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Regional transportation From: livingston.28 Date: Jul 08 19:00 UTC Short link

On Open Line, Maryellen O explained the length and direction of the streetcar
route by referring to the 70/71 rebuild and the fact that the downtown bridges
weren't designed to support the weight of streetcars.  But if the High Street
line really is only a first step, why not include plans for tackling these
obstacles?

For instance: why not lay out ideas for beefed-up bus service going West into
Franklinton and south through the Brewery District/German Village, designed to
connect with the streetcar? That would start to sketch in the picture of an
integrated transit system, rather than hanging the argument on a one-line
project.  (A single line is, by definition, not a system).

By "beefed up," I mean something that is visually distinct from the current
COTA fleet, more tied into the look of the streetcar.  These would lay down
markers for future construction and get people used to thinking about
connectivity.

Kathleen, I think you and I have had this discussion before, but today's
program really reinforced my sense that the *systematic potential* of the
streetcar needs to be made more explicit.

Creating a Regional Transportation System From: livingston.28 Date: Jul 08 18:26 UTC Short link

To my mind, the high point of the OpenLine conversation was Chester Jourdan's
insistence that we keep our eyes on the big picture: think in terms of region,
and at least 10 -20 years out. What do we want Central Ohio to look like?  If
we can raise the discussion to that level, we'll have options. If not, we'll be
stuck squabbling over pennies.

Andrew's right that what's needed here is leadership to hold the vision. I
don't think it's a matter of getting individuals to take the bus or bike to
work (Mike Coleman is no Mayor Daley) so much as it is to get the right
perspective and framework for the discussion. The issue is not next week or
next year, but how to make a long-term commitment.

That said, I wonder whether anyone has thoughts about what sort of regional
governance it would take to make such a commitment.  I wonder whether our
current system doesn't overvalue consensus and prevent the emergence of leaders
with vision.

Rick Livingston

Regional transportation From: Kathleen Murphy Date: Jul 08 18:02 UTC Short link

Streetcars help parking because they deliver people to destinations without
their cars. So downtown development and OSU development can proceed without
the need to build expensive parking garages.

Adding bedroom communities is trhe next step.  But that is really where
light rail comes in.  Light rail is commuter rail --it goes faster than
streetcars and makes fewer stops so people are delivered to destinations
faster than their cars could ever take them.  Streetcars work best as short
circulators -- for short trips and there High Street route is perfect
because there are 50,000 students at one end and 100,000 workers at the
other.

Creating a Regional Transportation System From: Brett Gerke Date: Jul 08 17:01 UTC Short link

While I find it admirable that Mayor Daly rides his bicycle to work each day
and supports mass transit in Chicago, I am struggling to find the parallels
between Chicago and Columbus.  Maybe someone can help me here.  They appear to
be two very different cities.  On another topic, I am under the impression that
Mayor Coleman is only looking at street cars from downtown to the OSU campus.
With the parking problems in both places I am wondering what that will help(or
hurt).  Wouldn't it make more sense to try to connect bedroom communities to
the downtown?

Brett Gerke

General Announcements and Events From: CORIF Managers Forum Manager Date: Jul 08 16:16 UTC Short link

FYI--See the file linked below.

Best,
Liz

The following file was added to this topic.

Name: 07.16[1].jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 101.73KB

Creating a Regional Transportation System From: Andrew Miller Date: Jul 08 15:56 UTC Short link

Ah, well then maybe that explains it, maybe Mike was referringto you as the
andrew asking thequestion and not me as the andrew asking the question --- or
maybe he calculated it this way so we would both be curious :)
Anyhow, yes, I agree that it was a good discussion but I really feel like the
lack of leadership in our community taking steps to use the infrastructure we
already have isa big part of why wefind such lack luster support community
wide. I don't believe there was anything said todayduring the show that really
would have energized anyone who isn't already a proponent of transit to change
their mind.
What if we hadsome of the CEO's of companies such as Nationwide, Huntington,
etc. taking COTA downtown. What if those same companies found out where
somemajor populationcenters of their employees are located, perhaps Polaris or
maybe Pickerington, andthen the company paysfor bus service for employees to
park andride from those locations, offering wider coverage around peak travel
times. This is what both Microsoft and Google do outside of Seattle.
When workers see their bosses taking public transit they are much more likely
to join in onit. With that in mind COTA et al should be working to win over the
100 or so key individuals andget them to use transit on a regular basis;get
them to lead the way with the current system so that there is funding and
support foran expanded system of the future.
Andrew Miller
http://andrew-miller.com
http://elephantsonbicycles.com



----- Original Message ----
From: Andrew Bremer <<email obscured>>
To: chivespa1 <<email obscured>>
Cc: Central Ohio Regional Issues Forum <<email obscured>>
Sent: Tuesday, July 8, 2008 11:40:22 AM
Subject: Re: [CORIF] Creating a Regional Transportation System

I think it was a good conversation at least. I am glad that I got
through via email as my last question to the group. Unfortunately,
the host failed to read my full name or especially what organization I
was representing.

