clvlndr

^thanks for the update... I like 3000 Bridge's website; it's pretty slick... It tweak it just a tad... in the "Location" link, I'd go with shopping at Tower City rather than "Terminal Tower", a bit dated, don't you think?.... Also, I'm surprised (unless I missed it) there was no mention of being 2 blocks from Dave's Supermarket... these are minor. It appears from the site plan that the in-fill, attached building will actually be larger and taller than the existing WSC. More high-density residential development in an already great nabe? ... can't kick about that.

3000 Bridge looks like a nice project. btw, what's the status of Jay Lofts these days?

Interesting thread on Skyscrapercity: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=458075

[note: much of the reason seems political as CTA seems more a political appointment than most like Cleveland's RTA, but I still have to believe people are also so fed up with the deteriorating/poor service/conditions on the L these days, the worst I've ever seen] CTA chief Kruesi steps down By Gary Washburn and Jon Hilkevitch Tribune staff reporters Published April 19, 2007, 8:48 PM CDT With the rift widening between the city and the suburbs over transit funding, Mayor Richard Daley replaced the polarizing president of the Chicago Transit Authority with an administrator known to be tough, but conciliatory. In Ron Huberman, Daley selected a proven star of his administration to seek more money for the troubled agency and upgrade the CTA system as Chicago prepares to bid for the 2016 Olympic Games. E-mail this story Printable format Search archives RSS Politics coverage From City Hall to D.C. Assuming approval by the CTA board, Huberman will succeed Frank Kruesi, the politically wired CTA president who has become a lightning rod for criticism. The hard-edged Kruesi has presided over ridership increases and directed major rail projects in his more than nine years on the job. But he also has taken hits for introducing fare increases and for what has become his annual threat of massive service cuts unless the state boosts funding. "I want to have a transportation system that meets the needs of riders and keeps our economy very strong," Daley said. "I want to be assured that riders and taxpayers are getting their money's worth. As you know, the General Assembly will demand that same assurance as a condition of providing the increased funding the CTA needs so badly." What will become of Kruesi, 56, a one-time Springfield aide and roommate of the mayor when Daley was a state legislator, was not revealed. Asked if his longtime friend might land a job in connection with the city's Olympic effort, Daley dodged. "Frank is a very, very knowledgeable person in government," the mayor replied. "He was in state government for many years. He was in county government. He was in the federal government, and the city government, is very knowledgeable in regards especially to public transportation and other issues. He is one of my best advisers." Kruesi made connections in Washington during a stint as a senior staffer in the U.S. Department of Transportation before returning to Chicago to head the CTA. Daley has said the federal government would have to fund transit infrastructure improvements if Chicago wins the 2016 Games, and he specifically has mentioned the need for a new rail line west of downtown that would run north and south. But the CTA faces huge challenges this year. The current rail and bus system has unmet capital improvement needs that officials estimate at $5.8 billion; an operating budget that could be $110 million in the red if the state doesn't come to the rescue with more money; and what officials contend is a need for a long-term injection of funding just to maintain present service levels. If Springfield ultimately agrees to provide more money, legislators will demand reforms and cost-cutting measures, Huberman said at a City Hall news conference where his appointment was announced. "I am committed to finding new ways to tighten the belt of the CTA and finding new and innovative ways to deliver service more efficiently," he said. "The mayor has made it clear to me that everything is on the table." In a humorous aside, Huberman, 35, said he has hands-on transportation experience—driving a bus for three years when he was a college student. But Daley insisted Huberman's thin résumé in the public transit field is not a concern. "He is very knowledgeable, very smart, very practical," Daley said. "He works with people well. He brings in very creative and innovative people. It is all about management. It is all about setting policies." Huberman became a street officer for the Chicago Police Department in the mid-1990s, rising quickly through the ranks to become an assistant deputy superintendent and the department's technology guru. After catching Daley's eye, Huberman was appointed in 2004 to head the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications. As a federal investigation into contracting and hiring fraud was picking up steam, Daley made a show of naming Huberman his chief of staff in 2005, with orders to clean up City Hall and to make city government more efficient. Daley declined to say who would succeed Huberman as chief of staff, considered the second-most powerful job in city government. But Terry Peterson, a former alderman who until recently headed the Chicago Housing Authority, is viewed as a top contender. Peterson was the campaign manager for Daley in his bid for re-election in February. Also seen as a possible candidate for the job is Cortez Trotter, the city's chief emergency officer. Kruesi, a behind-the-scenes operator in Chicago politics for years, who insiders say was behind Daley's decision to bulldoze Meigs Field, was not asked to resign, the mayor said. But the sometimes abrasive CTA chief is disliked and distrusted by some legislators in Springfield. Suburban officials who viewed Kruesi as a roadblock to transit funding said Daley effectively took the issue off the table by shaking up the CTA's leadership. "It's good to have new blood coming in, and we will reach out to the new team," said U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill). "With new leadership comes new ideas." Kruesi insisted he made the decision to leave on his own and denied he has been toxic for the CTA in Springfield. "This polarizing notion that people have, quite frankly, I'd say you're about nine, 10 months behind," he said. "That tone has changed dramatically." Kruesi came under fire in 2003 for trying to engineer pension sweeteners for top CTA executives, including himself. When details became public, the agency's embarrassed board reversed itself and killed the deal. Daley was asked Thursday if Kruesi's pension will be increased now as he leaves the CTA. "I don't think so," the mayor replied. Pressed by reporters, he added, "I just said no." [email protected] [email protected] Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune

