Poll: Thoughts On The Not Yet Open O’Fallon Park Recreation Complex

The $21-$22 million dollar O’Fallon Recreation Complex has been finished for a couple of months now but the facility remains closed.  This facility is the north side equal to the facility that opened in Carondelet Park on November 19, 2009:

The City of St. Louis wanted a new community recreation center on the City’s North Side to serve as a youth and elderly outreach facility, encouraging all ages to be engaged in the community. St. Louis City officials determined that there was significant interest in the North St. Louis area to support this new facility. The project is being funded by a one-eighth-cent sales tax approved by city voters in 2008.

The O’Fallon Park Recreation Complex is designed to achieve a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Silver certification for environmental design and sustainability. “This new project shows the City’s commitment to improving the quality of life in North St. Louis,” says St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay. “This building will be an amenity for nearby neighborhoods and will provide a fun, safe place for children, adults and seniors to go after school and on weekends. It will help make the community healthier, and will help make our northside neighborhoods better places to live and work. The positive impact of this investment will be enjoyed by the community for years to come.” (St. Louis)

But the operating agreement between the city and the YMCA have yet to be approved.

Alderman Antonio French says Mayor Francis Slay has cut a bad deal for his residents. French says the contractor hired to run the facility — the YMCA — wants to charge his residents and the city government too much money, yet can’t assure him needy children will get in for next-to-free. (stltoday.com) 

And the other side:

Jeff Rainford, Slay’s chief of staff, calls the rec center project the mayor’s “baby” and says he’s not sure why French, who was previously happy with the YMCA’s fee schedule and management proposal, is suddenly holding up the bill. The YMCA says they’ll be able to open the center 90 days after the bill is approved.

“Halfway through, he pulled the bill and started criticizing the mayor,” says Rainford. “We want people to be able to use it. It’d be a crying shame to build this palace on the hill and no one can use it.”

Rainsford [sic] says there will be 1,300 guaranteed scholarships given to kids and their families, 650 will be distributed by the Boys & Girls Club of Greater St. Louis, which is supposed to partner with the Y to provide children’s activities. In order to obtain the lower $25 membership, parents will have to show cause for need and bring in a pay stub or W-2 form. (Riverfront Times)

One issue French told me is YMCA formula for calculating a lower fee, the YMCA says their formula is proprietary information. French says that’s fine for other facilities but not one built with tax money and receiving $1.2 million per year operating subsidy.

Right now both sides have dug in their heels:

The YMCA is lined up to operate the rec center. But city aldermen are raising concerns over a $1.2 million subsidy it would need. That’s $500,000 more per year than an estimate done eight years ago.

It’s not clear exactly where the money will come from.

Slay’s office says under a current plan, 1,300 young people would get a $25 dollar- a-year membership for the center.

Alderman Antonio French says he wants commitments in writing. (KMOV)

No shortage of options:

There’s been a lot of back-and-forthing about who would pay what to use the facility and what discounts might be offered to low-income families. Mr. French told us he’d be satisfied if low-income families paid 60 percent of the planned family rate of $55 a month, or $33 a month. If 5,000 low-income families took advantage of a $22-a-month discount, $110,000 a year would be needed.

Here’s a plan: If all the civic groups and corporations who have bemoaned the lack of recreational opportunities in north St. Louis bucked up, 110 grand would be easy.

Mayor Francis Slay’s office thinks Mr. French is playing politics. He is a paid consultant to Aldermanic President Lewis Reed, who might challenge Mr. Slay for his job next year. Opening a new rec center on the north side before the March primary election might benefit the Slay campaign. (stltoday.com editorial)

So what do you think? Take the poll in the right sidebar (mobile users need to switch to full website). Poll results on Wednesday October 3rd along with my thoughts on the controversy and a look at pedestrian access to the facility.

— Steve Patterson

Readers: Passenger Rail Critical To America’s Future

Four out of five readers that voted in the poll last week think passenger rail service is critical enough to warrant federal financial support, I fully agree. Mobility is an important part of our society and the federal government subsidizes all modes — planes, trains and automobiles.

Let’s start with automobiles, our roads and bridges have been heavily subsidized over and above gas taxes:

Federal gas taxes have typically not been devoted exclusively to highways – Since its 1934 inception, Congress only temporarily dedicated gas tax revenues fully to highways during the brief 17-year period beginning in 1956. This was at the start of construction for the Interstate highway network, a project completed in the 1990s.

• Highways don’t pay for themselves — Since 1947, the amount of money spent on highways, roads and streets has exceeded the amount raised through gasoline taxes and other so-called “user fees” by $600 billion (2005 dollars), representing a massive transfer of general government funds to highways.
• Highways “pay for themselves” less today than ever. Currently, highway “user fees” pay only about half the cost of building and maintaining the nation’s network of highways, roads and streets.
• These figures fail to include the many costs imposed by highway construction on non-users of the system, including damage to the environment and public health and encouragement of sprawling forms of development that impose major costs on the environment and government finances. (Source: US Public Interest Research Group) 

And the massive subsidized road network needs further subsidizing because of deterioration:

Despite billions of dollars in federal, state and local funds directed toward the maintenance of existing bridges, 69,223 bridges — 11.5 percent of total highway bridges in the U.S. — are classified as “structurally deficient,” requiring significant maintenance, rehabilitation or replacement.

