Grumpy

I assume it's a little bit of both. Unless Strickland's really not feeling up to a campaign (he's no spring chicken) it's probably safe to assume that a poll has been taken. And unless he's had his mind made up for a while (and is just now letting people know) he's probably heard both encouraging and discouraging voices from within his political circle.

I'm thinking that a coach out of the NFL for a few years is about as ready as someone that's been an offensive coordinator for a few years but never been in a head coach position. There's going to be a little learning curve, but the only guys out there with recent experience as a head coach in the NFL that don't already have a job are the guys that just got fired.

Personally, I've still seen heavy usage on the #0/39/39F all the way out to Shoregate. If anything, I'd say the extension of the #30 out that way has increased ridership. That's occasionally true, but I can typically get a seat after everyone gets off at Dave's and can often get a seat to myself after the highrises near 260th in the afternoon and evening (and I've seen similar numbers of riders during morning rush hour). I've been thinking about the possibilities a lot for the last few days, and frankly if they just pushed the 30 out to Shoregate during the busier hours (instead of just evenings and weekends) and timed it to pass St Clair around the same time as the 1 and arrive at Windermere a couple minutes before the Healthline leaves it could probably solve some of the same goals as the options the study is looking into as far as improving the ride to Windermere. You could combine that with pushing the HL out a couple stops to Noble to shorten the 28, 37, and 41 and save some funds. For that matter, it would upset a few people, but if you had a bus running much more frequently between Euclid and Lakeshore, you could consider merging the 30 with the 37 as they run fairly paralel between Euclid and Lakeshore. I'm guessing that'll be explored in the study when they consider the option that basically runs up the 30 route, but upon further thought, it might make more sense to at least consider running the Healthline on the 37's current route north of Euclid and then push it a couple blocks east at the end from 185th to 222nd. You could then reduce frequency on the 30 and have it meet the new extension of the HL in N. Collinwood; You could end the 37, 41 and 28 somewhere around Taylor, Coit and Euclid. Edit: To make it easier for me to visualize and so I can zoom in and look at the neighborhoods in question, I drew all of the potential options from JeTDoG's map onto a Google Map. (The green line on it is the 37 as mentioned in the last paragraph.) https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=203308980444636244129.0004d2b8a91a1f1bc76c9&msa=0&ll=41.571279,-81.532974&spn=0.136644,0.329247

I really do like the idea of using Noble as an endpoint of the HL, but I want something more ambitious. Damn reality, always getting in the way.

^From my annecdotal experience riding the 28, Euclid Ave dies (ridership wise) east of Nottingham/185th not Noble. St Clair's ridership also dies around Nottingham on the 1. Lakeshore's ridership dies down just east of 222nd on the 39F/39/30. I think my opinion is going to depend on the details of the options explored. If the options on extending the HL involve simply extending the route and having it stop every quarter mile, then I agree with Ken there's no need for a study to tell them this isn't going to draw significant ridership. I suppose if they're looking for advice on what routes can be consolidated and how best to do it, but want to keep their options open then it's not a waste of time/money, but then my hopes were gotten up for nothing. If they can reduce the number of stops on some of the roads being studied so that the HL can save time for commuters, it might be an improvement, but I'm still assuming at best we're getting slightly modified bus routes to consolidate a couple routes and improve service on the newly consolidated line, and am satisfied with that. (Obviously I'd prefer to see the Red line extended, but I refuse to get my hopes up about that happening.)

^Thanks for the info! Any of the options shown could be an improvement over the current options. Now we get to speculate about the actual options that will be considered for a few days.

I'd guess Laketran is curious, I know they asked about UC when they did a survey earlier this year, but I don't know if they're willing to consider putting up funds toward studying. (I honestly assumed that a part of the reason they included that question on their survey was because I've been annoyingly persistant in asking them about service to the area.) If they just said E 185th, that might mean 185th and Euclid, or it might mean Euclid Hospital. I had hoped they'd consider something on Lakeshore as well.

