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Thursday, November 21, 2024 |
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New City Transportation Plan |
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buddhalite 
MUSA Citizen 
Joined: May 11 2017 Location: Middletown Status: Offline Points: 499 |
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 Topic: New City Transportation PlanPosted: Oct 22 2018 at 9:43pm |
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According to the Urinal - Middletown is now undertaking yet another taxpayer funded 'study' - this time to improve our transportation problems (?!?!?!) in our fair city.
Excerpts from the article.... "City Manager Doug Adkins said ..... various components such as the land use, downtown, zoning and airport components have been completed or are nearly completed to update the city’s current master plan that was developed in 2005." Ok - I give. What exactly from a transportation perspective has changed in Middletown since 2005? There's no new roads - no major new construction - the same people going the same places. Why does said transportation need a new study? Just let it go - all I see around town are city buses anyway - seems like they go where they need to go. I haven't heard a single person clamor for new bus route. And, if we didn't optimize the bus route system before - we should be ashamed of ourselves. "The first component is how the city will handle the automobile, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic throughout the city, Adkins said." Uh - he misspoke I think. HE doesn't do anything without thinking of downtown first....so....that should have been "throughout the downtown area". And - am I missing something? I haven't seen any backups or pile ups or pretty much ANY traffic backup in Middletown period. Makes no sense. ".....second phase will be initiated in 2019 to redevelop Middletown’s public transportation system to better move people to work and play throughout the city consistent with the updated housing policies now under development." Ah....there's that housing policy. How does that impact housing policies unless he's gonna blow up everything west of University? Oh yeah - this study is going to depend on another study and set of policies that aren't yet complete. What a total and complete waste of time and money! "...the second phase will also look at excess pavement locations, downtown traffic calming, new housing subdivisions and their effect on traffic flow, bicycle paths throughout the city..." First and most glaring - new housing subdivisions? People are LEAVING THIS CITY - not pining to live here. Down town traffic calming?!??! I was down there last week and sure enough - that traffic needed calming, why it was me and one other car stopped at a crosswalk where the school kids activated the crossing signal but didn't actually cross the street. Someone please save me from such horribly non-calm traffic! Let's spend the money on bringing jobs back to our city - then maybe we will have some problems actually worth solving!
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"Every government intervention [in the marketplace] creates unintended consequences, which lead to calls for further government interventions." -Ludwig van Mises
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itsamee
MUSA Resident 
Joined: May 03 2013 Location: Middletown Status: Offline Points: 154 |
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Posted: Oct 30 2018 at 2:15pm |
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Budda,
A couple years ago at the city planning events (where they took the opinions of Middletown Residents on what Middletown should do) adding bike lanes was one of the most popular desires. Many wanted them for easier access to schools, downtown, the bike trail, etc. As for the traffic calming, it is a bit of a pain on weekends and when there are events. While during the week there are only a couple of rush times (early morning and evening) there is considerable congestion Friday and Saturday evenings. What they can actually do to alleviate the issues, I dont know. I wouldnt say it is horrible. But it is something that should be looked at.
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Itsa me, mario!
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Mike_Presta
MUSA Council 
Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483 |
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Posted: Oct 30 2018 at 3:55pm |
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Itsame, "Traffic calming" will not alleviate traffic congestion, it makes it WORSE. "Traffic calming" is government-speak for IMPEDING traffic in the hopes that motorists will do some window shopping while they are stuck in the "calm" traffic and perhaps decide to stop and buy something. It almost always backfires and results in less traffic as motorists find faster routes around the resultant traffic jams and avoid the areas that the idiots, oops...I mean government planners...were trying to draw them to in the first place. |
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“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012
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buddhalite
MUSA Citizen
Joined: May 11 2017 Location: Middletown Status: Offline Points: 499 |
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Posted: Oct 30 2018 at 9:31pm |
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I'm with Mike on this one....
Traffic Calming: wikipedia literally says it's to potentially reduce traffic flow.... When there's some event - traffic will always be worse - just the nature of the event. Does it mean we should waste many thousands of taxpayer dollars to study it? These people are wasting our money day after day - and we the hard working people of this city have not one positive thing to show for it. Time to stand up and vote them out. We need a charter amendment that puts local elections on presidential ballots....
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"Every government intervention [in the marketplace] creates unintended consequences, which lead to calls for further government interventions." -Ludwig van Mises
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VietVet
MUSA Council
Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008 |
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Posted: Oct 31 2018 at 5:41pm |
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buddha:
"Time to stand up and vote them out". Been saying this for years on this forum. Problem is, the people who could supply the voting power to force them out are the same people who do not register to vote and who sit on the couch watching TV while being no shows at the polls to make a difference. People in this town simply don't care enough to change a dam thing no matter how bad it gets. Apathy surrounds us as the city continues to slowly go down the tubes. Until we see people care enough to vote the problem children out and replace them with competent candidates with an entirely different agenda, we will continue to see the city on it's current path of destruction. The cloned, MMF sponsored candidates have a stranglehold on city politics and have had for decades. The change will occur when enough voters outnumber the MMF voting block seen in every election. Don't see that happening anytime soon. If the rest of the city got as much attention as the dam downtown area, the city would be better for it. That's not going to happen either. |
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I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
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buddhalite
MUSA Citizen
Joined: May 11 2017 Location: Middletown Status: Offline Points: 499 |
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Posted: Oct 31 2018 at 10:07pm |
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I don't disagree at all...
