cleveland1979

I can't imagine RTA could cut anymore services, nor should it. This stubborn (some would even say WORTHLESS!) union is strangling RTA to death. It's such a shame. The union would rather see more slashes in services to the entire region's transit system rather than a reduction of their inflated salaries and benefits.

I would LOVE to hear from the person at RTA who not only introduced but APPROVED these ridiculous stop/turning/delay announcements on the buses, the trains and now the Tower City station. What possible reason could there be to institute these things and make them so irritating to riders (and presumably the drivers who have to listen to them all day!) Public transportation in Cleveland has taken a turn for the worse, by making the ride obnoxious!!!

Everyone knows how I feel about RTA and its seemingly incessant "noises." Is there a person at RTA who actually approves these annoucements and thinks they're good? I would love to hear some kind of justification for these new kinds of things. Yes, we've heard justification about the talking about buses and how they're going to save countless numbers of pedestrians, but what about these new announcements at Tower City and the Red Line? It's almost embarrassingly bad for RTA!

If there's one thing you should avoid in Cleveland, it's Tower City... and its theaters in particular. Have you ever experienced the infamous "a rat just ran across my feet!" problem? The bottom floor of Tower City is infested with rats and the popcorn that falls onto the floor is basically a buffet for the critters. Good luck if you go to Tower City! I'm sticking with the Capitol Theater and if they're not playing the movie, I go to the suburbs.

I also must say that RTA did a good job from what I saw today. I wish downtown was also this crowded, minus the drunkenness! :lol:

Whatever happens to Clifton, I hope there are plans to resurface the Cleveland portion of it!

We all know the population of this region is dropping, but I have a feeling this new census data is going to reveal a mass exodus. I think RTA can fix a few things, but at the end of the day they're simply victim to our region which has been bleeding for decades.

I must echo... can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen. It's a high profile job, it's a high profile organization in the city.

I sure hope you never have to work in a job where your mistakes are visible for thousands to see and criticize. Maybe your reactions to them would be a little more humane. You want us to be less critical of RTA simply because they are more visible than other organizations?

I ride the trolley about 4 times/day... I've been on that EXACT trolley and I have seen those markings on that seat. I actually sat in the seat directly behind that back rest. I saw that about two weeks ago!!! I can't believe it hasn't been removed, regardless of its meaning.

I don't think they're taking the signs down... the giant "Best Transit in NA" signs on RTA's HQ windows on W. 6th have replaced the "2007" with the word "Award." I think they're staying.

I rode the trolley yesterday and the driver pulled into the Tower City stop and about about 4 or 5 people got on. The driver pushed the counter button machine that beeps about a dozen times. I don't know if the trolley ridership stuff is ever released, but those numbers HAVE to be skewed!

I hear VERY negative things about RTA from friends and colleagues who work and/or live downtown. The agency has an extremely poor image in the community right now. The signs proclaiming they are "The Best In NA" simply lead to sarcastic comments from everyone who reads them. I initially thought they were a good idea, but now I just hear people making fun of them. If RTA were the best in North America, ridership wouldn't have plummeted as much as we've seen.

I think RTA uses Brokaw (http://www.brokaw.com), the ad agency in the Warehouse District for all their outside marketing (what little there is.) Perhaps they could save a helluva lot of money by using some of the people on this board! :yap:

I've seen some pretty creative stuff done, particularly in Chicago, with bus shelters being sold as advertising. I understand the city wants to protect some sort of design aesthetic to the city, but come on. If the additional revenue RTA received from the sponsorships allowed the transit agency to hold onto a route or two, or keep some employees on-board, etc. I can't imagine what the city's counter argument would be to keep the policy as it is.

I'm just pointing out that I don't see any sort of marketing... and yeah, there's no money -- I get it! I know there's a city policy against the bus shelters being "sold" to sponsors, but is that policy something that the transit agency could address with the City of Cleveland? Perhaps if that policy were easily lifted, RTA could sell advertising on the bus shelters throughout town to generate some money. This wouldn't be unlike the ads on the sides of the buses. I have to say, having the shelters sport some kind of ad on them would be a big improvement over what some of them look like right now. I can't imagine the City of Cleveland would oppose lifting this policy, given the transit agency's ongoing struggle with cash.

I didn't even know RTA had a marketing department. Other than the buses driving around town, I don't see much in the way of "getting the word out."

Those look great, but our BRT is regrettably in the category of being at the mercy of traffic signals and the accompanying traffic. How many times have I been on the HealthLine where we've sat at the traffic light (after all the doors have closed) for nearly 90 seconds or more waiting for the "unique" HealthLine signal to change to its triangle or rhombus shape to permit the bus to continue. Shouldn't the bus be able to signal the light to change fairly quickly once the doors have shut? If not, there's nothing more "rapid" about it than me in my Honda Civic traveling down Euclid at my leisure.

BRT: Bus Rapid Transit, right? Why is it that the word "rapid" is put in there when the bus is basically at the mercy of accompanying traffic and the lights? Why isn't it just called, "increased bus service?"

The commute on Euclid is faster by car, even with the 10 MPH less speed limit, also because there are so many potholes on Carnegie and Chester that you'd be likely to ruin your suspension. Downtown is like a moonscape these days, and I'd be surprised if some of these buses haven't had several blown tires as a result.

Because they're cutting the routes 'n stuff, and press releases are great and sound so nice, but I think it'd be even better if on the front page of RTA's website they'd have a box or section that listed the canceled routes and then allowed people to click on those and access detailed info on how to minimize the disruption by taking alternates. I'm talking FRONT PAGE, "RTA Daily News," clear, easy, click on my canceled route and give me some options. It's almost like the Plain Dealer has this info first... I can't find any articles or notices anywhere on RTA's OWN website... ? Or am I just not delving deep enough into their site?... but I shouldn't have to.

When the transit agency starts claiming they have no money and begins the process of cutting routes crucial for some people's livelihood, there's nothing wrong with pointing out ways the existing money can be used more efficiently, no matter how "annoying" they seem to be. "Shooting the sh!t" at Tower City, on such a consistent basis that most have us have seen it, is probably not a great way to be spending these few remaining dollars RTA has.

^ An even better idea!

I can't imagine "public transit cop" is too high on the career totem pole for those aspiring for position in law enforcement, but it would be nice if these guys at least gave the APPEARANCE of giving a hoot by actually riding the trains individually, walking around and holding people accountable. Too often I see these guys loitering about, 3 or 4 together at a time. I'm sure some have done a fine job, but this is a crucial time with how RTA is being regarded amongst the public, and these cops have an opportunity while they're "making the rounds" to help not only shore up unpaid fares, but give a good face to an organization some have accused of squandering crucial funds. But for starters, someone take away the benches or seats these guys seem to gravitate towards at Tower City.

I have also seen groups of transit police simply loitering near the turnstiles of Tower City, hands in their pockets. I had an experience last week of taking the Red Line from the airport to Tower City... some drunk homeless guy was passing between the cars while the train was in motion. When I got off the train I made a comment to one of the police officers about it, told him which train it was, etc. While I took the escalators back up I glanced back down and the police simply resumed talking to one another. I don't know if they ended up doing anything about it, maybe there was nothing they could do, but hanging around the turnstiles of Tower City looking intimidating isn't improving safety on the trains. I can't imagine there are many safety concerns at Tower City compared to some of the stops the Rapid makes east and west of that stop. Perhaps they should travel the trains more often or something... I have rarely seen them ride it, compared to sitting around the turnstiles...