theguv

Backers favor Bus Rapid Transit over rail for cost, convenience By Eric Pryne Seattle Times staff reporter ............

i suppose it's because any system put in place to ENFORCE payment costs money both upfront and maintenance over the long run

GCRTA offers all day riding for $3, which sounds simple enough. however the fare collection remains a mystery. it certainly is strange (to residents) and likely perplexing and frustrating (to tourists) when to pay and often where to board/exit. sometimes it's pay on the train, or pay at the station, or pay when you exit, or pay when you board, yada, yada, yada. i've been on the redline with my bike in the rear car and been forced to move my bike through two full cars in order to exit the train. bizarre. i talked with mr. calabreeze early last year at a ECTP meeting about fare collection and boarding. he said the ECTP (Silver line) will be an honor system and that eventually all RTA trains and busses will utilize the honor system. portland, oregon is the only other city i can currently think of that employs the honor system. thoughts?

KJP, can you please post the link to GCRTA's newly adopted? TOD guidelines and perhaps provide an analysis of sorts? )I know this was posted elsewhere but I'm having trouble locating it.) thanks always for your insight!

In regards to the Gothic architecture of the new (green) Case dorms, it should be said that many features, including some of the architectural detailing, are an aspect of the green/leed/sustainable architecture which was never addressed by Mr. Litt. more info here > http://clevelandgbc.org/pdf/CWRUNorthResidentialVillage.pdf

Issue Date: April 2006 Issue, Posted On: 3/30/2006 A City Within a City University Circle Inc. has set aggressive goals to create an urban district like no other in Northeast Ohio. Lyndsey Walker A weekend getaway to Cleveland’s University Circle will be at the top of many travelers’ lists in the next ten years, Chris Ronayne predicts. Picture this: a Friday night concert with The Cleveland Orchestra, a Saturday stroll through The Cleveland Museum of Art and maybe a Sunday spent at the Cleveland Botanical Garden before the trek back home. “It would be great if people came to visit for a weekend,” says Ronayne, former Cleveland city planning director, now president of University Circle Inc. (UCI). “We’re not there yet, but we want to be. We are building a world-class urban district.” Ronayne sees University Circle as having a dual existence with downtown Cleveland. The Euclid Corridor transportation project is an important link in connecting the two hubs, he says. The project, which will transform a nine-mile stretch along Euclid Avenue by creating an exclusive center busway, will leverage more development for curbside appeal and will be a real estate catalyst, he says. In addition, the Opportunity Corridor, proposed by ODOT (Ohio Department of Transportation) to link I-90 and University Circle by making significant changes in ramp access, will ease traffic patterns from the West Side. As a growth engine in Cleveland’s economy, University Circle’s one square mile represents nearly 25 percent of the city’s gross domestic product. Scheduled projects, either underway or in planning stages, total $1.5 billion in overall capital expenditures in the near and distant futures. Such projects include The Cleveland Museum of Art’s $258-million expansion and renovation, the Cleveland Institute of Art’s $40-million expansion and University Hospital’s Ireland Cancer Center’s $320-million expansion. In the next 10 years, the one square mile should triple in size and scale due to land pressures, with growth up and down Euclid Avenue. “UCI has incredible assets of a big city in a small setting,” says Ronayne. “We are Cleveland’s international gateway because patients, audiences and students are drawing in international exposure. We want to take our world-class health care, academic and cultural institutions and build off of them in the next ten years.” University Circle is rich in innovation, research and technology, which translates to future job creation. Over the next several years, The Cleveland Clinic’s Heart Center plans to bring on 1,500 employees; Case Western Reserve University’s West Quad research campus projects 4,500 new jobs; and the Louis Stokes Veterans Affairs Medical Center will bring an additional 1,000 to 1,500 jobs to University Circle when it relocates its Brecksville office here. Nearly 10,000 additional employees, plus the 16,000 students from Case Western Reserve University, the Cleveland Institute of Art and the Cleveland Institute of Music, creates new demands for housing. “We have developers calling us with plans to build high rises out here, as high as 20 stories,” he says. UCI has set a goal of bringing 20,000 new residents to the area in the coming years and, eventually, would like to get to the point where a few thousand units of housing are built each year. UCI has begun moving toward that goal with the initial estimated $23-million restoration project of Park Lane Villa, creating 93 up-scale apartment units and eight condominiums, overlooking Rockefeller Park. “We have the land to build housing, but it will be vertical,” he says. To entertain the influx of residents, patients, students and employees, University Circle needs to round out its urban district with an arts hub. MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) Cleveland has plans to move to the bustling corner of Euclid Avenue and Mayfield Road. The move is important for reinforcing a growing “uptown” arts district, complete with renowned museums, Severance Hall and the local galleries in neighboring Little Italy. Ronayne describes the district as “Tremont on steroids.“ “We want to create a place and not a patchwork of assets,” he says. “We need to connect our assets together with nighttime [attractions], restaurants and residents.” emphasis is mine Bravo for Chris Ronayne!! 1,000 units per year is a lofty goal, but U-Circle is unique in the country and perhaps the world and therfore deserves lofty goals and high expectations for design...