I am seeing a lot of talk about this issue and we have wonderful
momentum going for us right now. While I have not heard of the idea
of taking donations to actually build more transit and transportation
infrastructure, I think it is an interesting idea. The real action
will be with the Federal Transportation Bill and any actions at the
General Assembly. I am working with my staff, board and our community
leaders to see what exactly a campaign would look like to push for
these types of improvements.

I may from the group that's pushing inter-city trains, but I keep
pointing out that the Ohio Hub Plan has provisions for local commuter
rail connections much like the earlier gentleman commented on
connecting the county seats in central Ohio. Think about Athens,
Washington Courthouse, Newark, Zanesville, Delaware, Marysville all
connected to Columbus with light or heavy rail. Now, there's a system
that feeder busses and traditional downtowns can feed into.

Thanks for the discussion.
Andrew Bremer
All Aboard Ohio

www.allaboardohio.org

On Tue, Jul 8, 2008 at 11:22 AM, chivespa1 <<email obscured>> wrote:
> Well, it was nice that Mike asked my questionvia email although he didn't
really ask it.He shortened what I was asking to see what the city could do to
sell theideato people who didn't already "getit". Really what I was asking
(almost verbatim) was, other than Mary Ellen, why don'tcity leaders like Mayor
Mike lead by example and usepublic transit orbicycle? Mayor Daleybicycles to
work almost daily inChicago andit is his example that has helped to sell
Chicago on transit options. Not so long agoChicago's transitinfrastructure was
in dire straights but it's seen a 180* turn around. Most people I talk to don't
seethere being support for transit options here in Central OH and I think that
is because thepeople at the top don't use it either. It's hard to expect other
people to buy into something you only half heartedly believe in yourself.
Sorry, I'm a bit touchy about people who don't do and instead only talk.
> Andrew Miller
> http://andrew-miller.com
> http://elephantsonbicycles.com
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Elizabeth Ike <<email obscured>>
> To: Laura Koprowski <<email obscured>>
> Cc: Central Ohio Regional Issues Forum <<email obscured>>
> Sent: Tuesday, July 8, 2008 11:08:58 AM
> Subject: Re: [CORIF] Creating a Regional Transportation System
>
> What are every one's thoughts on the WOSU Open Line interview? The thing
> that keeps running through my mind is, how can we, the public, convince
> policy and decision makers that we are behind them--both philosophically and
> financially--in developing an effective mass transit system?
>
> This may be a wild thought, but what if there were a campaign that either
> actually collected citizen donations toward mass transit in Central Ohio, or
> served as a petition/commitment to support the local funding needs for a
> thoughtful and comprehensive mass transit system. It seems like people
> (finally!) realize that something "bold" needs to be done, but how can
> regular citizens help to light the fire and keep it burning?
>
> I am looking forward to reading what everyone thinks!
>
> Best,
> Liz
> On Mon, Jul 7, 2008 at 5:06 PM, Laura Koprowski <<email obscured>>
> wrote:
>
>> Since all of the discussion and attention on streetcars in the spring, it
>> seems like summer has brought in a season of exploring and openness to
>> thinking about creating a regional transportation system for central Ohio -
>> something broader and yet inclusive of streetcars. We could be looking at
>> more transit, more bike trails, passenger rail, etc.
>>
>> I'm curious how this concept resonates with the group and also encourage
>> everyone to listen to Open Line on WOSU 820am tomorrow, July 8 at 10am. The
>> topic to be discussed is the present and past of mass transit in Central
>> Ohio, with Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) Executive Director
>> Chester Jourdan, Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) President and CEO and
>> Ohio Public Transportation Association (OPTA) President William Lhota, and
>> Columbus City Council Member Maryellen O'Shaughnessy".
>>
>> Open Line is a live, public affairs talk show, with listener phone calls,
>> on WOSU public radio. Open Line is streamed live, podcast and archived at
>> www.wosu.org/radio/radio-open-line.
>>
>> The format of Open Line is a conversation between the host and his guests
>> for the first 20 minutes to lay groundwork for the discussion. Then the
>> show opens the lines to callers. You can also email questions to
>> <email obscured>.
>>
>> Please share this email with others. It would be great to get some good,
>> thoughtful and helpful questions to the show.
>>
>> And also some good, thoughtful, helpful comments here at CORIF.
>>
>>
>> Laura Koprowski
>> Grandview Heights
>> Info about Laura Koprowski:
>> http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/rWdCPb5lpdpAR7zEZTxns
>>
>> This topic's messages may be viewed at:
>> http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/yZQHtQlukzOYj5U5568HK
>> -----------------------------------------
>> To post, send your message to: <email obscured>
>> To leave or for daily digest, type "unsubscribe" or "digest on,"
>> in subject line and send to: <email obscured>
>>
>> More info about Central Ohio Regional Issues Forum:
>> http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/corif
>>
>> E-Democracy.Org rules: http://e-democracy.org/rules
>> -----------------------------------------
>> Technical assistance thanks to our friends at
http://OnlineGroups.Net<http://onlinegroups.net/>
>>
>
> Elizabeth Ike
> Clintonville, Columbus
> Info about Elizabeth Ike: http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/whelanike
>
> This topic's messages may be viewed at:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/1ccsn0Db9jr7MkT14GGS6F
> -----------------------------------------
> To post, send your message to: <email obscured>
> To leave or for daily digest, type "unsubscribe" or "digest on,"
> in subject line and send to: <email obscured>
>
> More info about Central Ohio Regional Issues Forum:
> http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/corif
>
> E-Democracy.Org rules: http://e-democracy.org/rules
> -----------------------------------------
> Technical assistance thanks to our friends at http://OnlineGroups.Net
>
>
>
>
> Andrew Miller
>
> Info about Andrew Miller:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/5tiW2SAgU0fmQG5KUocfYw
>
> This topic's messages may be viewed at:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/1YnWNrJS6z1sQjPlgRiGUH
> -----------------------------------------
> To post, send your message to: <email obscured>
> To leave or for daily digest, type "unsubscribe" or "digest on,"
> in subject line and send to: <email obscured>
>
> More info about Central Ohio Regional Issues Forum:
> http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/corif
>
> E-Democracy.Org rules: http://e-democracy.org/rules
> -----------------------------------------
> Technical assistance thanks to our friends at http://OnlineGroups.Net
>



