urbanlife

there is also a tunnel from the halle building to the halle parking garage building. and wasn't there a map posted once, maybe regarding the convention center, that showed a bunch of the interior connections between buildings? maybe these weren't tunnels or maybe this was just a concept. i can't remember.

i had also heard that part of the problem here is that this was never put on NOACAs 5 year priority plans or whatever they are called. so, even though the private developers want to pay for the interchange, there are all sorts of other implications of upgrading roads, signals, etc. that feed the interchange that aren't included in the private developers plans. so, the public ends up being "forced" to pay for these improvements out of turn as the interchange was never ranked as a priority on the 5 year plan. there was apparently some kind of blow up at the last NOACA meeting as well regarding the vote process and an apparent out-of turn vote that didn't follow procedures. i haven't really read anything about the details of this though.

part of the increase in rail ridership may be attributed to the normalization of fares - there is no longer a difference between a bus and rail fare or an express and local fare (except for park-n-ride). people who choose bus routes b/c of cost, now have an incentive to use the rail if it serves the same area. there will also apparently be new bus shelters coming to the downtown transit zone. they will be painted silver to tie in with the ECP and are supposed to mimic some of the same theme of the ECP shelters, but at much less cost per shelter. these are scheduled to start appearing this fall on superior. i haven't seen any pics though.

the basic liquor laws only require a divider, and the city laws require a specific set back (which in this case doesn't happen b/c of the closed street). i didn't mind House Of Blues old style patio - with the black steel poles with a wire strung between - it was much less intrusive, and accomplished the same thing, patio eating and drinking. i think that if they would have made the patios with curved metal and maybe even different varied fence panels (artistic or otherwise), this would have a huge effect.

Ridership Update - July 2007 Numbers JUL 2007 JUL 2006 Chg YTD 2007 YTD 2006 Chg Bus RTA 3,615,300 3,334,200 +8.4% 25,971,000 26,739,210 -2.9% Circ. 163,000 168,200 -3.1% 1,336,000 1,403,970 -4.9% Tlt Bus 3,778,300 3,502,400 +7.9% 27,307,000 28,143,000 -3.0% Rail Heavy 518,000 460,300 +12.5% 3,383,000 3,131,810 +8.0% Light 284,300 254,500 +11.7% 1,732,000 1,602,990 +8.0% Ttl Rail 802,300 714,800 +12.2% 5,114,000 4,735,000 +8.0% Para 38,200 34,900 +9.4 271,000 263,630 +2.8% TOTAL 4,624,700 4,258,100 +8.6% 32,735,000 33,183,810 -1.4% July 2007 Trolley Rides: 52,000 July 2007 Bike Rides: 6,517 (all modes) Downtown Trolley Ridership 2006 2007 TOTAL TOTAL % Chg Jan ---- 60,533 Feb ---- 28,794 Mar ---- 71,151 April 20,588 76,141 269.8% May 40,077 73,145 65.9% June 45,400 67,632 49.0% July 31,442 52,361 66.5% Aug 41,230 Sep 44,078 Oct 53,469 Nov 54,258 Dec 46,496 ----------------------------- Comments: - First month-to-month comparison with 2006 based on fare increase; - RTA is introducing new fare machines starting this fall (ahead of schedule). These should be card swipe machines (compared to existing "dip" machines), and should make boarding faster and require less maintenance.

i think it is just the e4 developer standard patio. some curves and planters would be nice though. maybe when v2 appears next summer, they will have made some modifications. i also wish some of these places had bars that were inside, near the windows, with sliding glass doors that opened, but with the ability to place stools on the outside, viewing televisions or whatever on the inside.

1. E&Y 2. Eaton? 3. Baker Hostetler? usually when someone says "big 3", "big 4" or "big 5", they are referring to accounting / consulting companies, and depending on how you view the market or mergers, you hear different numbers. if that is the case, then i believe the Deloitte is in BP and hias a sizable presence there. McKinsey is also in BP (but isn't considered a "big 3"). I know that IBM services has a fair amount of people in the area as well.

it is a "stop on request" station.

and the PD also has the new editor from San Jose, CA that wanted to shake things up. she was interviewed maybe 2 months ago on the noon 90.3 local program. Unfortunately, the plaindealer.com site is nearly as bad as cleveland.com, so i can't find her information at the moment. and i agree with KJP, that this "shrinking" strategy seems very odd. part of it might be trying to package the negatives as a positive, which can be good, but it glosses over the real problems. it seems that as a region we don't have the balls to define growth boundaries or other limiting factors (ie no more new homes in medina county until the 5 county region grows by x%). i think that it makes sense to grow the trees in lake county. now, if these projects also tackle environmental issues, then on a limited basis, they may make some sense. we also have more than our fair share of brownfields, which are difficult and expensive to redevelop, especially when federal and state policies promote sprawl and greenfield development. imo, we need competent LEADERSHIP more than anything right now. on all sorts of issues. not the same, tired, life-long, local business "leaders", but true leaders that can engage the region, negotiate the numerous divisive issues, and move us forward.

