clvlndr

Actually, you should care because that kind of dirtiness, which I haven't seen ever before on the RTA Rapid, esp along Shaker Blvd, is creeping into other parts of the system: dirty stations (W.25-Ohio City) and dirty cars (Blue and Green lines)... And you're dead on, the lack of funding excuse shouldn't be a catchall for such nonsense, particularly in light of the embarrassing Rapid-non fare collection article; practices that have gone on for years which, no doubt, has cost RTA millions of valuable dollars. Yes, we need to pressure Ohio pols to get off their checkbooks, but RTA certainly needs to clean up its house (literally/figuratively) as well.

An excellent idea; San Francisco has such a heritage line along its waterfront w/ all sorts of museum trolleys... Maybe now is the time to, once again, explore a trolley route connecting Public Square, the WHD and Ohio City -- by way of the subway deck of the recently rehabbed Detroit-Superior (Vet Memorial) bridge.

Oh yeah, and I forgot the relocated Harvey Rice ES rising on forlorn/closed St. Luke's east campus...It's a shame, too, because if ever an area was ripe for TOD revitalization (w/ potential to spill over to struggling Buckeye to the south), w/ plenty of developable land surrounding a high-frequency, high capacity transit line, it is E.116 & Shaker... Happy will be the day when Greater Cleveland finally 'get's it', finally appreciates the development potential of its rail system and not constantly have such a car-first mentality towards every friggin' development. If ever there was a poster city for unrealized potential TOD, it's Cleveland.

One example of how NOT to do TOD is around the E.116 Blue/Green (grade separated) rapid transit station. Within the last 5 years, there's been built there: a sprawling bunch of mainly wood frame, single family, suburban style homes (the failing St. Luke's Pointe), a couple small, 1-story office and medical buildings and a rebuilt gas station mini mart.... Could the would be TOD planner kindly hop the Rapid 1-stop eastbound to Shaker Square to see how TOD is REALLY done? Done 80 years ago, yes, ... but done right!

You don't build freeways around rail, you put rail in the middle of existing freeways, sometimes, where the urban area is dense and cheaper right-of-way alternatives don't exist (ie Chicago)... And even then, rapid tansit and freeways are contradictory in terms of the type of development they attract. Chicago's best use of transit in freeways is where there is no freeway interchange at the transit stop, and the freeways is, to the extent it can be, built in a way not to disrupt the dense urban fabric... ... but that's not the point here; it doesn't exist, and it's pipe-dreaming (delusional) to think that a Shaker Square/Van Aken apartment district development will leap up around this freeway through this dirt poor area (KJP, why go all the way to Boston for pictorial examples when Shaker Square is better?)... And no, KJP, developing the Red Line along the current NS trench was not a "dumb idea". It was built by CTS following a complete right-of-way development left abandoned by the Van Swerigens for their East Cleveland rapid -- which was to be built in tandem with a Euclid subway and a line spinning off up Cedar Hill to the Heights... The truly dumb idea is this Opportunity Freeway to being with... Only in Cleveland do we do dumb stuff like this -- and have the GM of the rail/bus transit agency sitting on the board to help facilitate it... OIC!!!

Amen to that. E. 4th is the best coordinated (truly) urban development Cleveland has seen in decades. It should be the working model we use for other neighborhoods, and not just downtown.

I hear the point, but actually if you look at the types of restaurants on E.4th, it's incredibly diverse --esp w/ the likes of Corner Alley, Pickwick/Hillarities, Erie Island coffeehouse and HOB, and it's T-shirt/etc, logo-hawking General Store next door. And of course, Lola... It would be one thing if all the restaurants were the sportsbar+hot wings joints that seem ubiquitous downtown. Given the tight scale of E. 4th (which makes it special in the 1st place), it seems more geared to smaller spaces, like art galleries, women's accessories shops or maybe returning a few of the jewelers.

I know the economy is tough, now. But when it gets better, I hope RTA considers all night (owl) service on the 12 Woodland bus. It seems weird that the Shaker Square area, the most densely populated neighborhood in Cleveland, loses bus service at night after 12:30p every night. When the Blue/Green line Rapid goes quiet, at least we wouldn't be an isolated island, where the closest all-night buses are 2 miles away -- the Health Line (down the steep winding hill) on Euclid to the North, or the 14 Kinsman to the South.

