lafont

Just to be fair.... I complained I had to wait about 25 minutes for a new BRT at Euclid and MLK last Saturday afternoon, and I see that they're supposed to come no more often than every 30 minutes at that time (approx. 4 p.m.). I was thinking every ten or fifteen minutes.

Regarding my negative little tale from yesterday, I don't want to get the driver "into trouble." He knows better today, and it won't happen again. He was apologetic, sort of. I wanted to point out there are GCRTA employees out there who are not making sure a driver understands his correct route (and, in this case, how a bus is now supposed to be veered on Euclid). Driver and probably at least one supervisor at fault here.

Yesterday I waited for the 32 that was expected to leave Tower City @ 4:40.... It got to my stop late and coming from the wrong direction. I don't know the story, but when I got on the driver was in a spirited phone conversation wtih someone and said something about the route he had just taken. I wasn't paying attention when we got onto Euclid, but when we got to the shelter around E. 21st the crowd got on and loudly exclaimed he was in the wrong lane - the AUTO lane! Obviously, they had to cross over in front of the bus.... A minute later he started turning right down E. 22nd but, naturally, a bunch of riders shouted out he was to stay on Euclid.... What was the driver's response to all this? He hadn't been at work the day before when the 32 had changed to Euclid.... Don't all drivers expected to go down Euclid get some training in advance as to how the current lanes work? How could a driver get away with not knowing the exact correct route before he starts driving the bus (can't tell you how many times I or someone else has had to tell a driver which street or turn to take)? Needless to say, this driver needed to ask exactly how far he has to stay on Euclid, too.... Assumably today this ride will be a bit smoother!

Again: Why is there a traffic light near E. 66th that's not by a sidestreet?

JeTDoG - please keep in mind there is a good share of the population who doesn't do Internet, let alone have familiarity with specific websites. And "bus people" - which I am on a regular basis on workdays - surely count many of this population. Are you hinting there might be more 32 schedule changing in the near future, BTW?

As far as I know the BRTs were supposed to have run on Euclid every 15 minutes when I was there Saturday.

I see the 32 schedules aren't available yet - not even at the Tower City station. For shame! Should have been out several weeks ago. I know - there's little if any change in the times and it's only changing from Carnegie to Euclid - but people should still have the schedules to plan in advance. And when times change there's REALLY no excuse! The last time the times really changed the rep. at Tower City told me they're usually not out until the very week of the change!

Finally - my 32 bus OFFICIALLY went down Euclid this a.m. Saw a number of lights out. I see GCRTA can't quite get their spelling consistent; the electronic billboards read "Welcome to RTA's 'Health Line'".... The stations/shelters all looked sleek, anyway, with all that silver-tone "infrastructure" and blue lights, etc. Hope that's one thing that will make the public use that transit corridor than the 6 buses - all the high-tech-looking and well-lit-at-night shelters/shelters. Should be safer and more pleasant than waiting outside in the dark. Nicer in the daytime, too. And one can still wait outside, of course. It's just all more welcoming - and sophisticated and more like "other cities!" :wave: :clap:

Yes, I saw what you call a "fare box" quickly, I'm quite sure. Definitely had the slot for swiping, as we've been doing for some years. The 9 certainly used to go downtown on weekends, as my wife assures me as they often took the 9 downtown on Saturdays. I guess until now, then, those taking the 9 downtown would typically transfer to a 6 on Sat. or Sunday? That sounds the most likely, unless one took a 7 from the Cedar Rapid Station.... Someone please answer my three questions - please - in post of earlier today....

So, as the EC is supposed to be about finished, I reiterate: Does anyone know if more sidewalk tall streetlights are planned for the Cleveland Clinic area? There are stretches with long gaps, so I now wonder if they're yet to be installed at all? I see no clear reason as for the intended gaps, even if they have something to do with where there are central tall streetlights. Second, what is the purpose of those unattractive and low light-colored and cylinders in groupings by central strips? There could be a few together or a group of ten or so? Many are tilted and getting discolored? So are they permanent and what is their purpose? What is yet to be done other than the 120-or-so new planters, and when might their installation begin? More artwork? Thanks!

I guess you're asking about the Euclid side where Taylor's was? The top floor or two, on the Prospect side, were added in the '80s renovation! My agency created all new space within an open shell on one of those floors.

