clvlndr

^That would be great if they could finish it by the Feast. It would immediately demonstrate to the public how more useful a shiny/pleasant, better-located new Red Line station will be.

The Klaus Philipsen article is outstanding... It made me think, and I hate thinking this way: could possibly Baltimore's failure to move forward with it's Red Line possibly boost, in any way, Cleveland's chances to extend our Red Line to Euclid, as suddenly about about $900M in federal money, if I'm accurate, suddenly goes back into the hopper. I would hate gaining at another cool city's expense but, hey, if Baltimore voters hadn't been snookered by Hogan's phony pro-city talk, Maryland and Baltimore would have elected a pro-transit Dem and the Red Line would be about to break ground about now. Of course, my thoughts are probably crazy, because I sometimes believe that Joe Calabrese, our vaunted transit chief, is every bit as conservative as Hogan and that having him run RTA is like having the fox guard the hen house. Of course, all those feelings would disappear if he got the Red Line extended to Euclid... but I'm not holding my breath.

I believe that is the weekend of the Feast of the Assumption. I also thought that was the date someone (KJP?) mentioned that RTA wanted to have the UC-Little Italy station completed by ... specifically for visitors to the Feast.

It will be. Are you coming? It's open to the public! If you're not a member, you should join. Thanks for the invite... I wish I could (I really hope to meet you, someday)... Unfortunately, I'll be about 420 miles away during the tour. But when/if available for the next meeting or function, I'm there!

This sounds like it will be a great outing.... Hopefully at Hopkins the tour will pause and check out the nice photo/video exhibit and tribute just outside the RTA station to our late U.S. Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs-Jones, who was a champion of mass transit.

I'm talking about the whole series. I don't see GSW shortening their bench when they starting brought in David Lee from never-never land and banished Bogut. He also, of course famously, moved Iguodala from the bench to starter with significant minutes. And Mo Speights, who was perhaps THE key player that saved GSW in Game 1 with big shots to pull GSW back into the game from our big lead, disappeared totally after that missed dunk and Game 2 loss. ... The bottom line is that Kerr had/has a very deep well in which to pull guys from -- a bunch of fresh guys, ready to stick in critical situations which, ultimately, pulled GSW back from the bring them back from the dead, where we had them on the brink in Game 3, to coming back and winning the series. Whether Blatt plays all his bench in the finals (if we hopefully make it back next year), he should have learned the lesson to have ready-to-plug-in players which he clearly didn't after the 2 key injuries to Love and then Kyrie. Of course even as I type this, I still have to recognize the miracle we witnessed -- and they testament to the greatness of LeBron, that we went all the way to the finals, and were 2 wins from the Title, with such a banged up team. But even still, Griffin's job is to eliminate the dead weight from the team this year -- no more Haywoods or Perkins or Millers, although I've heard LeBron want's Miller back... I could see keeping Jones because he can give us some instant catch 'n shoot offense.

... not to mention that the Expo Line (LRT) is currently being extended to the Sea (Santa Monica).

^It's really amazing, and bewildering, when you think of all the time and money wasted by the canceling of major rail transit projects by posturing Republican pols -- even going back to Reagan's 1981 cancelling the NEC electrification project (from New Haven to Boston), which cost the nation billions of dollars, and 2 decades, before the project was finally completed under Clinton (a Democrat) and the much-improved Acela took a bow in 2000. The loss of these critical Hudson River tunnels at the hands of Chris Christie is just one of the long litany of Republican-cancelled major train/transit projects (ie Ohio/3-Cs Amtrak/Kasich), the latest of which was the Baltimore LRT Red Line last month. ... I just which the electorate, esp rail and transit advocates, would learn their lesson and get off their collective oft-lazy arses and fight to defeat these Republican legislators who have clearly telegraphed their anti-city, anti-transit motivations ... and as the 1980s Ronald Reagan example proves, it's far from being a recent phenomena.

