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It's refreshing to hear anyone on council speak out against more park spending. Maybe corruption is losing its grip on us.

I would agree about representation, although that doesn't seem to be the main issue here.

They had a good run, tearing up all those parks and replacing them with different parks.

Tonight on the Red Line: there was a rapper face-off, between two white guys, and the winner was elderly. The crowd loved it and dubbed him Santa Claus.

A large number of concert goers would be stranded if they relied on a train that quits at 1:28. So they can't. Me, I'm too old for shows that late. But there are a lot of them. Seems like Rapid service would fill a larger need at 230-3 a.m. than at 430-5 a.m. when it's actually running.

Which is why I don't usually recommend the Rapid for nightlife. Which is unfortunate, since that seems like a significant component of the Rapid's potential market.

Now That's Class, Brothers, Phantasy and its sub-clubs, Spitfire, Bevy, the Foundry and Mahall's. Some of these are more accessible via 98th, some via 117th. Unfortunately Phantasy and Spitfire aren't long for this world. Go enjoy them while you can! Take the Rapid!

In particular, but I can think of 1/2 dozen more concert clubs within walking distance. Might be the biggest concentration of them in the region. Instead of promoting the Cudell rec center as a "popular destination" from W98th, maybe RTA should focus more on promoting the music scene.

There are definitely some problems around that station. Additional police presence would be welcome. I personally witnessed a large fight on the train that started at the W98th station. My brother's band no longer plays in clubs nearby because there have been so many robberies outside them.

I wouldn't call it a proximate cause but the casino certainly hasn't hurt. It's a 24-hour general draw right in the heart of downtown. Even if it hasn't performed to expectations financially, it has lit up an area that was dark for too long.

A lot of people on the east end of Lakewood (like me) drive to the rapid station every day. Parking lots at a train station can expand its reach considerably, which in turn expands the usage and popular support of the system. That doesn't mean walk-up stations in neighborhood hubs are bad things, hardly, I'm just saying there's value in both types. And while CERCLA does impede development of many industrial sites, most red line stations are within a five minute walk of a stretch of commercial street that's begging for redevelopment.

Keeping an existing system open for an additional hour or two would cost 8 figures? If that's the case, maybe it's time for stagecoaches again. That really sounds high. Regarding ridership estimates, I'd be interested in how and when those were derived.

The money I understand, but ridership cannot possibly materialize until after the service exists.

Chromium in Jersey City?

Wikipedia lists 15 US cities with heavy rail systems, and 33 with light rail. I don't know if "fairly common" is the proper term. Well, maybe RTA should be promoting its rail system more. That might even help to generate interest in new funding!

Cincinnati and Detroit? Their trains aren't rolling yet but will be soon. And that's kind of what I'm getting at, since those shiny new rail projects are happening nearby while we're limping along with obsolete stock and no plans for growth. I'm not saying we should be ashamed of what we have-- at all-- I just don't think it's among the best pro-Cleveland angles for our marketing. If there was serious talk of expanding one of the lines, that might be worth making some noise about. But instead, the end of the blue line is being blocked off.

MissinOhio I agree with your overall point, although I'm not sure about promoting our rail system as a feature since they're fairly common these days in a city this size. If we didn't have one, that would be a story. Thankfully we still do!

So good leaders can't become mayor here, or can't function in this system at all? I'm not saying you're wrong. But if that's true, it's a mighty big problem and we should probably deal with it post haste.

I would consider it one's current assessment of Jackson versus the universe of likely mayoral candidates. This cannot be the best we can do. I have to believe there is a better leader somewhere in this city.

No way to know that without seeing any names, so one's answer at this stage would probably depend on one's assessment of Jackson.

Why are they hiring the coach before the GM? It would be nice if we followed conventional wisdom once in a while.

It's obvious that we could do worse than Jackson, but it's imperative that we do better.

I love how Cimperman cited an East 4th resident saying they wouldn't want to live above an open container district. No problem at all living above 10 bars crammed into one block, with bands and crowds and outdoor patios... but letting people take their beer from one bar to another is just unthinkable!

Technically there's already a "Garrett Square" near the East Cleveland border named in his honor. Not sure if it has a statue.

You're right, never mind. Got my stories crossed. Garrett Morgan seems like a natural choice.