Transportation

Cincinnati Cyclers Have a Plan

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May 18, 2010

Cincinnati celebrates May's 'Bike Month' with style - and substance. A comprehensive bike plan, new bike lanes, 'sharrows', designated bike 'parking' spaces and even a bike corral in Northside are just a handful of the successes local bike advocates and city officials have achieved in the past year. Soapbox's Jeremy Mosher says that their efforts are not only making Cincinnati more bike friendly, but changing the way we'll all get around in the future - hint: two wheels are better than four.

Latest in Transportation

BAE Systems in Butler County awarded $10 million federal contract to armor vehicles

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Innovation News

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May 18, 2010

BAE Systems in Butler County has just been awarded a $10 million federal government contract to armor vehicles for commercial use.Under the contract, BAE will armor commercial SUV's and pick-ups. The custom vehicles will be tailored to specific customer needs and include mission specific-features. The vehicles won't look like traditional military-style transportation, and are intended to look like everyday commercial vehicles, according to the company."With the current growth in areas of conflict, we are seeing global demand for commercial armored vehicles continuing to keep pace," said Don Dutton, Vice President with BAE Systems' Security & Survivability business. "Because they're designed to blend in with local, indigenous cultures, and they send out a decidedly different 'message' than military-style vehicles, we're seeing more and more commercial armored vehicles being used, both here in the U.S. and abroad," added Dutton. Locally, BAE employs approximately 1,600 and is one of Butler County's largest employers. The commercial armored vehicles will be manufactured in West Chester starting in late 2010, with the first set of deliveries scheduled in 2011.BAE is an advanced manufacturing, product and service company based in the United Kingdom, with 107,000 employees worldwide. The company's Butler County plant is part of the global aerospace, defense and security company's Land and Armament business unit. The company's client base includes the air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services.Writer: Feoshia HendersonSource: Jennifer Robinson, BAE SystemsYou can follow Feoshia on twitter @feoshiasoapbox

Bold design sought for Brent Spence Bridge replacement

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Architecture + Design

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May 11, 2010

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Cincinnati City Council approves $64M in bonds to fund modern streetcar system

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Development News

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May 11, 2010

Cincinnati City Council's Budget & Finance Committee voted 6-2 to approve $64 million in bonds for the city's proposed streetcar system. The move is the first bold commitment from City Hall in terms of financing for the project to date, and is seen as a strong signal to the Federal government that there is local support for the project. "This project can help us grow our tax base without growing our tax rate," described Brad Thomas, founder of CincyStreetcar.com. "The approval of these bonds will send a clear message to Washington D.C. that Cincinnati is serious about this project, and will strongly position Cincinnati for the next two rounds of Federal funds." Specifically, the vote approved three separate bonds that were made up of $11 million from the Blue Ash Airport sale proceeds, $28 million from General Capital sources and $25 million from Tax Increment Financing (TIF) sources. The General Capital and TIF bonds were strengthened with proceeds from the sale of the Blue Ash Airport. Beyond the technical proceedings, several young people spoke about the future benefits the project will have on the city and its citizen's quality of life. "I'm really excited about what I'm seeing in this city, and I'm very excited about the prospect of urban living and more transportation options," said Xavier University student Adam Clark. "It's very important that we provide these options, and I'm looking forward to riding the streetcar soon." During Council's deliberations, Council member Jeff Berding asked Cincinnati Budget Director if the Blue Ash Airport sale proceeds could legally be used for cover the City's pension fund or close the City's Operation Budget deficit. The City's Budget Director proceeded to give a direct and clear message of, no, those funds can legally not be used for those purposes. The meeting heard 10 public comments that ranged local entrepreneurs, students and residents in support of the Cincinnati Streetcar project. Tim Mara, lawyer representing Citizens Opposed to Additional Spending & Taxes (COAST) member Mark Miller, was the one public comment in opposition to the project and threatened a lawsuit against Council member Bortz should he vote on the issue. On April 19, 2010, City Council voted to approve $2.6 million in bonds for the project and had 29 public comments made in favor of the Cincinnati Streetcar project with just three in opposition. The meeting was once again defined by the participation of young people in the political process with several of the public comments coming from young professionals and students alike. "This has been one of the single issues that has involved a diverse group of people, and has involved more young people in the decision making process in the future of Cincinnati," Council member Laketa Cole stated. People always ask me where the young people are, and I can say that young people have been up in the front on this issue from day one making their voices heard. That is something I'm excited about." Writer: Randy A. Simes Stay connected by following Randy on Twitter @UrbanCincy

University of Cincinnati starts new bike share program just in time for Bike Month

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Development News

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May 4, 2010

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All Aboard Ohio Cincinnati gets on track to promote 3C Rail

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Innovation News

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April 13, 2010

In recent years the Cincinnati Chapter of All Aboard Ohio has fallen by the wayside. The organization - comprised mostly of rail enthusiasts - had lost its steam."The Cincinnati end (of the statewide organization) had kind of fallen off," said longtime member and Cincinnati/Tri-State Regional Coordinator Beau Tuke.But it's amazing what $400 million in stimulus funding can do. Ohio was awarded those funds for a proposed rail project that has the potential to transform passenger rail across Ohio and the Midwest. All Aboard Ohio is mobilizing across the state, including in Cincinnati to raise awareness and garner support for state adoption of the 250-mile 3C corridor that would connect Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati through daily train service for the first time in 40 years.Ohio's $400 million grant was one of the largest awarded in the country under the Federal Railroad Administration stimulus program. This rail project is far from a done deal, with a contentious debate going on in Columbus and in communities across the state as to the benefits of a rail system. All Aboard Ohio is among organizations working to garner local, community and business support for passenger rail."We're really working to raise awareness and support," Tuke, of Mt. Adams, said. "This isn't just about being able to ride from Columbus to Cincinnati, but being connected to Chicago, Indianapolis and other places by rail."The Cincinnati Chapter of All Aboard Ohio currently meets the second Tuesday of each month in Tower A at Cincinnati Union Terminal at 6:30 p.m. Tuke is working to expand the group's membership by adding more community and business-minded voices that want to help make the case for the 3C. The group is also working to get support from the Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana communities.The Cincinnati chapter has an email distribution list for those who can't always make it to the meetings. If you're interested in being added to the list email Tuke at beautuke@yahoo.comWriter: Feoshia HendersonSource: Beau Tuke, All Aboard Ohio Cincinnati ChapterYou can follow Feoshia on twitter here.