biker16

understand the fundamentals of transit use: 1. It must be more cost effective than Driving or 2. It must be easier than driving or 3. It must faster than driving If you have all three you will be very successful at pulling people out of their cars. extending the Waterfront line to Euclid is a non starter, because light rail is poorly suited to for that type of route. Collinwood yards Requires a maximum speed of (correct me if I am wrong KJP) 15 mph while traveling through it. for a commuter Train that must meet the needs above, it kills it, the options were to build a flyover to traverse the yard or make the line less effective by increasing the time it takes to get to Downtown Cleveland, which makes it less attractive to use. What attracts me to the idea of using RTA lines for commuter Rail is Control. To use Freight rail lines for passenger Rail places passenger rail as a secondary use for those lines. the CSX or NS have the right to prioritize their freight traffic, over commuter traffic. By using existing RTA Right-of-Way you can access RTA transit stations including University circle and tower City, you will not have to build a new Depot facility, or a station facility in downtown Cleveland. RTA can also prioritize Express trains over local trains making it more attractive for commuters. research for Regional rail has already been done see it here. http://www.multimodalways.org/archives/govts/counties/countiesOH/OHMPONOACA/OHMPONOACA.html

University Circle's Growth and it controlling entity of UCI, give us a tremendous opportunity to grow our mass transit options in our area. We need not look to new TOD on our borders but to embrace the natural TOD that is UC. University Circle is Isolated from the interstate highway system, this offer more incentives for people to use mass transit. the people at UCI understand how important transit is to their future growth, the reality is that future growth there cannot be sustained by Traditional Automotive centered development. I feel that RTA would have a willing partner that would have the resources to facilitate a similar free Trolley system to that which is used downtown to get commuters from the train to the thier jobs. We have more control over the Quality of service at their destination, and less so at the suburban areas they will board those trains. In many ways UC has eclipsed downtown in walk-ability and suitability for transit, as downtown has become more spread out UC is becoming more consolidated and compact. while the processes and momentum being established by the non profits in downtown liek Downtown Cleveland Alliance and CSU will bear fruit in the future, right now the momentum is at UC. So what is the best way to support the growth in in University Circle? First the study of options for any expansion of transit service must be done with the utmost diligence and thoroughness. we cannot have a repeat of previous projects that have had lackluster results, like the Waterfront line. This project must be a Home run for the RTA, because as we move towards a Regional commuter rail strategy, we have to be able to show the people of not only Cuyahoga county but also those counties surrounding Cuyahoga, that they can trust a transit agency to live up to their promises. if We say X amount of people will use this service at a cost of Y dollars, it had better be correct. Why? because regional transit requires regional funding, in the future we will have to convince voters to increase their support for transit, if they don't there is no way We can improve transit service here. I would like to see a reasonable long term plan for RTA, one that Seeks to both increase ridership and reduce future operating costs, which are killing the budget. I would like to see a way to directly link the blue and green lines from the Southeast suburbs with UC.

I just wanted to go over some of the Rail options being brought up here (KJP will correct me if I am wrong.) We have 3 maybe 4 levels of rail service each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Commuter Rail Heavy Rail light Rail streetcar Commuter rail is designed to be a long distance regional mass transit service between cities with in the region. our region is northeast Ohio. Commuter rail is traditionally a service to connect workers to their jobs the difference between Commuter Rail and heavy Rail is distance covered (up to 50 miles), speed, and Stop spacing, what good is it to have a trains that can go 80MPH if it stops every 1/2 mile? the key to the success of Commuter Rail is Speed, it has to be time competitive with driving. if it is not people will drive. commuter rail must operate in a dedicated ROW. it is a point to point transportation system, must have connections to modes of transport to work. Can be Diesel or electric, electric is less costly to maintian but more expensive to deploy. Depends on model 90-120 per car, up to usually less than 5 cars used. width 9'8" heavy Rail like the RedLine, is designed to be primarily an inner city mode of of transport, with more stops than Commuter Rail, must operate in a dedicated ROW, either Tunnels, Elevated Rail, or a rail corridor. the advantages of heavy Rail is greater speeds, ( up to +60mph) stop usually more than one mile apart. operating costs are generally lower than light rail. better suited to longer routes than light rail designed to augment other transit services. passengers 80-90 per car up to 2 cars Heavy Rail corridors unless they are subways or elevated rail are usually far from Where people are 9'8" wide Light Rail like the blue and green line, Are the modern version of the trolley, most light rail operate in dedicated ROWs, although they are capable of operating in road corridors. they have top speeds of 50mph, usually have a much higher stop frequency, usually less than 1/2 mile between Stops, due to this frequency their Quality of service is affected by the length of the route. Like the HL the longer the route the more delays are allowed to build up. in Road ROW the Trains are too big to operate comfortably with Cars, even though they are only 3" wider than buses, their maneuverability is limited they effectively take up alot more space on the road. The passenger seated count 80-90 per car up to 2 cars. 9'3" wide. Street Car primarily Operate in road right of ways, they are narrower than than light rail cars, 7'7" vs 9'3", have much lower speeds (<45mph) greater stop frequency,usually less than 1/4 mile between stops. can operate effectively in traffic, best used in short loops, and to get people within a 1/8 mile of their destination. can replace buses in high volume lines, low operating costs, higher initial start-up costs than BRT, Trams can last 30 years or more vs buses which can last 12 years on average. carrying capacity usually equivalent to a long bus 50-74 passengers. can go where the people are, the srteets 7'7" wide. I hope this helps the debate.