...but humor me for a minute.... Why does no one who is the candidate you describe running for office? In my years in Middletown - there was only one I can remember who ran, and won - but found being one... isn't any victory. Why aren't the people of this forum standing up and running?
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"Every government intervention [in the marketplace] creates unintended consequences, which lead to calls for further government interventions." -Ludwig van Mises
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VietVet
MUSA Council
Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008 |
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Posted: Nov 01 2018 at 8:07am |
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Josh Laubach comes to mind as an example of a decent, caring candidate who asked the hard questions and was the only council person to have community forums at Wildwood CC and other locations. I did notice that when Josh had his forums, Larry Mulligan and Anita Scott-Jones were present, no doubt to "monitor" his responses to the questions being asked. Don't know for sure but putting two and two together, I would guess that he, Mulligan and Scott-Jones had some "teaching moments" for the young council member back then. He started out strong in his commitment to the people and left appearing to be frustrated to me. I got the impression he seemed to be placed in the backseat and was ostracized for supporting the average citizen. This, of course, happening behind the scenes.
People here don't run because they don't want to play the game that is required sitting at the council desk. They don't like the policies, the theme, the city direction and focus and the excessive money placed in the downtown to protect the S. Main St. influential people's property including Mulligan. It just isn't worth the hassle of campaigning, winning and then finding out, even with best intentions, your opposing ideas aren't heard and eventually, you are treated like an outcast on council with an inability to have your ideas considered. The current block of MMF puppets will not entertain your new ideas if they deviate from their designed game plan. If you are a boat rocker, you stand no chance of influencing this city government. They will not listen to new ideas. Been going on for decades. Don't believe me? Try going before council at the podium for three minutes and see for yourself. If they like what you are saying and you are massaging their egos and it goes with their gameplan, you get more than three minutes before the little light goes on. They will listen intently. If you offer anything outside the realm of their gameplan in a complaining fashion, they are not open minded enough to listen to your comments and the light goes on at the three minute mark. They are distracted and "shuffling papers" while you speak. They would like to shut you down earlier than that if it didn't look so obvious. The city has always had their have and have nots, their inner circle favorites and those considered less important. Influential families get you recognized here. Always has. A real boss hogg, backroom backslappin' kind of environment down at city hall. Just pay your taxes, keep your mouth shut and don't interfere with daily business UNLESS you agree with what they are doing to this city. JMO |
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I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
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buddhalite
MUSA Citizen
Joined: May 11 2017 Location: Middletown Status: Offline Points: 499 |
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Posted: Nov 01 2018 at 9:29am |
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I have always been treated with kindness - rapt attention - of course my viewpoint went over like a fart in church each time, but I havent had that experience.
This election cycle we elect THREE members of council. We need THREE of us to stand up and stand out and run - we get all three elected we now have a majority and it no longer mattes what the MMF puppets think, say or do, right? As I have said many times before - who will it be? Whom will it be? When the first one stands up it'll encourage the second person then the third will be easy. But it's gotta be some of us....
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"Every government intervention [in the marketplace] creates unintended consequences, which lead to calls for further government interventions." -Ludwig van Mises
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middiemom
MUSA Resident
Joined: May 21 2014 Status: Offline Points: 192 |
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Posted: Nov 01 2018 at 10:12am |
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Hahahahahaha! Bob, this discussion comes up every election or so. The we need to have people on this site run for office is old and tired. They talk a big game but when it comes down to it NONE of you put your money where your mouth is. Save for Mike Presta. Just a bunch of blowhards with the same old tired message and no guts. We have people who actually are trying to make a difference and all you want to do is tear them down. SHAME!!!
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Middletown... Bright past BRIGHTER FUTURE!!!
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acclaro
Prominent MUSA Citizen 
Joined: Jul 01 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1878 |
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Posted: Nov 01 2018 at 12:22pm |
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Firstly, regarding studies, and such, the chief bottleneck in Middletown, is the train running to AK. Other than that, and a decision to close streets for events, parades, walk around outside from bar to bar with open carry, there isn't a need for a study. Is it a duty, responsibility, to look forward? Of course. Is it mandated by a study, as if some master plan is required, for the enormity of traffic downtown? No. Not at all.
