Continuing Good News for Transportation in Ohio

Repost from an email I received: 

www.linkingohio.com

 

 

Dear Linking Ohio Supporters -

It was a big step in the right direction for Ohio this week as the Controlling Board approved ODOT's request to move forward with a $25-million allocation of the $400-million Federal grant to begin engineering, environmental and design studies around intercity rail.  We are certainly pleased that progress will be made.  Here are a couple of articles about the approval:

• Cleveland Plain Dealer: State controlling board approves first step in 3C rail project in contentious party-line vote
• Cincinnati Enquirer: 3C rail plan clears first hurdle
• Dayton Daily News: Board OKs $25M for passenger rail study

Other items of interest:

 

3C Fiscal Impact Study

All Aboard Ohio released a report examining the 3C's Fiscal Impact on the State of Ohio.  It's an interesting study that shows how intercity rail will help Ohio's economy.

"This report will provide the assessment to learn how the annual, total financial benefits that are received by The State of Ohio measure up to the potential annual operating cost that the state could be expected to fund. The answer should allow Ohioans to better understand the net fiscal impact of 3C “Quick Start” on the state’s budget. In short, this report shows the State of Ohio could see a positive net fiscal impact: an increase in annual revenues greater than the projected increase in annual costs."

ODOT TRAC

And lastly, an important step that ODOT employs for any large scale transportation project is to accept public comments about their projects.  This is called their TRAC Funding Process, and the 3C "Quick Start" Project is on the list for wanting public comment.  Linking Ohio is encouraging all of our supports to visit the TRAC site to leave a comment in support of the project.  Comments are being accepted through May 3, 2010.

Thank you all for your continued support.  It is still important for supporters of the 3C "Quick Start" Project to persuade state legislators.  So if you have not done so, please visit Linking Ohio to use our "Speak Out" tool to send state leaders an email.

And don't forget to join our Facebook fan page and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on developments around 3C "Quick Start" Project.

Please feel free to forward this email on to others that may be supportive of our cause.

Thank you.

Legislative Action: 10th District and State - 042610

In this MegaVote for Ohio's 10th Congressional District: Recent Congressional Votes Senate: Lael Brainard to be an Under Secretary of the Treasury House: Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act Upcoming Congressional Bills Senate: Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010 House: Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2009 House: IMPROVE Acquisition Act of 2010

Recent Senate Votes

Lael Brainard to be an Under Secretary of the Treasury - Vote Confirmed (78-19, 3 Not Voting) The Senate confirmed Lael Brainard as the Treasury Department’s under secretary for international affairs. Her nomination had been held up over concerns that she allegedly failed to pay property taxes on time. Sen. George Voinovich voted YES......send e-mail or see bio Sen. Sherrod Brown voted YES......send e-mail or see bio

Recent House Votes

Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act - Vote Passed (403-11, 3 Present, 13 Not Voting) The House voted to move forward with a bill to sanction Iran by approving this motion to appoint House members to a conference committee with the Senate. The House version of this bill focuses on imposing sanctions on multinational companies that deal with Iran's petroleum sector, while the Senate's broader version would prohibit the U.S. government from purchasing goods from companies that are subject to sanctions under existing law and expand sanctions on foreign companies investing more than $20 million in Iran’s oil and gas sector. Rep. Dennis Kucinich voted NO......send e-mail or see bio

Upcoming Votes

Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010 - S.3217 The Senate is scheduled to work on this legislation to overhaul financial regulations. Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2009 - H.R.2499 The House is scheduled to vote on this bill that would allow Puerto Rico to put its political status to a referendum. IMPROVE Acquisition Act of 2010 - H.R.5013 The House is expected to consider this measure that would overhaul defense acquisition procedures.

Dan Gilbert postpones opening of Cleveland casino to no earlier than 2013 | cleveland.com

Dan Gilbert postpones opening of Cleveland casino to no earlier than 2013 | cleveland.com


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3C Project Next Phase Gets Controlling Board Approval

A sampling of the news coverage of Monday's (April 19th) Controlling Board vote of 4 to 3 to approve the request for $25-million for the next required phase of work (Environmental Impact and other planning work).......Stu Nicholson / ORDC

Democrats OK $25M for Ohio passenger rail plan (Associated Press) http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=cincinnati&sParam=33314377.story

3C Rail Vote Hints at Trouble Down Line  (Columbus Dispatch)
http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/04/20/copy/3-c-rail-vote-hints-at-trouble-down-line.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