Personally I wonder why we don't return to street cars like this http://www.bombardier.com/en/transportation/products-services/rail-vehicles/light-rail-vehicles/flexity-trams?docID=0901260d8001269c http://www.flexity2.bombardier.com/pdf/BT_Flexity2_210x280_19.pdf To make up a downtown loop service, at first, to replace the blue and green line trains, and could be eventually offered as an upgrade for the health line. With electric only GTW type vehicles to replace the redline, and dual mode Diesel/electrics to serve express commuters.

I am looking forward to the Lakewood meeting on Monday, Trying to convince more people to show up too. I find the West-shore's Facebook page is in desperate need of help, they have event and hey don't bother to inform any followers of the page about that event. I find curious how few people know about this project.

why BRT and why not one of these

I am seeing some vindication for KJP's proposal to use GTW DMUs for commuter rail, and Replacement of RTAs Redline cars. One of the greatest cost of Adding commuter rail in Cleveland was how to traverse the city. from the east Collinwood yards was a challenge, from the west was how to get into Tower city or to the rails station on the lake. think about this, RTA is extending its line to the east and to the south, following the paths for route 7 to Ashtabula (red line) and route 6 to Aurora (blue line). Using RTA tracks and existing infrastructure, Depots, station and power, you could save money and increase the usefulness of the existing network. You could have Fleet of dual mode Diesel/ electric DMUs operating the commuter routes, converting to electric when they reach the RTA Rails, servicing stations at University circle, West Blvd, Tower City, and even the Airport. they would not stop at every station but they could provide express service where express service does not exist today. Think express service from University Circle to Tower City or Shaker Square Non-Stop into Downtown. In addition to common stations, the storage and servicing could be done at RTA's under utilized E55th depot. Most importantly the rails would be owned and operated by the transit agency. questions would be : Could RTA's existing control infrastructure be expanded to handle commuter rail? What upgrades would be needed to allow the use of dual mode trains? How difficult would it be the create express service on existing lines. potential cost savings by moving the RedLine trains to a DMU type train? Platform issues, heights? Does Tower city need additional platforms for Commuter Service, or can the current platforms be used until a permanent solution is found?

SO where is that 3 million dollars going for the Clifton road BRT? why does a road where trucks are banned from using need roads wide enough for trucks?

Battery park is NOT lakefront property. How do you get from battery park to the lake? The Market for real Estate has been distorted by the Economic situation. just because it isn't selling now does not mean it will not sell when the economy improves. The Idea was to create valuable lakefront land that Cleveland Lacks adding residential addresses to the shoreway would have long-term benefits to the park and to the entire neighborhood. As an urban park Edgewater is an embarrassment. why is there soo much parking, why isn't there a playground, why doesn't it have any activities there, like tennis, squash, or basketball, and why is the beach so Filthy? There is a lack of money needed to maintain and grow the park. lets say We could add residential development to the boulevard, how hard would it be to propose a SID for battery park, Edgewater Neighborhood and any new development on the boulevard, to fund the upkeep and improvements needed at Edgewater park. It would be possible to use the revenue from the assessment to support the park.

