Hopefully by now you’ve read Rochester’s Case for a Streetcar Line. If you haven’t, go read it. Go on, I’ll wait.
…Okay great, now here’s an update. Since that article, traffic to RochesterSubway.com has doubled, our Facebook fan club 
Archive: ‘Rochester News’...
Roll Up Your Sleeves. Let’s Reconnect Rochester.
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010Tags: Carlos Carballada, Carlos Mercado, Christopher Burns, DeWain Feller, Facebook, Howard Decker, Legend's Bar & Grille, Lou Gramm, New York, Reconnect Rochester, Rochester, Rochester NY, Rochester Streetcar, Rochester Trolley & Rail Corporation, RRTC, streetcars
Posted in Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure | No Comments »
High-Speed Rail is a Necessity
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
A letter to the editor in this week’s City Newspaper caught my eye tonight. It echoes many thoughts that have been rattling around my own head since the feds announced $151 million in high-speed rail money for New York—but stated much more eloquently than I could ever wish to. The gist of the commentary is clear from the title, “High-Speed Rail is a Necessity”. But the real golden nugget… and the point I’d like to scream from the top of Xerox tower… was this: News of high-speed rail funds should have been hailed as a positive breakthrough for our region. Instead it drew an avalanche of skepticism and negativity—two ugly characteristics that have become hallmarks of this town and will ultimately hurt us all.
Here is the letter from Roger Brown, president of the Rochester Regional Community Design Center…
Tags: County Executive Maggie Brooks, Democrat and Chronicle, high speed rail, New York, Rochester, Rochester City Newspaper, Rochester NY, Rochester Regional Community Design Center, Roger Brown, RRCDC
Posted in Opinion, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure | 1 Comment »
Rochester’s Case for a Streetcar Line
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
America seems to have taken a renewed interest in mobility. Maybe due to President Obama’s recent commitment to high speed rail—or perhaps the positive results seen in towns like Portland and Denver have caught our collective attention. Whatever the reason, from the top down, people are rethinking our automobile-oriented culture—and getting excited about the possibilities.
There’s also good reason to focus on transportation as a way of jump-starting economic development. Industry requires access to people. And people need to have easy access to centers of employment. Continually improving access makes further development possible. Interrupting access will have the opposite effect. Likewise, doing nothing or simply maintaining existing infrastructure for an extended period of time will also hinder development.
For 30+ years Rochester has relied on the infrastructure choices it made in the 1950’s, 60’s, and 70’s. At that time we made development choices that encouraged our population to emigrate from the downtown core. We scrapped our extensive streetcar system, choked off downtown with the construction of the inner-loop, and paved super highways to take us from the city to the NY State Thruway and beyond. Since then that’s exactly where our money, our workforce, and our future have gone—down I-490 and out of state.
Tags: 19th Ward neighborhood, Amtrak, B&L, bus, bus routes, Cornhill neighborhood, Denver, downtown Rochester, Eastman Theater, Fast Ferry, Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Greater Rochester International Airport, GRI Airport, hub-and-spoke system, infrastructure, Kenosha, Kodak Theater, light rail transit, light-rail, Main Street, Main Street Four Corners, Mark Aesch, mass transit, Midtown Plaza, Monroe County Civic Center, New York, Paetec, Park Ave neighborhood, Portland, public transportation, rail transit, Regional Transit Service (RTS), Riverside Convention Center, Rochester, Rochester Amtrak Station, Rochester Art Gallery, Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA), Rochester Museums, Rochester NY, Rochester Regional Community Design Center, RRCDC, RTS, SAFETEA-LU, Seattle, Small Starts program, streetcar, streetcars, Tampa, transportation, trolley, U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), University of Rochester, urban planning, urban renewal, urban revitalization, War Memorial Arena, Xerox
Posted in Opinion, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure | 26 Comments »
Harry Davis asks Rochester City Council to Give Up Their Cars
Saturday, January 23rd, 2010
Some of you may remember our story on Harry Davis last September. At that time Harry was running a long-shot campaign for Rochester City Council. He didn’t win any of the 5 open council seats. But that didn’t discourage him. He turned right around and announced he’d be write-in candidate for Mayor in November. Mayor Duffy squashed that dream pretty easily on election day. But Harry kept at it. He promptly asked to be hired by Mayor Duffy to lead a “green” urban renewal plan for the city. The Mayor turned him down.
