Foraker

"Just keep saying it and they'll believe you"? Your evidence is not very convincing. LOL -- because he's left of McConnell!

There's a lot to like about this idea if we are going to continue to design for the car (and having buildings on parking-lot islands). But that's an expensive proposition and I'm not convinced that that amount of new construction would be enough to justify the cost of the new interchange, roadways, and other infrastructure. Let's build something similar, but denser at an RTA stop away from the airport. A couple of hotels, some restaurants, mid-rise offices, long-term parking, and the rental car parking garages, and everyone leaving the airport rides RTA to get there (or stays on the Red Line and continues into the city). You could include the drop-off/pick-up lanes near that rapid stop as well. Save the airport property for the airport itself.

LOL. Where is the evidence of that? Progressives are getting a lot of press, but probably for the drama -- because they're not winning. Failing to cut the $7T-over-ten-years defense bill https://www.politico.com/news/2021/12/09/defense-pentagon-policy-progressives-523964 Failing to convince leadership to hold off on voting on the infrastructure bill before Build Back Better? https://www.vox.com/2021/11/5/22766086/infrastructure-biden-house-democrats-vote-pass-bbb-spending-bill Failing to pass Bernie's $6T-over-ten-years in social spending bill, failing to pass the social spending bill after cutting it to $3T and then $2T -- not even getting a vote... https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/586826-progressives-look-to-regroup-after-build-back-better-blowup Almost seems like the Senate leadership is playing the progressives... https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/11-senators-back-house-progressives-in-demand-for-passage-of-entire-biden-agenda

I understand the need for change, but I give him a pass on this for now. I would expect that finding a quality airport director is not something you can easily do between the election and inauguration. Better to leave the "ok, but meh" guy in charge for now, push him to do better, and revisit performance six months to a year from now. I expect that there are easier and more important positions to fill quickly.

"Yet." I think that is key. As the bike trails get connected to more places there will be more reasons to use them. I also think that the recent boom in electric bike options in combination with bike paths separate from car traffic is going to bring a lot more people out on bikes when the weather is nice.

I also wonder whether they are just planning to excavate the entire site now to get rid of all the old building remnants under the entire site. That could simplify future construction of a second building and cause less disruption to the by-then existing tower if/when the second tower is built.

This is the result of the "incremental improvements" that are an essential feature to improved rail travel, something that Kasich and the Ohio Republican Party generally failed to grasp when they complained about slow starting speeds.

Hey Cleveland -- there is even a local company providing ADA ramps for pedestrian access around construction sites. https://www.roadsbridges.com/city-columbus-tests-pss-boardwalk-temporary-ramp https://pss-innovations.com/safety-products/ada-ramps-platforms/boardwalk-temporary-pedestrian-modular-ramp

What's pitiful is that women don't have an inherent right to maternity leave but have to "earn" it or ask for an exemption from the "standard rules." The US is the only advanced nation not to have mandatory maternity leave rules. RTA did the right thing in negotiating the first-year maternity leave and having her take her vacation and sick time first.

But even when it's possible, all-remote also makes it really hard to onboard new employees, promote teamwork, or build loyalty to the company. No one feels good after a long zoom meeting. I expect we'll be seeing a mix of remote and in-office work in the future.

I can understand the frustration with that. We've been back in the office since June. Masks in common spaces, but masks off in private offices. Almost everyone is vaccinated. And we have plenty of space to spread out. It's been great to be able to meet in person (masked, spread out) or to pop in to ask a quick question or just chat. "Live" xmas party, but only about half the company showed up and it was early in the month (thankfully). I think there a lot of variation with how companies are handling the pandemic, some doing better than others.

Ohio Republicans vote to increase aggregate violent crime rates 13-15% within 10 years!

Not a very deep pool of experience in the U.S., unfortunately.

