As we continue to press for additional public transportation options in Ohio, Transportation for America released the following report detailing the rising demand for transit access across the country. The report also highlights the prevalence of recent transit cuts while stressing the need to ensure ongoing operating support for transit systems. This is a must read for those concerned about the future of public transit. Stranded at the Station: The Impact of the Financial Crisis in Public Transportation
The Competition for Federal Rail Funding
On Monday states submitted their application to receive federal funding for rail, beginning the new federal stimulus program created to increase high-speed rail in the United States. States were ready with a slew of funding requests. California alone submitted 42 applications, totaling $1.1 Billion. North Carolina asked for $76 million and Virginia asked for $75 million. The Federal Railroad Administration grants will be awarded in late September or early October. One factor that could influence the Federal Railroad Administration's decisions is how much money the states themselves are willing to contribute. While there is a lot of enthusiasm for rail, it will take America a long time to catch up with Japanese and European counterparts with trains that travel up to 200 mph. Many of the FRA grants may go to rail projects with trains traveling at 79mph. FRA Administrator Joseph Szabo explains that this is just the beginning of a lengthy undertaking, similar to the decades-long process of building up the U.S. Interstates Highway system. The administration ‘intends to transform the way Americans travel.’
For more details, read the full WSJ article. If you want to share your opinion about rail in Ohio, take the Ohio 3C Survey.
3-C Passenger Rail Survey
Over the past year, there has been a lot of discussion throughout the state about the proposed 3-C Corridor project. For those who are unfamiliar with the project, the 3-C Corridor is a plan to reintroduce passenger rail connecting Ohio’s three largest urban areas: Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati. Additionally, to serve a greater number of Ohioans, the plan includes a stop in Dayton. Currently, the Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) and others are working to finalize the 3-C Corridor’s application for passenger rail stimulus funds. In order to gather supplemental information for the 3-C application, ORDC has posted a survey on their website. Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey and voice your opinion about passenger rail in Ohio.
Local Government Reform Commission Toledo Hearing on Friday
The Ohio Commission on Local Government Reform and Collaboration will hold a public hearing on Friday, August 28, 2009 at 10:30 a.m. at the Toledo-Lucas County Main Library’s Huntington Meeting Room located at 325 North Michigan Street in Toledo, Ohio, 43604. Free parking is available by using the Library garage, located on Adams Street. All attendees will receive a parking voucher at the conclusion of the meeting. This is the second of five hearings that will be held throughout Ohio seeking public input. Testimony and input is being requested in three main areas:
1.) Recommendations that will encourage and incentivize local governments to collaborate;
2.) Identification of local and state tax structure changes which would encourage collaboration or improve service effectiveness; and
3.) Identification of current/alternative service delivery models.
If you are in the Northwest Ohio region and are concerned with the issue of local government efficiency we strongly encourage you to attend to ensure that your voice is heard. If you cannot attend this meeting, you might also consider preparing written testimony.
Greater Ohio and its partner the Brooking Institution have identified governance reform as an important issue to be considered as we work to restore prosperity to Ohio. Governance reform falls within our larger agenda that is charged with increasing Ohio’s economic competitiveness and quality of life by focusing on the four drivers of prosperity in the 21st century economy: innovation; human capital; infrastructure; and quality of place. Again, we ask you to voice your opinion if you feel, as we at Greater Ohio do, that regional collaboration and efficient governance structures are critical to building a more competitive and prosperous Ohio.
The Local Government Reform Commission is legislatively created and consists of 15 members ranging from local officials to business people. It is charged with researching and writing a report that recommends reform and collaboration measures in order to improve local government operations and service delivery to create cost savings for taxpayers
For more information about the Commission visit its website at www.ohioreformandcollaboration.org.
Cleveland’s East 4th Street
By Katherine Buckingham. Last week when I was in Cleveland, I had the pleasure of visiting East 4th Street for the first time. For those of you who haven’t already heard of it, it’s approximately one block in between Euclid Ave and Prospect Ave in downtown Cleveland. This is a neighborhood that has it all. There are amazing restaurants, housing, and entertainment destinations. It’s a vibrant area with plants and flowers growing and strings of lights that cross the street. The street itself has been blocked off so it is a pedestrian thoroughfare.