I agree with you. I'm saying that both locations (W. 117 and West Blvd) are both indispensable imho, even though it's awkward b/c they are so close (btw, I'm for extensive TOD work at both locations, apparently prop'd for W.117; West Blvd, where the current Red Line station is, has much potential and is woefully underdeveloped). Lakewood, b/c of its density and importance, would have more than one station, too. But every other burb would have about 1 per burb, including long/stretched out Westlake/Bay. This would interpret to about a station every 3 to 5 miles, which is pretty standard for commuter systems beyond core city/inner-ring burb limits which generally maintains the balance between coverage and train speed, esp given that most commuter systems are rather slow boarding, limited-door trains. ... add to that, the fact diesel trains have slower acceleration than do electric. It's with that advantage, electric trains - - commuter rail, rapid transit systems -- can have much more frequent, close-spaced station-stops with less loss of time than do diesel operations.

We'll see how it shakes out. I'm not sure multiple stops in Lakewood, for a 25 mile (maybe much more if Vermilion and Sandusky are included) makes sense. I know coverage is important, but a stop 'n start line ultimately could render the line so slow it loses it's competitive edge (vs. the auto). I'd only advocate that if the line had the facilities for local and express service which is doubtful, as only 1 track is active now (and max, there's only room for one more track)... ... That said, I think a commuter line must stop at W. 117 street. It's the core restaurant, entertainment and residential drag for the immediate area and sits right on the Lakewood-Cleveland line. I know the West Blvd RTA stop is less than a mile away, but it's hard to justify having trains roll thru such an area as W.117 without stopping. So I think the smartest approach is 2 Lakewood stops: downtown and W. 117...

That's good news. Let's hope the State reciprocates. I hope All Aboard can keep the focus on the 2-year demo funded by Columbus rather than the long, heavy-investment program, regardless of the latter's attractiveness... In an area like Greater Cleveland (indeed, all of Ohio) where rail transit projects are about as popular as the chicken pox, I think a small scale demo, keeping RTA and the feds on the sideline, is the ticket, ... then watch interst grow. One other Q: what kind of investment will need to be made, for the demo, in the Red Line-commuter connection at West Blvd... for the demo? What primary and ancillary facilities will need to be built?

^yes, the Cleveland-Pittsburgh leg is a key segment of the Ohio Hub Amtrak plan... Let's hope factions can come together and unite behind ORD/Ohio hub, and not separate factions going off half cocked making it tough sledding for everyone... Yeah, the light rail thing jumped out at me too... but I guess only 'rail buffs' would pick up on that; just like the idea of the PD, and other papers, that only rail buffs will ride the choo-choo, ... er, regional Amtrak and commuter rail...

Stunning pics; very comprehensive. Nice job... London's simply an amazing place that has so many faces: stodgy old/classicist (amazing artwork at the Queen's joint, btw) next to very modern/ultra hip, and SO internationally diverse. Even has a Cleveland-like industrial look (or more correctly, Cleveland has a London-like industrial look). Then there's these: ... a bit of Stronebridge along the London docklands? Maybe London's revamped docks ... are a glimpse of what the Flats will look like with the full Wolstein & Co. buildout, eh? ... and, then... ... could RTA's Waterfront Line ever be so popular??? (note: not a spec of orange & brown clothing or dog mask in sight).

^cool. I'll definitely reciprocate after I return from St. Louis -- photos, comments, everything... Thanks much, Jivecity.

JivecitySTL, glad you like Cleveland. What particularly do you like about Cleveland? Where do you hang out (place or neighborhood)? What do you like to do while in town? Do you walk, drive, use public trans or cab it?... Conversely, what do you not like? Where can we improve, as you see it?

