualified to be a part of this network then please fill out the nomination form and start contributing today.

UrbanCincy hopes to contribute its local perspective on transportation and smart growth issues here in Cincinnati. This will extend beyond the normal coverage of Cincinnati’s modern streetcar proposal and also cover topics such as complete streets, development patterns, and livability issues. Help UrbanCincy accomplish this goal by offering specific topics to cover. As always, share your thoughts on the issues through the comment section provided with each article.

NOTE: UrbanCincy’s good friend, CincyStreetcar Blog, has also become a member of this national network within the past day. View its Streetsblog Network profile here.

Categories
Business Development News Transportation

Around Town

“On a recent Saturday with about 10 other young professionals, locked in a new, for-sale Over-the-Rhine condo that didn’t have any heat talking about how we can make Cincinnati a better place for people like us. It was organized by CincyPAC — a political action committee of about 1,100 young professionals who specifically target Cincinnati City Council races to lobby for a better city for those in their age bracket — as a retreat where we might invigorate ourselves for this fall’s council elections.”

During this retreat the young professionals discussed what it is that could improve Cincinnati. Naturally their discussions were taken over by talks of the proposed streetcar system. As this effort progresses to bring fixed-rail transit to Cincinnati, the number of passionate supporters continues to grow. It’s not just the political wonks, it’s the young people, residents, business owners, and others who have seen what streetcars have done elsewhere, and what they once did for Cincinnati. Stay tuned as more and more get on board.

On another completely unrelated note. If you’re one of those people who believe nothing is happening at The Banks, well you’re wrong. While the bad economy has plagued many projects, it has been a gain for others like The Banks. Contract after contract is coming in under budget due to the competitive bidding process for the work. Small-business participation has exceeded initial goals, there have been 9,000 work hours without a lost-time accident, and the project is making some very visible headway.

LEFT- You can see the first of the two-level parking decks that will lift the development out of the flood plain.
RIGHT – You can see the support columns rising first along the path of what will be Freedom Way.

Photos courtesy of Chad McCann
Categories
News Politics

Greg Harris to replace Cranley on City Council

The wait is over for those anxious to hear who will replace John Cranley’s vacated seat on City Council. Anonymous sources tell UrbanCincy that fellow westsider, Greg Harris, will fill Cranley’s spot on council as determined by existing Council Democrats.

The appointment benefits all Cincinnatians as a very pro-streetcar Harris will replace one of the two opposition votes (Cranley, Monzel) to the streetcar proposal on council. Harris feels that, “streetcars offer incredible return on investment, and represent Cincinnati’s shot to generate hundreds of millions in new revenue. Let’s take this bold step to grow our prosperity as a city and region.” He goes on to say that, “Ultimately, we have to determine what kind of future we want for our city. Do we want to be a ‘Can Do’ city that leverages and inter-connects its tremendous assets? Do we want to be a green city that attracts and retains talent? The economic and environmental dividend of streetcars would help us realize this vision.”

In 2007, Cranley held up the process by repeatedly asking questions like whether busses running on painted lines could do the same thing as a fixed-rail streetcar, and how long it takes to walk from Fountain Square to Findlay Market (21 minute walk, 14 blocks) – something that could have easily been answered through a simple Google search like this.

The move of resignation was described as a business decision by Cranley. He cited that he wanted to focus his efforts more on his development work on the westside particularly in the Price Hill neighborhood.

Cranley would have been term-limited this election leaving a vacant seat behind during the November race. The move now allows another Democrat to run as a defacto incumbent come November. This is not the first time this resignation strategy has been employed as Cranley first got onto council in 2001 through Todd Portune’s resignation and more recently Roxanne Qualls was able to use the defacto incumbent role to her benefit as Jim Tarbell stepped aside before term limits in 2007.

Harris lost his run for City Council in 2007 and finished 15th in the overall vote tally (nine members on council). In 2002 and 2004 Harris ran unsuccessfully against Steve Chabot (R) for Ohio’s 1st Congressional District seat. In 2007 Cincinnati voters elected 100% of the candidates who were running as incumbents.

EDIT: WLWT News 5 confirms Harris appointment at 4:26pm

Categories
News

New CincyStreetcar Blog!

CincyStreetcar.com has debuted a new weblog for the Cincinnati Streetcar. The website features general information about modern streetcars and has a specific route information/details for phase 1 of the system. The authors say that they plan to use the site as a means of connecting the dots on the Cincinnati Streetcar proposal.

Go CHECK IT OUT, link to the new site, add it to your blogroll, and comment on the stories so that your thoughts about the proposal are heard. Also in case you haven’t heard the Cincinnati Streetcar also has a new Facebook Page for your networking pleasure.