The Browns probably are in as good a shape as they've been since expansion (not saying much but still).

I'm not sure why this is a surprise. If the study suggests a Red Line extension, they could extend to 185th with only one branch line crossing, minimal demolition, avoid the NS switching yard between Chardon and E222nd and still have the ability to extend further. Also regardless of bus or rail extension, if you're going to go halfway to the county line with frequent service and then make people transfer there, 185th makes as much sense as anywhere else as it's probably the densest neighborhood in that area and RTA already has a handful of routes that either terminate there or pass through. Euclid Square Mall is a little bit of a surprise, unless RTA is considering moving the Park & Ride. While I'm hoping for a Lake County extension, I have low hopes. I'm still expecting that this whole thing will result in slightly better/more frequent bus service.

^^It's been a few years since I rode the blue line daily, but Buckeye seemed to get a lot more riders than E79th. Probably because the clinic traffic will take 93rd while the rest of the UC traffic continues to 105th. True, good point. I just hope the third line terminates in a turn lane instead of a sudden merge. Agreed, major pet peeve if it doesn't.

Sure it makes it easier to commute to UC from the west side, but there's already plenty of people doing that, just using Chester or Carnegie from the innerbelt. I don't see this as significantly sprawl inducing if it's not a freeway.

Probably because the clinic traffic will take 93rd while the rest of the UC traffic continues to 105th.

If the lights are timed properly it might be competitive time wise. That area could use $220 million in many many ways and roads wouldn't be my first choice, but it already has plenty of transit relative to its population. Now, improving the rapid stations and building some TOD would be a good use of funds, but if you're advocating spending that much on transit, I'm curious in what way.

That's a huge improvement over some of what we were hearing early on, but I still don't trust ODOT not to screw it up.

I thought Heckert was doing OK, I disagreed with some of his choices, but he was doing better than average. He's got a future in the NFL and will probably not have trouble finding work. Shurmer didn't really get a fair shot IMO, he had a start over year in 2011 but without a training camp, then a rebuilding year with the youngest team in the league during which they improved throughout the year. He definitely made a lot of mistakes and I'm not too sad to see him go, but he didn't really get a fair shot. If he continues learning and growing as a coach, he might have a future too.

^You have to compare square footage per floor and layout of each floor.

So we can gerrymander the Senate and the House?

Crazy idea, but I like crazy. I doubt RTA would like it, they seem to think their trains can't run unless they have a double tracked exclusive ROW. Would platforms at the height of the current Red Line preclude freight operations? I seem to recall reading somewhere that high platforms often get in the way of freight trains, hence the popularity of low platforms where the line is shared. Or are you still assuming that we'll eventually move to multilevel cars so that it wouldn't be an issue? I suppose since you're proposing self-propelled cars, you can assume whatever level platform you want.

As far as I could tell through the snow on a quick walk over there, no visible construction at 27 Coltman, but maybe I missed it. I was in a hurry to get back before my feet froze or my boss noticed I was taking an extra couple minutes at lunch. Try to get us a picture so we know what you're talking about.

Sheesh, no pictures? Now I'm going to have to walk over there at lunch in the snow and try to see what you guys are talking about.

I suppose I should have pointed out that my suggestions were meant in jest. Drive safe. I tend to forget that when being a smartass on the internet, no one can tell in what tone I'm commenting.

Based on tomorrow's weather forecast, my suggestions depend on your definition of "friend". If this is merely a good aquantence, give them directions to somewhere for breakfast, then tell them to take the PARTA bus from Tower City. If this is a good friend, meet them at 5:30 with a 6 pack and walk them to the bus (by the time they get down to Kent and then transfer to a bus into Ravenna in tomorrow mornings weather they should be sobered back up.) If this is someone that you have any intention of sleeping with, then suck it up and drive them but be careful.

I was going to point out that we've had snow already, but apparently they don't count dustings.

I had a birthday a couple days before you, though it was a bigger number than 30.

No. That was easy.