So now Mr. Davis is coming at things from a different angle. Last month he formed his own Political Action Committee (PAC). According to Mr. Davis this new group stands for “green, sustainable development and transportation.” Davis affirms, “The importance of sustainable and efficient transportation for Rochester cannot be overstated. This would include light rail, high-speed rail, bike paths and additional pedestrian options – all of which should complement a rational and minimalist approach to automotive traffic.”
Tags: Bonnie Cannan, Broad Street, Center for Disability Rights, Equal Grounds Coffee House, green development, Harry Davis, Jackie Ortiz, Matt Haag, Mayor Duffy, New York, public action committee, Rochester, Rochester City Council, Rochester City Hall, Rochester NY, South Avenue, sustainability, transportation, urban planning
Posted in Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 3 Comments »
Party-On Rochester. BYOT! (Bring Your Own Train)
Saturday, January 16th, 2010
If you and the kiddies find yourselves moping around the house this winter watching the lint in your bellybuttons pile up, don’t blame the good people at the New York Museum of Transportation! That’s because NYMT is holding “Bring Your Own Train Sundays” every Sunday now through April 25. Visitors who bring there own model trains can take over the throttles under the supervision of museum volunteers. Visitors are also welcome to become a subway motorman for a day on the museum’s N-scale model of the Rochester Subway.
Tags: Casey Jones, HO scale, interurban, model trains, New York Museum of Transportation, NYMT, R&GVRRM, rail, railroad, railroad museum, railroad tracks, Rochester, Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum, Rochester Subway, Rush NY, things to do in Rochester, train museum, trains, transportation, trolley
Posted in Events, Rochester Destinations, Rochester News, Train/Railroad Stuff | No Comments »
A Rochester Church Organ is Featured in The New York Times
Friday, January 1st, 2010“The organ [at Christ Church, Rochester NY] is a unique instrument, not only because of its lovely sound, but also because it is a nearly exact copy of a late Baroque organ built by Adam Gottlob Casparini of East Prussia in 1776. The original stands in the Holy Ghost Church in Vilnius, Lithuania. There is no other contemporary organ quite like the one at Christ Church.” These were the remarks of Guy Gugliotta, writer for the New York Times in a recent editorial entitled New Pipe Organ Sounds Echo of Age of Bach.
My brother-in-law who lives in Delaware spotted the article in the NY Times and immediately sent an email to tell me he found another reason to come and visit us in Rochester—to which I wittily replied, “Like you need another reason?” But he was truly impressed—as was I. Having walked past the Christ Church on East Avenue a zillion times before, I’m embarrassed to say I had no idea there was such a local treasure inside. So last week, my family and I decided to break tradition and attend a 10 o’clock Christmas Eve service just so we could witness the Craighead-Saunders Pipe Organ first hand. My brother-in-law was so jealous…
(more…)
Tags: Adam Gottlob Casparini, Bach, Baroque, Christ Church, Christmas Eve, church, Craighead-Saunders Pipe Organ, Delaware, downtown Rochester, Dr. Davidsson, East Avenue, Eastman School of Music, Episcopal Diocese of Rochester, Goteborg Organ Art Center, Greek Revival, Guy Gugliotta, Holy Ghost Church, Lithuania, National Register of Historic Places, New York, New York Times, NY, organ, Prussia, Rochester, Rochester NY, Stephen Kennedy, Sweden, University of Rochester, UofR, Vilnius
Posted in Rochester Destinations, Rochester News | 5 Comments »
Happy New Year Rochester. 24 Ways to Give Back in 2010.
