McLovin

The bus garage should go as planned as long as their is enough room for the HL buses to turn around or park because I believe they should be re-used somewhere else maybe the #1 route since it's the RTA's 3rd busiest route according to KJP's list. I don't think you spend $850,000 apiece on buses to scrap them after 4-5 years but if this actually would happen later down the road re-using them would have to be talked about then because the planned usage for buses are 12 years.

Didn't see this list apparently Cleveland's transit is average as it ranked 14th out of 25 which is a far cry from the #1 ranking in 2007, Columbus ranked 24th. Study Ranks Transit Systems Of Major U.S. Cities Riding public transportation saves individuals on average over $10,000 a year.[1] Americans took over 10 billion trips on public transportation in 2011.[2] The average annual number of vehicle miles traveled by young people (16 to 34-year-olds) in the U.S. decreased 23 percent between 2001 and 2009. [3] Source: PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1bKZS) Ranking: (1) New York (Transit Score: 81) (2) San Francisco (Transit Score: 80) (3) Boston (Transit Score: 74) (4) Washington, DC (Transit Score: 69) (5) Philadelphia (Transit Score: 68) (6) Chicago (Transit Score: 65) (7) Seattle (Transit Score: 59) (8) Miami (Transit Score: 57) (9) Baltimore (Transit Score: 57) (10) Portland (Transit Score: 50) (11) Los Angeles (Transit Score: 49) (12) Milwaukee (Transit Score: 49) (13) Denver (Transit Score: 47) (14) Cleveland (Transit Score: 45) (15) San Jose (Transit Score; 40) (16) Dallas (Transit Score: 39) (17) Houston (Transit Score: 36) (18) San Diego (Transit Score: 36) (19) San Antonio (Transit Score: 35) (20) Kansas City (Transit Score: 34) (21) Austin (Transit Score: 33) (22) Sacramento (Transit Score: 32) (23) Las Vegas (Transit Score: 32) (24) Columbus (Transit Score: 29) (25) Raleigh (Transit Score: 23) Source: PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1bKZS) http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/study-ranks-transit-systems-of-major-us-cities-149037465.html

Kinda sorta, but not meaningfully. Cleveland that just built a giant suburban plaza to compete with its own downtown. Bike lanes and wider sidewalks are just window dressing if the built environment is increasingly car-oriented. Would this suburban plaza be the Steelyard commons? If so I agree to an extent some of the non big box stores could have just been added downtown instead of their but that's off topic. To really get the pedestrian movement rolling do you think Cleveland could approach NYC planners to see how they have had such a success with making their city pedestrian friendly? Manhattan for example has on 22% of it's residents using cars which is impressive. Is that because NYC has such an extensive rail service which is hailed as one of the best in the world. Honestly I believe this would greatly decrease car usage if the red line ran further west to say Lakewood, and the Red Line was extended east towards Euclid or Beachwood. This would allow for easier transportation of people to and from their destinations and I believe residents out their would be willing to ride it. I say this because if you take the #30, 39, and 39F for examples they are constantly crowded so the demand for transit is there but RTA has to be willing to pull the trigger. The HL needs to get rid of the bus move them to another congested route to make travel their more efficient and include Light Rail aka Streetcars instead, because for Euclid to already be gridlocked without all of the developments online yet (The casino phase II isn't built, the Hotels aren't open, or the MM/CC etc.) means something needs to change.

Don't you think Cleveland is trying to become more pedestrian friendly? Examples being the "Bike Station" opening in the Gateway District, The plan to try and redevelop either E.22nd or Chester, the "Pop Up Rockwell" demonstration that encouraged using bikes by adding bike lanes, and I also attended a presentation at the Kent's CUDC downtown that included ideas to present to the City that showed less car lanes, lower curbs, and wider sidewalks. I think Cleveland is really realizing now that gearing your city towards being pedestrian friendly is vital in the sustainability of Downtown, and the city itself.

That sort of reminds me of the plans they had for May Company building, sounds dumb to be honest.

If the 22 and 26 are straining why does RTA rotate the 40 footers and the 60 footers why not just run the 60 footers all day the have 17 of them it's not like a shortage is in existence. Speaking of strain's instead of running a streetcar down St.Clair why not just run articulated buses down St.Clair since the #1 is a top route, and an articulated bus throughout the #10 route during peak hours to alleviate congestion some?

So the #3 isn't a top route? (Darn)

That makes sense though but I'm bias to the East Side though because I'm an East Side resident :-P

My Mistake, But St.Clair and Superior run straight into downtown so it would serve better to have a streetcar down those streets to serve Downtown which goes East not West so I think more people would have the opportunity to ride it like how the healthline has boomed. (I wish I could see east side vs.west side ridership numbers to back up my statement.)