Ohio Democrats go ahead with vote to accept 3C passenger rail money over Republican objections (Cleveland Plain Dealer) http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2010/04/ohio_democrats_go_ahead_with_v.html

$25M for rail study approved (Dayton Daily News)
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/-25m-for-rail-study-approved-661959.html

Money for Rail Study Clears Controlling Board Along Party Lines (Business First Columbus)
http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2010/04/19/daily6.html

3C Plan Clears First Hurdle (Cincinnati Enquirer)
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100419/NEWS0108/4200363/1055/NEWS/3C+rail+plan+clears+first+hurdle

Stu Nicholson
Public Information Officer
Ohio Rail Development Commission
1980 West Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio 43223

Legislative Action: 10th District and State - 042010

In this MegaVote for Ohio's 10th Congressional District: Recent Congressional Votes Senate: Continuing Extension Act of 2010 House: Clean Estuaries Act of 2010 House: Continuing Extension Act of 2010 Upcoming Congressional Bills Senate: Lael Brainard to be Treasury Under Secretary for International Affairs House: District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act

Recent Senate Votes

Continuing Extension Act of 2010 - Vote Passed (59-38, 3 Not Voting) The Senate passed this measure that would extend for two months federal unemployment benefits, flood insurance programs, increased payment rates to Medicare providers and COBRA health care premium assistance. It was then sent to the House. Sen. George Voinovich voted YES......send e-mail or see bio Sen. Sherrod Brown voted YES......send e-mail or see bio

Recent House Votes

Clean Estuaries Act of 2010 - Vote Passed (278-128, 24 Not Voting) The House approved this bill that would authorize $50 million annually through fiscal 2016 for the EPA's National Estuary Program and would require the EPA to evaluate estuary management plans every four years. The bill now goes to the Senate. Rep. Dennis Kucinich voted YES......send e-mail or see bio Continuing Extension Act of 2010 - Vote Passed (289-112, 29 Not Voting) On Thursday, the House passed this legislation that would extend for two months federal unemployment benefits, flood insurance programs, increased payment rates to Medicare providers and COBRA health care premium assistance. It was then sent to the President, who signed it into law later that night. Rep. Dennis Kucinich voted YES......send e-mail or see bio

Upcoming Votes

Lael Brainard to be Treasury Under Secretary for International Affairs - This week, the Senate is expected to vote on various executive nominations, including the nomination of Lael Brainard to become the Treasury Department’s under secretary for international affairs. District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act - H.R.157 The House is scheduled to work on this bill that would provide the District of Columbia with full voting rights in the House of Representatives.

FTA Announces $24.8 Million for Public Transportation in America’s National Parks, Forests, Wildlife Refuges

DOT 58-10
Monday, April 5, 2010
Contact: Paul Griffo 
Tel: (202) 366-4064

Federal Transit Administration Announces $24.8 Million for Public Transportation in America’s National Parks, Forests, Wildlife Refuges

Visitors will have a greater number of options for getting around in America’s national parks and on other public lands, thanks to $24.8 million in federal funding announced today by the Federal Transit Administration.

National parks, forests, and wildlife refuges in 20 states will receive funds from the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks Program to implement public transportation within the facilities.

 “As Franklin Roosevelt said, ‘There is nothing so American as our national parks,’” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “The national parks are American treasures, and Transit in Parks funding will make these national treasures more accessible and enjoyable to everyone.”

The U.S. National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will receive funds for 46 projects ranging from new diesel buses at Yosemite National Park in California to ferry improvements at Gulf Island National Seashore in Florida, and visitor shuttle buses in Mount Rainier National Park to bus stop improvements in Arcadia National Park in Maine.

“The transportation improvements to our national parks and wildlife refuges will help preserve and protect our cultural and natural resources while ensuring all Americans have access to America’s Great Outdoors,” said Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar.

Funding to federal land management agencies is administered through reimbursable interagency agreements, and funding to state, local, and tribal recipients is administered like any other FTA grant.

“By reducing traffic, Transit in Parks will help preserve the splendor of the national parks experience and protect our country’s natural resources,” said FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff. “The program also improves visitor mobility and ensures access to all, including persons with disabilities.”

Congress established the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks Program to enhance the protection of national parks and federal lands and increase the enjoyment of those visiting them.