--
Andrew M. Bremer
Executive Director
All Aboard Ohio

309 South 4th Street Suite 304
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Office: (614) 228-6005
Cell: (614) 657-4184
<email obscured>

www.allaboardohio.org

Creating a Regional Transportation System From: iraweiss Date: Jul 08 15:50 UTC Short link

I'll listen after I'm done watching the Tour de France. It will be available as
an MP3 download.

As I expressed yesterday at the CAC meeting, here are my thoughts on an
integrated multi-modal transit system.

In my crystal ball, I can picture how these modes would work together in a
comprehensive Central Ohio transportation system.

For most people, you can look at transportation modes as walking for shorter
distances, bicycling for intermediate to longer commuting distances, and
coupling walking and bicycling with mass transit for the furthest distances.

First, realize that every trip begins and ends on your own two feet. In an
ideal region with much more mass transit and better bicycle and pedestrian
facilities than you see in Central Ohio today it might look like:

1.	Walk for the shortest trips. This also means designing complete
neighborhoods with shopping, education and entertainment options.
2.	Get on your bike for shorter to intermediate distances
3.	For longer trips just ride or walk to a bus or streetcar stop (or train
station if it is nearby)
4.	Get on a bus or streetcar (and load your bike on rack if you use it) Buses
act as a feeder into a rail system or for cross-town routes. Streetcars connect
neighborhoods. We have successfully accommodated bicycles on the COTA bus
system. Similarly, we should purchase streetcars that can transport bicycles
and require them to do so.
5.	Get off the bus or streetcar and walk to a train (and put your bike on the
rack in the train – this is how they do it in Minneapolis). In my travels
I’ve seen how DC and suburban MD and VA have a system in place with buses,
walkers and bicycles feeding into their Metro and this improves air quality as
fewer buses have to venture into the central city.
6.	Get off the train (and remember to take you bike with you and either get on
another bus, or ride or walk to your destination
7.	If you took a bus, get off the bus and walk or ride your bike to your
destination (lock your bike to ample bike racks that are a part of the Bikeway
Plan if you did not walk)

This kind of multi-modal system that utilizes active transportation by walking
and bicycling and mass transit is what we need in Central Ohio. Streetcars and
in the future, light rail are critical components of such a system. We should
not be satisfied with anything less.


Ira S. Weiss
11735 Eddington Ave NW
Pickerington OH 43147-9194
<email obscured>

Creating a Regional Transportation System From: Andrew Bremer Date: Jul 08 15:43 UTC Short link

I think it was a good conversation at least.  I am glad that I got
through via email as my last question to the group.  Unfortunately,
the host failed to read my full name or especially what organization I
was representing.

I am seeing a lot of talk about this issue and we have wonderful
momentum going for us right now.  While I have not heard of the idea
of taking donations to actually build more transit and transportation
infrastructure, I think it is an interesting idea.  The real action
will be with the Federal Transportation Bill and any actions at the
General Assembly.  I am working with my staff, board and our community
leaders to see what exactly a campaign would look like to push for
these types of improvements.

I may from the group that's pushing inter-city trains, but I keep
pointing out that the Ohio Hub Plan has provisions for local commuter
rail connections much like the earlier gentleman commented on
connecting the county seats in central Ohio.  Think about Athens,
Washington Courthouse, Newark, Zanesville, Delaware, Marysville all
connected to Columbus with light or heavy rail.  Now, there's a system
that feeder busses and traditional downtowns can feed into.

Thanks for the discussion.
Andrew Bremer
All Aboard Ohio

www.allaboardohio.org

On Tue, Jul 8, 2008 at 11:22 AM, chivespa1 <<email obscured>> wrote:
> Well, it was nice that Mike asked my questionvia email although he didn't
really ask it.He shortened what I was asking to see what the city could do to
sell theideato people who didn't already "getit". Really what I was asking
(almost verbatim) was, other than Mary Ellen, why don'tcity leaders like Mayor
Mike lead by example and usepublic transit orbicycle? Mayor Daleybicycles to
work almost daily inChicago andit is his example that has helped to sell
Chicago on transit options. Not so long agoChicago's transitinfrastructure was
in dire straights but it's seen a 180* turn around. Most people I talk to don't
seethere being support for transit options here in Central OH and I think that
is because thepeople at the top don't use it either. It's hard to expect other
people to buy into something you only half heartedly believe in yourself.
Sorry, I'm a bit touchy about people who don't do and instead only talk.

