Cincinnati Streetcar Under Attack

If you haven’t had your cup of outrage today, I’ve got it for you.

Two things have happened that have placed the Cincinnati Streetcar in even more jeopardy than before. First, ODOT staff have recommended that ODOT’s Transportation Review Advisory Council (TRAC) withhold funding from the Cincinnati Streetcar.

Agency staff: Withhold $52M for streetcars
10:18 AM, Mar. 23, 2011 |

COLUMBUS — The staff of a key Ohio transportation agency today recommended that nearly $52 million in funding for Cincinnati’s streetcar be withheld, leaving the $128 million-plus project facing an uncertain future.

Reversing decisions that the agency made last year, the staff of the Ohio Transportation Review Advisory Council proposed that $51.8 million tentatively targeted for the streetcar project not be awarded, leaving Cincinnati City Hall facing about a $30 million gap in its budget for the Downtown-to-Uptown line.

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The second potential road block is an amendment to the state transportation budget by Senator Tom Patton, a Republican from Strongsville in suburban Cleveland.  Why is a Senator from Strongsville so committed to pulling funding from a 2.5 mile streetcar line that would operate 230 miles away from his home?  Well, Cleveland has always had a bit of a rivalry with Cincinnati, so maybe he’s jealous.  However, I suspect it has more to do being a puppet of Governor Kasich.  More from Urban Cincy:

New provision to Ohio transportation budget represents “unprecedented attack” on Cincinnati Streetcar
By: Randy A. Simes
March 22, 2011 – 7:30 pm

In an unprecedented action, Ohio Senate Transportation Committee Chair Tom Patton allowed a provision to be introduced to the latest amendment of the state’s biennial transportation budget that would “prohibit state or federal funds appropriated by the state from being used for the Cincinnati streetcar project.”

The action comes on the heels of recent news that newly elected Governor John Kasich (R) plans to strip the project of approximately $52 million in state appropriated funds. Such an action would go directly against the state’s laws and proceedings for appropriating state and federal transportation dollars, and could be subject to legal action from the City of Cincinnati.

“So if you suddenly don’t like the process established by law that has worked well for 14 years under Democrats and Republicans, you change the process,” said Ken Prendergast, executive director of All Aboard Ohio. “This is like saying we didn’t like who won the Super Bowl, so we’re going to re-write the record books.”

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So much for local control of local issues.

Ken Prendergast at All Aboard Ohio notes that cutting the streetcar project doesn’t actually save any money.  It just would go to projects that received a lower rating in the TRAC list.

Ohio Department of Transportation Director Jerry Wray recommended to the Transportation Review Advisory Council today that the state’s top-ranked project should bear the brunt of “fiscal balancing.” TRAC will vote on the recommendations April 12.

In addition to removing the entire $36.8 million in federal construction funds for the Cincinnati Streetcar in 2012, the TRAC committee was urged by Wray’s staff to rescind all $15 million in federal dollars awarded last year to the streetcar.

Instead, Wray’s staff urged TRAC to give $36.8 million to multiple road projects throughout the state. The Cincinnati Streetcar is due to start construction this year, is rated more highly by the TRAC, and is projected to create more long-term job growth. TRAC rated the streetcar with an 84 using its scoring criteria to measure a project’s potential to promote economic development, more jobs, cost-effectiveness, safety, and environmental stewardship.

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There’s also a good summary of this issue on the Transport Politic’s site.

So there’s a good chance that this will end up in court, with the City of Cincinnati rightly challenging ODOT for failing to follow it’s own funding procedures.  Of course, the TRAC panel won’t make a final decision until April 12. That gives you time to contact the TRAC members to tell them you support keeping politics out of the TRAC process.

• Jerry Wray – Director, Ohio Department of Transportation – I wouldn’t waste your time here.  This guy’s a lost cause.
• William Brennan – Commissioner, Division of Building Inspection, City of Toledo- william.brennan@toledo.oh.gov
• Robert Clarke Brown Treasurer for Case Western Reserve University – robert.c.brown@case.edu
• Patrick Darrow – Secretary/Treasure & Business Manager for Teamsters Local 348 – jc41rose@msn.com
• Bill Dingus – Executive Director, Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce – bill@ledcorp.org
• Raymond E. DiRossi – President, Capital Advantage, LLC – Could not find e-mail
  
• Antoinette A. Selvey-Maddox – Senior Management Advisor, Management Partners, Inc – Web form here
  
• Patrick J. Ungaro – Former Mayor of Youngstown, Ohio – ungaro@libertytwp.com

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