Administered by the FTA in partnership with the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service, the program funds capital and planning expenses for alternative transportation systems, such as shuttle buses and bicycle trails in national parks and public lands. The goals of the program are to conserve natural, historical, and cultural resources, and reduce congestion and pollution.

A complete list of projects and their descriptions can be found at http://www.fta.dot.gov.

Feds to Expand Use of America’s Marine Highways

DOT 60-10 Wednesday, April 7, 2010 Contact:  Lori Irving Tel: 202-366-4570

Federal Officials Announce Program to Expand Use of America’s Marine Highways Government to Promote Waterways to Cut Emissions and Reduce Highway Traffic

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today unveiled a new initiative to move more cargo on the water rather than on crowded U.S. highways.  Under the “America’s Marine Highway” program, the Department’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) will help identify rivers and coastal routes that could carry cargo efficiently, bypassing congested roads around busy ports and reducing greenhouse gases.


“For too long, we’ve overlooked the economic and environmental benefits that our waterways and domestic seaports offer as a means of moving freight in this country,” said Secretary LaHood, speaking to transportation professionals at the 7^th Annual North American Marine Highways and Logistics Conference in Baltimore, MD.  “Moving goods on the water has many advantages:  It reduces air pollution.  It can help reduce gridlock by getting trucks off our busy surface corridors.”


Under the new regulation, regional transportation officials will be able to apply to have specific transportation corridors – and even individual projects—designated by the Department of Transportation as a marine highway if they meet certain criteria.  Once designated, these projects will receive preferential treatment for any future federal assistance from the department or MARAD.


“There are many places in our country where expanded use of marine transportation just makes sense,” said David Matsuda, Acting Administrator of the Maritime Administration.  “It has so much potential to help our nation in many ways:  reduced gridlock and greenhouse gases and more jobs for skilled mariners and shipbuilders.”


The Marine Highway initiative stems from a 2007 law requiring the Secretary of Transportation to “establish a short sea transportation program and designate short sea transportation projects to mitigate surface congestion.”


Earlier this year, Secretary LaHood announced $58 million in grants for projects to support the start-up or expansion of Marine Highways services, awarded through the Department’s TIGER grants program.  Congress has also set aside an additional $7 million in grants which MARAD will award later this year.


The final rule announced today can be found on the MARAD website at www.marad.dot.gov and is expected to be published in the federal register tomorrow.

Congressmen Attack Walkers, Bicyclists and People Without Cars

Repost from walkroll.com:

Congressmen Attack Walkers, Bicyclists and People Without Cars

On March 12, the US Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a speech:

Where I’ve been in America I’ve been very proud to talk about the fact that people do want alternatives. They want out of their cars; they want out of congestion; they want to live in livable neighborhoods. This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized. We are integrating the needs of bicyclists in federally-funded road projects. We are discouraging transportation investments that negatively affect cyclists and pedestrians. And we are encouraging investments that provide facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities.


On March 17, at a meeting of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development:

Ohio congressman Steve LaTourette suggested LaHood was on drugs, dismissed the very idea of bike lanes and derided any change from a car-dependent society. He suggested that environmental sustainability projects have "stolen" $300 million from other programs and attacked LaHood's encouragement of bicycling.

Iowa congressman Tom Latham said that one biker is one less person paying into the transportation trust fund and said real transportation needs are being "swept aside."

These two elected officials are extremely important because they are on the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development committee and they decide where billions of tax dollars are spent. Tell the congressmen what you think of their comments. Their staff keep a tally of phone calls, so each call is important and will only take a minute out of your day.

LaTourette DC office: 202-225-5731
LaTourette Painesville office: 440-352-3939
LaTourette Twinsburg office: 330-425-9291

Latham DC office: 866-428-5642

Full report of LaTourette and Latham's comments here.

Full report of Secretary LaHood's comments here



In addition to the above two attacks:

- Missouri Senator Bond asked Secretary LaHood, "When did it become the responsibility of the federal DOT to build sidewalks?"

- Oklahoma Senator Inhofe criticized a draft bill as having "focused very heavily on transit, bike paths, and sidewalks."

- Alaska Senator Begich and South Dakota Senator Thune questioned whether livability is applicable in rural areas.

- Arizona Senator McCain introduced an amendment to a FAA bill that would strip funding for bicycle parking facilities

To find contact information for these and for your elected officials, go to VoteSmart. Make your opinions heard and help build a better America.