> Andrew Miller
> http://andrew-miller.com
> http://elephantsonbicycles.com
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Elizabeth Ike <<email obscured>>
> To: Laura Koprowski <<email obscured>>
> Cc: Central Ohio Regional Issues Forum <<email obscured>>
> Sent: Tuesday, July 8, 2008 11:08:58 AM
> Subject: Re: [CORIF] Creating a Regional Transportation System
>
> What are every one's thoughts on the WOSU Open Line interview? The thing
> that keeps running through my mind is, how can we, the public, convince
> policy and decision makers that we are behind them--both philosophically and
> financially--in developing an effective mass transit system?
>
> This may be a wild thought, but what if there were a campaign that either
> actually collected citizen donations toward mass transit in Central Ohio, or
> served as a petition/commitment to support the local funding needs for a
> thoughtful and comprehensive mass transit system. It seems like people
> (finally!) realize that something "bold" needs to be done, but how can
> regular citizens help to light the fire and keep it burning?
>
> I am looking forward to reading what everyone thinks!
>
> Best,
> Liz
> On Mon, Jul 7, 2008 at 5:06 PM, Laura Koprowski <<email obscured>>
> wrote:
>
>> Since all of the discussion and attention on streetcars in the spring, it
>> seems like summer has brought in a season of exploring and openness to
>> thinking about creating a regional transportation system for central Ohio -
>> something broader and yet inclusive of streetcars. We could be looking at
>> more transit, more bike trails, passenger rail, etc.
>>
>> I'm curious how this concept resonates with the group and also encourage
>> everyone to listen to Open Line on WOSU 820am tomorrow, July 8 at 10am. The
>> topic to be discussed is the present and past of mass transit in Central
>> Ohio, with Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) Executive Director
>> Chester Jourdan, Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) President and CEO and
>> Ohio Public Transportation Association (OPTA) President William Lhota, and
>> Columbus City Council Member Maryellen O'Shaughnessy".
>>
>> Open Line is a live, public affairs talk show, with listener phone calls,
>> on WOSU public radio. Open Line is streamed live, podcast and archived at
>> www.wosu.org/radio/radio-open-line.
>>
>> The format of Open Line is a conversation between the host and his guests
>> for the first 20 minutes to lay groundwork for the discussion. Then the
>> show opens the lines to callers. You can also email questions to
>> <email obscured>.
>>
>> Please share this email with others. It would be great to get some good,
>> thoughtful and helpful questions to the show.
>>
>> And also some good, thoughtful, helpful comments here at CORIF.
>>
>>
>> Laura Koprowski
>> Grandview Heights
>> Info about Laura Koprowski:
>> http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/rWdCPb5lpdpAR7zEZTxns
>>
>> This topic's messages may be viewed at:
>> http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/yZQHtQlukzOYj5U5568HK
>> -----------------------------------------
>> To post, send your message to: <email obscured>
>> To leave or for daily digest, type "unsubscribe" or "digest on,"
>> in subject line and send to: <email obscured>
>>
>> More info about Central Ohio Regional Issues Forum:
>> http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/corif
>>
>> E-Democracy.Org rules: http://e-democracy.org/rules
>> -----------------------------------------
>> Technical assistance thanks to our friends at
http://OnlineGroups.Net<http://onlinegroups.net/>
>>
>
> Elizabeth Ike
> Clintonville, Columbus
> Info about Elizabeth Ike: http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/whelanike
>
> This topic's messages may be viewed at:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/1ccsn0Db9jr7MkT14GGS6F
> -----------------------------------------
>  To post, send your message to: <email obscured>
>  To leave or for daily digest, type "unsubscribe" or "digest on,"
>  in subject line and send to: <email obscured>
>
>  More info about Central Ohio Regional Issues Forum:
>  http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/corif
>
>  E-Democracy.Org rules: http://e-democracy.org/rules
> -----------------------------------------
> Technical assistance thanks to our friends at http://OnlineGroups.Net
>
>
>
>
> Andrew Miller
>
> Info about Andrew Miller:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/5tiW2SAgU0fmQG5KUocfYw
>
> This topic's messages may be viewed at:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/1YnWNrJS6z1sQjPlgRiGUH
> -----------------------------------------
>  To post, send your message to: <email obscured>
>  To leave or for daily digest, type "unsubscribe" or "digest on,"
>  in subject line and send to: <email obscured>
>
>  More info about Central Ohio Regional Issues Forum:
>  http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/corif
>
>  E-Democracy.Org rules: http://e-democracy.org/rules
> -----------------------------------------
> Technical assistance thanks to our friends at http://OnlineGroups.Net
>



--
Andrew M. Bremer
Executive Director
All Aboard Ohio

309 South 4th Street Suite 304
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Office: (614) 228-6005
Cell: (614) 657-4184
<email obscured>

www.allaboardohio.org

CORIF continues to grow!! From: CORIF Managers Forum Manager Date: Jul 08 15:26 UTC Short link

Hello Everyone!

