Everything posted by clvlndr
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Cleveland historic trolleys - staying or going?
Sounds good. How much of a done deal is this (besides RTA's "green light?"). I checked my map, and there doesn't seem to be much in the area near E. 26th which is hemmed in by the Shoreway/Burke on one side and the major railroad junction, on the South. Also, will this new trolley museum block possible expansion of the Waterfront Line along the lakeshore east? It shouldn't. This is something that must be looked at.
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Cleveland-Lakewood: Enhance Clifton Transit Project
noozer, I'm not sure I agree about Joe, but I TOTALLY agree about the Waterfront Line... I also agree w/ mrnyc's and the pope's sentiment re BRT: it's a farce and a sham and hampers rail growth.
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Cleveland-Lakewood: Enhance Clifton Transit Project
That's wrong, wimwar. Shaker Rapid's seem to take up space because of the deliberately-planned wide medians (and you'll note Shaker's is considerably narrower than Van Aken's b/c the latter anticipated commuter parking lots adjacent to station-stops). The medians were built wide to enhance the grassy natural area and the large homes. Rail cars over fixed rail takes up way less space b/c with buses, the drivers must steer and need a wider area for 'error' while the trains, of course, do not. You should check out some of the more urban median-strip LRT lines in the Philly area that, by nature of their being in an old, transit-oriented city, are quite narrow.
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Cleveland: Historic Photos
Nice. You note general dates, but I'm trying to Sherlock Holmes the exact time period on some of these. While the clothing styles and cars look like 40s/50s, you've got the Hanna Fountains which, I thought, weren't built until 1964... but I could be wrong.
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Cleveland: Opportunity Corridor Boulevard
KJP, been on the run but have wanted to address some of your comments -- guess it'll have to be piecemeal [rippin’ ‘n runnin’, holiday shopping; parties, & all, you understand]. One thing that I take issue with your take on the expense of the old Rapid right-of-ways and the costs to maintain them. In Philly, among other places out east, they have ROWs, supports and wire much older than RTA's, (which is what, 75 year-old?), in particular Philly’s famed Main Line, which went electric, I recall, before WWI, and whose superstructure was the 1st of the old Penna RR’s original service to Pittsburgh spanning the state of, you guessed it: Pennsylvania. What's more, much of the structure and bridge supports on those old lines (including the former Reading Co. lines which were united in the 80s Center City commuter tunnel) were built back when Abe was in the White House -- many bridges carrying still have wooden beam supports over streets – some bridges over tracks are so old, only one auto in each direction can pass. Philly’s a lot like London and England, in many ways. It’s rather neat, in my book, on that score. Keep in mind that, re the Shaker ROW from Woodhill to Tower City, it has been completely rehabbed, over the course of the decade since the WL went online -- at the cost of $millions. The Ambler Rd. bridge was the last to rehabbed. One engineer I know said its good for another 100 years. As for the couple mile stretch of Red Line from the current junction (which, itself, was rebuilt just a year ago to replace those old tunnels), there's no rebuilding to do: it sits entirely in a trench from E. 55 all the way to the MLK overpass (what, 3 miles?) What's to rebuild? Where’s all this money we’re supposed to be saving if it’s practically all sunk costs – costs already borne by taxpayers. Besides, even if you want to rebuild the wire support bridges (which, again, I've seen much older, esp w/ Eastern and Chicago commuter RRs), these can be done one by one. Indeed, I believe RTA has been doing that on main portion where all 3 lines share track into TC. Then there’s that little issue of rerouting/rewiring RTA’s multi-million dollar, gold-plated cab signals program they installed in the late 80s. Sounds like your proposal would just burn more money for very little benefit. (plus, you still didn’t address my Qs about the “benefits” of this highway to the low/mod income folks living there. As for any idea that, say, the Green Line would be converted to buses: forget it. Shaker Hts may be a tired, old "inner ring" burb to some, but it still houses some of the highest cost RE owned by some of the state's most powerful individuals. The Shaker Rapid -- today's Blue/Green lines, are as much a part of the heritage of that grand old community as those giant Georgians and Tudor's lining Shaker, S. Woodland, N. Park and South Park, among others. Not to mention the fact that Shaker Hts., like Cleveland and E. Cleve (you yourself noted in your TOD thread) are seriously and finally pursuing TOD activity across all the existing rail lines – seems like a bad time to discuss rail “poor performance” and abandonment, esp after the gasoline nonsense that we’ve recently suffered – and whose to say, at a whim, we won’t be paying, say, $5, $6/gallon next year? They do it in Europe. Israel, etc. Bottom line, if Joe C and his cronies even hinted of swapping their service for buses, they'd be in the unemployment line faster than you can say... ECP. As for ending Windermere service, I think Case Western U. and their growing and powerful Univ Hospitals would have a few things to say about that. The high-density growth around the current U. Circle stations is already bumping up rail ridership, esp near the Hospitals and the new Case dorms, and the big development at the Triangle (no, not the so called “Forgotten Triangle”, but the one at Euclid-Mayfield, hasn’t even gotten off the ground in earnest).. and Scott Wolstein, and others, may question turning the Waterfront Line into a tourist "Heritage Trolley" -- weak though the WL may currently be. As much as I object to just about every premise you lay out on the subject, at least I appreciate your honesty and candor (more than anyone could expect from RTA). At least we know the powers that be really do hope and plan for the abandonment for most of the East Side rapid rail service -- a move that would be unprecedented in the annals of American rapid transit -- at least since GM's Nat'l City Lines coordinated their 40s/50s campaign to buy out and condemn most of the streetcars and interurbans of yesteryear... ... at least I don't look like some wild-eyed conspiracy theorist. Your incite gives my 'paranoia' some juice... again, thanks much.
