John Eby on Public Transportation

Elizabeth Metz, Clifton asked

The environment has always been an issue in the life of any community, but it has been getting more attention lately, so I’m hopeful we’ll get some candidates leading on this issue. What are your plans for public transportation, environmentally sustainable building practices, making local food readily available, holding corporate polluters accountable, and/or recycling?

My Response:

Often when I speak to community groups about public transportation, I tell them that there are really three rivers that divide Cincinnati – I-75, I-71 and Fort Washington way. We are preparing to invest almost a billion dollars on our riverfront, but if we don’t connect it to the city center, one or the other will die. We must connect the Banks to the vaults of the city center. The city center must be creatively connected to our neighborhoods by restoring our heritage of streetcars and inclines. The best idea for accomplishing this task is the streetcar system proposed by councilmember Chris Bortz; a great idea that I wholeheartedly embrace.

San Francisco calls to mind Hills and famous cable cars. They are icons of the city. (Unbelievably when I think of Pittsburgh) I see their incline and trolley car system. My recently deceased Father wove stories about riding the trolley cars and the Inclines here in town. His admiration and passion rubbed off on me. They were fascinating dinner memories. He never rode public transportation after the demise and destruction of the inclines and trolleys. Let’s face it how sexy is a bus?

On a recent trip to St Louis, I witnessed firsthand how thoughtful, planned and well-coordinated public transportation can enhance a city. New developments and investment in renovating warehouses into condominiums are sprouting up along the rail lines of the Metrolink train. A bus stop is located at every train terminal. Getting around St. Louis seems easy, friendly and clean.

Often times in Cincinnati we pine for the good old days while rarely looking to the future. Rudy Giuliani said,”Leaders need to be optimists. Their vision is beyond the present.” Frequently it is rooted in our past.