I am pleased to share with everyone that our membership has grown to 105!!
I am thrilled to see new members joining the forum, and I hope that our
group continues to grow and we continue to experience a variety of insight
from all reaches of the Central Ohio region!

As new members join the group, I want to remind everyone to be familiar with
the e-democracy.org rules found at http://e-democracy/rules/
I especially want to remind everyone that it is required on the forum that
all members sign posts with their real, full name!

Again, I am glad to see new names and new perspectives joining the forum!
Welcome to all of our new members!

Best,
Liz, *your friendly forum co-manager*

Creating a Regional Transportation System From: Andrew Miller Date: Jul 08 15:22 UTC Short link

Well, it was nice that Mike asked my questionvia email although he didn't
really ask it.He shortened what I was asking to see what the city could do to
sell theideato people who didn't already "getit". Really what I was asking
(almost verbatim) was, other than Mary Ellen, why don'tcity leaders like Mayor
Mike lead by example and usepublic transit orbicycle? Mayor Daleybicycles to
work almost daily inChicago andit is his example that has helped to sell
Chicago on transit options. Not so long agoChicago's transitinfrastructure was
in dire straights but it's seen a 180* turn around. Most people I talk to don't
seethere being support for transit options here in Central OH and I think that
is because thepeople at the top don't use it either. It's hard to expect other
people to buy into something you only half heartedly believe in yourself.
Sorry, I'm a bit touchy about people who don't do and instead only talk.
Andrew Miller
http://andrew-miller.com
http://elephantsonbicycles.com



----- Original Message ----
From: Elizabeth Ike <<email obscured>>
To: Laura Koprowski <<email obscured>>
Cc: Central Ohio Regional Issues Forum <<email obscured>>
Sent: Tuesday, July 8, 2008 11:08:58 AM
Subject: Re: [CORIF] Creating a Regional Transportation System

What are every one's thoughts on the WOSU Open Line interview? The thing
that keeps running through my mind is, how can we, the public, convince
policy and decision makers that we are behind them--both philosophically and
financially--in developing an effective mass transit system?

This may be a wild thought, but what if there were a campaign that either
actually collected citizen donations toward mass transit in Central Ohio, or
served as a petition/commitment to support the local funding needs for a
thoughtful and comprehensive mass transit system. It seems like people
(finally!) realize that something "bold" needs to be done, but how can
regular citizens help to light the fire and keep it burning?

I am looking forward to reading what everyone thinks!

Best,
Liz
On Mon, Jul 7, 2008 at 5:06 PM, Laura Koprowski <<email obscured>>
wrote:

> Since all of the discussion and attention on streetcars in the spring, it
> seems like summer has brought in a season of exploring and openness to
> thinking about creating a regional transportation system for central Ohio -
> something broader and yet inclusive of streetcars. We could be looking at
> more transit, more bike trails, passenger rail, etc.
>
> I'm curious how this concept resonates with the group and also encourage
> everyone to listen to Open Line on WOSU 820am tomorrow, July 8 at 10am. The
> topic to be discussed is the present and past of mass transit in Central
> Ohio, with Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) Executive Director
> Chester Jourdan, Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) President and CEO and
> Ohio Public Transportation Association (OPTA) President William Lhota, and
> Columbus City Council Member Maryellen O'Shaughnessy".
>
> Open Line is a live, public affairs talk show, with listener phone calls,
> on WOSU public radio. Open Line is streamed live, podcast and archived at
> www.wosu.org/radio/radio-open-line.
>
> The format of Open Line is a conversation between the host and his guests
> for the first 20 minutes to lay groundwork for the discussion. Then the
> show opens the lines to callers. You can also email questions to
> <email obscured>.
>
> Please share this email with others. It would be great to get some good,
> thoughtful and helpful questions to the show.
>
> And also some good, thoughtful, helpful comments here at CORIF.
>
>
> Laura Koprowski
> Grandview Heights
> Info about Laura Koprowski:
> http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/rWdCPb5lpdpAR7zEZTxns
>
> This topic's messages may be viewed at:
> http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/yZQHtQlukzOYj5U5568HK
> -----------------------------------------
> To post, send your message to: <email obscured>
> To leave or for daily digest, type "unsubscribe" or "digest on,"
> in subject line and send to: <email obscured>
>
> More info about Central Ohio Regional Issues Forum:
> http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/corif
>
> E-Democracy.Org rules: http://e-democracy.org/rules
> -----------------------------------------
> Technical assistance thanks to our friends at
http://OnlineGroups.Net<http://onlinegroups.net/>
>

Elizabeth Ike
Clintonville, Columbus
Info about Elizabeth Ike: http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/whelanike

This topic's messages may be viewed at:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/1ccsn0Db9jr7MkT14GGS6F
-----------------------------------------
 To post, send your message to: <email obscured>
 To leave or for daily digest, type "unsubscribe" or "digest on,"
 in subject line and send to: <email obscured>

 More info about Central Ohio Regional Issues Forum:
 http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/corif

 E-Democracy.Org rules: http://e-democracy.org/rules
-----------------------------------------
Technical assistance thanks to our friends at http://OnlineGroups.Net

Creating a Regional Transportation System From: Elizabeth Ike Date: Jul 08 15:09 UTC Short link

What are every one's thoughts on the WOSU Open Line interview?  The thing
that keeps running through my mind is, how can we, the public, convince
policy and decision makers that we are behind them--both philosophically and
financially--in developing an effective mass transit system?