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Cleveland: Opportunity Corridor Boulevard
KJP, help me out. How is your rail in the so-UCAB freeway plan re the beneficial: - in helping spur rail traffic when UCAB will induce more people to drive directly in a corridor already inhabited by the Red Line? Why won’t your plan ultimately destroy the Red Line, traffic-wise while simultaneously damaging Blue/Green ridership and spurring freeway driving? - In making it easer (per DaninDC's comment) for people to live further away from the urban University Circle (mainly on in the Western burbs) and drive in easer? - in making the Blue-Green lines slower by removing them from their current direct, high-speed/car-free right of way to a more circuitous route down the middle of Buckeye stopping at traffic lights? - in supposedly saving RTA money (even with the token $2.5 'scrap' amount you mention), w/ RTA having to rebuild rail right-of-ways RTA has just poured millions into (ie, in eliminating the Kingsbury tunnels at the junction as well as the total rehabbing of the E. 75-to-Woodhill Blue/Green line segment? - In supposedly helping local residents with a brand new freeway in an area that features both the lowest income and lowest auto ownership in the metro region? - In smashing a freeway through an area the Burton, Bell & Carr firm already has a more transit-oriented master plan for, and in fact, has already developed new housing in (on and just off Kinsman and near the current Blue/Green Line embankment off the E. 79th stop)? - making rail access for the locals even more difficult in moving rail stations further away from the large Garden Valley CMHA development as well as the one at Woodland/E. 79th low income housing development? - In helping RTA while not adding any rail mileage while adding/encouraging more urban freeway growth, esp to an area with comparatively modest rush-hour traffic and an overabundance of freeways? - In lending the ODOT highway backers a boost by getting RTA (and transit backers) support with a project that’s supposed assist to transit is merely illusory? Since this freeway-rail ‘vision’ is your baby, I think it only fair for you to answer these questions. Thanks in advance.
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Cleveland Cavs Discussion
I don't have the answer other than we may have to deal someone before the deadline, ... and the someone most likely would be Drew. Question is: who would want Drew enough to give him the quality definsive stopper we so desperately need. I don't know if there's an as unbalanced team in the league as the Cavs: awesome O, nonexistent D. I was thrilled to get Hughes and the sharp shooters in the off season, but they can only make the games competitive, the scores respectable, whereas last season, esp at the end, we were getting blown out. ... I just don't think this town or this franchise can withstand another year missing the playoffs. It's a long way off and we have plenty of time to turn it around, but based on last year while looking at this team nearly 20 games in has got to scare any Cavs' fan to death.
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Cleveland Guardians Discussion
I'm pissed. These el-cheapo Dolans are set to take any good taste out of our collective mouths from last year's surprising playoff chase. Losing a quality reliever and closer heir apparent Bob Howry for mere penuts to the loser Cubs (for what, $12M over 3?) has opened the floodgates of doubt about the Tribe's chances next year. I don't begrudge them Hoffman b/c he thumbed his nose at the Shapiro's better deal to stay in sunny San Diego -- can't blame him too much, either. But Milwood is all but history. And don't try to sell me (not you guys, but the Dolans) that a career journeyman like Paul Byrd is supposed to be adequate compensation for lights-out Milwood. Pulllleeeeeeezzzz!!!!!