Why cities rarely build monorails. https://ggwash.org/view/67201/why-cities-rarely-build-monorails-explained

Are we talking about the same things? While I agree that RTA could do better than they do at times, I'm not sure I understand your point or what you're suggesting as a solution to these problems. Yes, having to take a bus for more than 45 minutes (and 90 minutes one-way is ridiculous) is pretty much a nonstarter for anyone who can afford the car-alternative. And it really, really sucks for those who cannot afford a car. Add the time you have to wait for the bus, or a transfer, and it's a huge time-tax on the poor. As you said, only 1/3 of the jobs are even within 90 minutes -- as a result t I don't think that RTA can provide quick, reliable, comfortable transit to 90% of the jobs in the county, which would be ideal. The way development has spread out, it's just not practical. "Back when RTA did provide better service" the people and jobs in greater Cleveland were not so spread out. Making the seats more comfortable won't make much of a difference in those passengers lives. A soft seat is great, until someone before you spills their drink into it and you lose a seat or you accidentally sit in it....and hope it was just a spilled drink. I expect that soft seats also need more frequent replacement and are more difficult to keep clean ($$$). That's why a lot of transit seats around the world are hard plastic. And as long as buses share the road with cars and trucks, on-time performance is partially out of RTA's control. This is why transit fans advocate for dedicated rights-of-way and signal prioritization to minimize the random traffic events that can delay the buses. I also don't think that a comfortable coach, better pricing, and a return of safe, monitored park-n-ride lots will make a significant difference for RTA's bottom line or ridership numbers. Operating those coaches and monitoring the parking lots is expensive, and I don't know that there are enough potential riders much less actual riders willing to pay that higher price at this time. The 40% rapid flyer service "premium" probably wouldn't be enough to provide the first-class service you think RTA should provide

You make a lot of good points. And I think we all agree that RTA has not been the best-managed organization over the years. But reading between the lines, it sure looks like sprawl, both residential and in employment sites, makes RTA's job a LOT harder. And as you noted, that sprawl in jobs and housing also hits the poor a lot harder. Sprawl is caused by a lot of factors, wanting something new, wanting more space for your home, cheaper construction on greenfield rather than brownfield sites, tax and incentive-shopping, government subsidies for new and expanded roads, new interchanges, etc. It's not all on individuals, businesses, government, or RTA management that got us into this mess. But the costs of sprawl are finally catching up, including with employers who can't find enough employees who can afford a car so that they can reliably show up on time. If we want RTA to be more efficient and useful, we need more density or we need to spend a lot more money on RTA. A whole lot more -- and I don't think there will be many advocates for spending a lot more while the regional population continues spreading thinner. We do not need to return to living in the cramped quarters of 1920s Cleveland, and it's not going to happen anyway -- we're stuck with a lot of the sprawl we've already got. But we can do better. Think TOD -- we need transit destinations that are close to lots of things near the stop. Employers can't spread out further and further from the center of Solon and wonder why they can't get workers to show up on time from Hough or Warrensville. Solon and other suburban communities should be identifying transit stops and encouraging employers to group near those stops, then they can push RTA to serve those stops. And employers who insist on building further out from municipal centers should not receive government incentives to do so.

OK, sure, I don't know of any "private" developers who are nonprofit. But there are nonprofits that do real estate developments that are successful and do not turn a profit. They're successful because they meet a community need and are great places where people want to live. This development in Little Italy is nice, but the large open parking area is a scar on what otherwise looks like a pleasant place to live. I understand, the developer wants to make a profit and the city requirements make this many parking spaces necessary. My point is that it could be better -- that probably but not necessarily means less profit unless the city reduces/eliminates the parking requirements given the location and alternatives for transportation. If the developer didn't need as many parking spaces, maybe she can build more units and nicer covered parking or more green space as an amenity and make higher profits. Without a large central parking area, maybe the units are even more attractive and the developer could charge higher prices. "Better" does not necessarily mean "not enough profit" to be successful.

Because no non-profit is in "business" Cleveland Clinic.

Absolutely. I'd eliminate the required parking (at least in areas like this that are so close to a rapid station) and either add green space or cover the parking. But that probably means I'd make a lousy developer (if the metric for success is profit).

Hey, they added pavers! Who wants to hang out in the parking lot?! 😜

Wish they would cover the big central parking lot -- solar panels, greenspace, some pergolas, something to break up that expanse of heat-absorbing asphalt.

See "oil," "highways," . . . .

Right, now Elyria is in the same district with Ft. Loramie, practically on the Indiana border. Fail to understand why a snake-away-from-the-lake is better.

Under Maryland law, is that kosher? The issue in Ohio was that the map-drawing process was recently changed with an express goal of eliminating the partisan gerrymandering. This is why I think we should have a national standard for guidance on how districts should be drawn, but *regulation* causes panic attacks in some parts which will make it difficult/unlikely.

Gaaahhh! He said "Nextdoor"!!!! 🤢