JivecitySTL... have you ever traveled to Cleveland? I regret having never traveled to St. Louis (although I'm looking to change that in the near future). I've always heard there are a lot of parallels btw Cleveland and St. Louis... Univ. City, for example, reminds me a lot of our Cleveland Heights both in terms of age, diversity, housing types and liberal/cultural atmosphere. Similar to the area you refer to as "the Loop" in your photo spread, CH also is known for its lively mixed-use housing/entertainment districts, of which "Coventry" is the largest and best known... From the map, UC also appears to be a close in (called "inner ring" here) suburb of St. Louis. There is no university within CH's borders, though our Case Western Reserve U. (very similar, prestige-wise to WUSTL) is immediately down the hill from CH and a lot of students live in CH and influence it's character... also, CH has no direct rail transit, as UC does, but there are a couple Rapid lines which pass just west and south of CH's borders... When I do make it to St. Louis, University City will definitely be a stop on my itinerary. Your post has definitely influenced me in that direction -- nice job.

Indeed. Thanks for clarifying.

^interesting. I note that Sandusky/Cedar Pt is now in the mix... does that change the character of this proposed line beyond just a commuter line for downtown Cleveland/Lakewood workers into more of an interurban-type service which would require a lot more daytime/weekend service? I also note that the West Blvd Red Line Rapid stop isn't being mentioned as the eastern terminal for service, of late, but downtown Cleveland is. Is the W. Blvd transfer terminal still in the mi? Or is the plan to take service over the Lakefront NS line (to North Coast's Amtrak station) or over the Red Line (into Tower City). And what about equipment? Is the plan still a demo/experimental run with hand-me-down equipment from, say, Amtrak and/or Chicago's Metra, to name a few, or is it diesel LRT - making the Red Line/Tower City entry into downtown more viable? Don't these things need to be ironed out? Or is this merely a media/speculation feeding frenzy?

^I think, historically, subways were limited because of the electrification of the commuter (now regional) rail lines. Unfortunately, despite the Center City tunnel connecting the 2 large commuter systems here, the system is still very much a slow, clunky commuter rail system but with many many rapid transit features, including frequent stops... In Europe and Japan -- notably the outstanding S-Bahn system I experienced in Munich and Frankfurt, Germany, they've shown the ability to run commuter rail like a suburban rapid transit with lighter weight cars, multiple doors, wider aisles (with 2 + 2 seats, rather than 3 + 2 seating and narrow, single file aisles exiting from the ends of cars like in Philly), high platforms throughout and 20-minute base service throughout the day.... We don't think like that here in the USA, and Philly, despite its transit problems, is a Rolls Royce service by American standards. Bottom line is, there'd be no need to dig subways all the way out to Manayunk when a beef up of the existing R-6 to the heart of the district could be done for hundreds of millions (even billions) less.

I agree with you. Tearing down the Cleve Trust skyscraper, which is NOT ugly and on many ways is handsome (and architecturally/historically significant), to replace it with a squat, space-eating building, is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard of. And we're planning on doing so with public $$ to boot... stupid, stupid, stupid!

The progress on this project is exciting. Love it or hate it (I love it), the last time we had such public unanimity among pols on a rail project, was RTA's Waterfront Line. Such is a rare event, indeed, in NEO.... The thing is, though, most of the positive, aggressive political talk is west of the Cuyahoga-Lorain County line... I wish we could gin up some more excitement to the east of the line... Cleve City Council's resolution supporting the project was a nice gesture, but we need more hard commitment from the powerbrokers, like Frank's people; the Commissioners, etc... We know JoeC's not going to help, so we should avoid him, but there's enough other leaders who can make this thing work without him (it's such a damn shame it has to be that way, but so be it). ... and if I read one more "Kucinich couldn't be reached for comment" or "his office didn't return our calls" kinda thing, I think I'll puke. I wish he'd stop dancing around this issue and get the hell on board... It'd sure be nice if Mr. Glamor National Liberal would stand up to his principals (the environment; less dependence on oil, etc) and step up to the plate and support this great project. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that 14 long, rumbling/noisy freight trains are a lot different than quiet, 3-4 car commuter coaches pulled by one engine. And that the positive impact on the communities through which the tracks pass, more than offset whatever negatives there are of the few (5 if I recall, for the initial number of commuter runs) commuter coaches passing thru... The key seems now, if we can get the pols on board, is delicate negotiations with N-S; ... they at least seem open to commuter trains, which is a lot better than RRs in other cities.

My old stomping grounds where I still spend a great deal of time.... Physically, structurally, architecturally, culturally, transit-wise: Philly's a throwback; everything UOers would probably agree a city's supposed to be. And Center City is one of the most exciting downtowns there is in the USA and, as dfly notes, its exploding population-wise; condos sprouting up everywhere and office/warehouse conversions on practically every block... But don't tell Philadelphians that. It's got to also be the most underappreciated gem in the nation... maybe even the world... ... And Philadelphian's manifest this 'addytood' by trashing the place -- it's the dirtiest big city in America by far; and probably the meanest. It certainly eclipses New York in filth and gives the Big Apple a run for it's money in (un)friendliness. One example of what I'm talking about is City Hall itself: gorgeous on the outside with a majestic courtyard right at Center Square... but an absolute dump on the inside. Such is the Philly Paradox...