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Cleveland Cavs Discussion
Our lack of defense is killing us and making LeBron's antics look like a circus sideshow. As Brian Windhorst noted in his ABJ game article this morning, Milwaukee fans had the best of both worlds: watching LeBron with his amazing 52 pt exploits but, in the end, going home with the warm feeling that their team won... ... I'd rather have the win, ... sorry LeBron.
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Cleveland Cavs Discussion
A 2 da K, I would normally agree with you, but as dumb as that play looked, it wasn't heartbreaking b/c we did so much other stuff to f--- up the game. With now 6 of 8 losses, we're in a bona fide slump. It's not like this game, or the blunder had any playoff implications. It was more salt in the wound than a heartbreaker.
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Cleveland: Opportunity Corridor Boulevard
KJP, I while I think your proposal to relocate the Red Line would put trains closer to the popular U.Circle museums, I think it would put them further from where people live and work in the U.C. area. If you do a GOOGLE overhead map of the area, you'll note that the huge expanded U. Hospitals buildings actually sit back and well off Euclid and are actually closer to the existing U. Circle Red Line station. Also, the greatest residential population core density is in tight Little Italy which hugs the existing Red Line and would more convenient to the proposed relocated E.120 RTA stop. What's more, Case's new E.115 St. dorms is juicing the once downtrodden area near the current E. 120 stop with students who are mixing in with CIA’s McCullough Building kids. And if you ever check out the University Circle station during rush hour, you'd see it's a beehive of commuter traffic with commuters heading both east and west (but mainly west, towards downtown and the West Side). The overwhelming number of these people are from U. Hospital, who have managed to still find their way to the station even with the closure/reconstruction of the Adelbert Rd. bridge. And let’s face it, even in its aging, dog-eared current existence, the U. Circle RTA station is textbook for how to correctly design a bus-rail feeder-transfer station. In short, it works and works very well. For all these reasons, I think the Red Line is fine right where it is. I would only move the E. 120 station, as proposed, a few hundred feet east/south – although, I think a new, modern open and safe station on-site would attract a lot more riders than the dank, dirty dangerous station that exists.
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Cleveland: Opportunity Corridor Boulevard
I don't think people would ride the Red Line if it were 'more visible' in the middle of this UCAB freeway folly. In fact, I don't think people shun the Rapid for lack of visibility, at all. I think they shun it for reasons most Americans shun public transit: they believe, falsely or not, that driving is easier and more convenient to them than transit. Therefore, UCAB will only hurt Rapid riding not help it. In fact, I believe the long-term goal or fallout of this project is total abandonment of the Red Line. I can very much here officials opine that, what, with ECP and UCAB, who needs the Red Line which, after all, is more expensive to operate anyway, right? These people know exactly where the Rapid and how to access it. You see them with their kids riding trains downtown to big events like the tree lighting, or Browns games, fireworks, etc... Why? Because they perceive downtown traffic during such events as too much a pain in the ass during such events (and, frankly, the growing popularity of off peak downtown along with the parking lot robber-barons are, in part, fueling the up-tick in Rapid riding we've seen in recent years). Also, some of you are mischaracterizing UCAB opposition—at least, mine. Obviously there is little housing that would be destroyed if the too-narrow RTA/Norfolk Southern path is taken (although, as the PD maps noted a few weeks ago, planners are moving away from the railbed right-of-way along routes that would take down several neighborhood homes). I object because, with all the great, true city building rail transit proposals (Dual Hub, the North Olmsted Red Line leg, the WL lakefront extension) left on the table allegedly because of cost (which is laughable since we're dumping $250M into that street-landscaping bus project called ECP), I strenuously object to My Tax Dollars being spent on a street-clogging freeway for a bunch of suburbanites who want to quickly skirt the city to get to Cleveland Clinic and (new) West Quad jobs with their fat asses in their gas-guzzling SUV's --- that's why. Plus, it's a ridiculous folly to believe that businesses are going to sprout up along this freeway. It’s also a flat out ODOT lie that this road will, somehow, help neighborhoods where most people don’t even own cars to begin with. This fiction of this “opportunity boulevard” aiding “the Forgotten Triangle” as an auto-club ruse… Like most urban freeways, it's only going to dump more cars and cause more traffic-clogging traffic in U. Circle then will happen without it. This will be even more so since the plan is for UCAB to replace a section of E.105 so that long lines of cars will clog and cut across the grain of our main east-west Euclid/Carnegie/Chester corridor out from downtown -- the route these UCAB proponents should be using, anyway, along with the mass transit that serves the area. Fortunately, the RTA and City are doing the right thing with such TOD projects like the planned Juvenile Justice Center next to the new Quincy-E.105 Red Line stop. Of course, the judges are beefing b/c they, too, neither want to use transit or drive through ‘the hood’ to get to the planned new digs. Btw, that rapid station is only half complete -- a major station head-house and platform lengthening is planned once the dilapidated E. 105 Street bridge over the RTA tracks is replaced. But that plan is 'indefinite' at the moment, probably because planners are waiting to see what's going to happen with UCAB. What a joke. Even the replacement of the rundown, ratty E.105 stop is with the new partial station/stop is attracting a trickle of CleveClinic interns and nurses to the Rapid. Such a waste. I'm surprised and disappointed that so many normally-wise posters on this board are drinking the ODOT Kool-Aid viz UCAB.
