You can read about it in The Toledo Blade  (written by reporters Patch and Provance).  You can read up on the latest developments in all sorts of rail efforts on the Ohio Rail Development Commission’s website.  The site includes, in pdf form, the final report from May 2010.  You can access different categories without having to download the whole report.

Regardless of how long it takes to get us going, I like the idea of getting a rail car and rail track company in operation here in Ohio.  Good jobs, yes?  Peace Out – 3C

Here we are a year later and apparently the first meeting about the Opportunity Corridor has finally been held. Yes things move slowly in NE Ohio. To be fair, this has been a wild and crazy year economically so I would imagine that could have played a part in the delay as well.

The PD and Karen Farkas report on the Corridor idea here. And here is the ODOT page outlining the issue. Farkas’ take on it is that this Corridor idea offers so much possibility that an unusual step was taken to set up a steering committee of public and private members to over see the ideas. Here is a list of the committee members(pdf form).  Besides City Planning Department members and Mayor Jackson, Vickie Eaton from the Fairfax Renaissance Development Corp and Ward 12 Councilman Tony Brancatelli are on the list. That gives me comfort, because I can’t see either of them, based on past actions, going along with a plan that makes no sense. However, I’ll have to call and ask them about a rail component and public transportation component.

In a way this idea really ties in (for me, anyway) with the ‘what do we do now that we’ve had the foreclosure/abandoned housing crisis to move forward’ issue raised at the Levin Forum the other day.

It’s still the core issue (again, in my mind, yours too?) that we have less population now than we did fifty years ago, so why not do as much redevelopment and planning with that idea in mind.  Saying that means The O Corridor could be a major step towards answering that question in Ward 12.

From the PD/Farkas article, is a great quote by two other Cleveland Council People:

Council members Phyllis Cleveland and Mamie Mitchell said the development has to extend beyond the corridor into their communities.

….In my community they say it is an ‘Opportunity for whom?’ ” said Cleveland. “My focus is that this will equally benefit the neighborhoods. I need to know the commitment to make that happen is there.”

What are your thoughts?  Peace out – 3C

I urge you to immediately CALL the staff Senators Voinovich and Brown and urge them to vote NO on the Bond amendment to strip High Speed Rail funds from the stimulus bill.  Please let me know if you have any questions or if you receive any feedback.

Senator Sherrod Brown
(202) 224-2315

Senator George Voinovich
(202) 224-3353

If either line is busy, please call back!

Peace Out 3C (shout out to All Aboard Ohio for the alert)

Necessity is the mother of invention right? That explains the railroad industry’s recent turn around….yes turn around, regarding freight rail. Frank Ahrens of the Wash Post writes an  in-depth article about the industry called A Switch On The Tracks. Here are some of the highlights:

1. The railroad industry is having to lay new/more track for the first time in 80 years.

2. The industry laid off 4700 workers in 2002 but just hired 5000 people

3. Freight hauling is booming because of world wide trade

4. 18 wheeler freight hauling is not handling capacity and is struggling due to the cost of fuel.

“….A train can haul a ton of freight 423 miles on one gallon of diesel fuel, about a 3-to-1 fuel efficiency advantage over 18-wheelers, and the railroad industry is increasingly touting itself as an eco-friendly alternative. Trucking firms also use the rail lines; UPS is the railroad industry’s biggest customer….”

 As an aside but also important to remember, Amtrak ridership is up and has been increasing for five years straight. Mayor Jackson said in his ‘state of the State’ talk that we won the bid for the German solar panel company (IBC Solar AG) because they saw us as one of the top port hubs in the Country. Can’t we do a better job at keeping that title if we improve our rail lines? 

And if you are still undecided, look at this fact: there are seven companies controlling the freight hauling industry in the U.S. Guess who is looking to invest in them? Warren Buffet.  There is also an accompanying video to the Post story here.

Don’t forget, your input is requested by ODOT. What kind of public transportation would benefit you and your family? It really does sound like ODOT wants to prioritize in ways that make sense and stand to reap the best ROI. You can (and hopefully will!) get your comments to them by going to ODOT’s  21st Century Transportation Priorities Task Force website here.   Peace Out – 3C

“Unlike past statewide planning efforts, the Transportation Priorities Task Force will explore a broader spectrum of issues facing the state,” said ODOT Director James Beasley. “We need to prioritize how the state balances the movement of people and freight, promotes safety and reduces congestion, creates jobs and encourages responsible growth, helps to build sustainable communities, and links all modes of transportation – connecting highways to rail, aviation, water ports, and transit.”

Here is a list of task force members. Frank Jackson is an executive chair and the only one I recognize from our area. However,  there are plenty of people on the list representing groups and they could very well be from NE Ohio.  I would love to be able to talk with Larry Davis, the President of the Ohio Trucking Assn – and also a task force member. Freight has to be carried by trains to pick up the slack for trucking because it can’t handle the load by itself anymore…at least that is what we are told.  This task force says it wants my input and so Larry Davis will be one of the first people I address in my comments.

Yes, everyone, here is your chance to weigh in on what you think priorities should be; light rail, high speed, better more complete rail systems; whatever you think and how you think it would help your area or family personally, let them know! And here is the link for your comments.

It sounds as if there will be various task force meetings throughout the State….the first one is in Columbus at the beginning of May. Check out the site, get the details, and add your comments!

It occurs to me that we had a foreclosure task force that did a yeoman’s job and that good Statewide efforts seem to be growing out of that task force’s report. This Transportation Priorities Task Force could be a chance for us to have a lot of input into what direction we take. I guess I like that fact that there are bright rays of hope (as far as grassroots input and connectivity is concerned) and not just gloom and doom. It tells me we can continue to work towards making a difference in many other areas as well.

If you want to talk to some cool ‘train’ people, tomorrow is your chance to do that. All Aboard Ohio has a booth at the Metroparks Zoo Earthfest 2008  event.  Please stop by (I will be there from 3-5pm as well).  I do believe it’s all happening at the zoo?   Peace Out -3C