What’s so great about this neighborhood is that there are so many unique destination spots that bring people into the downtown. I had a delicious lunch at the Greenhouse Tavern, which is the first certified green restaurant in Ohio. I wish I had more time to spend there and check out all the other restaurants and entertainment venues. If you’re in the Cleveland area, you should check it out! Here is their website: http://www.east4thstreet.com/home.php
More on Land Banks
Countywide land bank reform was passed last year in the form of Senate Bill 353, which allowed Cuyahoga County the authority to establish a County Land Reutilization Corporation (CLRC) along with specific financing tools to make the entire structure financially feasible. Thomas J. Fitzpatrick IV, as part of the Federal Reserve’s Policy Discussion Papers series, wrote Understanding Ohio’s Land Bank Legislation, which is an excellent primer on where Ohio was before the passage of SB 353 and what the bill did to help address the growing problem of vacant properties. As of now, the authority is only granted to Cuyahoga County; however, after talking to people throughout the state we see a need to expand this authority and allow other counties the option of forming a CLRC. As we prepare to make the case for expanding this authority, Greater Ohio recognizes that additional changes are needed to make the program more effective for a greater number of counties. Some of the additional changes we are exploring include:
- Permitting two or more counties to form a single CLRC;
- Allowing, on a permissive basis, changes to the existing CLRC Board makeup to better meet community needs; and
- Addressing land use planning to ensure that this powerful tool remains with the municipality where the subject land is located.
We are still gathering suggestions and would like to know what it would take to make county land bank successful in your community. Please send us your suggestions.
Cars that Charge
Recently, electric cars have been getting a wealth of media coverage. This is most likely due to the announcement that a new electric car will hold a government rating of 230 miles per gallon. To put this kind of mileage into perspective, it would be 180 more mpg than any car currently on the road. However, it should be noted that to achieve this type of mileage the car would have to be electrically recharged and that new standards of measurements were created to come up with the aforementioned rating. Given the current media hype, what are your thoughts on electric cars? Do they constitute a significant improvement from gas or hybrid powered vehicles? Will parking meters also double as filling stations? How might they influence a city’s infrastructure and built environment? Please share your thoughts.
GreenLight Zine
The GreenLight Zine is a local resource for D.I.Y. environmentalists, specifically in the northeast Ohio region. GreenLight’s goal is to empower youth to promote environmental sustainability in their communities, with the intent to educate and provide an outlet for young environmental writers. The GreenLight Zine is Cleveland based and it was started in the summer of 2007 by Lora DiFranco and Emma Bishop at Oberlin College. So far they, with the help of their friends, have released five issues, the most recent Spring 2009 issue is the D.I.Y. Guide to Cleveland. Other issues have covered the topics of water use and local foods. They visit local high schools and colleges, and also spread the message through the Cleveland music scene as well. Since Lora and Emma graduated in 2008, they have been putting the zine together in their spare time in the evenings and weekends. Their mission is about environmental sustainability, but also community building as well. This is a terrific resource for northeast Ohio, especially for young people who want to get more involved in these issues. To learn more, check out their website at: http://www.greenlightzine.org/
Ohio's Fiscal Situation
By Gene Krebs How bad is the fiscal situation in Ohio? It depends who you talk to and how well informed they are in this area. In reality, there are only fourteen people (yes, that exact number) who understand how Ohio is put together as a fiscal construct. In talking quietly to several of them or reading the news reports, you get one overwhelming sense; it is bad. If current economic conditions maintain, we are looking at a $ 8 billion deficit for Oho in FY 2012, some reasonable people believe it will be $ 13 billion. If we only fund debt service (about 5%) and keep the prisons open, continue to care for senior citizens in nursing homes, and fund all levels of education (if the state slashes support to local schools they will go on the ballot, potentially raising your property taxes) and eliminate all other aspects of state government (the state parks, the governor, the legislature etc.) we still can’t make the books balance. We are going to have to target our resources in a more strategic manner where Bobby and Betty Buckeye get the most bang for their buck.
Oh, and ODOT is going broke also, and cash for clunkers is making it worse. More on that later…
Update: Ten Living Cities
This past weekend Dayton hosted the Ten Living Cities Symposium. The event was well attended and brought together a diverse group of public leaders, community activists, and artists representing each of the ten cities listed on the “fastest dying” cities. The day began with opening remarks by Josh Zumbrun, who authored the Forbes.com article that inspired the event. Through his remarks, he clarified that the article was an economic analysis and was intended to bring about public awareness to the plight of these cities and not meant to portray these as hopeless places. Following Zumbrun’s remarks, representatives from eight of the ten cities (Scranton, PA and Springfield, MA were not formally represented) gave presentations that highlighted the unique assets of their city and also provided examples of innovative and creative projects and programs taking place in each locale. The presentations communicated the overriding theme of the day: although each city on the list suffers from negative statistical trends, they are still home to many vibrant people and places who are working to improve their city’s quality of life.
The second half of the event called for more dialogue and participation amongst attendees in which ideas, advice and best practices were openly exchanged. The day ended with a recap and reflection of the main take away messages from the event with a collective understanding that there is much more work to be done. Overall, the symposium offered the residents of these cities the chance to meet and exchange ideas and to also showcase positive aspects of their cities, ones that often go unreported by the media.