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Cleveland: Stonebridge Phase 5
Ewoops, you're hitting on something I've questioned for years. The route from the East Bank across RTA's Settler's Landing station, past the Flat Iron Cafe then over the Center Street Swing bridge directly toward the towering/handsome counterpoint of Stonebridge development is one of the most interesting walks in Cleveland. In particular, the stroll along the interesting, narrow old red-steel bridge and gazing down upon the Cuyahoga and up at the Flats industrial/yuppie mix is one of those mega-neat Cleveland experiences. It's also quite a convenient route. Whether coming down the hill from downtown or (as we often do in summer) walking over to Scene Pavilion from the RTA stop, it's a very important and useful path. Yet, city officials have ignored it totally. No lighting. No signage. Pavers. Benches. Nothing. -- it's a dark back alley-type stroll and even a tad intimidating, late at night, under the arches of the RTA Red Line bridge. While he's constantly grandstanding on regressive, empty proposals, like putting heavy railing on riverside restaurants after the 1999 Flats drownings, or 24-hour parking in the Warehouse Dist, Joe Cimpermann's hasn't lifted a finger for such an inexpensive yet useful program. Time for a letter/e-mail campaign?
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Relocate Cleve freight rail, says Zone
I know KJP praised the quality of the feight lines through Cleveland, but it doesn't make sense, to me, to have such lines take hazardous and noisy trains through high-pop areas. The bypass makes total sense. And maybe, if we can blunt the Bushies, we can get traction on the Amtrak hub which could, also, involve regional commuter trains over those tracks.
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Cleveland: Ohio City: Development and News
wimwar, which building burned on W.25? (rough address? street corner?). Also, I really wonder how much more it would cost to shore up that land to build NE of Riverview. I think we've all seen greater engineering feats than this. Finally, as much as I'm a TOD fan, I'm not sure the schematic of low rises rising over the Red Line tracks, in a line south of Lorain does the trick. While it could have the effect of pulling some more development/retail activity on the still largely quiet quadrant of Ohio City (W. 25 south of the Lorain/WSM), I've got a feeling it would be too far isolated and linear in nature to develop the kind of residential density that would have a more positive impact (as in foot traffic) as say, a high or midrise --- but I could be wrong.
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Amtrak & Federal: Passenger Rail News
Thanks for the national editorial outcry. I really dig the "reverse FEMA" spin... Just shows to go ya that Bush can't do anything right, in either acts of omission or commission. What a jerk!!
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Amtrak & Federal: Passenger Rail News
That's good, noozer. Glad to see some Amtrak support on both sides of the aisle. But I'm just saying, let's get some dialogue going in the election year. Will a loyal Repub like DeWine be ready to rock the machine by criticizing Bush even though it seems like a no-brainer; Gunn has deep and loyal support, obviously.
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Amtrak & Federal: Passenger Rail News
Gunn's a great and fearless railroad/transit man -- this is totally disaster, but completely expected by those spineless Bush yeahoos. Norm Mineta, who's otherwise a stiff, should be 1st out the door. Let’s see how this plays out and whether seeming rail-friendly Repub congressmen/senators like La Tourrette and Lott are really going to push the very weakened Bush on this one (who just had his spending/Alaska drilling bill pulled in the wake of jittery mod Repubs looking at their own futures as well as Bush’s anemic polling numbers. :whip: On the local front, we have a chance to make a dent. Our old friend, Sen. DeWine's up for election next year w/ Sherrod Brown going after him. Brown's record around Akron seems pretty transit/Amtrak friendly. If Ohio’s Amtrak future, particularly the Midwest direct hub plan are in danger, then we need to pressure the candidates to make it not to be – or, in other words, let’s write/e-mail to Sherrod to make this a centerpiece issue – esp to the expense of stupid stuff like the blogging/plagiarism non-issue the Repubs are pumping. NOW IS THE HOUR! btw, I also thought Gunn helmed Philly's SEPTA and NJ Transit, too.
