Post in Streetcar Meeting?

May 02 15:00 UTC

After Councilmember Maryellen O'Shaughnessy introduced the topic at the Council
hearing on streetcars on Monday night, Mayor Coleman, Chief of Staff Mike Reese
and financial consultant John Rosenberger laid out the background and financial
scenario that could pay for the starter system running from Mound to OSU along
High St.. Then the following speakers expressed their commitment to work with
the City in moving forward with the streetcar proposal:  COTA CEO Bill Lhota,
MORPC Executive Director Chester Jourdan, OSU Government Relations Director
Dawn Tyler-Lee, the outgoing and incoming OSU Student Government presidents,
and Suzanne Coleman-Tolbert, Central Ohio Workforce Council.

53 members of the public signed up to speak -- after four hours of testimony,
many people left before they got their turn to speak. Of those who stayed,
about (depends on how you tally the remarks) 21 spoke against the streetcar
proposal, 17 spoke in favor and another three or four expressed their desire
that City Council study the concept thoroughly before moving forward.

Of those who spoke against, several asked that more be done to improve and
expand the current transit system, or that a regional rail system be built
instead of a streetcar system, which is more of a downtown circulator.
Councilwoman O'Shaughnessy is going to call another public hearing to allow
COTA to share the many steps they are taking to accomplish these very goals.
Others were concerned about the expenditure in tight economic times, or
expressed fears that increased parking fees would discourage people from
coming/developing downtown. Supporters encouraged Council to invest in
streetcars as a first step in a broader rail-transit system, or that making an
investment now will pay large dividends later in better mobility, more green
transportation options, a more viable downtown and high economic return. They
pointed to experiences in other cities where that has been the case. Several
supporters acknowledged the streetcar proposal wasn't perfect, that it wouldn't
address every need the City has, but was an important piece of helping Downtown
Columbus and the region realize a broader vision for the future.

Marie

Marie S. Keister, APR, AICP
ENGAGE
7759 Crawley Dr.
Dublin, OH 43017
(614) 565-2819

www.engagepublicaffairs.com