certainly every energy source has a trade-off. for instance, hydropower was (and still is) considered clean green energy for a long period of time. consider the recent and ongoing battle against hydropower on the cuyahoga. http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/summit/1141292380138340.xml&coll=2 as for the birds, i believe there are two major migratory bird paths that cross lake erie. one known stop over is dike 14, where they have counted something like 230 species! there certainly is a solution to this, but it requires research, which i imagine is being done in conjunction with the wind speed monitoring taking place on the water intake crib.

“In Bogotá, our goal was to make a city for all the children. The measure of a good city is one where a child on a tricycle or bicycle can safely go anywhere. If a city is good for children, it will be good for everybody else. Over the last 80 years we have been making cities much more for cars mobility than for children’s happiness.” -Enrique Peñalosa (former Mayor of Bogota) IMO, some darn fine words with which to consider the purpose of a city. thoughts? more in this good read from the excellent international magazine, Ode. http://www.odemagazine.com/article.php?aID=3977

apparently the birds are the reason that ODNR will block any proposal for wind turbines in lake erie. this despite the effects of mercury ( burning coal) on birds.

I came across this (e)Zine while doing some research on the Chicle Building. Check it out! http://www.decaying-industries.com/rnb/

Please move this if the topic already exists! Via the relaunched (and technically superior) version of greencitybluelake http://www.gcbl.org/planning/lakefront/dike-14 The city has released a masterplan for the 88 acre cuyahoga river dredge disposal site, Dike 14. Check it out at http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/lakefront/dike14.html This project has amazing potential for a city lacking "wild" natural spaces. It could certainly be a great exposure to nature for all the students in Glenville, let alone the rest of the city. Most inner city kids have little or no contact with wild lands. While to a small degree manicured, this masterplan seems to do a great job of letting the land tell the story. Hopefully this will signal a new willingness by Cleveland's Planning Commission to post relevant planning info online.

okay dude. sorry for not doing my hw. the drawings that are shown on page 4 of this thread certainly support the development of a second station entrance that lines up with the current platform extension. the second entrance would increase capacity in a system currently limited by very narrow staircases. thanks for posting the drawings.

this is great news for residents of columbus. cleveland public has been offering the highly successful early college program at Euclid and E. 19th for two years now. however the current location may not last much longer. there are also two more charter high schools along Euclid on the near east side of Cleveland's CBD. tremont, about 1.5 miles south of downtown, offers a public montessori to it's residents which began this school year. i believe the tremont montessori is the only project geared to local residents. what is projected market for the dwntwn columbus school?

this site has great connections to both larchmere and shaker square though i'm not exactly sure how it's being sold. i would certainly consider living here if they redeveloped the old hospital building as both larchmere and the square are vibrant and the buckeye area shows lots of promise. it's a great area for cycling as well. there is talk of moving a public library location into the old hospital building. there is currently a elementary and middle school at the corner and mlk and larchmere with a beautifully landscaped campus. the site also has a great transit connection at a stop (lower right corner of site) that could certainly use a makeover. anyone know of rta's plans for renovating this station? i think this development would be best marketed as a TOD. transit efficient mortgages would give everyone 15% more buying power, which might be critical for getting the hospital units renovated at a relatively low price point. consider that larchmere and the square can be reached by foot. downtown by train. cedar-lee, coventry, & little italy by bike. paradise if you ask me.

In regards to the orientation of the redline station at w. 25th and the capacity limitation induced by the narrow staircases, what is the feasability of increasing capacity via the addition of a second entrance. it should be noted that RTA plans to gradually change all fare collection to the "honor based system" that will be used on the silver (ECTP) line. this, of course, would reduce the necessary size and complexity of a secondary station entrance. take a look at the attached aerial. first off, we all know cleveland rocks and here we have the opportunity for an abbey rd station! the existing platform extends along the drawn red line. therefore, it would seem relatively easy to add a second entrance. furthermore, the land below columbus and left of abbey (in the trench) would seem to be great for development. take a look next time you are in the station. KJP, perhaps you know what the regulations are in regards to how close residential development can be to tracks? last, anyone know, where on this map the proposed CMHA development would be??