Secondly, if one were to post what has been said here a decade past forward, one would just insert IBID, over and over. Its the same caption, same story, same end game. FACT- Middletown has the highest taxes in Butler Cty. FACT- schools are not advancing in performance nor status. FACT- Housing stock is not rising, in spite of the false increase in taxes in Butler Cty, including Middletown, that only exacerbates a very bad situation that began years ago....IBID. Finally, to those willing to run, in contrast to those that don't, or won't. MEMO to Mom. Its apathy and realization this city is running on empty. Hamilton has done a better job only because there is enough students from Miami to pull from that area ergo Next gen, millenials, and Middletown just doesn't get the push nor pull-through. Good businesses downtown, the wine store nice ambiance, cool bike shop, but with exception of Triple Moon, most aren't visited or gain enough traffic to make their existence viable, other than tax write offs or break even status from enough city locals that do come in to keep them open before boarding then down. For those that run, great, but what has been accomplished? Go back again....10 years just on this forum, and status quo is an understatement. Its truly IBID. MEMO to Mr. Adkins. Its the trains that are the bottleneck, just like Hamilton, remnants for 60-70 years ago, that still flow blocking traffic.
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'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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itsamee
MUSA Resident
Joined: May 03 2013 Location: Middletown Status: Offline Points: 154 |
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Posted: Nov 01 2018 at 1:08pm |
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Ah, I thought traffic calming was something else. Putting in things like round-a-bouts or making things safer for pedestrians by diverting traffic. Intentionally clogging traffic on the otherhand seems like a bad idea.
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Itsa me, mario!
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VietVet
MUSA Council
Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008 |
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Posted: Nov 01 2018 at 5:05pm |
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middiemom:
"They talk a big game but when it comes down to it NONE of you put your money where your mouth is. Save for Mike Presta" Others who have participated on this site have run for office middiemom.....Paul Nagy and Nick Kidd come to mind. I'm sure there are others who have run for office as well. I have run for office in the past. Spiderjohn has been on numerous committees too. middiemom: "We have people who actually are trying to make a difference and all you want to do is tear them down. SHAME!!!" Yes and I congratulate you for your interest in the city and for trying to make it better. The problem is, that despite your efforts to date, the overall results have, quite frankly, been disappointing. First of all, the people who have started businesses in the downtown to make that difference, have been given taxpayer money rather than to have used their own money for a private enterprise startup. That is wrong to use public money for private endeavors. Additionally, the difference you mention has been in the form of businesses that do not entice blue collar people to visit. The demographics of Middletown do not support the new businesses in the downtown area. 95% of the people in this city simply are not interested in what the downtown has to offer leading to what we have seen.......a high turnover of businesses in the downtown and a lack of foot traffic. Gimmicks like the DORA are now used to entice people. The most successful event is the Bash series which features music enjoyed by the people of this city. The downtown business startups only attract 5% of the population at best. Unless those businesses pull from out of town, I can't imagine any having any reasonable foot traffic in their stores. My son and I tried Blast Furnace Pizza on a Saturday afternoon a month ago. I noticed, while sitting looking out at Central Ave., that there were few people on the streets, some traffic flow probably using Central through downtown from West Middletown as a cut through to go elsewhere in town. There were five people in the pizza shop including us. It was just dead down there. Went to Crabapple Bookstore and to the music/guitar shop across the street from Blast Furnace. You can find what they have at any flea market around here and the flea markets have many more people attending. No "shame" to it. Just the way it is as observed. Show some progress as to interest in the commodity. Show some crowded sidewalks. Show some actual life downtown and the "tearing down" will not be needed. Until then, any and all embellishment as to progress in the downtown will not be believed. I just don't see it to date. Flower planters, gimmicky storefronts, fancy flags on poles and signs and the "Old Tyme General Store mixed with some cultural/crafty/artzy stores" theme just doesn't do much for the majority living here. Most can't afford the prices nor are they interested in the artsy merchandise anyway. IMO. those who think they can mix a cultural/artzy theme with a blue collar community are out of touch with reality but they keep trying....after more than a decade. The theme of the downtown would go over better in Oxford or Yellow Springs.... not a historic blue collar industrial city. We are not upscale. We are a McDonald's type of town simply because of the income levels living here. To force fit the upscale, cultural climate is a mistake that will never happen here. |
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I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
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VietVet
MUSA Council
Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008 |
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Posted: Nov 01 2018 at 5:10pm |
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Welcome back acclaro.
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I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
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acclaro
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Joined: Jul 01 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1878 |
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Posted: Nov 03 2018 at 1:37pm |
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Thank you Vet. Just stopped in for a minute. I do hope your wife is doing better or at least, not declining.
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'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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VietVet
MUSA Council
Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008 |
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Posted: Nov 04 2018 at 2:34am |
Sadly, my wife passed away on May 10th at Sycamore Hospital. She died of endocarditis, an infection in her heart. Son and I miss her terribly. Thank you for remembering her. |
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I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
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acclaro
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Joined: Jul 01 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1878 |
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Posted: Nov 09 2018 at 8:25am |
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I;m very sorry Vet to learn of your wife's passing. You were very devoted, and caring.
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'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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