In Ohio #publictransit is terrible. Why?

The Columbus Dispatch: "Is it really any surprise that none of us can stand to take the COTA bus to work rather than driving, even a few days a week? For one thing, people don’t have the time. There probably isn’t a bus stop nearly as close to your house as your driveway is, or nearly as close to where you work as the company parking lot is. So, you have to factor in the time and energy to walk. This becomes even more influential in bad weather."

More Transportation Choices for Ohio: Are Politicians Listening?

plunderbund : "While public transportation investment remains stagnant, we’re seeing massive increases in highway expansion spending that are unnecessary to the point of being wasteful."

Advantages of #carfree cities

cleveland.com: "-- A 5 to 10 percent reduction in traffic speeds translates into an 18 to 20 percent increase in property values.

-- Homes in walkable areas command 12 percent more than homes in areas that aren't very walkable, and commercial properties have values 5 to 8 percent higher.

-- Pedestrian-friendly, transit-served, mixed-use communities generate 10 times more tax revenue per acre than suburban development. 

The Gund Foundation's Jaquay said the notion of retaining and attracting Millennials to Cleveland -- people 18 to 33 or so -- is not lost on local civic leaders.

Collier said a "culture shift" to change the funding model, attitudes and perceptions has to happen at the federal and state level, where most transportation funding dollars are doled out. "We should be able to spend more money on public transit," he said."

One million people in Ohio live in a home with no car

cleveland.com: "Ohio supports a network of 28 urban and 33 rural transit systems. In 2012, Ohioans took 115 million trips using ODOT-funded public transit systems. Nine percent of Ohio households, or about 1 million Ohio residents, are without a car.

ODOT said public transit demand is increasing -- with a definite rise in the need for convenient, affordable public transportation to jobs, medical appointments, shopping and recreational activities -- even as transit agencies struggle to fund existing services."

People want efficient, reliable #publictransit

Cities of tomorrow will need strong public transportation systems to foster growth - Cleveland Business News - Northeast Ohio and Cleveland - Crain's Cleveland Business: "The most important factor for riders in choosing transit is travel time and reliability, not fancier amenities such as wi-fi, CityLab.com notes."

GOP rejects Columbus for convention site -- not enough #publictransit

Officials blame lack of public transit for failed GOP convention bid | TheHill: "Columbus City Council President Andy Ginther attributed the snub from the GOP to the city’s lack of public transportation alternatives, according to the report. 

“One of the missing pieces (in bidding for a large convention) was the ability to get around our city easily,” the paper reported Ginther said."

You don't have to ride #publictransit to benefit from #publictransit

Opinion: Bus riders deserve a tax break: "Even those who have no choice but to drive to work each day are better off because of public transportation. After all, increased reliance on subways, trolley cars, ferries, and the like results in less congested roads and fewer traffic accidents."