Connections...

Society as a whole is becoming more and more connected as technology advances.  We constantly see ads for "global networks," facebook and cell phone allow us to monitor the exact location of individuals.  For better or for worse, the American people have become a voyeuristic society, obssessed with celebrities, reality tv personalities and tabloid gossip. We like to be connected; in-the-know.  We discuss Brad and Angelina or Bieber's haircut over dinner or drinks as if they are our friends.  We love to people watch or in some cases, like to be watched, or at least noticed.  This is why so many people like airports - there is something unique and fun about seeing a rush of people mingled about; wondering where they are going or what there story is. 

In a sense, our morning and evening commute can replicate the same expereince.  For a given amount of time every day we share a bus or train with a number of other people.  There is a common bond or togetherness to this process and expereince, even if it can be unpleasant at times.  Ina  place such as Cincinnati. this bond is absent as most commuters ride alone in their cars.  A commuter hub within the suburbs provides not just a practical and economical solution to the issue of commuting, but it also fosters community and togetherness between the users.

The goal is to connect downtown with Kings Mills, a suburb 25 miles North of the city.  The graphic below shows the socio-economic distribution in Cincinanti along with the major highway routes.  As one moves further from the city core, the number of wealthy and upper clas households rises.  These are the individuals who are solely commuting every day.  The lower class residents closer t othe city do use the bus system.  The goal is to get the individuals in the blue and green zones on the bus, or hopefully light rail someday.

The connection to be made is highlighted along I-71, the bold red line.  This links the proposed site to the downtown transportation hub.