Thursday, December 24th, 2009
When I started this web site a little over a year ago I made a personal commitment to make sure I gave something back to Rochester. So I identified some of the things I value (education, community, family, etc.) and I did a little research to find local charities and organizations that matched up with those values. It wasn’t very hard really and didn’t even take that much time. Once I picked out a few good groups, the actual act of “giving” turned out to be the easy part!
So it’s the holidays and the curtain is drawing closed on 2009… maybe you didn’t give as much as you would have liked to in 2009. And now you’ve just sucked down a quart of eggnog so you’re suddenly feeling generous? Or maybe you’re looking for some volunteer ideas for next year. First, I’ll tell you about 4 things that RochesterSubway.com (that’s me) did in 2009 to give back. Then I’ll list 20 additional Rochester based charities and organizations that need your help…
Tags: charities, charity, donate, holidays, JA, Junior Achievement, new year, New York, NY, R.E.F., Rochester, Rochester charities, Rochester Education Foundation, Rochester NY, Rochester Regional Community Design Center, RRCDC, volunteer, WXXI, YMCA, YWCA
Posted in Opinion, Rochester News | No Comments »
The Rochester Public Market to Get More Parking and a Shuttle
Saturday, December 19th, 2009
My family has a Saturday morning tradition. We all grab our eco-friendly shopping bags and pile into our not-so-eco-friendly family car. But that’s alright. Even if my car is a clunker I usually feel a lot better about myself after a trip to the Rochester Public Market. I can’t explain it—this place just makes me feel good. So how do you improve on a good thing?
I recently heard a rumor that the cool people down at Rochester’s very cool Public Market were considering buying a trolley. Yup, that’d be an improvement! Is the rumor true? I asked James Farr, Assistant Director of Recreation for the City of Rochester.
Tags: City of Rochester, CSX, Friends of the Market, James Farr, Juan & Maria's Empanada Stop, Marketview Heights, New York, NY, railroad, Rochester, Rochester NY, Rochester Public Market, Rochester Regional Community Design Center, RRCDC, things to do in Rochester, tram, trolley, Union Street, urban planning, urban revitalization
Posted in Interviews, Rochester Destinations, Rochester News, Urban Development | 2 Comments »
Reader Opinion Regarding Broad St.
Friday, December 18th, 2009I recently invited my readers to attend a public meeting held by the City of Rochester and to make their voices heard. The purpose of the meeting was to inform the public about the Broad Street Tunnel Improvement Project which is slated to begin this Spring. The meeting was tonight and turnout was fair—not great, but I did get to meet a few RochesterSubway.com followers which was very encouraging!
Anyway, I wanted to share one opinion we got from a subscriber, Tim L., in response to our meeting announcement in which I pissed and moaned that the city failed to consider rail transit options for Broad Street. I don’t disagree with all of what Tim has to say, but I do want to hear more of your opinions on this, which is why I’m posting it here…
Tags: Broad Street, Broad Street Tunnel Improvement Project, canal project, City of Rochester, Erie Canal, New York, rail transit, Rochester, Rochester NY, San Antonio Riverwalk
Posted in Opinion, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 9 Comments »
Ray LaHood Announces Money for Transit Projects
Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009
BECKY BOHRER (AP) NEW ORLEANS — The federal government is making available $280 million for street cars and other public transportation projects aimed at creating jobs and more walkable, environmentally friendly communities.
(Will Rochester see a dime?)
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood made the announcement Tuesday at a streetcar barn in New Orleans. The city, which has been trying to overhaul its public transit system since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, was LaHood’s first stop on a listening tour on federal transportation policy.
The last transportation spending bill expired in September. While President Barack Obama’s administration has sought a reprieve into 2011, given the federal stimulus package that passed earlier this year and was aimed largely at public works projects, Congress hasn’t agreed to an extension past mid-December.
LaHood said there’s a “pent up demand” for infrastructure work around the country… (more…)
Tags: economic stimulus, federal stimulus money, federal transportation policy, Four Corners, Gov. David Paterson, government, Great American Streetcar Scandal, infrastructure, mass transit, Mayor Duffy, Mayor Patrick Duffy, New Orleans, New York, public transportation, Ray LaHood, Rep. Louise Slaughter, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester NY, Rochester Subway, Sen. Charles Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, street cars, transit, Transportation Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)
Posted in Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | No Comments »
Hot New License Plate Design or Hot Pile of #@&!?
