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Well I'm just glad some progress is being made! Any thoughts on that new transit center??? I wonder how that's gonna work out!
I'm not to excited about the transit center. I think they built it there, thinking MCC was going into Sibley's. We'll just have to watch and see what happens. Real planning might have a combined train, bus and over the road bus station. I always thought that State and Andrews was a good location for it.
I think the transit center is great. It's already ahead of schedule and actually UNDER budget! It's filling in an empty lot and getting the buses off Main Street. This is important because it allows for street parking and makes it much easier for bicyclists, which contributes to a viable commercial climate. Plus, people no longer have to stand outside in bad weather just because they need transportation. It's as much about human dignity as it is urban development.
From yesterday's D&C article about the new grocery store moving downtown:
Glenn Kellogg, who is launching the new grocery, lived for a time in Portland, Ore., before moving to Rochester in 2011. His primary interest has been in urban livability and sustainability issues. He said he thinks Rochester has some of the features, and potential, of Portland in its formative years as a center of urban innovation.
Oh. Exactly what about the idea of having a direct connection with Toronto do you disagree with?
I thought the ferry was a great way/wonderful idea to connect with Toronto but we all saw the result. Are we ready to bailout another failed project? No wonder our property taxes keep going up.
Bringing back the ferry would be a surprise. Expensive capital projects rarely help a city that's really in need of more jobs. Creating more jobs should be the focus IMO.
The ferry is good in theory, but isn't really sustainable.
1. Shipping people from Rochester to go spend their money in Toronto (with far superior shopping) doesn't seem like a benefit to the local economy.
2. People from Toronto are not going to be all that interested in coming to Rochester when it doesn't offer too many amenities that Toronto doesn't offer (and better); wine country is a poor argument because it's still a ways away, and is only something you'd rarely visit with such a massive commute.
3. The rides on the Fast Ferry aren't cheap; how many people are going to spend that kind of money (over a long period of time, not just the first 6 months) to go to Toronto? At the very least, it would only be for those doing economically well.
The concept of a direct connection only works if it's fast, efficient, and cost effective, in order to generate solid ridership across a variety of economic classes. Toronto's interest was pretty clear when city officials made the absolute minimum contribution to it the first time around. If I remember correctly, they weren't even completely ready for the first trip.
While I don't live in Rochester anymore, I think it has some great bones, and I think the city will continue to revitalize. I would love to see the innerloop filled in and that land redeveloped. I think downtown could really take off (I know it's starting to see an uptick) if it could be reconnected with the surrounding neighborhoods. I'm not sure how close the city is to making that happen.
I believe the city has started to see a slight increase in population over the past couple of years, which is what's needed to improve the situation. If Rochester increases by even 3% by 2020, that would encourage further investment and the city could start to get some good capital projects for those moving in. I still stand by the fact that employment is the biggest factor. Taxes are a hurdle, but the COL is low. Tax breaks for businesses to relocate (especially into downtown) would be good.
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