clvlndr

OK, right-wing, left-wing... I think we can agree, Suddes is on the wrong wing... Obama and like-minded pols before, Bill Clinton included, honestly want/wanted to create "high-speed" train (corridors). In fact, Clinton accomplished it by finishing off the New Have to Boston electrification, ROW improvements that created Acela -- plans that were 2 decades+ old from Carter (killed off by Reagan)... But but what was a well-intended terminology ("high-speed trains") has been surreptitiously co-opted and used as a weapon against any conventional train expansion which people like KJP wisely understand you need to build on -- at least, in most cases... The 3-C route has more density than some of those out of Chicago -- more big Ohio met areas, closer together -- particularly compared to the routes south and west of Chi-town; these have been so-called "slow corridors" for years, and yet they draw passengers... to the extent, many are up for the Midwest Initiative 110 MPH upgrade. It sure would be nice if the 3-C critics of 'slow trains vs. I-71' would do their homework.

^which is why I changed the post... (although I still believe it)

Suddes is a jerk who, like most critics, has raised the bar for trains stupidly: if it's not Acela high-speed at 150 MPH, it's now worth building. Oh yeah, and maybe someone should remind Suddes that to electrify 3-C, it would cost ump-teen times the $400M (and you know he'd raise holy hell in that case), and that only on a few select sections of Acela are trains zoned for 150 MPH due to the age of the infrastructure... I'm in.

Kind of amazing, isn't it? Obama awards a relatively small (considering project reach) $400M for Amtrak's Ohio 3-C rail line, and many are at least uncomfortable w/ the amount for start-up, 79 MPH max trains... Btw, I like the idea of the waste cleanup aspect. I just wish it wouldn't take a roadway to accomplish it.

I respect your opinion 327, and btw, my comment was not meant to take a shot at West Siders -- hell, you're right, some of the Heights crowd has been bitching about fast access to downtown (as in a freeway or similar roadway) since the death of the Clark Freeway 40 years ago... Punch is correct, for my opinions against this road, see pages above. And as far as Scene, I must have missed the Med Mart/E. 4th comments, which sound stupid... To the 3 Questions: 1. Don't know, but I get uncomfortable when PD articles come off as cheerleading. If they are columns or opinion pieces, like Steve Litt's, then OK, otherwise, they make me uncomfortable ... that even applies to issues that I AGREE with the PD, like the 3-C Amtrak line Obama's funding. 2. This isn't my main issue, because the bulk of the roadway appears slated for the wide right-of-way with abandoned tracks next to the RTA Red Line and NS line; its depressed, so it won't hit many houses, although there does appear to be some houses that are directly in the way of expansion at the end of the I-490 stub at E. 55th Street. My MAIN gripe, like the Scene piece is, please stop selling this as SAVING these poor folks by saving this neighborhood. The OC won't... 3. I don't see the HL/Euclid rebuild as attracting businesses. The main nodes of growth along Euclid -- CSU and the E.79/Clinic area, were growing BEFORE the Euclid rebuild. CSU's plans to grow its neighborhood into a "college town" have been in the pipeline for over a decade, and the plan is parallel to what's happening with similar large urban state-run universities like Temple (Philly) and Wayne State (Detroit)... In fact, despite some small growth/rehab near E.55, Euclid in between these nodes looks bleaker and more vacant than I've seen it at any time during my lifetime. Yes, the economic downturn has hurt all growth here, but HL + Euclid rebuild, which has actually greatly speed-ed up driving times down the corridor, don't seem compatible to the kind of high-density, TOD growth rail rapid transit (esp subways) + a traffic-calmed, narrower street (certainly unlike rebuilt Euclid) tends to attract ... so my answer is: no.

^^ No question, Higbee's future appears to be as a mainly office building. Of course, I'd never gripe about more hotel rooms.

Thank God for Scene on this issue. I don't always agree with Scene and often have issues with Roldo's inflammatory rhetoric, but this article is dead on imho... The so-called Opportunity Corridor is a fraudulent farce that business and elected leaders are attempting to front as some kind of savior to the community when, really, it's just it's going to be merely a freeway connector to allow West Side suburbanites zoom to Circle jobs w/o having to go through the "dangerous" city... Businesses are not suddenly going to spring up along this freeway/road and the poor people, many who stand to lose their homes for this road, are the lowest per capita auto owners anyway, so how will this freeway/road help them? The biggest obstacle to these folks, now, is the decreasing transit options with all the RTA cuts. If businesses wanted to relocate in this area they could opt to do so (just as the soon-opening, gigantic Juvenile Justice center is about to do). And Scene/Roldo are also correct that the PD is totally in the pockets of those pushing this project. PD's cheerleading this farce has hardly been "objective reporting."

