A recent article in Streetsblog pointed out that Brooklyn's Fulton Street mall, open only to buses and pedestrians, is the most successful retail strip in the city outside of Manhattan.

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I believe that buses can initiate development and community improvements. But compared to permanent infrastructural investments, buses cannot compete with streetcars, light rail, and proper transfer stations. Part of this is based on the permanence and stability infused with larger transportation projects, but it is also defined by a level of flexibility given by multiple transit options. The current bus system provides fantastic benefits to Cincinnati, but economic growth is not one of its major selling points.

I see this arguments defined by overall trends. If Cincinnati had never discussed options for advanced transit networks, then buses would be the primary transportation development initiator. But citizens know, developers wait, and investors analyze what and where the City will work on in order to determine a level of confidence in a neighborhood or block.