clvlndr

It actually sounds like what TxDOT is doing is illegal; surreptitiously undermining the will of the people. Let's hope the Texas AG is up to the task of piercing the veil of that agency -- but this is Texas, and I don't know the political stripe of the AG... There are some similarities in the conservatism of Texas and Ohio, but the major difference is that Texas is sunbelt and growing (meaning its big cities) whereby Ohio is Rustbelt/Frostbelt and shrinking (its cities, that is, while State-wide growth is very small). The growth of Texas' big cities, along with a more enlightened attitude transit-wise, is why there has been much positive rail growth in some Texas cities like Dallas, Houston and Austin, while San Antonio, last I looked, is still in the Dark Ages. This plus the very fact that voters created the Texas RR Relocation and Improvement Fund tells me that, despite Texas' obvious extreme conservatism, politically, the State appears considerably more progressive on transit/passenger train issues than Ohio, which often operates like it's 1950.

^So you're saying Calabrese & Co. spent $ millions for these absurdly ridiculous and annoying bus turning announcements because the union threatened management to protect the jobs its breatheren who, apparently, don't have the good sense to look both ways before turning their steeds? ... you're really serious? ... If that's the case, they should change their initials to the MPTA - the Monty Python Transit Authority.

I seriously take issue with McIntyre's characterization of the Health Line as the 'Crown Jewel' of the RTA system. Sorry, but the crown jewel of RTA continues to be its Rapid Transit system -- the real one that runs on rails and electricity, not gasoline and rubber tires. The Health Line is RTA's new toy which, btw, is getting less unique by the day as Washington's Metro rail/bus system is running the exact same ultra-sleek stretch buses as the HL. Guess it's just another example, in the popular media of the marginalization of our Rapid Transit system.

^awesome.

I think Strickland is doing the right thing by pushing forward on the $25M for the study. But not to be Debby Downer here, do people really think a positive study of any kind can sway these zealot republicans on the Controlling board who are from hick towns and/or right wing periphery burbs like Ashland and Newark and won't be accountable to anyone. Someone, tell me I'm wrong... make me feel better about this because, right now, these fools (yes, if you make up your mind while refusing to listen to any amount of logic or reason: you're a fool) are poised to torpedo this thing and go back to their home districts to a hero's welcome (yeah, we're really backwards here in Ohio). This is more about Republican party discipline than anything.

I think you'd find that in most cities with rapid transit, esp heavy rail like the Red Line, similar bus routes from the suburbs would end, as those routes now end. If riders want to continue to other places in the corridor, they'd transfer to other services, like they do now to the Health Line, or to go downtown, they'd switch to rail trains... I'll admit, since Cleveland never built subway in the Euclid corridor instead of the HL, the situation is not ideal, but I think RTA made the right move... Also, some Cleve Hts riders also have the option of walking, busing or even driving south to Green (or even Blue) line stops. The Heights (not named Shaker) has it a lot better than most.

I'm not so sure it doesn't work to a degree in Lakewood, with the Detroit and Madison buses feeding the Red Line. A suburb doesn't have to have rail directly in it to be served by rail (Cleveland Heights, University Heights and Beachwood are examples).. Also, my understanding is that Parma is a considerably younger inner ring suburb (in terms of its current size), and was mainly developed after WWII with returning vets and/or workers at nearby auto plants; I don't think it was ever a streetcar suburb like the Heights burbs, which as a group are similar in square mileage to Parma/Parma Hts, but more populace. But Cleveland is not a classic hub-spokes system, your right... but rapid transit is ideally supplemented commuter rail for farther out burbs.... btw, I have no problem with the #22 on Lorain and don't believe it competes with the Rapid, which only touches 3 points on this 8 mile road... It could, however, be in a better position to feed it, like say, at W. 25th. There could be better integration with the Rapid... those Cleveland Heights buses (the 32s, 9s and the 7, did compete by sending rush hour buses (and more at one point) downtown. Now, they all end at Univ. Circle, as they should.