Did it yesterday. I had this image of big crowds of people, big crowds at each stop, many people all around the Avenue, etc. From my very limited perspective - mostly around Univ. Cir. and the final two hours, it seemed rather low-key for a Sat. afternoon anyway. Waited at stop by Euclid and MLK at least 25 minutes before BRT came. That sort of shattered my image too; who knows how long the previous one had come before I even got there. I believe two had passed going eastward meanwhile, and no 9s in sight, either. When I finally got on I had no time (I had time constraints) to go far west before getting another one, so I just went to E. 89th to get an eastward BRT. The first was totally filled with people (most I saw looked like college student age) so I had to stand near the driver - not a nice riding experience. The eastward BRT a few minutes later came quickly and had few on it. Anyway, I've been following everything along Euclid since 1973 and every detail about this construction so I hardly needed to catch a lot yesterday.... Question: I have a monthly pass I purchase through work; what to I do to ride the BRT? Nothing on the red machines in the stations or shelters mentions this; looks like I just get on with it in my wallet - right? Or am I supposed to something with it? I asked a driver yesterday if in the future I'm supposed to slip it in the thingy on the bus as I do now and he actually said "yes." And there actually was a machine next to him that looked lilke what the regular busses have.... I kind had thought we weren't supposed to do anything with the driver regarding riding opportunity - that it was all to be done at a station or shelter.... ????

I like the PD article phrase today: "two eclairs joined by a napkin ring." ! Yeah, yeah, I know about the editing option - just didn't do it that time.

I mean - I was standing right by them. I'm not just going by the photo here....

Hunter Morrison and Jane Campbell sure looked real friendly yesterday. Wonder if they'll get back together....

I didn't take any ('don't do digital, etc.), but considering where I was standing when many photos were taking of the the participants in the ribbon cutting, I might well be IN some.... One little thing: I wondered if anyone else noticed the unfortuniate situation whereby the two storefronts behind the speakers are vacant - the former (and apparently not-to-reopen Vivo) and the former cafe space to the right of the Arcade entrance....

Just out there - i.e. 1:15. As every other day, scanty crowd around the main blocks of downtown, including around Euclid and E. 4th. Incidentally, too bad Vivo didn't reopen by this time as they had said they would. Although they kept the tables all "set," I'm told they will not be back at all. Tsk! Besides the 120-or-so planters that are supposed to be installed by the spring planting time, does anyone know what is yet to be done? I haven't seen all that much artwork yet - and I understood there'd be a substantial amount around Univ. Cir., in particular - so what else has to be installed? I've got the planbooks but I'm sure a lot of the plans have changed since their production.

No, I think the 7s, 9s, and 32s are and will be only in the bus lanes, right? Unless they change to the curb lane between Playhouse Square and the Square. Actually I don't know if any of them will go down Euclid to the Square - probably not.

I saw one west of Public Square but, come to think of it, I think I first noticed the 6's taking the bus lane when Euclid Ave. was closed off, say, west of E.14th Street. I just haven't looked likely but you're probably right - they do run in the auto lane downtown 'til they hopefully come to a crashing halt by this Friday.

Just saw a 6 bus riding down the auto lane. Aren't they all supposed to be in the dedicated transit lane?

lafont, are the other routes running in the bus only lanes? and do you know if they will continue to once the healthline opens? Yes, the 32 is now running in the transit lane, and I read the 7 and 9 are also. Hence, the many 32 stops this a.m. Needless to say, we weren't picking up anyone right behind the 6 though, technically, someone on our bus, which came from the suburbs, could have wanted to exit on Euclid (I don't think anyone did 'til around CSU). Hopefully a new BRT schedule will alleviate this, but if they're to run every five minutes many hours a day it would seem we'd be right behind a BRT very frequently!

So this morning my 32 bus finally took Euclid, though it had been announced the change for 32 would not take place for another week! Still no new 32 schedules at Tower City station, etc. Guess the "technology" had been added to the 32 as it was supposed to be by today for the 7 and 9 after all. I've been waiting something like two years for our bus to change to Euclid, ever since I was amazed to hear it from a GCRTA person and then found there was a question about it. Following so many details during construction, and so frequently driving and walking around Euclid for so many months, what I saw was naturally no surprise of any kind, so I'll just briefly mention it was a bit dark to really get the true sense of the change this a.m. (nor did I have a window seat) and, more important, we were right behind a 6 bus and crawled along for many blocks when the 6 kept stopping. Didn't get the "quick-and-efficient," speedy image I was seeking. Even the driver expressed this to me when I was gettin off and mentioned they must have gotten their act together for the 32 to use the route a week earlier than expected.

I'm surprise if you couldn't open my link. The article popped up on my PC with no login required!

Hope you can open this: http://crainsclevelandbusiness.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081013/SUB1/810109931 :clap:

Glad if Mike the Hatter gets a little publicity. Hopefully all blocks around Euclid will benefit. And so glad the picketers (some 300 yesterday, it was reported) are gone from Cadillac Ranch. Enough is enough!