Some of us remember Arnold Schwarzenegger before he was the Terminator or the governor of California.  Even before he became politician acclaimed superstar, his caricature may have landed on some TVs in the form of two young Saturday Night Live actors in bulky muscle suits named Hanz and Franz.  These two guys weren’t too concerned about politics as their skit promised to Pump You Up. 

Well Columbus, the remnants of Hanz and Franz may only be uncovered by a Google search, but The Arnold is coming to town and it pumps energy (and let’s face it, a boat load of cash) into the city, especially downtown.  Many of us would love to see this kind of spirit and all year long.

The planning process, which included public meetings, an online survey and discussion with downtown stakeholders, identified a list of 10 Principles to define the community’s goals and vision, 12 Ideas emerging from those Principles, and 8 Strategies to implement the Ideas.  To view the complete Plan, including the Principles, Ideas and Strategies, click here.

What does this mean for Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District (CCSID)?  First off, Cleve Ricksecker, Executive Director of CCSID, was involved in the planning meetings and participated in a downtown stakeholder interview.  All efforts to improve the downtown are important to the SID, and Ricksecker approached the planning process with that point of view in mind.

“The SID had already worked with MSI to develop our Public Realm Enhancement Plan - a wish list for the SID, if you will.  I was able to offer input from a SID-perspective through the strategic planning process,” explained Ricksecker.

Andrew Overbeck of MSI added, “We know Cleve real well and he was part of these meetings.  The SID’s plan was done beforehand, so that informed our planning sessions with regard to what enhancements they were looking for downtown.  It will be great to integrate these plans.”

As the City seeks to implement the Strategic Plan over the long term, public/private partnerships will play a vital role.  And over the years, CCSID has acted as a catalyst for such parternships, from the revitalization of Gay Street in 2007 to the wayfinding sign system that was installed in 2008.

Overbeck identified Ideas four through nine of the Plan, which deal with the High Street Core, as falling specifically within the SID boundaries and as places where the City, the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation (CDDC) and others will look to partner with CCSID.  These ideas include:

• Redefining Broad Street as the civic spine of the City;
• Restoring High Street as downtown’s commercial corridor;
• Developing a Downtown Transit Center to replace the High Street Transit Mall;
• Building a 3-c Multi-Modal Station;
• Developing a Downtown Field House.

“We have looked at each part of the Plan and identified where partnerships currently exist and where they can be developed.  Right now these are just ideas, but it’s important to get everyone at the table to let some of these ideas take hold,” added Overbeck.

Ricksecker agrees.  “We look forward to partnering with the City, CDDC and others to bring these ideas to fruition.  Through the SID’s efforts, some advance work has already been done, particularly with regard to bike facilities and restoring the High Street retail corridor.”

Overbeck noted that if one looked at photos of Columbus from 1995, one would see an abandoned prison, an abandoned school and an undeveloped gash through the city where 670 cut through.   Fifteen years later, those same areas are vibrant sectors – the Arena District, COSI and the High Street cap over 670.  The vision of our city leaders in the 1990s has taken root in our city’s fabric.

“It’s an inspiring thing.  We can do an awful lot in Columbus.  None of these things is out of reach,” concluded Overbeck.

The next fifteen years should be something to behold.

From 1975 to the mid-1990s, I biked almost daily to work, grocery stores and visits with friends, first in Manhattan, then in Columbus.  I always used city streets.  Then, for 14 years, I did not own or use a bicycle.

Resolved to begin biking again, I took a bus to Clintonville on Saturday to purchase one.  I took a bus because I wanted to be able to bike home to the Short North.  And that’s when it happened.  I discovered the Olentangy Trail.

Wow!  Riding the Trail for the first time is one of those “firsts” that ranks with coming-of-age experiences like discovering your you-know-what at puberty and traveling internationally.  It is an exquisite experience, particularly on a clear sunny day.

I kept thinking about how lucky I am to live in a city with bike trails as I followed the Trail’s sign system toward downtown.

Hundreds of people gathered in front of the Statehouse on Monday, May 17, 2010, to celebrate Bike To Work Day sponsored by Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District.

Bikers converged at OSU Gateway along with Mayor “Bikin’ Mike” Coleman, ODOT Director Jolene Molitoris, members of Columbus City Council, the Columbus Foundation and Consider Biking for the Third Annual Bike To Work Launch and Cycling CEO Challenge.  Dozens of area CEOs assembled teams to ride to the Statehouse to champion alternative transportation.

Riders from the Columbus Chamber even donned Pearl Market veggie costumes to show their support of bicycle commuting.