Actually, I think you're a little harsh on rail. True, there are some key areas that it misses (like the Euclid corridor where the HL now serves), but for a city/metro area of Cleveland's size and density, its not bad for a rapid transit system. And keep in mind, also, most systems, outside of NYC, use bus lines to feed the rail system. RTA and its predecessor CTS did that to some degree, although we have far to many bus routes that compete with rail. Also, there are other hubs that RTA rail does reach, like University Circle, which has the 2nd largest employee base in NEO Ohio, and stands to get much stronger as a retail, residential base once the Uptown project and neighboring Red Line E. 120 stop is relocated to straddle UC Uptown and Little Italy. You've also got Shaker Square (where, contrary to your assertion, there are more living units surrounding the Square (1 or 2 mile radius) than at the Lakewood Gold Coast), Ohio City and the airport as major hubs the rapid directly serves (in addition to all our major sports complexes sans CSU's Wolstein Center, which isn't that far away). As to your comment about downtown, I totally disagree. Tower City is literally at the crossroads/center of downtown. And given that Cleveland's downtown is so compact, most destinations downtown are easily walkable -- 10 mins tops to most places and usually shorter than that. This will only get better when the Flats East Bank project is built adjacent to the Waterfront Line station of the same name... The Waterfront Line is also near the huge Erieview/Galleria office complex (including the Celebreze 40-story Federal tower), although RTA never really marketed itself toward Erieview, and now daytime WFL service has been cut there -- though it likely will be restored when the Flats project is built. RTA has its problems, but I think your assessment of rail is skewed.

People are entitled to their views and if it brings more "bodies" to E. 4th, that can't be a totally bad thing. I just think the whole Body World's thing, while educational in a way, is also exploitative. This isn't the time nor space, but you really should check out exactly how and where these curators got these bodies.

Mary Jane wrote that crap? Then again, I shouldn't be surprised. She's written boneheaded columns in the past, like her several "scare" articles about Shaker Square and, if I recall, how people prefer driving out to the mall. So this 3-C cheapshot fits her M.O. ... I'm on it.

NOTE: for whatever reason, the Sun Press decided to take a nasty shot at 3-C while opining on the RTA Blue Line extension. So much for that liberal, open-minded view of the Heights/Clevelnad... Plenty of ink and air time has been devoted to debating the merits of a high-speed rail line connecting Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati. In our view, it seems like a lot of money to provide limited access between the three major Ohio cities with no real benefit in terms of time saved as opposed to driving Interstate 71. Railing for Blue Line extension: Sun Press Editorial http://blog.cleveland.com/sunpress/2010/03/railing_for_blue_line_extensio.html

Yeah, not surprising given the high number of Americans who believe the govt is run by aliens; or that Obama has links to al-Qaeda or is the anti-Christ...

I agree; it's degrading to the human souls who occupied these bodies. I'm disappointed MRN would stick such an exhibit here just to grab a few shekels.

An otherwise good editorial is negated by the gratuitous shot at the 3-C Amtrak proposal. What's the Sun Press' point? One has nothing to do with the other and their reasons for opposing it sound like talking points for Republican Bill Harris... Once again another Cleveland/Ohio opinion leader that simply doesn't get it about the value of transit and intercity regional rail.... HELLO SUN PRESS, did you stop for a second to think that the very Rapid transit you're advocating extending would connect your patrons directly with the 3-C trains helping hold down energy usage? Stupid.

NO. the "Aloft" brand is a "vision" of the W Hotel Brand. IE...the W with a lower overhead and cost. Gotcha... thanks MTS.

I know it's the City's responsibility to maintain its streets: that's what cities do. But for RTA to claim ignorance on (your very correct) it's flagship project, and busiest service, is beyond absurd. Although it's not a total bye for Cleveland, but everybody knows that Cleveland is beyond broke; all you need do is ride over your neighborhood street and feel the chuckholes to understand this. But the Euclid corridor is a different matter, and the City's surely not going to act if the agency running literally hundreds of buses per day over the street isn't saying anything -- in this case, because RTA didn't even friggin' know! It is RTA's job to run its buses and trains safely, and nobody can convince me that somebody at the transit agency, even its drivers, couldn't notice such obvious deteriorating/potentially unsafe roads merely by having someone go out an eyeball the road... ... It sure as hell seems like the words 'controversy' and 'RTA' are married in most news stories about local transit these days.

Again, I think Strickland is dead right in his approach. Get the study to help answer Harris' questions -- er, that is, if he really has any questions or, as many including me suspect, is merely an obstructionist. Objecting to the $25M for a detailed study that could answer many questions is the way to go. $25M is not so much for such an such an important project that anyone, in their right mind, could argue should not be spent while holdout Republicans on the Controlling Board piddle around and continue their disingenuous shell game risking the $400M (and more importantly, potentially losing any realistic quality train service for Ohio for a long, long time).

I sure hope Johnny's stays put on W. 6th in the WHD. We need a upscale restaurant in that corridor to prevent it from becoming overly club-heavy, which in some ways, it already is. I'm glad to see interest in the East Bank, though, and I'd like to what Jborger means, re the hotel, that it's now a "scaled down W" -- you mean Westin?