Monday, November 16th, 2009
If you’re a New York motorist you’ve probably heard about Albany’s latest attempt to use your wallet to fix their budget gap. Beginning in May 2010 you may be required to buy a new set of plates
Perhaps being a graphic designer disqualifies me from passing judgement, but based solely on the proposed design, I say this is a bad idea. But let’s take an informal poll…
Leave a comment and let us know what do you think.
Tags: Albany, automobile, Governor Patterson, graphic design, license plates, new plates, New York, New York state, NY, NY state
Posted in Opinion, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure | 7 Comments »
Subway Tunnel To Be Filled. This time they mean it. Probably.
Saturday, October 10th, 2009
For decades it’s been an inconvenient truth for Rochester. The abandoned Erie Canal turned ghost subway tunnel has long been considered a ticking time-bomb. It’s widely known that the city has wanted to fill at least the west end of the tunnel for many years, citing critical safety deficiencies in the structure beneath the street surface. But, with Rochester’s ongoing economic struggles and estimates into the $10’s of millions, the project has been repeatedly delayed (or swept under the rug). Until now…
Tags: abandoned subway, ADROC, Advocates for the Development of Rochester's Canal, Broad Street, Broad Street Tunnel Improvement Project, Brown Street, Chill-the-Fill, City of Rochester, Denver, downtown Rochester, Erie Canal, federal stimulus money, Main Street, New York, Nick Tahou's, Rochester, Rochester NY, Rochester Regional Community Design Center, Rochester Subway, Roger Brown, RRCDC, RRTC, satellite image, subway tunnel, Tom Grasso, Tom Hack, trolley
Posted in Interviews, Rochester News, Rochester Subway | 22 Comments »
Rochester and Cincinnati transit maps shine in Monocle Magazine
Friday, September 18th, 2009
No it’s not for people with one eye. Monocle is a global current affairs magazine (published in the U.K.) with a sharp aesthetic and an editorial tone that suggests we can build a better world if we just think creatively about global problems. And wouldn’t you know, they took notice
Tags: abandoned subway, article, Cincinnati, Cincinnati Subway, Cincinnati Transit Map for Optimists t-shirt, Dream Machines, Monocle Magazine, New York, NY, OH, Ohio, Rochester, Rochester Subway, Rochester Subway map, Rochester Subway Poster, Sasha Issenberg
Posted in Rochester News, Rochester Subway, Subway Gifts | No Comments »
The Race is On
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009There are 14 Democrats running for five open seats on Rochester City Council. Primary Election Day is Tuesday, September 15, 2009. Meet all the candidates here so you can make an informed decision. Rock the vote.
Tags: campaign, candidates, city council, Democratic Primary, election, Interviews, New York, Rochester, Rochester NY
Posted in Interviews, Rochester News | No Comments »
A REAL Small Town: Rochester Miniatures
Thursday, August 27th, 2009A few weeks ago we showed you an amazing model railroad in Hamburg Germany called Miniature Wunderland. After we posted that story, let’s just say we were inspired.