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Cleveland / Lakewood: The Edge Developments
I don't get big bookstores constantly thumbing their noses at urbanized Cleveland. We in Shaker Sq. are still reeling from Joseph-Beth abandoning the square's beautiful 2-story facility for boring/sterile Legacy Village, (also, while punking the Square, J-B built a big store in Pittsburgh's urban Southside neighborhood -- why does it seem businesses are always out to screw Cleveland?) ... which, to date, I still boycott Legacy Village and J-B for this very reason. Indy bookstore Loganberry's is nice, on Larchemere is nice and we do support it... We have no large/quality bookstores in downtown; in Ohio City (though I love indy cubbyhole the Bookstore on 25th), or U. Circle, and so on... ... The church, in the heart of Edgewater/Gold Coast would be an excellent area for a Borders or Barnes. But they keep spinning this "oversaturated" crap as a ruse, because we all know it's exactly the opposite here.
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Cleveland: Opportunity Corridor Boulevard
MTS, like a bad penny, this stupid project just keeps coming back; won't go away. We in Cleveland have such a propensity to engage in city-sapping/killing projects so it's always 2 step forward, 2 steps backward. And the pols are telling us how great this will be for the city... after coming back from the Steelyards ribbon-cutting ceremony. argh!
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Cleveland: Opportunity Corridor Boulevard
I despise this UCAB folly. It's a waste and WILL ABSOLUTELY harm if not destroy Red Line service. (and I wouldn't be surprised if JoeC's all for it)... ... btw, I rode the Red Line to U.Circle the other day from downtown. Contrary to popular believe, and even my own misconception, the open-cut corridor along NS and the Red Line isn't all that wide, really -- certainly not wide enough for the wide type of boulevard/freeway they're planning (and certainly not in the portion from E.55 to the Circle). We cannot give up fighting this thing. Even our misguided pols (council people, mayoral candidates) all have bought into the myth that this thing will boost their neighborhoods... ... wow, I sure wish our pols could junket to other cities like Chicago, D.C, etc, that really do know about real city building, ... urban density building.
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Greater Cleveland RTA News & Discussion
Nope, you're right, the report says what it says. I wonder how the avg rapid rail numbers shake out. I believe I've heard D.C. was #2 on that list, but some say Chicago. ... I know we rank pretty low in rapid rail patronage.
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Greater Cleveland RTA News & Discussion
Indy has just 26K? That's not a misprint? Also, I'm surprised Dayton only has 38K w/ it's excellent trolley buses. With such a low number, I wonder if those trolleys aren't in jeopardy.
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Cleveland: Ohio City: Development and News
Let's be honest, it's not the density, it's the CMHA/low income portion that's scaring people. I wish folks could just be honest.
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Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad
Not tonight, mrnyc baby, the Indians Rock!! are blowing out the ChiSox!! ... oh, 'scuse me... back to business... Good info urbanlife and KJP. Unfortunately it's making my blood boil, as well as noozer's last post. Think about what an amazing thing you’re saying, noozer: a transit agency of a major metro city that has a rail system that's, yet, disinterested rail!!!!! Can you say paradoxical? Counterintuitive? Ironic? ... I'm running out synonyms. (this is spoiling my good Indians mood) I've never heard of such a thing -- even cities that struggle to get rail have transit agencies that, at least, push for it and are derailed (no pun intended) by local pols. It's downright despicable and really merits a serious investigation of RTA. These guys should all be fired; they're not representing our interests as major city. And don't expect our current, soon-to-be re-elected mayor, with her "yeah, whatever" stance on transit (on a lot of things) to say or do anything. It's downright embarrassing that little Akron Metro RTA is taking the lead on CVSR... they've extended the service all the way to Canton (what, some 25-odd miles?) and are helping build a multi-modal Amtrak, bus, CVSR depot... isn’t this extension, like ours planned, sending passenger cars over CSX working freight trackage? Hmmm, seems like their purchase and operation over such rail wasn't the obstacle that our big, bad Cleveland RTA finds it... disgusting! Noozer, you mentioned RTA’s aloof, even cavalier attitude about Ohio Hub rail… frankly, I’d keep these RTA bozos as far away from this promising initiative as possible. You know CVSR isn’t going to be done right by them; if at all – like making sure that the downtown terminus isn’t at Tower City river level next to the nowheresville TC Amphitheater. This thing needs to be monitored closely.