RTA's currently in the process of planning for replacing the 'S' curve of Red Line just west of West 98th Street. Seems like, in making this change, RTA might put switches ('scuse me, an interlocking) at !. 100th Street, to have a 1 or 2 stop branch continuing along the NS track to W. 117, where there'd be a transfer station for this Red Line terminal and future Stop along the planned West Shore Commuter Line -- esp if West Shore opts to connect w/ the NS shore line/3-C Amtrak line to the North Coast Station near the new MMPI Convention Center (meaning this would be the only transfer point btw the Red Line Rapid and WS commuter line)... Such a transfer station would serve a densly populated area including the Lakewood Gold Coast. Why not?

Another blow to downtown. A very good idea. Damn shame.

Nice shots... Love Evanston; it prol'ly has more population/commercial density than a lot of major American cities, esp w/ the expanding TOD development (wish Cleveland could swipe one of those sexy highrises -- yeah, I'm more turned on by the buildings than the shirtless guys)... Lakewood's kind of like Evanston but w/o the top university.

Dirty Rapid. - on 3 different Blue/Green Line rides this weekend, we found cars to be filthy. Headed into the Rib Cookoff Saturday afternoon, car had cans and bottles rolling around on the floor which nobody, driver or any other RTA personnel bothered to pick up on the return ride. Two other trips had filthy floors which 10 mins and a mop & Spic 'n Span could have cured. An embarrassment viz a lady friend who rarely rides RTA who was appalled and probably won't ride again anytime soon. - followup on Shaker Blvd: the dirty trench (Shaker Sq.-to-Woodhill Rd) I mentioned during our trip to the Cleve Film Fest a few months ago, is still just as dirty; untouched. And the couch on the hill next to the MLK Blvd bridge is still there... It's no longer winter and we're on the cusp of summer. I've never seen the Shaker cut so dirty. Why isn't RTA doing anything about this? Early-to-bed Rapid - Sat. night downtown, happily, made downtown seem like Manhattan -- total gridlock around Public Square and long traffic backups along Prospect Av. Transit would have been an alternative, but w/ the last train leaving at 12:15a ... With our growing entertainment district on Euclid and esp E. 4th Street, I once again ask: shouldn't RTA consider summer (at least) extended weekend service til 2a? I can't believe RTA can scrape up the money to run these extra trains for such a huge public service.

Very nice article and a surprise for the PD: actually pointing out something good downtown and in Cleveland for a change. E. 4th is gem that keeps on giving. The Marons are my kind of developers: quiet, dogmatic and steady... That said, I'm surprised the article didn't mention the Corner Alley, which I think really solidified the neighborhood attracting a diverse crowd to a different kind of venue on a more steady basis than most bars or restaurants... The article also didn't talk much about astounding residential growth/factor on E. 4th. It's truly a neighborhood as opposed to just being an 'entertainment district.' I too am also excited about the prospects of connectivity with WHD Tower City and, perhaps, Playhouse Sq.

I don't buy that. 2 diff neighborhoods; 2 distinctly different clientele groups. I really don't consider E. 20th "downtown" in the truest sense.

Jerry, thanks as usu for your quick & thoughtful response... Even though not a "shovel ready" Fed Stimulus package project, it seems clear being listed as an RTA "Large Project Advertised" that RTA (w/ the short Blue Line extension thru the intersection) is joining Shaker Hts, which has finally settled on a TOD design for the (now) awful intersection and is quickly moving forward with this project... I still would like to know whether, given this fact, is RTA considering dusting off the Blue Line-to-the-Highlands extension project that, I believe, was shelved early in the new millennium under by RTA? This extension could certainly help concentrate the tremendous growth in the planned rail path as well as serve growing Tri-C East.

Agreed.

Jerry, RTA's website lists, re the Federal Stimulus package under "Large Projects Advertised", the Van Aken Blue Line extension, probably as part of the Van Aken/Warrensville/Chagrin/Northfield TOD reconfiguration. As Shaker Heights has already been awarded $4M in planning money, this project looks like a go... But has RTA dusted off plans for extending the Blue Line further to Chagrin Highlands? Wouldn't it make sense to do so given the prospect of the short extension thru the difficult, above-ref'd intersection -- perhaps the most difficult aspect to a Chagrin Highlands extension? ... and as has been discussed in the TOD thread, this corridor is rapidly growing business/commercial wise, it seems RTA would want to strike the iron while it's hot.