Two key problems persist: while Congress has repeatedly declared bridge safety a national priority, existing federal programs don’t ensure that aging bridges actually get fixed; and the current level of investment is nowhere near what is needed to keep up with our rapidly growing backlog of aging bridges. (Transportation For America)

And yes tax dollars are used to subsidize air travel:

Essential Air Service (EAS) is a U.S. government program enacted to guarantee that small communities in the United States, which, prior to deregulation, were served by certificated airlines, maintained commercial service. Its aim is to maintain a minimal level of scheduled air service to these communities that otherwise would not be profitable. This came in response to the Airline Deregulation Act, passed in 1978, which gave U.S. airlines almost total freedom to determine which markets to serve domestically and what fares to charge for that service. The program is codified at 49 U.S.C. §§ 41731–41748.

The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) subsidizes airlines to serve rural communities across the country that otherwise would not receive any scheduled air service. As of June 1, 2009, 152 communities were being served with a subsidy, of which 45 were in Alaska, whose guidelines for service are separate and distinct from the rest of the country. The decision as to what degree of subsidized service a community requires is made based on identifying a specific hub for the community and from there determining the number of trips, seats, and type of aircraft that are necessary to reach that hub. (Wikipedia — includes details on subsidized routes)

The following routes to Lambert International Airport are subsidized through the EAS program:

• Jonesboro AR
• Decatur IL
• Marion/Herrin IL
• Quincy IL/Hannibal MO
• Burlington IA
• Owensboro KY
• Cape Girardeau / Sikeston MO
• Ft. Leonard Wood MO
• Kirksville MO

It’s good to keep smaller communities connected to larger cities. I wonder how many small government/tea party types realize their flight from their local airport to a hub airport is subsidized? Oh wait, they know:

Tea party lawmakers from rural areas were among those fighting the hardest to preserve taxpayer subsidies for airline flights into and out of small towns last year after senior Republicans tried to eliminate the oft-criticized program. Now, the House Appropriations Committee is awarding the program an 11 percent budget hike. (Fox News)

Hmm…

Which brings us to trains, specifically, Amtrak:

The size of the federal government’s Amtrak subsidies – nearly $1.5 billion in this fiscal year, when both operating subsidies and capital costs are included – has led many Republicans, including presidential nominee Mitt Romney and the chairman of the House transportation committee, to call for ending or greatly reducing Amtrak’s federal support. (St. Louis Beacon) 

As you might expect, Washington doesn’t agree on Amtrak:

The GOP platform takes a harsh tack on Amtrak in particular, which has been a frequent target of Republicans on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. (The Hill)

Versus:

For President Barak Obama, Amtrak symbolizes a communal investment in the American infrastructure that enables and catalyzes economic growth. (CBS News)

We’re getting closer to seeing benefits from the investments that’ve been made in rail transportation infrastructure:

The first test runs of 110-mph passenger trains in Illinois are scheduled to begin by the end of this month. But speed is only one piece of the test.

Transportation regulators and Amtrak also will monitor an automated system of crossing gates and lights intended to accommodate trains, motorists and pedestrians. If the system works as expected on the Amtrak line between Dwight and Pontiac, plans are to extend the upgrades to the remainder of the route downstate.

The target is to begin faster service between Chicago and St. Louis in 2015. (State Journal-Register — Springfield IL)

As you might expect, I’ve been happy with the investments made in rail to improve passenger and freight service. If Amtrak is privatized many communities will find themselves without service because that route wouldn’t please stockholders.

Background on Amtrak from Wikipedia:

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak (reporting mark AMTK), is operated and managed as a for-profit corporation and began operations on May 1, 1971 to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. “Amtrak” is a portmanteau of the words “America” and “track”. It is headquartered at Union Station in Washington, D.C.

Although the Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970, which established Amtrak, specifically states that “The Corporation will not be an agency or establishment of the United States Government,” the federal government (through the United States Department of Transportation) does own all issued and outstanding preferred stock in the company. Common stock was issued in 1971 to railroads that contributed capital and equipment; these shares convey almost no benefits but their current holders declined a 2002 buy-out offer by Amtrak. Amtrak also receives annual appropriations from the federal government to supplement operating and capital programs. In Fiscal Year 2011, the U.S. Congress granted Amtrak $563 million for operating and $922 million for capital programs. Amtrak points out that in 2010, its farebox recovery (percentage of operating costs covered by revenues generated by passenger fares) was 79%, the highest reported for any U.S. passenger railroad. The members of its board of directors are appointed by the President of the United States and are subject to confirmation by the United States Senate.

