The Ohio Hub Plan Economic Impact Study Is Yielding Potential Good News For Our Economy

I want to thank Ed, who consistently provides excellent information for us on The Ohio Hub Plan. The Econ Study is predicting even better news than before, additional train routes, more jobs, permanent and 'initiative building' related, and a cost that seems more than manageable, especially since the results are jobs jobs and more jobs.

The Impact Study press releases will be more detailed and are not ready for prime time yet but soon. In the meantime, please do read the following to find out the snippets of information we already know: Economic Impact is Positive. Peace Out - 3C

** I don't believe in duplicating content and I have two blogs so please check out the link above you will be excited about the news, I think.

High Technology Scorecard for Northeast Ohio: Is the Glass Half Full or Half Empty?

It depends on what measure you use, like anything else related to economics. What got me interested in this story was a news story (television) focused on Keithley Instruments- a computer chip company based here. They interviewed executives with Keithley who said 60% of their venture capital in last year came from out of state --- and they were adamant about the fact that this meant venture capitalists were keen on Northeast Ohio and her ability to grow the high tech sector. Okay, that makes sense to me.

The second part of the story comes from Crains Cleveland Business news, saying that a CSU study showed the glass half empty for the first half of this decade: National high tech growth fell 8% while in Northeast Ohio the figure was 13%. BUT (now back to the glass half full!) salaries in our high tech companies rose 6.5%. And in this article they say they expect continued growth in the industry. Peace Out - 3C

Congressional Bill HR1300 Knocks It Out of the Park!

I want to give a shout out to Ed for his comment on my last post - he referenced HR1300 which energizes me, even at 12:15am. A wealth of information on energy policy recommendations. This next section made me want to cheer out loud:

SEC. 410. CONGRESSIONAL ALTERNATIVE FUEL USE IN VEHICLES.

(a) Findings- The Congress finds that--

(1) Members of Congress should follow their own example of setting forth legislation that encourages the use of alternatively fueled vehicles; (yes, how important is this! do you think Ford can start making hybrid Lincoln Town Cars for them :-)

(2) in 2005, the total cost of automobile leases for Members of Congress surpassed $1,000,000, ( save American taxpayers money? Novel idea!) and a collective switch to alternative fuel vehicles, hybrid vehicles, or vehicles powered by biofuels could potentially save American taxpayers thousands of dollars annually; and

(3) the General Services Administration has already purchased over 68,000 alternative fueled vehicles for the use of Federal customers, more than any other organization in the United States. (Now that is what I'm talking about! Are you cheering yet?)

Okay, so if you go to The Library of Congress website here and where it says 'enter search' change it from 'word' to 'bill' and type in HR1300 - you can read the entire bill. As Ed mentioned, Title V talks about transit issues. It won't be boring, I swear you just might be cheering! Now, how am I going to sleep! - Peace Out - 3C

Third Annual Ohio Rail/Transit Summit March 7th In Columbus

Sometimes one thought leads to another and that is what happened to get me to this post. First, All Aboard Ohio is having their Third Annual Ohio Rail/Transit Summit in Columbus tomorrow. It's a morning chock full of information, judging from the agenda, and an afternoon of lobbying for The Ohio Hub Plan ! If you can attend, it's still not too late to sign up (you can even do it on the website through paypal). If you have followed the news (or just stopped at a gas station today), you know prices are on their way up again. We need improved public transportation and we need the Ohio Hub Initiative.

While I was on All Aboard Ohio's website, I noticed their link to Better World Club. Thus my 'second thought' for this post. Remember the Un Cola (7Up)? Well, Better World touts itself as the auto club to join, as opposed to that triple A one lol. They donate 1% of their revenue (yearly? monthly?) to support of environmental causes. They provide gas purchase discounts and check this out, discounts on purchases of hybrid cars? Okay, I'm signing up for their regular email newsletter called Kicking Asphalt. I can't resist.

How can you not get excited about transportation issues. Peace Out - 3C - The Transportation Geek

Train Song Medley

Free Wireless Internet Connection to Be Provided by City of Cleveland

I think it's great, free wireless. As a matter of fact, a company is doing just that now for the city of San Francisco. All individuals will have to do is supply the router. The story is here.

Makes me think we might actually be on the cutting edge if we are getting it during the same year as a large California city :-) Peace Out - 3C

April 7, 2007 Update:

Read these links to see the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission Weblog and the Sun News report by Ken Prendergast that Mayor Jackson's plan to provide the free wireless service City-wide was approved by the Public Utilities Commission and a Council Committee. So far there have not been any 'down sides' noted in putting this plan into action, and the provider who wins the bid to do this is not going to be franchised with the City of Cleveland. Check it out.

The John V. Oblak Power Transfer Station is For Sale

I do not plan on putting up my listings here on my blog; but this is such a unique property, I wanted to feature it. In 1924 the trolley cars were running strong in Cleveland, and this building was one of the power transfer stations scattered around the City, helping to keep the trolleys running.

I love the fact that the re use of this building has been for a bronze sculptor and his crew. Ron Dewey is a sought after bronze artist who has life-size and larger than life sized pieces around the country. Here in Cleveland, he is the creator of the bronze ball player at Jacobs Field, and was commissioned to do bronze statues of Ben Sefanski and his wife (on the corporate headquarters property for Third Federal Savings and Loan). It's a bustling workplace, also used as a living space by one of Ron's workers. I guess the time has come for him to consolidate two work studios into one....and this is the smaller of the two. So it's for sale! There is even a 15 ton crane inside the building that adds spectacular architectural detail you don't always find. Anyway, I am enclosing a link here so you can view more information about this brick beauty of a building. Peace Out - 3C

(photo taken by Carole Cohen 2007©)

Is Transit Oriented Development in Cleveland The Wave of the Future?

Are we ready for Transit Oriented Development (TOD) in Downtown Cleveland - and Northeast Ohio in general? There is an article in Crain's Cleveland today about the Euclid Avenue design and it's focus on the new RTA stops there. The 'hope' is to attract mixed use development on Euclid Avenue (shops, office, housing). Joseph Calabrese (RTA) seems to think this is an idea that has 'come.' Certainly I've noticed a shift in thinking. Back in the 70s when people sat in lines at filling stations, waiting to fuel up, they may have thought fuel rationing was an aberration. Now, everyone looks in their wallet and sees how much of their monthly money is going towards transportation costs.

The Center for Transit Oriented Development is located in California - you know, where they began eating organically and eventually all other States followed suit? Is TOD an idea that our State, and specifically Cleveland, will embrace wholeheartedly? The Center for Transit Oriented Development did studies (which can be read here) and they are predicted that Cleveland will experience a 62% increase in the numbers of people living near public transportation -- by the year 2030. 2030! We can't wait that long! Anyway, I digress. W. 25th Street's RTA station is already in the works for a housing development on a triangle of land near the Station and across the street from The Market. I'm anxious to see this unfold and play out. Will people really be rushing to purchase a home near the Station so they can give up their car? The recent studies claim that Clevelanders interviewed are anxious to cut one car out of their daily lives (most families have at least two). So we'll see if there really has been a major paradigm shift in thinking. I'm excited, but I try not to get too excited since things progress so slowly here. Peace Out - 3C