Mayor Coleman will be unveiling the Financing Plan for the Columbus Streetcar Proposal today at the City Council Chambers from 6-8pm. You can RSVP for this public event by sending an email here.
The Mayor has been sticking to his guns about not implementing a new city tax to fund this project, so it will be interesting to hear their proposal. My guess is still some sort of combination between bond package dollars, private investment, and some sort of fees applied to parking businesses (lots & garages) located along the line.
Hi,
I’m confused. What’s the difference between the buses that run every fifteen minutes all the way up and down High Street and a streetcar? This seems like a huge waste of money when we already have something that does exactly what a streetcar will do, and more! I’m interested in the difference.
Thanks,
Scott
I’m all for the streetcars, but I do understand the concern of simply building a redundant system.
Light rail has a place in the larger effort to improve mass transit. On a limited scale, the current street car proposal can serve the downtown community very efficiently. I just returned from shopping in the Short North today and the hassle of parking is unbelievable. I’m surprised I didn’t have to circle the block a couple of times.
What I could see, and maybe someone with better knowledge could clue me in, is the city converting the current High Street Bus lines to an express system and put more buses on lines connecting to the outer edges of Columbus. So the number 2 line currently running along High Street could see a reduction of stops along the street car line. This would speed service up and allow a greater opportunity for COTA to become truly viable in the bigger picture.