Lisa Courtice from The Columbus Foundation presented Consider Biking with a check for $295,000 to pursue the “2 by 2010″ initiative, which is a program that encourages every central Ohioan to use a bike or other form of alternative transportation to get to work or school at least two days per month by the City’s bicentennial in 2012.

Doug Morgan, attorney at Hahn Loeser and Parks, presented a check for $15,000 on behalf of the firm and challenged the corporate community to pull together to match The Columbus Foundation gift.

To see more photos of the event, click below.

Bike To Work 2010

I remember the sticker shock I experienced when I bought my first car in 2007 (earlier I married into a car, had kids and got divorced).  With joint custody of three school-age kids, taxicabs did not meet all of my needs, and the closest Zipcar location was a 30-minute walk.

Prior to buying into the “American dream” of owning a car, transportation had cost me $60 to $80 a month.  Expenses included a car rental about once a month and a cab ride about once a week.  My employer paid for my bus pass.

Living in Columbus without a car was easy.  From 1977 to 2007, I lived in Bexley, German Village, Short North and University District.  All of these neighborhoods offered life’s necessities within walking distance, including groceries, pharmacies and bars.  I have always worked in or near downtown.

In seven years, I will go carless again.  The money I save will go toward something more pleasurable than sitting in traffic.

The sheer volume of great, urban experiences in this part of Columbus compares favorably to any other place in the U.S.  It has everything Boston has except urban rail, department stores and outrageously high housing costs.

Good public transit and city sidewalks will take you to 20 movie screens, a public market, Barnes & Noble and more than 200 high quality, independent retail stores.  It is home to an NHL arena, a AAA baseball park, historic theatres and one of the county’s most prestigious universities.

There are scores of nightclubs, beautiful city parks, charming neighborhoods, several world-class museums, great live music and 40 art galleries.  You can stay in one of 4,000 hotel rooms, quickly hail a taxicab and dine at 150 full-service restaurants.

The Columbus High Five is a magnet for highly educated people from throughout the world.  It is young, creative and entrepreneurial.  Best of all, it is in our backyard.

The task force noted that public policy and spending should encourage redevelopment of existing urban areas.  It recommends that economically distressed areas get larger tax abatements than affluent, “green field” areas (ironic, since tax abatements were created to benefit distressed areas).

It also recommends that the State spend more than 1% of its transportation budget on public transit.  Most encouraging is a recommendation that public resources generally not be used to extend utility lines to “green fields.”  In other words, someone who wishes to duplicate infrastructure at low densities in exurban areas would need to pay for it privately.

These recommendations should make any fiscal conservative happy.

Because city planners are smart enough to limit on-site parking for major downtown venues, the 20,000 plus people attending events walked from remote parking and filled the streets, restaurants, and taverns for many blocks in every direction of their destination.  The pedestrian activity made the street feel vibrant and safe.

My friend, Mark Lammon of the Downtown Cleveland Alliance, took me for a ride to Little Italy on the new Health Line that runs for seven miles along Euclid Avenue.  This bus feels like a train, runs frequently, and makes limited stops at rail-like stations.  It drew full loads of people, including young professionals, well into the evening.  In addition to this service, the City also has three light rail lines.

Downtown Cleveland seems to be doing well.  I have long wondered about the difference between Cleveland and Detroit.  Could it be Cleveland’s commitment to transit?

And a disclaimer (please read this in your head at a very fast pace like those TV commercial speed-talkers): the views and opinions expressed by guest bloggers may or may not reflect the views and opinions of DowntownColumbus.com and its affiliated parties.

STREETCARS OFF ON THE WRONG TRACK

I believe there are problems for electric streetcars in Columbus, especially in the Short North and OSU, where the first streetcars would run, such as:

• taking up critical lanes of traffic;
• cutting down on the very limited parking;
• rails catching bicycle tires and women’s heels;
• the overhead electric wires they run on are exceptionally ugly;
• the 2.8 mile stretch of track, costing $103 million, is outrageous; and
• they can only run on expensive tracks, limiting routes and destinations.

So streetcars aren’t nearly as cool as they might seem at first.

If we considered the next generation of futuristic electric buses, we could achieve all of the good with none of the bad.  Delft University of Technology (Netherlands) has designed a “Superbus”, which looks like something Batman would use to commute to work.  Being on wheels, it requires no new, expensive infrastructure.

Matter of fact, turns out Las Vegas has taken steps to improve their mass transit.  Take a look at their new buses!  Congratulations LVTA!

How about Columbus riding into the 21st century with some new sets of wheels?  So instead of being like other cities, we could do something different.  Something better.