This may be a wild thought, but what if there were a campaign that either
actually collected citizen donations toward mass transit in Central Ohio, or
served as a petition/commitment to support the local funding needs for a
thoughtful and comprehensive mass transit system.  It seems like people
(finally!) realize that something "bold" needs to be done, but how can
regular citizens help to light the fire and keep it burning?

I am looking forward to reading what everyone thinks!

Best,
Liz
On Mon, Jul 7, 2008 at 5:06 PM, Laura Koprowski <<email obscured>>
wrote:

> Since all of the discussion and attention on streetcars in the spring, it
> seems like summer has brought in a season of exploring and openness to
> thinking about creating a regional transportation system for central Ohio -
> something broader and yet inclusive of streetcars. We could be looking at
> more transit, more bike trails, passenger rail, etc.
>
> I'm curious how this concept resonates with the group and also encourage
> everyone to listen to Open Line on WOSU 820am tomorrow, July 8 at 10am.  The
> topic to be discussed is the present and past of mass transit in Central
> Ohio, with Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) Executive Director
> Chester Jourdan, Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) President and CEO and
> Ohio Public Transportation Association (OPTA) President William Lhota, and
> Columbus City Council Member Maryellen O'Shaughnessy".
>
> Open Line is a live, public affairs talk show, with listener phone calls,
> on WOSU public radio.  Open Line is streamed live, podcast and archived at
> www.wosu.org/radio/radio-open-line.
>
> The format of Open Line is a conversation between the host and his guests
> for the first 20 minutes to lay groundwork for the discussion.  Then the
> show opens the lines to callers. You can also email questions to
> <email obscured>.
>
> Please share this email with others. It would be great to get some good,
> thoughtful and helpful questions to the show.
>
> And also some good, thoughtful, helpful comments here at CORIF.
>
>
> Laura Koprowski
> Grandview Heights
> Info about Laura Koprowski:
> http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/rWdCPb5lpdpAR7zEZTxns
>
> This topic's messages may be viewed at:
> http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/yZQHtQlukzOYj5U5568HK
> -----------------------------------------
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>  To leave or for daily digest, type "unsubscribe" or "digest on,"
>  in subject line and send to: <email obscured>
>
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>  http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/corif
>
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http://OnlineGroups.Net<http://onlinegroups.net/>
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Attracting New Businesses to Central Ohio From: Beryl Anderson Date: Jul 08 13:25 UTC Short link

Also keep the baby boomers and talented wisdom of the seniors engaged in the
new businesses. Many baby boomers have been forced to "retire early" because of
the economy; however, some are still interested in working and using their
talents.

________________________________

From: Joshua Wiener [mailto:<email obscured>]
Sent: Thu 7/3/2008 2:00 AM
To: Central Ohio Regional Issues Forum
Subject: Re: [CORIF] Attracting New Businesses to Central Ohio

Very interesting ideas from everyone about what it will take to attract new
businesses to Central Ohio and keep our local communities economically
competitive.  Andrew mentioned the potential for wind energy to play a role in
this effort, which I think is a great idea, although I do have a few questions
about it.  From a technical/economic perspective, what areas of Central Ohio
consistently receive enough wind to make the investment in new infrastructure
worthwhile?

Similarly, I've been reading a bit recently about distributed wind energy -
essentially this refers to private citizens putting up wind turbines on their
property in order to produce energy for their personal consumption as well as
to sell back to the power grid.  Is anyone aware of any private wind mills in
the region?  If so I'm curious to hear more about small wind generation in Ohio
and if there is potential for this technology to become more important in the
future.

Thanks for sharing all of your ideas.  Please keep them coming!

Best,
Josh Wiener

Joshua Wiener
Columbus
Info about Joshua Wiener: http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/7RLT8BjR8IDYMobo479RI

This topic's messages may be viewed at:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/1xKh8rDCrMrNggRBMRjmZr
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Creating a Regional Transportation System From: Laura Koprowski Date: Jul 07 21:03 UTC Short link

Since all of the discussion and attention on streetcars in the spring, it seems
like summer has brought in a season of exploring and openness to thinking about
creating a regional transportation system for central Ohio - something broader
and yet inclusive of streetcars. We could be looking at more transit, more bike
trails, passenger rail, etc.

I'm curious how this concept resonates with the group and also encourage
everyone to listen to Open Line on WOSU 820am tomorrow, July 8 at 10am.  The
topic to be discussed is the present and past of mass transit in Central Ohio,
with Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) Executive Director Chester
Jourdan, Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) President and CEO and Ohio
Public Transportation Association (OPTA) President William Lhota, and Columbus
City Council Member Maryellen O’Shaughnessy”.

Open Line is a live, public affairs talk show, with listener phone calls, on
WOSU public radio.  Open Line is streamed live, podcast and archived at
www.wosu.org/radio/radio-open-line.

The format of Open Line is a conversation between the host and his guests for
the first 20 minutes to lay groundwork for the discussion.  Then the show opens
the lines to callers. You can also email questions to <email obscured>.