My reason behind mentioning the #22/26 (and I thought it ran down Clifton guess not) was that instead of moving the Healthline to Detroit like the previous poster suggested that RTA could do was RTA could just create something similar to the Healthline as far as just paying at the stations before boarding to speed up service. Obviously it couldn't be the same as the HL because for one their are only 3 doors instead of 5 to pick passengers up, the funding for installing medians and making a Euclid Corridor Replica isn't their but I was thinking RTA could install ATM's at the stations that the 22/26 so passengers can board faster. It was just a suggestion

I also on Tuesday at about 3:30 saw a 2100 series bus riding down 9th by the North Coast Harbor Station. I thought these were discontinued in favor of the 2200-2800 Nabi buses and 2900-3000 series of New Flyers? Are these used as shuttles to the rock hall etc. now because I saw passengers on it..

Speaking of the Healthline what is the expected life span on those buses? The have been around for four years now and have started to rack up MAJOR mileage. The wear and tear on them are also starting to show with the LCD Scrolls inside either both being off or one, the mirrors inside falling off or being loose, the stop requested strips not working either with just a few not working or an entire section (the front or back). Also the navigation is off on some. I would also point out how bad it looks that RTA fixes some defects with the bus with DUCT TAPE on the outside of the bus or the inside it's extremely tacky and a bad look. I know buses will take a beating but the Healthline seems to be getting neglected, and for this to be the "major RTA jewel" and highly touted it should not be this way or in this condition. Imagine how tourist who may want to take the bus would perceive a broken bus on a basically new route. Also the stations could use some fixing with the LCD screens being off, hopefully JetDog can address this or someone from RTA.

I'm for any of this except moving the healthline because the westside has an articulated bus of their own with the number 22/26 going down Clifton so they can adjust this to go down a different road or make it just like the healthline. I agree though that the healthline should have been a streetcar from the beginning. I read somewhere though that RTA thought about bulding a subway system but it was too expensive and the demand for rail wasn't there at the moment. Here's the #22/26 articulated bus:

I was reading the article on the Atlanta Streetcar getting approved and it made me wonder about Cleveland getting it. Obviously we can't get it on Euclid but I was wondering if it would be feasible for St.Clair and Superior our other two busy streets. Looking at how Atlanta applied for a grant got approved and will soon set up a network of Streetcars throughout the area I thought about how much faster, more efficient and feasible it would be to have them here in Cleveland as well. I feel like travel down those streets would be faster than what we have with the healthline and could have a positive effect like the Healthline had. Just a suggestion that could hopefully be done down the road, anyone have an opinion on this? http://www.progressiverailroading.com/passenger_rail/article/A-streetcar-they-desired--30535

You need to reread the thread. There is a Le Merdian Hotel going into those 4 buildings. Yeah I saw that AFTER I posted that comment

Hopefully this leads to some Clothing retail or national food chains being put here

No the 55 Public Square Building is 22 stories, and the Ernst & Young Tower is 18 stories plus a mechanical floor and roof terrace. The number of floors doesn't matter. The floor to floor heights vary a lot from one building to the next. 55 PS is 300ft and I believe this tower is higher than that at around 350ft? True plus just counting sq. footage 55 Public Square is 430,000 sq.ft and Ernst & Young Tower is 450,000 sq.ft so it's larger in that aspect as well.

No the 55 Public Square Building is 22 stories, and the Ernst & Young Tower is 18 stories plus a mechanical floor and roof terrace.

I love the Lorain-Carneigie bridge and I love the detail of the structures...when were those built though?

Its good they had a nice time and good experience! But those infamous ticket machines... ha! Lol but you know the thing is those ticket machines aren't that hard to work or figure out it tells you step by step. Could it still be simplified? Yes, but it isn't as hard to use as people make it out to be. I read somewhere on UO that RTA is looking at other ATM's (Automated Ticket Machines) especially the ones in Boston which are supposedly one of the easiest ones to use. (correct me if I'm wrong)