If by Swagger you mean confidence, I agree. I like Harris a lot; he absolutely has the tools you mention including, most importantly, an outside shot. I know Harris was on the Cleveland-to-Canton yo-yo much of the season, but it's up to Blatt to get the kid more playing time at the NBA level this upcoming season . ... Last year was a learning experience for Blatt and the team, as well. And one thing we learned, the hard way, is that we need to go into the playoff wars with as many weapons, and as deep a team, as possible. We need not kill our players (like LeBron) attempting to run up a gawdy regular season record. The Larry O'Brien trophy is where all the Cavs' focus should be -- and we almost got there with this thrown-together group last year. The Golden State Warriors, as well as the major depletion of talent on the Cavs and other playoff teams, tended to turn the old 'shorten-your-bench' playoff scenario on its head. We also learned that, really, the regular season doesn't mean that much. The Cavs will obviously make the playoffs at one of the high, if not the highest, seeds. So with our highly talented diverse team, we really need to use the season to polish our tools, meaning building up confidence of talented players like Harris for that war following the regular season.

^I can never predict what UOers want to discuss, but I am surprised that the possible elimination of several Downtown Trolleys hasn't merited a comment -- I guess everyone's obsessed with the Suburban Sprawl discussion.

Some free downtown trolley service could end this year without business, city backing By Alison Grant, The Plain Dealer Email the author | Follow on Twitter on July 07, 2015 at 5:45 PM, updated July 07, 2015 at 7:08 PM CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Three years of funding for the C-Line, NineTwelve Line and L-Line trolleys runs out in coming months, and the main source of public sector dollars the trolleys rely on can't be renewed, RTA officials said Tuesday. The C-Line and NineTwelve Line have proven quite popular, and RTA hopes to line up support from downtown businesses, including residential developers and the Horseshoe Casino Cleveland, as well as the city of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, to keep them going. Ridership on the L-Line that runs Saturdays and Sundays during daytime hours between the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Great Lakes Science Center and Voinovich Park, and the casino and other downtown venues has been weak. RTA is recommending that the service be cut in early September. Ending the L-Line and trimming the route of the Nine-Twelve will reduce the $1.2 million current annual operating cost of the trolleys by $400,000, to $800,000. Even so, it's money RTA doesn't have, General Manager Joe Calabrese said. "It's simply something we can't absorb into our budget," he said. Calabrese said the community at large understands the value that the free trolley service brings Cleveland. In the next 90 days, RTA will begin in earnest soliciting support from businesses to try to keep the C-Line and NineTwelve operating, he said. http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2015/07/some_free_downtown_trolley_ser.html#incart_river

Thanks for the update. Looks like a banner year for RTA in station reconstruction, mostly on the East Side (and that includes the just-started Brookpark station work on the West Side). The UC-Little Italy is THE prize, however, as it has the potential to serously pump up Red Line riding, particularly if Intesa is built out as planned next door.

While places like Cleveland, Baltimore, Detroit and others fumble around with their backwards pro-roads/anti-transit and even racially-based, politics thwarting rail transit growth, it's totally refreshing to see Denver's amazing rail transit growth. We had the sloganeering for the Cavs, but when it comes to an issue as important as Smart Growth, TOD and sustainability, Denver is truly ALL IN!.

^"Undesirable demographics ... racial" ... as in somebody from a different race living in the neighborhood is undesirable? Really? Are we still at this point in 2015 and you're openly admitting it? ... Both very disturbing and sad, at the same time.

I like it. Johnson, at 34, is still viable; he's a combo 2/3 at 6'7", can score off the dribble and behind the arc... Love Andy, but at this point in his career, he's just too injury prone, and Achilles' tears are tough to overcome, esp when you're both big and over 30. Plus we have enough bigs now and we can shed Andy's contract, and use Haywood's, for a player we really need. We still need that backup point, though.