it was probably Nottingham-Spirk Design, who was profiled in the nytimes article: http://www.ns-design.com/ there was also a story on local tv a month ago on NS (maybe it was an original wkyc story that was picked up for a slow sunday). here is the link to a reprint of a July 2007 Fortune article: http://www.ns-design.com/frtn_ideasmadehere.html

one more, it shows a "J & G Shoes" and a "shoe repair" sign before the entrance doors for the new condos. http://images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/herrick&CISOPTR=149&REC=18

well, here is a photo from 1980 (which shows buildings on the surface parking lots as well). hard to tell from this angle what was there. http://images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/herrick&CISOPTR=712&REC=8 if you look at the ceiling, though, you can see where the entrance used to be off of the corner of east 4th and prospect and was recessed back a few feet (similar to corner alley's entrance). you can also see where a stairway used to cut through the 2d floor, but was filled in. my guess is that there were small storefronts and a main entrance to the stairs for the upper levels.

http://www.tremonter.com/ has some good information and forums specific to tremont. it seems fairly active.

i think we will see something happen with this block. it is my understanding that the owner, who lives in shaker heights, has been negotiating the sale of these properties. he obviously wasn't doing much, so if they can get these into the hands of some competent developers that would be great. i had heard $1.2m being tossed around, but i don't know specific details for what buildings that would include. hopefully it doesn't end up like the space across from winking lizard that stopped work in the middle of the project. or the old ny spaghetti factory which was going open by opening day (and is still closed). and hopefully it gets rehabbed ASAP and not as part of a larger "buy and hold" strategy.

it seems like we can develop a clear flow chart: Is the article or information being posted copyrighted? NO: Post away, but consider documenting source for others to find. YES: What are the copyright limitations? source citing? fair use? additionally, some forms of copyright adopt the "open source" idea, as long as there is attribution or it isn't used for profit. Fair Use link: http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html "Section 107 contains a list of the various purposes for which the reproduction of a particular work may be considered “fair,” such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Section 107 also sets out four factors to be considered in determining whether or not a particular use is fair: 1. the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes; 2. the nature of the copyrighted work; 3. amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and 4. the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work. so, it seems a strong argument can be made that articles posted on this site fall under the "fair use" provision of section 107, as much of what is done is criticism and comment of copyrighted materials. now if a particular owner of a copyrighted posted material complains, then it would be up to the moderators to either challenge the posting based on fair use (similar to what youtube does when a copyrighted work is posted). Ultimately, it is up to the copyright holder to enforce the copyright.

has anyone heard any updates on the sponsorship for the Silver Line?

there may be some trial runs with the new buses and i know that they have announced that the existing buses will begin to use the center stations to get people used to them. but, i don't think the actual ECP vehicles will run in the completed portion until the entire system is complete. 1. they haven't been built yet. rta is testing one bus now (or was) and after all of the modifications are worked out, they will begin manufacturing the other 20. 2. i think rta wants the service to be the real service, so that BRT has a chance, instead of launching BRT to e55 or running the buses without any time savings in some kind of hybrid BRT-lite configuration. 3. i also don't think the prepaid system will be installed before mid 2008 at the earliest, and this is a ket component to the BRT.

i never saw a release about I-90 lanes and ramps reopening through downtown (after the july closure). although it was a pain with the ramps closed, it seems that ODOT actually finished this project ahead of schedule.

and if nothing else, it should be a lesson to those who want rail - you're going to have to work hard to bring home the $$$, whether it is local, state or fed. since we aren't a growing region it is harder to make the argument that a rail line extension relieves highway congestion or significantly improves air quality. since we have a relatively poor center city, it is hard to look away from significant funding into the core of the city from the state and feds. i'd rather a rail line be built as well. but if it is successful, then maybe there will be more momentum to expand the blue line out east, or the green line out west, or the red line south, etc. what bothers me most, is that rail isn't being included in even the proposals (see shoreway conversion). imo, you've got to at least put it in the plan (like the the lakefront plan did with an eastward rail extension)