I understand. I was using the age of the Blue/Green line cars to show that the age of a railcar isn't so much the issue, but if/when it was updated, refurbished or completely rebuilt down to the carbody shells. But I see that you do recognize that the Red Line cars aren't necessarily in need of replacement. They are getting overhauled at a cost of $6,745,000 according to GCRTA's 2011-15 capital improvement plan.... The mid-life overhaul of the Authority’s Light Rail (LR) Vehicle fleet neared completion at the end of 2010 and the Heavy Rail (HR) Vehicle fleet mid-life overhaul remains underway, through at a slower completion rate than anticipated. Both projects were initiated to economically extend the useful life of the Authority’s rail vehicle fleets approximately 12 years beyond their normal expected operating life of 25 to 30 years. The cost of a new heavy or light rail vehicle is between $1.5 and $3.0 million, while a mid-life rehabilitation of the vehicle, costs much less. http://www.riderta.com/pdf/budget/2011/6-CapitalImprovementPlan.pdf Lots of good stuff in that document, BTW. Lots of rail projects (construction contract let dates assume the availability of funding by that time)..... ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Substation Replacement - West 117th Street @ $151,000 due for 2015 Substation Replacement - West 65th Street @ $3,312,200 due for 2014 Sectionalize Tower City Catenary System @ $694,000 due for 2013-14 Substation Replacement - Fairhill Avenue @ $3,074,500 due for 2012 Second Independent Feed for E. 55th Street Substation @ $66,000 due for 2015 Substation Replacement - Puritas Avenue @ $3,859,600 due for 2015 TRACK REHABILITATION Rail Infrastructure Program @ $7,858,105 due for 2011-15 Light Rail Retaining Wall - Buckeye/Woodhill to Shaker Square @ $1,800,400 due for 2013-14 S-Curve (west of West Bvld) Reconstruction on Heavy Rail Line @ $1,798,000 due for 2013 Airport Tunnel Rehabilitation @ $1,187,700 due for 2012 (will result in substitute bus service) Light Rail Crossings Improvements @ $11,433,782 due for 2011-15 Replace Shaker Square Grade Crossing @ $2,415,000 due for 2012-13 RAIL STATION REHABILITATION Mayfield Road HRV Station @ $12,367,000 due for 2012-14 University Circle Station Rehabilitation @ $16,802,000 due for 2011 Lee Road/Van Aken Blvd. LRV Station Rehabilitation @ $4,325,000 due for 2011 Light Rail Station Platform Reconstruction @ $1,249,710 due for 2012-15 Woodhill Road LRV Station Rehabilitation @ $322,723 due for 2011 Brookpark Road HRV Station Rehabilitation @ $13,401,100 due for 2015 Replace Tower City Escalators @ $1,624,000 due for 2014 East 116th Street LRV Station Rehabilitation @ $5,566,200 due for 2013-14 TRAIN CONTROL / SIGNAL SYSTEM HRV Microprocessor Replacement - Engineering Study @ $338,125 due for 2013 Cab Signal System Replacement Program @ $2,880,750 due for 2013-15 Signal System Replacement - Red Line @ $1,000,000 due for 2013 RAIL EXPANSION Blue Line Extension to Warrensville Intermodal Center @ $33,770,500 due for 2013-15 RAIL VEHICLE FLEET State of Good Repair - LRV Fleet Reliability @ $2,731,000 due for 2014-15 Tokyu Car (HRV) Overhaul @ $6,745,000 due for 2011-12 TOTAL - RAIL PROJECTS (2011-15) = $140,773,395 Not considered part of rail are these rail projects...... FACILITIES IMPROVEMENTS BRIDGE REHABILITATION Track Bridge Rehabilitation - East Boulevard @ $1,996,250 due for 2013 Track Bridges Rehabilitation - E. 81st & 83rd Streets @ $4,663,000 due for 2011/2014 Track Bridge Rehabilitation - CSX & East 92nd Street @ $3,378,000 due for 2015 Track Bridge Rehabilitation - Mayfield Road @ $2,180,100 due for 2014 (same time as new station construction) System-Wide Facilities Bus & Rail State of Good Repair @ $2,850,000 due for 2012-15 Central Rail Roof Replacements @ $2,267,900 due for 2012 EQUIPMENT & VEHICLES Event Recorders - Rail @ $1,852,000 due for 2012-13 ### What does the Tokyu car overhaul include I see you said the cost per car is $1.5 million but the Tokyu car overhaul cost Is Only a little more than 6 million so is it just electrical refurbishing or interior refurbishing or a combination of both?

Wow Downtown looked so flat then! I know they tore down a lot of buildings (in the 60s?) but wow it looks much more dense now. Also wasn't Erieview tower apart of a large project that also included the building with the Ohio Lottery in it? If it is and I remember that correctly what happened to that?

Outside the red line trains are more appealing than the blue/green line but I just wish that they would refurbish the interior like they did the blue/green lines and bring it into the 21st century is all if they do that it would be nicer visually. I just feel like it's time to update them and staying the same since 1985 is unacceptable. I like how the red line looks like subway trains it gives it a true urban feel and look but the interior is just to old. If they just replace the seats, change the lighting and aisles, fix the doors (sometimes only one opens), also fix the navigation (the computer over the loud speaker always yells out the wrong next stop), and also TRY to make the screen that shows the destination on the outside and inside electronic instead of manual that would be great (the manual destination screens sometimes aren't even shown because they have been removed or something else) I'm not saying get an entirely new group of trains like Chicago but a 21st Century renovation would be great. http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/CTA-Springs-for-New-Trains-84131767.html

The Blue/Green line trains are 32 years old. I don't disagree about the graffiti but it's in every city, especially throughout Europe along the rail lines. Cleveland just passed a tougher anti-graffiti law.... http://www.cleveland.com/sunpostherald/index.ssf/2012/05/cleveland_city_council_toughen.html I was talking about the Red Line but they should at least be refurbished like the Blue/Green Line was it's a much more pleasant ride visually.Your right about graffiti but it's also so much trash down there that it's disgusting at times. I attended a presentation by Cleveland Urban Designers though (that's my dream) but they were proposing ideas to beautify but naturalize the Red Line area at the same time. So what they proposed was get rid of the "non art" graffiti and replace it with natural graffiti and bird houses. The natural graffiti idea was kinda cool because that would do something to the walls along the red line trip and moss would grow in the shapes of the skyline, people, etc. It was pretty unique. The ideas by the way were created by the students of Kent's CUDC students in downtown Cleveland in case people were curious.