Salazar and the Indians go down 5-3 to the Pirates today. Yesterday they wasted an outstanding 1-run complete game by Anderson while letting a Jeff Locke, a mediocre lefty (ERA 4.55) shut them down, so now they not only blew the series, they've started another losing streak again. The Indians have one of the best rotation in the MLB, but are being dogged by this pop-gun hitting staff -- ie, in Friday's win, Michael Bourn hit his first RBI ... since May!! When Michael Brantley struggles, which he is due to a stiff/sore back, this weak hitting offense sputters even though Kipnis is having a career year. Honestly, if Shaponetti don't finally land a big bat in the off season, preferably from the right side of the plate, they both need to be fired. Tired of the excuses. Most every team in the League has a big HR hitter on their staff. We haven't had one since Travis Hafner's earlier years (2005-6).

For a downtown starved of any non-Tower City retail? Yeah, I'm excited about it. Beggars can't be choosy. I really like the look of the repuposed EOG building with the apartments and ground-level, sidewalk-friendly retail.

Could Better Transportation Planning Have Saved Baltimore’s Red Line? BY SANDY SMITH | JUNE 30, 2015 Right now, civic and business leaders in Baltimore are seeing red. Just about everyone there, including Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, the Greater Baltimore Committee and the editorial board of the Baltimore Sun is furious at Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan for pulling the plug on the Red Line, a 14.1-mile, $2.9 billion east-west light-rail line that has been in the works since 2002. All of the people and groups listed above blasted the Governor for throwing away $900 million in federal funds that were certain to go to the project along with tens of millions the state has already spent on planning the line. They also criticized him for taking off the table a transit route that would have brought economic development, jobs and improved job access to impoverished West Baltimore. http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/hogan-maryland-purple-line-no-red-line-baltimore

That's a nice move because a lot of riders feel RTA has an F-the public mantra these days.

^^I have no problem with the seating, and in fact welcome it. It pumps even more life into this most important corner. Outdoor seating is the norm at urban supermarkets these days (just look at Constantino's in both the WHD and UC/Uptown). It also enhances this new Heinen's image as being more than just a supermarket, but as an "it" gathering place, as well.... And as for pinched sidewalks, take a look at Philly all over Center City with al fresco seating. For this 50 or 60 feet, I'll take it.

Looks like the apt building is in the home stretch: the balcony wood fences are giving way to balustrades.

^^ Typical Republican move: anti-urban, anti-transit, pro-rural interests. 10 years of hard, tedious work (and $millions spent) by Baltimore leaders and transit officials to conceive and get federal funding for this excellent job & growth -creating Red Line project right down the toilet. I take no comfort in realizing that the same Cave-Man GOP mentality infests and inflicts Ohio and has killed worthwhile rail projects (3-Cs Amtrak, Cincy's MetroMoves, Cleveland-Akron-Canton commuter rail, etc) and starved transit systems throughout the state. I'd just thought Maryland, which is one of the best railroad/rail transit states in the nation, would be better than this, ... and that's what's truly disturbing and disgusting. ... And this canned Republican: 'let's fix the roads spiel is total horse-sh*t and a ruse, because Republicans are the biggest infrastructure repair enemies on the planet; a bunch of phonies. ... a very dark day for Baltimore ... and all the rest of us who really care about cities.

What does a sketchy character look like? Ohio City is statistically very safe, esp in its core areas. An any city there's going to be some crime, and Cleveland/Ohio City isn't immune, but to launch into OMG mode is way overblown. ... I'd just wait see if it happens rather than anticipate it in your mind.

^For some reason our older American commuter rail systems can't break out of the rigid, old-time commuter railroad mindset, even in those rare situations where there's a system brimming with regional rapid transit potential (hello Philadelphia!)... It looks like brand new, though initially small, but electrified Denver will be the sole American commuter rail with 15-minute, daytime intervals. Toronto is already very good, but will become a transit beast once it electrifies its Regional Express Rail network.

interesting quote: GO plans to significantly improve service on the affected lines to essentially the all-day level. The agency will thus become, in effect, a regional rapid transit service, transforming from its original traditional role as primarily a rush hour commuter service, with off peak service on the busiest line, the Lakeshore Line.