Please share this email with others. It would be great to get some good,
thoughtful and helpful questions to the show.

And also some good, thoughtful, helpful comments here at CORIF.

Attracting New Businesses to Central Ohio From: Josh Vittie Date: Jul 04 11:30 UTC Short link

As far as a non-residential success story of wind energy: last I heard, the
windmill project at Glacier Ridge Metro Park was successful and capable of
providing energy enough to satisfy the park's entire energy needs as well as
store power in batteries for days that are not windy enough to spin the
turbine.  I just recall this from a hike at the park a couple years back, I'm
not sure what recent developments have taken place in the Metro Park system to
expand on this program.

Attracting New Businesses to Central Ohio From: Cheryl Date: Jul 03 13:43 UTC Short link

I am glad to see that you included maintaining river areas in your suggestions.
Maintaining central Ohio's rivers in a clean, and green fashion is very
important to our good image. Unfortunately not enough people are willing to
speak out on this issue to decision makers and state agencies. Take the recent
re-write of the Olentangy storm water permit. The OEPA suggested wide setbacks
at the rivers edge to protect the rivers scenic status. They also suggested
setbacks on the Olentangy's small tributaries where most of the  non-urban
pollutants enter the waterway and they got BLASTED. Few concerned citizens
turned out at  the public meetings in favor of the suggestions. This led to a
redraft and greatly reduced setback suggestions. At the public meeting on the
redraft, again, few concerned citizens were present. However, commercial and
residential developers were in attendance in large numbers and were very vocal
in their opposition. I wonder what the final recommendations will reflect? How
seriously do Central Ohioans take having access to clean water for drinking and
recreation? People need to make the connection between health, environment,
connecting with your state and local officials, and the financing required to
maintain these conditions.

Attracting New Businesses to Central Ohio From: Andrew Miller Date: Jul 03 11:56 UTC Short link

I'm not familiar with anyone who is doing this right now (I know people are I
just don't know them personally) however my CSA farmer and I talked about it
for a while a month or so ago. He's done a feasability study and plans on
adding some turbines in the next couple of years - depending on financing. He's
in Mt. Gilead and says that he's measured average air speed on his farm and
determined that in that area they have a more than sufficient amount of wind to
make it economically viable. Thehardest part is coming up with the initial
buy-in financing cause turbines aren'tcheap (yet).
Andrew Miller
http://andrew-miller.com
http://elephantsonbicycles.com

Energy Efficiency Rebate Article From: CORIF Managers Forum Manager Date: Jul 03 06:02 UTC Short link

In case you did not see this in the Dispatch on Wednesday -

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/07/02/natgashelp.html?sid=101

Attracting New Businesses to Central Ohio From: Joshua Wiener Date: Jul 03 05:59 UTC Short link

Very interesting ideas from everyone about what it will take to attract new
businesses to Central Ohio and keep our local communities economically
competitive.  Andrew mentioned the potential for wind energy to play a role in
this effort, which I think is a great idea, although I do have a few questions
about it.  From a technical/economic perspective, what areas of Central Ohio
consistently receive enough wind to make the investment in new infrastructure
worthwhile?

Similarly, I've been reading a bit recently about distributed wind energy -
essentially this refers to private citizens putting up wind turbines on their
property in order to produce energy for their personal consumption as well as
to sell back to the power grid.  Is anyone aware of any private wind mills in
the region?  If so I'm curious to hear more about small wind generation in Ohio
and if there is potential for this technology to become more important in the
future.

Thanks for sharing all of your ideas.  Please keep them coming!

Best,
Josh Wiener

Attracting New Businesses to Central Ohio From: Nick Bates Date: Jul 02 12:47 UTC Short link

I agree, also in Central Ohio the plan (and incentives) need to be given to
businesses that 'fill in' the city.  Columbus has three times the geographic
area of Cleveland, but about the same in population.  New homes (and
remodeling of old homes) should be done along current bus lines, water
lines, electrical lines etc.  If developers and people setting up new
businesses don't have to worry about waiting on utility companies and get an
incentive to develop within the city it will help on a lot of issues.  I
think that filling in the empty spaces will help with plans of public
transportation (including light rail) and also help local communities to
have access to jobs.  Development in Powell does not help low-income people
living in the communities circling downtown.