I didn't mention irrevocably changing anything. Factories in the 50's are often luxury loft apartments, today. The issue is costs involved to retrofit a building tied into such aspects as its juxtaposition with other buildings and facilities nearby. It's also a very large building that is decidedly transit oriented with limited on-site parking options in a city that has a car-first mentality which, no doubt, is a factor when it comes to financing considerations... Higbee's was built as a high-end dept. store and had only been utilized as such until it went dark a decade ago. If Gilbert can plan to move something else in after his new casino is built and the temporary one moves, great. But if he doesn't, I'd like to know what kind of use would be compatible with a casino that would make conversion expenses for such a prominent building that, to date, no one has found substantial uses for to date?

I could see it stimulate uses if they planning showed future uses being compatible to those of a casino. I seriously doubt Gilbert would try and retrofit any hotel rooms into Higbees, esp given the number of hotel rooms both with the Tower City complex as well as nearby... But once the casino clears out, what could you turn over the casino floors over to?

MGM also went the temporary route until the lavish $800M hotel & casino was built... Difference is, though, MGM I believe opened temporarily in an old factory buildin g near downtown Detroit... I'm not sure I like the idea of taking a prime building like Higbee's for temporary use when we know it will be vacated and, the period Gilbert is in there will thwart any other uses (as well as potential for future uses) of the building. MGM Casino & Hotel in Detroit cost around $900 million. Not sure if that included the purchase price of the land or gambling machines as well.

Well, we've got funding for a $400M commitment for 3-C and it's near reality. How close are the other 3 Ohio Hub corridors out of Cleveland to reality? Of all the other 3, I hear the least, on this board anyway, about the Cleve-Buffalo-Toronto leg. Is that one still considered viable?

Dick Jacobs was so powerful to stop a Blue Line extension to serve the large public good (like also serving popular, publicly-owned Tri-C East). Not to be crass, but Dick is dead; does Jeff and the family feel the same? It doesn't seem like there's not other land out there that Jacobs doesn't own where TOD could be developed... Meanwhile, a rail extension along Northfield to economically-distressed North Randall, also serving struggling Thistledown along the way -- especially ending at a rebuilt Randall Mall complex (w/ something different, of course)... It would be a no-brainer to any other rail-based city. Cleveland, however, tries to pretend it doesn't even have a rapid transit system... damn shame.

Bingo!! Stop right there...

Excellent news. With the recent redesign/expansion for the CIA's McCullough Center, the 118 and Coltman 24 townhouses along w/ other developmen in the area, I really hope the forward momentum can shake loose enough credit to stimulate the main residential piece of the mixed-use portion of Uptown at Euclid-Ford-E. 115.

If it's part of an alternative analysis program then, OK. I believe Alternative Analysis is what FTA requires of all transit capital project applications... this one, though, doesn't seem to fit that mode because the rail expansion is just 800 feet (I mistakenly said yards, earlier), and would only directly serve an area just SE of the intersection -- and of course have better ingress/egress for park 'n riders from points beyond... The BRT would be designed to serve 3 miles beyond the terminal, so I'm not seeing how it could be a direct alternative to what's been proposed by Shaker. It would be nice, and make sense, if this rail was planned for the corridor to "stimulate" growth in dying North Randall and struggling Warrensville Hts, but ...

"It's an intriguing idea that supporters say could spur residential and commercial development in southeastern Cuyahoga County..." Hmmm. Why isn't it just an idea? Why and "intriguing" idea? ... guess PD's Karen Farkas wants you to know which way her windmill is tilting... It never ceases to amaze me how this city begs and searches for reasons not to extend rail. You have the end station of a high-capacity LRT directly serving TOD's like Shaker Sq; Tower City (and the future Flats East Bank development) and connecting to HRT directly to inside the international airport -- a situation most cities would kill for. You also have a very worthwhile proposal of Shaker Hts (sans RTA) to build the 800-yeard extension of the Blue Line thru the redesigned intersection to develop much needed TOD for the area (I still wonder how such a short extension – somehow with rail signals, is $40M, and the entire Waterfront Line of 2.2 miles, in downtown no less, was around $60M)… How can a proposal to extend BRT a mere 3 miles where you'd have to transfer to rail, anyway, make any sense? ... unless.... the ultimate plan is to REPLACE the light rail line, entirely, with BRT. We have RTA shouting down what Farkas earlier reported: BRT possibility on Buckeye Road... We've also, in the past, had proposals to connect the Woodhill/Shaker intersection with a direct freeway spur to I-490... Connect the dots... crazy? ... I say, like a fox!.. Only in Cleveland would such a ridiculous scenario even be discussed. Then again, the KJP report about how a great transit GM like Ron Tober was forced out, based on his "expensive" rail proposals, and how a conservative like Joe C. was brought in to kill all such projects and hold costs down was enlightening -- and disturbing.

Just one question: how much progress have we made as a State and as individual big cities in killing initiatives and projects like 3-C in our efforts to "save money" and be "fiscally responsible?"

Denver's plan is beautiful. The city is aggressive for both transit and passenger trains... And, remember, Denver is high up in the Rockies, far removed from other major metro areas... unlike Ohio, which should be the hub of rail btw the East and Midwest... oh that's right, we are planning the Ohio Hub.

