Sad Story Only I Care About
DC -- The best pop Christmas song ever is Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) written by Phil Spector and performed every year on Letterman by Darlene Love. (Check it out on YouTube.) I played this song a few times in late December, on SportsTalk. One night, I got a call from a guy who runs a bar on Colerain Avenue. Says D. Love's brother is a regular, and that once or twice a year, the lady herself shows up at the place and, occasionally, sings. I gave the guy my home phone # off air, told him to call me the next time she was in town.
He called today.
Said she'd be there tonight.
I'm in DC, with Xavier.
This is my hometown, only where I grew up, Bethesda, Md., is barely recognizable now. I can go home again, though. It's 20 minutes from my downtown hotel, by light rail. The Metro system here is fabulous.
Those who oppose light rail I'm guessing haven't used it much. It cost me $2 to get from the airport to downtown, probably a 15-minute car ride, plus outrageous parking costs. Taxi? Probably $25. I've ridden light rail in every big city in America. Nowhere is it anything but cheap and (mostly) convenient.
Cincinnati probably isnt big enough, and IMO, needs to spend public money elsewhere. Too bad. Gas at $3.50 a gallon, I'd take it from close to my house to CVG, every time.
posted by Paul Daugherty at 5:13 PM
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Post a Comment*Paul, couldn't agree with you more. How high are gas prices going to have to get before people start ponying up for some new infrastructure and better public transit in this town? If I remember correctly, the light rail issue was on the ballot and failed miserably a few years ago. Streetcars are neat, but not really a practical answer for most of the city.
Cincinnati is one of the largest Metro area in the Country without rail, and there are many smaller metro areas with rail. Oil is at $109 a barrel, and many analysts predict gas will hit $4 gallon this summer.
The average Cincinnatian spends 20% of their income on transportation, that is the sixth highest percentage in the nation.
Cincinnati is not too small for rail transit. When Hamilton County had a population of only 600,000, the Cincinnati Street Railway Company carried 85 million passengers a year on Streetcars, Trolleys, Buses and Interurban Trains. Now with a Hamilton County population of 845,000 and a bus only service that also reaches into Warren, Butler, and Clermont Counties, Metro transports only 24 million passengers a year.
For the thousands of people who are too young, too old, too poor, or too disabled to drive, public transportation is vital. Everyone who is not in one of those aforementioned categories now, was or will be at some point in their life.
I believe you're right. "Cincinnati probably isn't big enough", both physically & mentally.
A 1 1/2 mile street car system is more our style. A public ripoff for the connected wealthy - ala Paul Brown Stadium.
P Doc -
If you're following Xavier around for the NCAA tourney, I have a feeling you'll be home before too much time passes. The Tourney is no A-10.
The light rail is a good idea, but every idea is a good one before city council gets their hands on it. But if you ever need a cheap ride from downtown to over-the-rhine, I guess you can do it efficiently and affordably.
Butterball -- Washington's metro has its share of problems but it sure beats sitting in traffic for a downtown commute or trying to find parking in DC. Do you remember having to catch the metrobus at Montgomery Mall and then having to transfer at Friendship Heights before continuing to your DC workplace? Torture.
Hopefully the 21st century will result in less commutes to brick and mortar office buildings as people make cybercommutes.
Houston, Cleveland, Detroit, Tampa and Kansas City are the only areas in the country that spend a larger percentage of their income on transportation than Cincinnati. If the Cincinnati to Milford rail plan could get moving maybe it would get folks in the area to support it and lead to an expansion.
In Denver, where I live, they resisted light rail until the first line was built. Now we can't add it fast enough. Every person on the train equates to something like an average of 40 additional feet of highway space for your morning commute. Plus the money invested in building it pumps up the local economy by putting paychecks in the hands of the people building and operating the system. It's a win-win on every level.
What's with all the transportation BS?
All that really matters is a greasy late-night breakfast at the Tastee Diner.
Home schweeet home for locals, displaced, has-beens, wanna-bes, drunks and sports writers--usually all and the same.
When I lived in Atlanta I used their MARTA rail system and loved it. Only problem was - not enough parking, you had to get up super early to have a spot to park, and it still took an hour to get to work, but as I never drove to work, it probably would've taken even longer. Visiting friends in Chicago, the L is wonderful. Cincinnati doesn't have room for the 7 lanes in each direction they want on 75 and probably about the same on 71. Imagine if you could hop on the rail to get to a ball game (more beer?). Cincinnati might not be big enough now, but if they don't include better public transport in the plans, they'll never grow or you'll be looking at 2 hour commutes from West Chester/Mason
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