Cincinnati public transit must expand

cincinnati.com: "The region’s lack of public transportation makes us less competitive on many levels. It hurts people who depend on public transportation to get to work, because they either can’t afford a car or can’t physically drive. It hurts efforts to attract young professionals who look for good transit when deciding where to live. It will hurt us, too, when – not if – gas prices spike and people find they have no alternatives to driving."

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Would free bus rides boost Dayton’s economy? (March 2010)

www.daytondailynews.com: "DAYTON — Mayor Gary Leitzell is looking at the feasibility of providing free bus service to attract businesses and tourists to the Dayton region. 

“I’m looking at it as an economic development driver,” he said. “We can start by having a discussion.” 

Leitzell said the idea for free bus service sprang from a discussion with Steve Johnson, president of Sinclair Community College, focusing on ways to get more people — under 30 years old — to live and spend time downtown."

We don't want to go; there's no good public transit

Crain's Cleveland Business: "The company wanted to move some downtown employees to a suburban office building, but the boss was getting resistance, especially from younger employees.

“They told him, "We don't want to go; there's no good public transit,' ”"

Save $800/month by dropping one car from you household

Take Public Transportation: "According to the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) October Transit Savings Report, individuals who ride public transportation instead of driving can save, on average, more than $832 this month, and $9,986 annually.  These savings are based on the cost of commuting by public transportation compared to the cost of owning and driving a vehicle which includes the October 9, 2013 average national gas price ($3.35 per gallon- reported by AAA), and the national unreserved monthly parking rate.

APTA releases this monthly Transit Savings Report to examine how an individual in a two-person household can save money by taking public transportation and living with one less car."

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What Young Professionals Want

Rust Wire: "In 2011, the Columbus (Ohio) Chamber of Commerce asked young professionals what they want for their city. Here is a word cloud generated from their lists:"

Columbus circulator bus proposed. Free?

COTA 'Circulator' routes are proposed for downtown area | ThisWeek Community News: "According to the plan, which includes 20 stops along the route, the new 30-foot-long buses would stop every 10 to 15 minutes between 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

"We often hear from people who live in the neighborhoods adjacent to downtown and in the central business district that our local service is a little too complicated for those who want to make short hops from one destination to another in downtown Columbus," Stutz said.

Fees have not been established.

"Reduced or free fares are certainly on the table," he said.

At a public meeting Aug. 28, one of four held last week, residents voiced overall support for the plan but asked transit officials to consider expanding the circulator route east and increasing the frequency of stops to every five to eight minutes."

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Bicyclists are dreaming if they think there will ever be co-existence between bike and car

Taunting Craigslist Post About Bicycle Crash Strikes Nerve With Biking Community | WBNS-10TV Columbus, Ohio: "The message, posted on Craigslist, begins, "To the bicyclist who went down hard today, I admit you must be hurting and I laughed all the way to work."
The post titled "A warning to bicyclists in Columbus" goes on to describe the incident in detail and warns other bicyclists to "beware of people like me who won't stop for you.""

There is only one solution. All bicyclists should become free transit advocates. Let's abolish the private auto.

Oil companies spending millions to control government

Take Action: "At the peak of the 2012 elections, Chevron dumped $2.5 million into a super PAC devoted solely to running negative ads against Democrats seeking election to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Chevron's super PAC spending, enabled by the Supreme Court's disastrous Citizens United ruling, will further entrench politicians who deny the existence of climate change and refuse to cut corporate welfare. Such political positions create the conditions for Chevron’s record profits, even as they destroy the conditions for life on Earth."

Time to Rethink Roads: Millennials Lead Change in Transportation Trends

EcoWatch: : "The driving boom is over"

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Koch oil trolls have an important mission - kill #publictransit

Ridership and public support for transit has continued to grow in Cincinnati, despite consistent attacks from the Kasich administration. Photograph by Randy Simes for UrbanCincy.

POLL: Tax Support for Public Transit Grows, While Funding Sources in SW Ohio Remain Limited — UrbanCincy: "While ridership on transit and support for taxes going towards transit increases throughout Ohio and the United States, the State of Ohio continues to invest in almost exclusively roads. In the recommended 2014-2015 Transportation Budget, Governor John Kasich (R) and ODOT Director Jerry Wray call for a mere 1.9% of the $3.1 billion budget to go towards public transportation."

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Oil trolls in Ohio viciously attack homeless children

Ohio budget passed by House would bar young students from taking public transportation to school: Michael K. McIntyre's Tipoff | cleveland.com: "In Cleveland, eliminating public transportation for K-5 students would disproportionately hurt the nearly 4,000 homeless students and those who move around the district, estimated at 30 percent of the student population, said Roseanne Canfora, spokeswoman for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District schools. Kids that age are provided traditional yellow buses, unless they have no permanent address. Those kids rely on public transportation."

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WestCAT officials gear up for first day of bus service - Fairborn Daily Herald | Fairborn, OH | Covering the communities of Fairborn, Enon, Yellow Springs and WPAFB - Fairborn, OH

WestCAT officials gear up for first day of bus service - Fairborn Daily Herald | Fairborn, OH | Covering the communities of Fairborn, Enon, Yellow Springs and WPAFB - Fairborn, OH: "MAD RIVER TOWNSHIP — The wait is over for Mad River Township and Enon residents. WestCAT (Western Communities Area Transportation) officials announced last week that shiny new buses will hit the roads of Western Clark County on Monday, April 15.
“It has been a pleasure to work on this project. I am thrilled that we can now offer inexpensive public transportation to township and village residents every week day,” Mad River Township Trustee Kathy Estep said. “Residents will be able to ride the CAT in a week.”"

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The Coming Crash: Our Addiction to Endless Growth on a Finite Planet

The Coming Crash: Our Addiction to Endless Growth on a Finite Planet: "Richard Heinberg: The economy is all about energy. Almost all of our environmental issues relate to energy in one way or another. Certainly, climate change does. War and peace, it's all about energy. Upping the energy literacy of the American people and thought leaders is a pretty high priority."

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Auto culture disables people and then leaves them stranded

No bus service hinders residents - Toledo Blade: "“If [the levy] doesn’t pass this time I’m moving out of Perrysburg,” Mr. O’Neal said. “I can’t expect volunteers all the time and can’t always rely on them.”

Mr. O’Neal is unable to drive because of a disability from a car accident in high school. Although he is appreciative of the Chambers family, he does not want to always depend on them. In June, the Chamberses will be unavailable to transport him for several weeks."

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SORTA lands $2.5M grant for new buses - Business Courier

SORTA lands $2.5M grant for new buses - Business Courier: "Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority will receive $2.5 million to buy buses that will replace those that have reached the end of their useful service life.
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, announced that a competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation was awarded to SORTA. "

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