The Bonfoey Gallery? http://www.bonfoey.com i take it you are speaking of the west facing wall? i take it this will eliminate current parking spaces. are there any plans for the p.lot immediately west of the extension? this would seem to be important to playhouse square's image.

thanks for your insights redbeard. just out of curiosity, do you know of any blast furnaces that have been preserved? i thought bethlehem, pa was attempting to preserver theirs for a casino, which i suppose provides the kind of $$ you are talking about. as one of the urban archeologists that explored the mill (in the dark) it certainly was an amazingly massive space. as public art, it would be inspiring to see just the outline of the footprint of one of the buildings in order to appreciate it's scale and function. how do you suppose the story of steelmaking is best told at an interpretive center??

mayday, anyone can access rhodes tower. the elevator shafts are a bit confusing, so i would recommend the stairs as it will give you the added bonus of being able to see the windows on each floor. i believe the 5th or 7th floor has a nice view. but hey, regarding a great photo spot, try the 7th floor of the new federal courthouse tower. the lunchroom (public access) has great views west and north along the river while a rear 7th floor patio/garden has great views looking south along W. Huron. if you've never been, the building is well worth a visit!

I agree. The potential is too critical to pass up. Perhaps the CSU students on this thread could discuss that project at virtual levin? It would be a good discussion to have there as it would demonstrate the potential of VL to professors and eventually other students. I realize it is more difficult to conduct there, mainly because of habits, but I think in the end (if the discussion ever ends), we would be be very glad we did. Any takers? Pretty Please.... http://virtual-levin.urban.csuohio.edu/ Sorry, CSU urban students only at this time.

Gee maybe we have a similar state law that refers to railroads as highway? That would seem much to convenient, but who knows? I'm guessing it would'nt be posted online though? ;>)

good points mgd. i believe the flats project is much more suited to leed-nd because of the underused transit line running through it. the added concern of the river which prompts storm water/runoff issues seems to mandate added complexity and therefore creativity. the site is rich in creative potential. the avenue district seems like more of a blank canvas with far less constrictions/potential innovation though leed-nd certified would be nice for marketing. i'd guess the location of the project already makes it conducive to leed-nd standards.

Mr. DaninDC and other ECTP Detractors, With all due respect, might I offer you an new perspective on the potential of the Euclid Corridor Transportation Project. A true transportation project. After riding the redline brt in curitiba brazil this past summer, i have witnessed it being as efficient as a train in regards to capacity, frequency, and timeliness. As a transportation project, the ECTP will forever alter the way pedestrians interface with Euclid, Cleveland's main artery. the movement would entail walking or crossing a wide lane for pedestrians (sidewalk), then a lane of parked cars, a bikelane, a lane of traffic, two bus lanes with pedestrian landing pads (stations) at major intersections, another lane of traffic, a bikelane, a lane of parked cars, and a wide pedestrian lane. I believe this changes Euclid from a pedestrian barrier to a pedestrian magnet. minimal grade separation, especially for ped use, drastically reduces tripping movements while countdown timers on lights increase predictability. wi-fi doesn't hurt either. the bike lanes will be interesting. Yes, I agree money must be budgeted for bus and road maintenance. however, the bus lanes provide impetus for a life-cycle analysis of the buslanes, as RTA's efficiency in providing quality service is dependent on the endurance of pavement integrity. the eventual creation and utilization of a winterized rubberized paving (pothole resistant) in neo will spur innovation in the local polymer and cement industries. i think rubber sounds more comfortable than steel. ;>) in curitiba, the manufacturer of the brt vehicles, volvo, built a manufacturing plant on the tracks. cleveland has similar potential. Take a look at the potential of the public art, linked below, to further appreciate and imagine how this transporation project will completely change the way Clevelanders interface with Euclid Avenue. The potential at intersections like playhouse square (already a nice ped environment) and euclid&superior (e. cleveland downtown?) as well as the univerisites are really exciting! http://euclidtransit.org/timelines/images/PublicArtMasterPlan.pdf Might I politely add that Cleveland is not D.C. and thankfully never will be. It's certainly a fun city to visit though.

For what it's worth. Ohio Revised Code 5101.05 prohibits the use of highway funds (fuel and licensing taxes) for non-highway purposes. http://onlinedocs.andersonpublishing.com/oh/lpExt.dll?f=templates&eMail=Y&fn=main-h.htm&cp=PORC/27775/27777/27795 http://onlinedocs.andersonpublishing.com/oh/lpExt.dll?f=templates&eMail=Y&fn=main-h.htm&cp=PORC/2c3ac/2c68f/2c6a6 This has been in effect since 1948. Perhaps it's time to turn on the heat in having it changed? Does anyone have any info on limits on transportation funding in other states?

someone earlier remarked about the proposed design of the new student center in regards to the potential of a "signature" architect designing this key cornerstone of the campus. i can only tell you that csu is looking into it, but is a bit worried about the risk associated with it - especially in regards to maintenance issues. i.e. the gehry building at case which has police tape around it all winter....

It would be great WHEN this gets built if RTA could extend the platform a bit south and add another station entrance. as it stands, as with many redline stations, the staircase is too narrow for two people (moving opposite directions) to be using it at the sametime! hard to believe. yet the platform appears to narrow to accomodate a wider staircase, hence adding another one further south would increase capacity. anyone know why rta builds new stations with such narrow staircases? kjp?