Good, I thought the reporter might be in error. Good also w/ part 2, and thanks much... One thing: I'm not so much worried that Amtrak would rout trains over the West Shore line -- my guess, too much single tracks (or expensive rebuilds to double track) and too much slow, high population-density, grade crossing track in Lakewood for Amtrak to be interested in for long distance (even regional) passenger rail travel of even moderate high-speed (ie. 110 MPH). My concern more was whether the Fed pot of money for Ohio might be depleted for Amtrak and commuter projects, like West Shore, since so many proposals are for NE Ohio ... projects of which, of course, I have no problem w/.

This is good news, indeed. I've figured too much $$ has gone into this project, already, to simply let it die. ... But for once in this town, I'd like to believe our public officials (Frank? Timmy & Co.?) are working behind the scenes, creatively, to help Wolstein get going again... Fixing the infrastructure's a big boost, no doubt, but it seems even more could be done, if anything, w/ Frank showing leadership by continuing to talk up this project; which is simply too important for downtown... ... but let's be clear, this project is a bald power grab of public officials aiding a private developer, Wolstiein, to help destroy (as the article notes) existing businesses (or at least move them out of the way). I don't like it, but what are you gonna do?; our Bourbon Street has long been deep-6ed. We had one of the most talked about entertainment dists in the USA but couldn't maintain it ... but that's, literally, water under the bridge. So let's get the Wolstein project moving again; at least before the residential aspect of will be so diminished as to make the thing not worthwhile.

Feasibility study? Please explain. Is this a Fed/FTA requirement? Is it comparable to the alternative modes analysis (I know that's not the name, but...)? How long will it take? Then will there be an environmental impact study? How long will this project be wrapped up in study? Can the logjam be broken?... Then, once the study is done, can some right-winger like a Deb Sutherland come along and derail the project (pun intended)? And does the progress of the 3-Cs and Ohio Hub Amtrak project negatively impact our ability to get West Shore funds from the Fed?

What's the latest on Ari Maron's plans to convert United Bank into a residential/office complex (at least that's what I thought he was aiming at)? Does he plan any street-level retail?

^a wholesale cut, like elimination of weekend service, would literally destroy people's lives along w/ really wrecking our economy. At leas people like you and me can afford to go buy a car if we needed to. Not so for the thousands of riders for whom RTA is their lifeline... Unless it was something that was on the table, and I can't imagine it was for a transit stystem as large as RTA, it should never by thrown out there like that.

Seattle's a great city already. LRT will make it better. I'm rather surprised by the 45K rider projection by 2020. (heck, I believe even modest rail-riding Cleveland is closing in or besting the 45K rider per day mark)... Sounds rather conservative to me. Seattle has all the makings of a strong rail city: compact city with geographical difficulty (hills), a narrow city situated on 2 peninsulas, moderate blight (as compared to East Coast/Midwest cities), population density with the rail line connecting an extremely robust and growing downtown (which LRT will distribute well thru via the existing metro tunnel which spans the length of Seattle's physically narrow downtown). And for a city that doesn't yet have rapid transit, Seattle has had strong transit for years, esp the large trolleybus system and the trolleybus downtown/metro tunnel the LRT will share; along w/ being the central stop on the Tacoma-Seattle-Everett "Coaster" commuter rail line... If I were a betting man, I'd definitely take the "over" re Seattle's current transit projection.

the "Brain Gain Train" group? ... nice. It sure would be nice if officials could make the psychological link: stimulus--> Amtrak --> infrastructure--> jobs --> investment spinoff --> MORE jobs --> better tax base --> less gas dependency --> etc., etc. (place human/community benefit here ______) Would either planned Cleve-Pittsburgh routing, esp via Youngstown-Warren which CANNOT be bypassed, include a Turnpike stop near Lordstown. Even despite GM's woes, I suspect that massive automating mecca will be around for some time, and a train stop serving it as well as scooping in Turnpike drivers in either direction, could be a boon.

Even if Calabrese was trying to goad Columbus and/or NOACA into forking over more operating funds, I think his comment is irresponsible. That's a scare tactic that needlessly puts people on edge, especially in an economically/psychologically battered community like Cleveland.