> One of the first things we need to do is to promote the image of Ohio as
being
> a business friendly state with more economic advantages than others.  This is
> based on one simple fact - businesses do not do anything without a
> cost-benefit analysis of how decisions impact their bottom line.  If the cost
> of doing business is higher in Ohio than another location, they will go
there.
> However, if they believe that Ohio can offer them something they need - Ohio
> suddenly becomes more attractive.  I know its a college student 'party-line'
> of sorts, but - in the region we have some amazing universities producing a
> number of innovative, progressive, intelligent young professionals.  Bringing
> in businesses and the economic opportunities that come with them may serve to
> keep some of those new workers (the former students) in the region.
>
> It is important to dispel some of the recent negative publicity that has come
> up and serves to hurt the image of our state and region.
> For example see:
>
http://www.nbc4i.com/midwest/cmh/news.apx.-content-articles-CMH-2008-06-30-001
> 3.html
> and the WSJ article in full:
> http://wsj.com/public/article_print/SB121460691372812085.html
>
> Yes, we may be losing some of those bright young minds that are receiving
> degrees at our fine Universities - but I think that if we are able to bring
in
> companies that can offer good wages and opportunities for security and
> advancement those new graduates will stay.  Another measure that may help is
> to foster a sense of belonging, involvement, and community - that can help
> recent graduates to have a mindset of wanting to stay, as opposed to growing
> up and looking for the door because they lack a real connection to the
region.
>
> Regards,
> josh
>
>
> Josh  Vittie
> Columbus
> Info about Josh  Vittie:
> http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/5D4dabjS10woCDuHO4EAIv
>
> This topic's messages may be viewed at:
> http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/igmWc3oHjmgw2qykFSRsg
> -----------------------------------------
>   To post, send your message to: <email obscured>
>   To leave or for daily digest, type "unsubscribe" or "digest on,"
>   in subject line and send to: <email obscured>
>
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>
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Attracting New Businesses to Central Ohio From: Andrew Miller Date: Jul 02 12:32 UTC Short link

I agree withretaining the talent we're growing here through the universities
and I think it is important to attract business here.I believe there are
several different angles to this that all need to be pursued in order to
beeffective. The tact I'd like to focus on is makingColumbus a sustainable
communitythroughmaximizing the return on resource usage.
We are a city surrounded by agriculture but we don't take advantage of that in
the city. Why aren't we getting near city farmers to grow greater amounts of
food for Columbus?
If a farmer feels that is not the direction they want to head then perhaps we
could work with them to start wind farming. Due to the amount offlatland
available within 50 miles of the center city we could conceptuallysignificantly
cut power distribution costs by buildingwind/solar farms which would deliver
energy directly to Columbus. This should cut the buy-in cost of these "new"
technologies and makeColumbus a standout both for its committment to green
energy and its innovative solution for local energy production.
Having a beautiful water retreat in the heart of the city by protection of the
Scioto and Olentangy Rivers by maintaining a strong green (forestation) band on
both sides of the river, removing the low overhead dams, and working to
eliminateupstream agricultural run-off (promoting sustainable farming) and
elimination of sewage run-off is a big draw. Columbus doesn't have mountains or
oceans and we've been over that time and again. It is very close to the
foothills of the appalachians which is a sellingpoint but ourrivers and
reseviors could really be standout features if we didn't treat them like
crap(pers).
Columbus is still small enough thatbusiness visitors aren't stuck in some
sterile environment when they come to town. Our convention center is in the
heart of a neighborhood and we should push that fact as well as keep that
difference in mind when investing in other types of business
infrastructure.Business visitors to ourcity have an opportunity to really
experience our city and what it has tooffer upclose and we need tocontinue to
makesure that experience is a positive one.
Finally we need to deal with transportation.We have two strong airports (plus
Don Scott), great railopportunities and for better or worse we're a meeting
point for several major interstates. How can we move people and product in and
out ofColumbus in such a way that wemake sense as a major hub?On a very local
level if you can provide an environment where employees don't have to pay for a
car then that is effectively a huge pay increase for those people. The ability
to deliver individuals from the airports and other major population areas to
our downtown will certainly make our center city much more attractive to
business.
Anyhow, these are justa few ideas. Keep them coming!
Andrew Miller
http://andrew-miller.com
http://elephantsonbicycles.com

----- Original Message ----
From: Josh Vittie <<email obscured>>
To: Central Ohio Regional Issues Forum <<email obscured>>
Sent: Wednesday, July 2, 2008 5:45:02 AM
Subject: Re: [CORIF] Attracting New Businesses to Central Ohio

One of the first things we need to do is to promote the image of Ohio as being
a business friendly state with more economic advantages than others. This is
based on one simple fact - businesses do not do anything without a cost-benefit
analysis of how decisions impact their bottom line. If the cost of doing
business is higher in Ohio than another location, they will go there. However,
if they believe that Ohio can offer them something they need - Ohio suddenly
becomes more attractive. I know its a college student 'party-line' of sorts,
but - in the region we have some amazing universities producing a number of
innovative, progressive, intelligent young professionals. Bringing in
businesses and the economic opportunities that come with them may serve to keep
some of those new workers (the former students) in the region.

It is important to dispel some of the recent negative publicity that has come
up and serves to hurt the image of our state and region.
For example see:
http://www.nbc4i.com/midwest/cmh/news.apx.-content-articles-CMH-2008-06-30-0013.html
and the WSJ article in full:
http://wsj.com/public/article_print/SB121460691372812085.html

Yes, we may be losing some of those bright young minds that are receiving
degrees at our fine Universities - but I think that if we are able to bring in
companies that can offer good wages and opportunities for security and
advancement those new graduates will stay. Another measure that may help is to
foster a sense of belonging, involvement, and community - that can help recent
graduates to have a mindset of wanting to stay, as opposed to growing up and
looking for the door because they lack a real connection to the region.

Regards,
josh

Josh Vittie
Columbus
Info about Josh Vittie: http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/5D4dabjS10woCDuHO4EAIv

This topic's messages may be viewed at:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/igmWc3oHjmgw2qykFSRsg
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