NBC 4 Pushes For Details On Light-Rail Proposal
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Mayor Michael Coleman is requesting $334.5 million from President-Elect Barack Obama’s economic stimulus package.
More than half of that federal funding would go towards building a 13-mile light rail system that travels from downtown Columbus to the Delaware County line, NBC 4‘s Mikaela Hunt reported.
Many Central Ohio residents and nbc4i.com readers wrote in support of the project, while others disagreed with the initiative.
NBC 4 took the comments and approached Coleman to talk about the vision, but instead ended up getting answers from the agency that knows the most about the request.
NBC 4 wrote several e-mails, telling City Hall that Central Ohioans wanted to hear from the mayor personally. When we were told he wouldn’t be able to sit down with us, we called his office. But a spokesperson said his scheduled Friday was full taking care of the city’s latest budget deficit numbers and that the Central Ohio Transportation Authority could answer viewer questions.
“Is it difficult to ask for this money in these economic times?“ Hunt asked.
“Is it difficult? No. Not if you put in perspective that what the federal government is trying to stimulate the economy,“ said Bill Lhota, COTA President and CEO.
Lhota said the agency saw a 10 percent passenger increase when gas prices increased.
Environmentally, electric light rail would reduce Central Ohio’s carbon footprint.
In this recession, Lhota said the project would bring jobs and would be just the start of a system that links the 3-C corridor of Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati.
“We have always said we support a regional transportation system. We did not support just going downtown to OSU in a streetcar,“ Lhota said.
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Also Cat, it is not just Mayor Coleman calling for these improvements. If you read this recent report about the State’s 21st transportation priorities prepared for Governor Strickland, a panel of transportation experts calls for the creation of a statewide balanced transportation system. This of course includes construction of both urban light rail and regional high-speed passenger rail systems (see recommendation M), as well as improving rail and maritime freight systems. This will complement our already glorious network of highways and help Ohio compete continue to compete globally for Logistics & Distribution Businesses (Jobs).
http://www.dot.state.oh.us/groups/tft/Documents/21stCenturyTransportationPrioritiesTaskForceReport-Web.pdf
Actually Cat, the plan is that the remainder will come from a transportation reauthorization bill later the same year, setting up a full funding grant agreement to complete the project.
osupleasue, planner and everyone else wearing Coleman’s rose-color glasses - I think it’s amazing you don’t seem to understand the $200M covers only a third, or less, of the total cost of building the project! Where is the rest of the money going to come from? Counting on fares to maintain it once it’s up and running is fine, but that is years down the road. I am talking about the financing of the light rail system, not the maintenane of the light rail system. For the people who keep saying you have to “spend money to make money” there is no money to spend!
I think its amazing the amount of misinformation floating around on this website and other mainstream media sources in this city. Maybe NBC4 should try to report this story and distribute facts about how this will work and the many many benefits of it before they take a negative slant and manipulate public opinion. Most readers here think this a waste of money or the money should be used for something else. Those two points are just not true when you take a minute to understand how this really works… We wont get this money unless we ask for it (who doesnt want $200 million invested back into their community). Rail projects are proven to spur significant development adjacent to their route. This generates lots of both new property and income taxes that typically pay for the initial rail investment many times over. This is why so many other cities have built rail or are in the process of doing so. If you don’t believe me, research Portland, Phoenix, DC, etc. Oh, by the way, we will connect our city better, give people another way to get around, relieve some of the congestion on the highways, and start to provide solutions to our horrible air quality problem. It would be nice if NBC did a story on the many many benefits that other cities are seeing from their rail investments and how we could see similar ones (there is plenty of research out there that is quantifiable and factual, not speculative in anyway like the previous stories here on this website have been.)
‘The Bav’ and others should probably educate yourselves before you go much farther. COTA is NOT a private company - it’s a regional transit authority formed through a partnership of area governments.
City Center, on the other hand, was a private entity. One that Mayor Coleman has had nothing to do with other than taking control of it for the betterment of the city after it had already failed at the hands of its private owners.
Most of the comments on this list are comparing Apples, oranges and screwdrivers.
The facts are that COTA is an agency charged with addressing the long-term transportation needs of the area. It is both physically and financially IMPOSSIBLE to meet our future transportation needs with roads alone. Transportation projects take decades to realize and only get more expensive later. Kudos to the Mayor for having the guts and foresight to try to address our region’s future transportation needs NOW - before our system completely fails and we’re all whining about why ‘they’ (we) don’t deal with transportation before ‘they’ (we) build more development.
You know, with everyone who is unemployed at the moment, including me, we must all get back to basics and start spending on just what is essential. The same should go for the city. Essential services must come first. There will be plenty of time for a light rail system.
“Many Central Ohio residents and nbc4i.com readers wrote in support of the project, while others disagreed with the initiative.“
Come on Denise… why are you trying to make it seem like more people are for this than against it? Go back and look at the comments. I counted around 30 against, 15 for, and around 30 neutral(people arguing back and forth). That’s 2:1 against the light rail.
So what your statement really should say is:
“Many Central Ohio residents and nbc4i.com readers wrote in and don’t support the project, while others agree with the initiative.“
Don’t play us for fools.
Devildog sez: “Build it and they will come” Right, the same thing was said about City Center Mall. I do agree however about addressing the infrastructure. They can start by redoing the sewer lines to eliminate sewer backups into our basements…
Couple things. One, for anyone suggesting this should be used for EMT’s or schools or policeman, perhaps you should learn about the stimulus package first. That’s not what the money’s for. Second, we’re one of only a three cities in the top 20 largest in the U.S. without a rail system. You may want to find out why all those other cities have made the investment, why Cincinnati has, why Kenosha has, and what’s happened as a result in terms of development dollars. Sure, the city needs to educate, but take some time and educate yourselves as well.
I see that COTA, a PRIVATE company, will be put in charge! That’s stupid already! They already have, last I heard, gets just over 80% of its income through TAXES, not riders!
Bill Lhota would NOT be President and CEO. were COTA just a state agency, He’d just be another manager!
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