May I present to you… Rochester Miniatures…
Downtown Rochester, NY with Genesee Aqueduct
Tags: Bausch & Lomb Headquarters, downtown Rochester, fake miniature photography, Genesee Aqueduct, George Eastman House, Germany, Hamburg, miniature, Miniature Wunderland, New York, NY, Photoshop, Rochester, scale model, tilt-shift, U of R, University of Rochester, UofR, Xerox Tower
Posted in Rochester News | No Comments »
Harry Davis for Rochester City Council
Sunday, August 9th, 2009
On September 15, 2009, there’ll be a gentleman on the Democratic primary ballot for Rochester City Council. Harry Davis is a big advocate for Rochester, sustainable urban planning, and rail transit …That’s all it took for us to take notice. Mr. Davis doesn’t have a long political resume or a lot of connections with big names. He’s a graduate of Brighton High School (1969), owned an antique store on Park Avenue, ran a small alternative Rochester newspaper called The Journal, and traveled around a bit while working as a video producer for Greenpeace. From my brief conversation with Mr. Davis, I’d say whatever he lacks in political experience he more than makes up for with heart and enthusiasm. Take this self-produced anti-RenSquare ad for instance…
Tags: Bill Reed, Brighton High School, Democrat, design charette, election, Evan Lowenstein, Greenpeace, Harry Davis, High Falls, high speed rail, Joni Monroe, Mayor Duffy, New York, NY, Renaissance Square, Rochester City Council, Roger Brown, The Journal, urban planning, vote, Working Families Party
Posted in Interviews, Rochester News | 5 Comments »
Maggie on Ren Square, “This is no fast ferry”
Sunday, July 5th, 2009
In a recent post I implored our readers to send Maggie Brooks an email and request that she listen to Mayor Duffy’s concerns about the Renaissance Square project. It took a while but I actually did receive a response from Ms. Brooks. There no big surprises in it. As expected she defends the project citing the federal dollars, potential new jobs, and the 11 years it’s taken the project to get off the ground (11 years and still counting). But there are a few points that seem rather curious to me—one of which is a “full return on investment [for taxpayers] within seven years. Sure sounds dreamy. Here’s Maggies full response…
Tags: Center City, city planning, downtown Rochester, economic development, high speed rail, highspeed rail, infrastructure, Maggie Brooks, Main Street, mass transit, Mayor Duffy, Monroe County, New York, NY, public transportation, Renaissance Square, Rochester, transportation center, urban revitalization
Posted in Interviews, Opinion, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | No Comments »
It May Be High Times for High Falls
Saturday, June 20th, 2009
For a little more than 4 years I’ve worked in the High Falls district
A series of midday concerts presented by Hochstein Music School and WXXI called Hochstein at High Falls
Tags: Bru, business district, Center at High Falls, Creator's Hands, downtown Rochester, Empire Brewing Co., entertainment district, ESL, flour mill, Granite Mills Park, High Falls, Hochstein Music School, Jillians, Jimmy Mac's, Keys Martini & Piano Bar, Kodak, laser light show, McFadden's, mixed-use, New York, nightlife, Nothnagle, NY, Parazin Building, Parry Building, Partners Building, plaza, Redwings, Rochester, Rochester Railway, Rochester Subway Poster, Saddle Ridge, Spin Cafe, streetcar powerhouse, The Mills at High Falls, Tiki Bob's, Tribeca, trolley, Urban League of Rochester Economic Development Corp., urban renewal, urban revitalization, WXXI
Posted in Rochester Destinations, Rochester News, Urban Development | No Comments »
Mayor Duffy Awakening
Wednesday, May 27th, 2009
The City Newspaper this week published an interview with Mayor Duffy, ‘It’s not too late to change’: Duffy on Ren Square
Tags: city planning, downtown Rochester, Maggie Brooks, Main Street, mass transit, Mayor Duffy, Monroe County, New York, NY, Renaissance Square, Rochester, Rochester City Newspaper, transportation, urban planning, urban renewal, urban revitalization
Posted in Interviews, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 1 Comment »
Gas Stations Pose Urban Design Challenge
Saturday, May 16th, 2009
On Monday evening, June 8, 2009, the Rochester Regional Community Design Center
I’ll talk more about those “urban design standards” and how you can help. But first, there’s a virus spreading across America…
Tags: architecture, Center City, city, city planning, design, design standards, downtown Rochester, Exxon Mobil, eyesore, fast food restaurant, franchise, gas station, infrastructure, Main Street, McDonald's, mixed-use, Monroe Avenue, Monroe County, multi-use construction, ordinance, Pittsford, Rochester Regional Community Design Center, Roger Brown, RRCDC, sidewalks, suburbs, sustainability, urban design, urban planning, urban renewal, Walmart, Webster, zoning
Posted in Rochester News, Urban Development | No Comments »
