http://allaboardohio.org/2011/04/12/trac-deepens-ohios-anti-urban-policies-with-anti-streetcar-vote/
TRAC deepens Ohio's anti-urban policies with anti-streetcar vote
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — April 12, 2011
Contacts:
Jack Shaner, Ohio Environmental Council, Jack@theOEC.org (614) 446-1693
Ken Prendergast, All Aboard Ohio, kenprendergast@allaboardohio.org (216) 288-4883
Construction of the Cincinnati streetcar will likely continue, albeit scaled back, despite a vote today by the Ohio Department of Transportation's Transportation Review Advisory Council to deny the project $51.8 million in state-appropriated federal funds. The TRAC reversed from a 8-0 recommendation in December to support the project, which last year cited it as the highest-scoring transportation project in the state. The TRAC scores projects based on cost-effectiveness, economic development and environmental impacts.
TRAC was created in 1997 by the Ohio General Assembly at the urging of ODOT Director Jerry Wray, under then-Gov. George Voinovich, to reform a highly politicized transportation selection process into one based on cold, hard costs and benefits. All Aboard Ohio and the Ohio Environmental Council condemned today's TRAC vote as the antithesis to its legal purpose, and as anti-urban in its project selection.
"We recognize that the prior TRAC recommendations overcommitted the state to more transportation projects than it could afford," said Ken Prendergast, executive director of All Aboard Ohio. "But I fail to understand why, other than a political agenda dominated by oil, highway and exurban interests, the highest-ranking project in the state was completely eliminated, absorbing half of the $98 million in funding cuts approved by today's TRAC vote. It's clear this administration wants to keep Ohioans chained to the almighty gas pump."
"This reversal of fortune does nothing to help Ohio's downtowns," said Jack Shaner, deputy director of the Ohio Environmental Council. "It will only cart jobs and economic development to the exurbs and beyond. Steel rails, by contrast, are magnets that help keep downtown urban cores vibrant by attracting investment while reducing tailpipe emissions and raising the quality of life."
All Aboard Ohio and the Ohio Environmental Council thanked Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory and the many citizens who showed up at the TRAC hearing today to speak out in support of the streetcar project. That includes a representative of Christ Hospital in Cincinnati who said that if the streetcar is built, the hospital will undertake a planned $350 million expansion – more than double the cost of the entire streetcar project. Dustin Clark, director of commuter services for the University of Cincinnati's Undergraduate Student Government, said their poll showed 85 percent of students want rail transit in Cincinnati. David Dawson, executive sales vice president at Sibcy Cline Realtors, said the streetcar will boost real estate values and asked "if the TRAC's scoring system doesn't matter, then why is there a scoring system?"
"ODOT claims the streetcar wasn't sustainable, but that's not what HDR Consultants' report found," Shaner added. "The streetcar showed a return on investment of 2.7-to-1, with thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in economic development projected."
Prendergast said ODOT is going out of its way to derail every possible advance in passenger rail service in favor of rubber-tired vehicles that burn more petroleum and use our crumbling asphalt roads. Meanwhile, states like Illinois, New Mexico, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma and others are expanding rail service. This makes it harder for Ohio to compete for young professionals who are driving less and looking for alternative transportation options as well as aging baby boomers who are growing weary of driving, he said.
"Today's vote proclaims Ohio as a Right to Drive state," Shaner said. "That may make a nice rear-window view, but it is not forward looking. Meanwhile, Ohio's competitors are looking ahead and diversifying their transportation options with investments in rail, transit, biking and walking. Ohio needs to expand its transportation playbook beyond just asphalt. It needs to include rail and other proven modes. Otherwise, we can look forward to more potholes and delays in Ohio's growth and progress."
END
TRAC deepens Ohio's anti-urban policies with anti-streetcar vote
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — April 12, 2011
Contacts:
Jack Shaner, Ohio Environmental Council, Jack@theOEC.org (614) 446-1693
Ken Prendergast, All Aboard Ohio, kenprendergast@allaboardohio.org (216) 288-4883
Construction of the Cincinnati streetcar will likely continue, albeit scaled back, despite a vote today by the Ohio Department of Transportation's Transportation Review Advisory Council to deny the project $51.8 million in state-appropriated federal funds. The TRAC reversed from a 8-0 recommendation in December to support the project, which last year cited it as the highest-scoring transportation project in the state. The TRAC scores projects based on cost-effectiveness, economic development and environmental impacts.
TRAC was created in 1997 by the Ohio General Assembly at the urging of ODOT Director Jerry Wray, under then-Gov. George Voinovich, to reform a highly politicized transportation selection process into one based on cold, hard costs and benefits. All Aboard Ohio and the Ohio Environmental Council condemned today's TRAC vote as the antithesis to its legal purpose, and as anti-urban in its project selection.
"We recognize that the prior TRAC recommendations overcommitted the state to more transportation projects than it could afford," said Ken Prendergast, executive director of All Aboard Ohio. "But I fail to understand why, other than a political agenda dominated by oil, highway and exurban interests, the highest-ranking project in the state was completely eliminated, absorbing half of the $98 million in funding cuts approved by today's TRAC vote. It's clear this administration wants to keep Ohioans chained to the almighty gas pump."
"This reversal of fortune does nothing to help Ohio's downtowns," said Jack Shaner, deputy director of the Ohio Environmental Council. "It will only cart jobs and economic development to the exurbs and beyond. Steel rails, by contrast, are magnets that help keep downtown urban cores vibrant by attracting investment while reducing tailpipe emissions and raising the quality of life."
All Aboard Ohio and the Ohio Environmental Council thanked Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory and the many citizens who showed up at the TRAC hearing today to speak out in support of the streetcar project. That includes a representative of Christ Hospital in Cincinnati who said that if the streetcar is built, the hospital will undertake a planned $350 million expansion – more than double the cost of the entire streetcar project. Dustin Clark, director of commuter services for the University of Cincinnati's Undergraduate Student Government, said their poll showed 85 percent of students want rail transit in Cincinnati. David Dawson, executive sales vice president at Sibcy Cline Realtors, said the streetcar will boost real estate values and asked "if the TRAC's scoring system doesn't matter, then why is there a scoring system?"
"ODOT claims the streetcar wasn't sustainable, but that's not what HDR Consultants' report found," Shaner added. "The streetcar showed a return on investment of 2.7-to-1, with thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in economic development projected."
Prendergast said ODOT is going out of its way to derail every possible advance in passenger rail service in favor of rubber-tired vehicles that burn more petroleum and use our crumbling asphalt roads. Meanwhile, states like Illinois, New Mexico, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma and others are expanding rail service. This makes it harder for Ohio to compete for young professionals who are driving less and looking for alternative transportation options as well as aging baby boomers who are growing weary of driving, he said.
"Today's vote proclaims Ohio as a Right to Drive state," Shaner said. "That may make a nice rear-window view, but it is not forward looking. Meanwhile, Ohio's competitors are looking ahead and diversifying their transportation options with investments in rail, transit, biking and walking. Ohio needs to expand its transportation playbook beyond just asphalt. It needs to include rail and other proven modes. Otherwise, we can look forward to more potholes and delays in Ohio's growth and progress."
END
Ken Prendergast
Executive Director
All Aboard Ohio
12029 Clifton Blvd., Suite 505
Cleveland, OH 44107
(216) 288-4883
kenprendergast@allaboardohio.org
www.allaboardohio.org
Executive Director
All Aboard Ohio
12029 Clifton Blvd., Suite 505
Cleveland, OH 44107
(216) 288-4883
kenprendergast@allaboardohio.org
www.allaboardohio.org