Good for Strickland!... Time to cut off Harris and his BS who, as I see it (correct me if I'm wrong), is trying in his own way to fillibuster the train to death. Gov. Ted is taking the right approach: full steam ahead. .... as for a gorilla tactic I mentioned: per info from an someone's earlier post, why not start spreading the word, in the media/on the internet to publicize Harris' auto dealership as evidence of is conflict/self interest against 3-C.

It's pretty clear the Hessler folks want to maintain their quiet little island w/ little contact w/ the outside world. The light traffic and little noise that currently exists w/ the empty lot/parking lots suits them fine, and they want to keep it that way. Development of any kind is a threat and they will fight it all... It's too bad because I really like Hessler court as a historical, neat little street. But its leaders are very selfish, close-minded and development killers... I constantly ask myself: why so many people and groups dominate Cleveland and Ohio... Otherwise, I'm thrilled MRN is moving forward with this. I think the landscaping piece will be worked out. Clearly the Maron's track record on E. 4th is great where, mind you, they didn't build a single property but retrofitted old buildings -- so uptown is new territory for them. But their start small and develope into something much larger is clearly the formula that should be followed by other developers in this town (... hmmm, and Bob Starks is doing what in Cleveland these days???)

I really believe Bill Harris is merely playing a shell game on we the advocates and that, frankly, no explanation will be "reasonable" to him or his right-wing cronies. Compromise is a zero sum game to Republicans like this and their Tea Party (tea baggers to me) zealots. This is merely a local version of what's being played out nationally, where obstructionist Republicans are lying and cheating and conniving hypocritically (in every way) in an all-or-nothing strategy to disgrace and destroy Democrats any way they can -- Obama, nationally, Gov Ted, locally and, also, any fellow Republican (John McCain, Charlie Crist. I don't know much about Harris (nor do I really want to), but you've got to believe Ashland, and other areas like it, are as solidly Red to the extent that, no matter how understandably destructive they are to the public and the economy -- which would be palpable if they kill the 3-C project -- that it doesn't matter so long as the Democrats are stopped... period! James Seney, one of those way-to-few (and disappearing at warp speed) wise, reasonable Republicans, are viewed as sell-outs and irrelevant to the larger cause of that wacko, tea-bagger "You Lie!"/"Hell no!" fringe that's running amok in our legislatures and, really, threatening the security and civility of us all... People gnashing their teeth expressing their logical illogic of the Harris’ out there are, in many ways (and don’t think I don’t feel you), wasting your breath… Similar gorilla tactics (no, I don’t mean violence) is the only way to counter this nonsense, but at the moment, neither I nor my friends on the ground in Columbus, have figured it out. … But stay tuned. Yeah, I know a lot of people here don't want to hear such partisan political talk, but that's the way it is right now... deal with it!

The point being is that imho No. 26 Detroit bus service is fine as it is; it's among the best I've experienced in the RTA system. Last summer I experienced the new extra-long buses into Downtown Lakewood from the West Blvd Red Line station. They are frequent and easy to use... So why spend a ton of money to, essentially, rebuild bus service? Why fix what ain't broken?

I'm sorry, but with frequent accordion (articulated) buses RTA is using along Detroit (the No. 26) during the week, why would BRT be some kind of boost? There's no evidence the Health Line is encouraging development along Euclid, so why should this be different along Detroit which, by the way, is a much stronger, much more built up and much narrower street than Euclid? The growth its experiencing predated and is unrelated to the Health Line and the space between E. 40th and the Clinic area starting with the low density suburban housing at E. 79th, is a ghost town. So what, were looking for $200M more from the feds for for Detroit landscaping and modernistic, high-platform station-stops that probably will not boost ridership any significant amount?

You're right about that.

Why must RTA make everything soooo difficult... Other cities I know of: New York, Philly, Chicago, among them just changed over to an automated voice system. One week, human voices, then next, automated. And these are much bigger, busier and complex systems than RTA. There wasn't this prolonged, experimental period with obviously God awful announcements like RTA. And these other cities don't have the most beautiful voices in the world, but their not offensive either. And they simply announce the stops and announce "doors closing" and that's it. In some cases they announce major buildings/institutions and major connecting lines, like Amtrak. But they are quick, clear and straight to the point. No ridiculous, absurd, annoying conversational spiel, like on the Red Line. No mechanical, 50s-style Robie the Robot type jarring announcement like on the Blue and Green lines. I swear, sometimes I really have to wonder whether RTA officials have any clue about running a major transit system. They really seem like they are from Podunk.