Amtrak employs more than 20,000 people. It operates passenger service on 21,200 miles (34,000 km) of track primarily owned by freight railroads. Amtrak operates more than 300 trains each day – at speeds up to 150 mph connecting more than 500 destinations in 46 states and three Canadian provinces. In fiscal year 2011, Amtrak served 30.2 million passengers and had $2.7 billion in revenue.

Amtrak’s origins are traceable to the sustained decline of private passenger rail services in the United States from about 1920 to 1970. In 1970, in response to the decline, Congress and President Richard Nixon created Amtrak, which was to begin operations on May 1, 1971. The Nixon administration secretly agreed with some railroads that Amtrak would be shut down after two years. After Fortune magazine exposed the manufactured mismanagement in 1974, Louis W. Menk, chairman of the Burlington Northern Railroad, remarked that the story was undermining the scheme to dismantle Amtrak.

Nixon and his secrets…

Here are the results from the poll:

Is Passenger Rail Service Important To America’s Future?

1. Yes, even with federal support 104 [80%]
2. No 9 [6.92%]
3. Yes, but not with federal support 13 [10%]
4. Unsure/No Opinion 2 [1.54%]
5. Other: 2 [1.54%]

The two other answers were:

1. Yes, but on a regional basis.
2. Yes, but the infrastructure needs to be built comparable to Europe.

Remember these polls aren’t scientific, but they do reflect the views of an urban audience.

— Steve Patterson

Poll: Is Passenger Rail Service Important To America’s Future?

Passenger rail service, Amtrak, is a topic in the 2012 elections. Republican candidates vow to remove federal funding from Amtrak as ridership is increasing and stimulus funding is updating infrastructure. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has invested billions in our national railroad infrastructure, working toward improved rail service for passengers and transporting goods.

Between New York and Washington, Amtrak said, 75 percent of travelers go by train, a huge share that has been building steadily since the Acela was introduced in 2000 and airport security was tightened after 2001. Before that, Amtrak had just over a third of the business between New York and Washington.

In the same period, Amtrak said, its market share between New York and Boston grew to 54 percent from 20 percent.

Nationally, Amtrak ridership is at a record 30 million people; the Northeast accounts for more than a third of that and is virtually the only portion of Amtrak’s system that makes money. (Frustrations of Air Travel Push Passengers to Amtrak)

I’ve taken numerous trips via Amtrak in the last few years and think it’s a great way to travel. No form of transit is without subsidy, we subsidize all other forms of travel.

Which brings us to the poll question this week: is passenger rail service important to America’s future? The poll is located in the right sidebar.

— Steve Patterson

No Surprise, Readers Pick McCaskill Over Akin

Nobody should be shocked that readers overwhelmingly selected Sen. Claire McCaskill over Rep. Todd Akin last week. Readers of this blog are largely from the City of St. Louis, the opposite of voters in Missouri.

Q:  Which candidate do you want to be elected the next US Senator from Missouri?

1. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) 143 [71.86%]
2. Rep. Todd Akin (R) 35 [17.59%]
3. Neutral/unsure/no opinion 21 [10.55%]

Without a doubt McCaskill will carry St. Louis. In the 2006 general election McCaskill received 95.56% of the vote in St. Louis, Republican challenger Jim Talent received just 3.6%. (two minor party candidates made up the difference)

The 2006 statewide numbers were very different. McCaskill received 49.6% of the vote to Talent’s 47.3% (see results).

Akin would be bad for urban cities. Akin voted against HB2847 (Employment, Infrastructure, and Transportation Appropriations) in December 2009, for example. Other nays include reauthorization of Amtrak. See Akin’s votes on transportation bills here.

Please join me in supporting Sen, Claire McCaskill on November 6th.

— Steve Patterson

A Front Yard Vegetable Garden In Ferguson Missouri

In July one modest house in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson got the attention of many:

A Ferguson resident has won a battle with city officials that could be considered a matter of taste.

The resident, Karl Tricamo, had been feuding with the city for months over the vegetable garden he had planted in front of his house in the 300 block of Louisa Avenue.

The city saw the garden as a blot on the landscape and issued Tricamo a citation demanding he uproot the corn, tomatoes, sorghum, peppers and other crops sprouting there and, instead, seed the yard for grass. The garden measures 35 feet by 25 feet. (stltoday.com)

Other resources:

• Treehugger.com: Stay-at-Home Dad Wins Right to Front Yard Vegetable Garden
• Riverfront Times: Ferguson Man Fights to Grow Veggies in Front Yard
• Owner’s blog: VegetableYarden in Ferguson, Mo.

Numerous pictures were circulated on Facebook & Twitter as front yard gardening advocates celebrated this victory. But all the pictures concentrated tightly on the garden, I wanted to understand the context. I went to Google Maps but no streetview was available just an aerial.

I knew I wanted to see the garden and street in person but it’s a 12+ mile drive — and I don’t have a car. So I caught a bus at the North Hanley MetroLink station and I was within blocks.

In an older neighborhood with mature trees locations for a vegetable garden are often limited, most vegetables need full sun.  I applaud Tricamo for fighting the City of Ferguson so he could grow food for his family.

— Steve Patterson