http://www.fra.dot.gov/roa/press_releases/fp_DOT%20109-11.shtml $28 Million DOT Grant for New Dearborn, MI Train Station Will Help Revitalize West Downtown District, Serve Henry Ford Museum/Greenfield Village U.S.Department of Transportation Office of Public Affairs Washington, D.C. www.dot.gov/affairs/briefing.htm News DOT 109-11 Friday, August 19, 2011 Contact: Brie Sachse Tel.: (202) 493-6024 The Michigan Department of Transportation has received $28.2 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to consolidate Dearborn’s two passenger rail facilities into a pedestrian-friendly, intermodal station in the West Downtown section of the city. The money will support President Obama’s vision to create livable cities and improve passenger rail service. The new station will serve local residents and students at University of Michigan–Dearborn and Henry Ford Community College. It will also accommodate tourists via a new pedestrian overpass at the Henry Ford Museum/Greenfield Village, Dearborn’s largest tourist attraction with 1.7 million visitors every year. The intermodal facility will be designed for the planned Ann Arbor–Detroit commuter rail as well as future high-speed intercity passenger rail service. It will also accommodate city, regional and intercity bus systems; local and tourist shuttles; bicycle and greenway linkages; and, auto, taxi, and limousine connections to Detroit International Airport. The new Dearborn station will continue to serve Amtrak’s Wolverine passenger rail service, which provides three round trips daily between Pontiac, MI, and Chicago, IL. In 2010, Dearborn’s current station ranked third in Amtrak ridership in Michigan with more than 82,000 travelers. Contact: Brie Sachse (202) 493-6024 ####

FRA 16-11 Wednesday, August 03, 2011 Contact: Brie N. Sachse Tel.: (202) 493-6024 American Manufacturing Gets a Boost through a Combined $782 Million Investment in Passenger Rail Equipment WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced that California, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Missouri will receive $336.2 million to purchase next-generation, American-made trains that will run on rail corridors in those states. Previously awarded rail dollars bring the amount received by these five states and Washington State to $782 million for the purchase of 33 quick-acceleration locomotives and 120 bi-level passenger cars. “Today’s announcement is all about jobs. Thanks to the leadership of the Obama Administration, these orders will pump more than three quarters of a billion dollars into the domestic manufacturing industry,” said Secretary LaHood. “And, our Buy America standard will put people to work all over the county.” California and Illinois reached cooperative agreements with the Federal Railroad Administration to begin a multi-state procurement of equipment for passenger rail corridors in California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Oregon and Washington State. Through a joint procurement process states will leverage these federal investments, along with state matching dollars, ensuring taxpayers receive the best possible deal while creating the necessary momentum to encourage manufacturers to build equipment in U.S. plants with American workers and suppliers. “Building a nationwide rail network is critical to America’s long-term economic success. More people are choosing to take the train and this year Amtrak is projected to set an all-time record by topping 30 million annual riders,” said Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo. Trains will be designed to travel more than 110 mph along intercity passenger corridors, and meet standards developed by the state-led, Next Generation Equipment Committee. This will provide manufacturers with consistent specifications for all passenger trains in the United States, reducing costs for manufacturers and customers, while providing a boost to the railcar manufacturing industry. The state partners will now begin a joint procurement process, first issuing a request for information (RFI) and then a request for proposal (RFP) to allow for an open and competitive process. The RFI is expected to be issued in late summer 2011. A strict “Buy America” requirement ensures that U.S. manufacturers and workers receive the maximum economic benefits from this federal investment. In 2009, Secretary LaHood secured a commitment from 30 foreign and domestic rail manufacturers to employ American workers and locate or expand their base of operations in the U.S. if they are selected for high-speed-rail contracts. In addition, in June, DOT announced a $562.9 million loan to Amtrak through FRA’s Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) program to finance the purchase of 70 high-performance, electric locomotives from Siemens Industry USA, creating 250 new manufacturing jobs in California, Ohio and Georgia. The Obama Administration has invested $10.1 billion to lay the groundwork for a high-speed and intercity passenger rail network in the United States, providing rail access to new communities and improving the reliability, speed and frequency of existing lines. Of that, more than $6 billion has been obligated, with corridor projects under way in New England, Illinois, Washington State and North Carolina and stations under construction in California and North Carolina.

would it be possible to convert the abandoned Randall park mall and the Adjacent Thistledown race track into an inter-modal facility? I know it would not be cheap or easy, but could it be done? Is the site large enough? Is the near by freight line adequate enough to supply a yard?