^Try and focus just a tad and not blind cheerlead, just for one moment, please... No one's saying there should be no construction and progress. The issue is it might be nice if RTA would post some signs, with some glossy 'after' artist's renderings and some kind of timetable for ECP. It is not just me, but there were a number of complaints last weekend when there were thousands of guests in town... Euclid was an embarassment for the Women's Final 4 visitors, and it didn't have to be that way. And for a city that's constantly desperate for some positive press against so much negative -- much of that being unfair -- it's inexcusable for that condition to exist.

sweet.

Definitely. This really detracts from a really exciting, up-'n-coming little district. At the other end, that goofy RTA Euclid ECP/BRT never-ending construction also casts a dingy pall on E. 4th street. Nothing like coming from a fun eve of bowling, or eats at, say, Pickwick & Frolic of Lola's, only to be confronted by orange cones, plank sidewalks and port-a-potty's... it's typical Cleveland with its shirttail hanging out. We never quite get the tourist thing here.

All of these are very good points... my thoughts exactly. yeah, I agree... leave it to a PD writer to give what was a great entertainment district a particularly negative spin.

the waterfront line only runs every 15-30 minutes depending on what time of day. From Stonebridge it is actually easier to walk to tower city over the swing bridge thru the flats and up that road that goes to Sherman Williams and the amphitheater, right into the TC garage. I only take the waterfront line if I am going to Shaker Square. Walking over the Superior Bridge is beautiful, but takes longer. The first route can be done in 10 minutes,easy. I also want to add that the Stonebridge to TC is a very safe walk (esp the one through the flats) in my opinion- I see many women inc myself walking alone. The walk from Stonebridge to the OC red line is a little adventurous. Right, Peabody. I'd only use the Waterfront line if connections can be made easily, otherwise, I'd walk. Rush hour's probably the best bet cause trains are slightly more frequent... btw, how can one access the Det-Superior Bridge other than backtracking all the way to Detroit-W.25? If that's the case, wouldn't that be rather out of the way, esp since pupster's Red Line-ing it to U-Hosp (which I thought was about a 10-12 min ride)? btw, you can also take the Waterfront Line the other direction to E. 9th (North Coast) where the Rock Hall and Great Lakes Science museums are. There's also a wonderful little peninsula park, named Voinovich, which juts into the Lake giving great views of the city and boaters, jet skiers, (Burke Lakefront) airplanes, etc... Also, from right behind the Rock Hall, is the Goodtime III which is the city's premiere tourist excursion boat up the river (on regular schedules as well as rent/out special cruises). ... Also, pupster, in case you haven't noticed (which I'm sure you have), Stonebridge is right next to the Powerhouse, which has a couple restaurants, and the Howl-at-the-Moon karaoke/sing-along bar; as well as the Plain Dealer Pavilion outdoor stage, where there are numerous concerts during the warm weather periods (which, at the moment, you've got to be wondering if there even are such periods in Cleveland!!!!). In sum, you picked a great place -- Stonebridge is a nice building, and one of the only all new residences downtown (besides the Pinnacle condos in the Warehouse Dist) to be built in Cleveland in well over a decade. At times the area around it may be a little dead, but on weekends, it's quite lively... and the new Stonebridge tower and lower atrium will only make it better come summer.

Why don't you try the typical American refrain: 'if you can't afford wheels or our parking fees, you don't belong here.' Philly could have increased frequency to Manayunk if it wanted to.

There was a commenter rail line on this bridge until the late 80s, it was actually the other end of the R-6 and it ended at nearby Ivy Ridge. The bridge, though historic and defining to Manyunk, was crumbling with chunks of concrete falling so much they had to install a net until, about 5 years ago, fed $ (FTA I think) restored the bridge though now devoid of tracks... History says this line originally went all the way out to Norristown, but the Pennsylvania RR lopped it off as it couldn't compete with the nearby Reading RR (which still goes to Norristown), and SEPTA cut it back to the single-track Cynwyd line which won a reprive from SEPTA's chopping block as Bala-Cynwyd neighbors objected the cut... now the outer route is a jogging/bike path that goes adjacent, often, to the Schuylkill River... SEPTA's talked on again, off again at restoring service and extending it all the way to Reading in a project called: Schuylkill Valley Metro... ... Manyunk's a great, interesting, though extremely dense/tight nabe but desperately needs better mass transit... Why SEPTA and Philly won't push for better R-6 service there is beyond me...