yes. and as i posted in another thread, i only air complaints on UO when i feel the regular channels aren't working. so, when i don't get emails back from the various contacts listed on the website, from the web form, from bringing the issue to the attention of the citizens advisory board, etc. it seems to me that RTA is doing a good job on running the agency - balancing the budget, hedging fuel, buying new buses, etc. that's huge, and i give them credit for doing this in a tough economic environment in cuyahoga county (sales tax) and the state as a whole (very little transit funding). what is missing, imo, is either an overall attitude, or at least the attitude of a few key people, who are focused on the future of transit and ways that RTA can lead (or adopt leading practices that others have led with). i view transit information as one of these key areas - whether it is updated maps at the transit stations, updated information on the website, email alerts, better signage around the euclid project, etc. it seems to me that there is too much focus on "how things have always been done" and "we don't have a lot of money or people to do everything" as excuses for figuring out innovative ways to drive riderships and allow RTA to have a significant impact on the community. one of the reasons i posted in response to your original message was that i thought you worked for RTA. my channels of communication have been ineffective in getting replys, let alone action on key issues. again, i don't expect RTA to listen to random riders on all requests, but an acknowledgement is a start. "Thanks for riding and thanks for the suggestions. I've forwarded them to X and Y, and they will follow up with you in a week." that's why i am curious as to what the culture really is. if i didn't reply to emails, i'd have to answer to someone.

as far as i can tell, RTA owns this property and is holding it as part of their TOD available properties. PARCEL ID 118-06-026 (25 and 27 as well) OWNERS NAME GREATER CLEVELAND REGIONAL TRA ADDRESS 06611 EUCLID AVE CITY CLEVELAND ZIP 44103

they tore off the front of the building for the ECP. i believe they are still hoping that someone will buy the building and add a new front. but, if that doesn't happen, i'd imagine it would eventually be torn down. imo, right now it is cheaper for RTA to hold the property than to demo it.

I agree that it's inexcusable for there to have been no notification of any kind on RTA's web site, or on the Answerline. However, I am curious to know more about your "about $2" solution. Got any particular choices in mind? Keep in mind that we're talking web site, e-mail, text message, maybe even text-to-speech for those who don't have text message capable cell phones (yes, there's plenty of those folks, especially among RTA's transit-dependent ridership), along with all the concomitant record keeping that would accompany such a solution, and the variables of who gets notified when (if, for example, I'm a West side bus rider who only works third shift, what do I care if the Blue & Green Lines are down during rush hour?). I'm not downplaying your suggestion, but I'd like you to put some meat on the bones rather than focusing on a cheap sound bite... the "$2 solution" comment is in response to my understanding that RTA has installed new software that powers the paratransit scheduling, tracks buses real time, etc. my understanding was that this software has functionality that can be used for email alerts, based on real time information. now, if the system doesn't work as is, obviously it won't be of much help to provide real time information to ridership via email. but, it seems that this project is at least 2 years old, and although the total project cost is much more than $2, this incremental functionality should, imo, be online by now. Another very simple and "$2 solution" : i'd also be happy if RTA just used their existing email list for major announcements about service disruptions. RTA is still collecting email addresses at this page: http://www.riderta.com/maps-schedules.asp but, i don't think there has been any kind of mass email in a long time, and i used to receive them more regularly. as far as other solutions go, i can only comment as a rider as for what i'd like to see in cleveland, some of this from similar systems i've seen when riding and using other transit systems. email and text alert systems exist, so i'd expect someone at RTA to be on top of them and have a plan for implementation ("These are the top 3 systems, i've been demoing them, these are the costs, and this is when it is going to work in cleveland"). i don't have access to the many transit publications, nor do i attend any conferences or socialize with employees from other transit agencies around the world, so i don't hold myself out as an expert, except that it is being done in other transit agencies now. now, a quick google search of "automatic email transit alerts" brought back these few results: http://www.dart.org/govdelivery/emailupdates.asp (so RTA can talk with Dallas and see what they are using) http://www.soundtransit.org/x1776.xml (allows for signup as well for alerts) http://www.govdelivery.com/info/RTC.pdf this product basically just reads a website and then emails the new content. so by segregating the RTA news section into critical news, regular news, rail news, bus news or whatever, all that would have to be done is to post the news in the right section, have riders sign up for what they are interested in, and the info is emailed. i don't know how much it costs.

Does anyone know who owns the right of way along the red line tracks between the brookpark and west 150th stations? i'm particulary interested in the area between I-71 and red line tracks, and i assume it is ODOT up to a point (the fence?) and then RTA? right now it is basically just overgrown weeds and a few deformed trees. i'm curious as to why this highly visible stretch of land can't be better landscaped to provide an inviting appearance along this section of highway as well as one of the first passages riders on the redline see. also, i'm curious why they can't use some form of advertising along this stretch (perhaps to pay for improvements).

i have, multiple times. email, web form, contacted citizens advisory board member who raised issue, direct emails to ECP project manager (with no replies). still nothing, and i started a year ago. realize that when i post an idea, suggestion or complaint on UO, it is b/c the normal channels have not worked and that i hope that one of the casual readers or guest will be in a position to make something happen, and have that "ah-ha" moment. i don't want credit for ideas, i just want things to be transparent, our agencies to be responsive to citizen input, and for cleveland to challenge the existing and make sure we are building for the future.