Actually, I would love to fund passenger rail with the gas tax. But I'm sure Detroit and Texas are simply too far powerful a lobby for that.

The announcement by the Obama Admin is awesome news... finally, with this development (pushed by Gov Ted and other local officials ... and AAO, of course) along with the casino vote, which should stimulate the 3-Cs downtowns, this State is finally shaking off its conservative (see: Do Nothing) complacency... Congratulations to us! Now, I think it's important, given the tightness of a buck and the somewhat underfunding of the initial grant, we carefully plan and not throw up something half-ass that will probably fail... For one thing, since RTA is currently rebuilding the W.150-Puritas Red Line Rapid station with an overhead walkway at the spot where 3-C's plans to have a station with an overhead walkway (over the tracks), wouldn't it make sense to use this walkway to connect both stations, especially since, w/ RTA's recent POP fare collection system, the station will be barrier free? Also, once again, since it appears MMPI is finally coming to a sensible agreement on Cleveland's downtown convention center, shouldn't the iron be hot to develop a new joint Lakefront Amtrak-RTA (Waterfront Line) station, ... like, er, RIGHT NOW! We've had great news in getting projects like 3-Cs of late. Let's not futz it up with our usual vision-less, separate-islands, one-thing-at-a-time (non) planning. Unfortunately, we’re seeing such negativity in full bloom, once again, in Cincy where there's currently a circus as to where to build the 3-C's terminal and where, a few years ago, a cadre of troglodyte Republicans scuttled the LRT which should have it’s first line up ‘n running now… Let’s hope, maybe, the Cleveland example of transit connectivity can serve as a model to jumpstart the Cincy LRT project.

The only way for TOD to work in this plan is for the Blue Line to be extended. If you look at the map, above, Van Aken will be removed from around the tracks beyond Farnsliegh (going east), so if it's not extended, it will end in no-man's land and will not reach the dense development on the other side of Warrensville-- around the current Northfield origin/leg in the vicinity of BP... It may be only 800-feet, but we can't let RTA weasel out of this expansion. I too don't quite understand why it can't be tunneled under the intersection but, so be it. It makes sense for the TOD to extend and someday, ... probably way in the future, it could set up (revival of the) expansion to Chagrin Highlands and/or N. Randall... I don't quite understand why rail signaling ($11.5M) is slated to be so high for such a short extension when, I believe, the current signal zone for the Blue Line begins/ends (heading west) at the rail signal just west of Lynnfield, 1/3 a mile a way. Wouldn't train drivers go by visual rules, as they do around Shaker Square and, I believe, most of the Waterfront Line? Especially for a grade-level track extension going through a traffic signal-protected intersection, why is this projected... ... perhaps JetDog, who quoted it, can explain.

Sounds like you're sipping the Calabrese Kool Aid bigtime... Yeah, why don't we continue lowballing ourselves, setting our sites low (more like having them set low for us), and go into our all-too-typical "beggars can't be choosy" mode. When we continue to settle for the mediocre, the damage is often next to impossible to undo. Meanwhile Rus Belt neighbors Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Minny-St. Paul are opting for rail while people like you dismiss those of us who are silly enough to believe we can/should expand upon the rail transit base we have as hopeless pie-in-the-sky "dreamers". And, oh yeah Cleburger, did you notice car-crazy LA dumpted BRT Santa Monica extension plans in favor of good old fashion steel-rail LRT? And, yeah Cleburger, let's do Calabrese thing one better, why dontcha. Let's once again drag out that tired old anti-rail rant of trashing the Waterfront Line -- of course ignoring the fact that TOD development has not been properly studied or developed for the line, which smartly was built to serve what should be the most desirable areas, development-wise of town: our waterfront. Nevermind that, even now, high-density Flats East Bank development is poised to rise next to the WFL's Flats East Bank station despite the credit collapse... It's thinking like yours, Cleburger, that keeps Cleveland perpetually mediocre.

Amen.

^ Very nice. This surely adds a strong touch of class to rail riding that, hopefully, can attract more riders – of course, it all begins and ends with better quality service – meaning greater train speed, punctuality and convenient arrive/leave times... I think this upgrade is all part of the general pattern. Under Obama, and to some degree Clinton before him (see "liberals"), Amtrak is "in"... Whereas under Reagan-Bush-Bush ("right-wing conservatives), Amtrak was yesterday's news... The very fact this new luxury dining service is featured so prominently in the PD/Cleveland.com just goes to show that Amtrak is gaining more in the public mindset, even as of a year ago… If we get the 3-Cs, which I think we will, and esp the Ohio Hub through Cleveland, I'll lay it directly at the feet of Obama... as the saying goes (which is very true), it (good things/bad things) starts at the top.

Ann Arbor to Detroit commuter rail plan video http://www.semcog.org/AADD.aspx