Highlights from the 34th Cleveland International Film Festival

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE

34th CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

FACTS AND FIGURES

• Attendance of 71,554 (a 7% increase over the 33rd CIFF and more than a 100% increase since 2003)
• 153 feature films
• 152 short subjects
• 84 countries of origin
• Over 100 visiting filmmakers and other guests from around the world
• 151 sponsors and funders
• 85 community partners
• 73 media sponsors
• 44 college and university outreach partner campuses
• 200 college ambassadors
• Approximately 5,000 FilmSlam high school student attendees
• 115 staff members
• Over 400 volunteers
• $34,000 Challenge Match raised more than $52,000
• 1.5 tons of waste was diverted from landfills through composting and recycling
• Celebrity sightings:  Actress Jennifer Coolidge and Musician Dee Snider

FEATURE AWARD WINNERS
ROXANNE T. MUELLER AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD FOR BEST FILM
(sponsored by Cleveland Magazine) 
Louder Than a Bomb
Directed by Jon Siskel and Greg Jacobs (USA)
GREG GUND MEMORIAL STANDING UP FILM COMPETITION
(endowed by The George Gund Foundation with a $5,000 cash prize) 
Louder Than a Bomb
Directed by Jon Siskel and Greg Jacobs (USA)
AMERICAN INDEPENDENT AWARD
(with a $2,500 cash prize) 
Harvest
Directed by Marc Meyers (USA)
CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPEAN FILM COMPETITION
(sponsored by George Gund and Iara Lee with each winner receiving a $5,000 cash prize) 
Hipsters
Directed by Valery Todorovsky (Russia)

Honeymoons
Directed by Goran Paskaljevic (Serbia/Albania)

The three jurors this year were:  Russ Collins, Peter Knegt, and Harun Mehmedinovic
NESNADNY + SCHWARTZ DOCUMENTARY FILM COMPETITION
(sponsored by Nesnadny + Schwartz with a $5,000 cash prize) 
Marwencol
Directed by Jeff Malmberg (USA)

The three jurors were:  Aron Gaudet, Ryan Harrington, and Debra Zimmerman
SHORT SUBJECT AWARDS
Cleveland State University Audience Award for Best Short Film
Lights
Directed by Giulio Ricciarelli (Germany)
The Rice Hershey Memorial Award for Originality 
(sponsored by Bill Markstrom) 
Expiration
Directed by Mark Nickelsburg (USA)
The Clover and Maggie Award: In Celebration of Life
(sponsored by Barbara Hawley and David Goodman) 
The Best Part of My Day
Directed by Benjamin Dewhurst (USA)
The Jesse Epstein Humanitarian Award
(sponsored by Kodak Motion Picture Film) 
Heal
Directed by Mian Adnan Ahmad (Pakistan/USA)
The Spalding and Jackson Award: In Celebration of Joy
(sponsored by Marcie Goodman and John C. Williams) 
Winter Fugue
Directed by Jadrien Steele (USA)
The Best Animated Short Film Award*
(sponsored by Reminger Co., L.P.A.)  
Lost and Found
Directed by Philip Hunt (United Kingdom)
The Best Documentary Short Film Award
(sponsored by Jules and Fran Belkin)
Home
Matt Faust (USA)
The Best Live Action Short Film Award*
(sponsored by Anne Bloomberg and Alan Gordon Lipson & Judy Harris)
Ana's Playground
Directed by Eric D. Howell (USA)
The Best Student Short Film Award
(sponsored by Mike and Nicki Cancelliere) 
Cigarette Candy
Directed by Lauren Wolkstein (USA)
The Kodak Best Ohio Short Film Award
(sponsored by Kodak Motion Picture Film) 
The Beauty of Damage
Directed by Thomas Ball (USA)
The Best Women’s Short Film Award
(sponsored by Jinny and John Johnson)
Beast
Lars Arendt (Denmark)
The Best LGBT Short Film Award:

Given in Celebration of the Life of Nikki Babbit
(sponsored by Jamie and Harold Babbit)
Claiming the Title: The Gay Olympics on Trial
Directed by Jonathan Joiner and Robert Martin (USA)
The Best International Short Film Award
(sponsored by Mike and Nicki Cancelliere) 
The Devil's Wedding
Directed by Dan Cadan (United Kingdom)
The Programmer's Award
Get Happy
Directed by Mark Payne (USA)

* now eligible for Academy Award® nomination consideration