Ethan

I just noticed this temporary signage, and I kind of want it to stay, I like it! Very cool design.

The owner of Cleveland Whiskey was on Crains Cleveland Podcast today, worth a listen. I'm definitely going to pick up a bottle to try! https://www.crainscleveland.com/landscape/landscape-podcast-tom-lix-discusses-cleveland-whiskeys-approach-producing-bourbon

I'm slowly starting to change my mind on Bibb. So far he's been doing a very good job. I've been impressed with his handling of snow removal and now WSM. Very solution focused, and clearly paying attention, plus the emphasis on transparency is great. I was worried he would distract from Cleveland with national politics or culture war issues, but I'm glad to see he has kept that to a minimum. I'm still watching his follow through, but if he keeps his focus on providing solutions for Cleveland, I'll have to (happily) admit I was completely wrong. With all that said, when can we start the countdown for removing the Jersey barriers from public square? because I'm a little surprised they're still there. Or at least that we haven't heard anything yet.

I was just having a similar thought while riding the Red Line. Making fare evasion more difficult could potentially increase ridership. Assuming it significantly decreases the number of mentally unwell people riding. While politically incorrect to say, it's no secret that mentally unstable homeless people make a lot of people uncomfortable, and some will even feel unsafe. As someone pointed out earlier in the thread, Safety, or even just the perception of safety, is paramount, and will certainly dissuade some riders. Maybe this isn't the answer, I don't know, but I frequently see homeless people on the Red Line (some of whom are perfectly stable, and just need some help). I can't help but thinking that there presence is (unfortunately) probably keeping some fare paying customers away.

I've always favored this parcel as a further enlargement of Canal Basin Park. I love riverfront parks, and the news about the bulkheads just adds more justification for making it parkland. I agree with several of the other posters in that I'd prefer to keep the Flats a bit well flatter, than 17-18 stories, for all the same reasons. If a high rise is out of place, and a mid rise can't be made to work for the cost, than parkland is the best option.

The main point of my post was that New Yorkers also voted to end gerrymandering, and yet they're doing the same thing. That was the "both sides" argument I presented. Also, I'm not "trying" to do anything. If you are going to identify me with the arguments I present, and assign unstated intentions to me, then I don't judge this discussion as having any chance of being worth my time. Have a good weekend!

I agree. But you can't engage in a practice and simultaneously claim the moral high ground for opposing the practice... Gerrymandering is a democratic evil, and we should end it, but it's a tricky knot to untangle. Especially since it isn't obvious whether or not Congress even has the authority to dictate this to the States. Realistically this will have to be solved one state at a time, which as you correctly stated is figuratively equivalent to disarming oneself. Plus it's really hard to define gerrymandering. Even though we all know it when we see it (See recent OH map). Most of the initiatives leave some wiggle room for legislatures. Even an independent commission could theoretically produce a gerrymander (though I haven't seen it yet), either by accident or through capture. Personally I favor defining an algorithm and leaving it to computers.

To be fair, only one Republican appointed judge is voting against these maps. The best "both sides" argument is to look at New York and Illinois. NY is a particularly good analog as it also recently passed an anti-gerrymandering initiative that the legislature ignored. It will be interesting what their entirely Dem appointed court does with it. If nothing, the "both sides" argument with respect to gerrymandering will be hard to dismiss.

Look Ma! I'm on TV!

If the Superior Mid Way is followed through on, I don't think any part of the city will benefit more than Asia Town. I'd certainly spend more time there if there was an easy way to bike there. And I love the steps they talk about in that news clip, they seem manageable enough to actually happen, but still significant enough to make a difference. Painted crosswalks in particular sound nice, and art is almost always good.

Thanks! This is a very good response!

Is there an alternative location the city could put a park? The success of this petition suggests a sizeable portion of the community feels they need more park space. The council would be wise to at least attempt to hear the residents' expressed need, even if that doesn't take the form of their preferred plan. A quick look on Google Maps suggests that there are a lot of residents more than a ten minute walk away from a park. Maybe the small green space they are adding will help, but I'm wondering what else could be done.

I keep looking at the figure in Ken's article showing the rework for the bridges over I-90. And while I love me some green capped land bridges, it looks like the far more meaningful part of this rework might be the land it is opening up for development! Cleveland State gets two new parcels that will no longer be cut up by Chester, plus an extra plot on the other side of the highway.

On legacy automakers 'catching up' https://www.tesla.com/blog/all-our-patent-are-belong-you I don't think Tesla gets enough credit for generally not enforcing patents their technology as doing so is anathema to their central mission of accelerating the development and adoption of electric cars. Ironically, legacy automakers catching up is actually proof of Telsa's success in their stated mission.

Combining turning the shoreway into a boulevard with smoothing out Dead Man's curve might be a politically feasible package.

I'd love to get a pedestrian connection here ASAP too, but I've never heard of or seen a crosswalk through a highway entrance ramp. Not saying it can't or hasn't been done, just that it isn't quite as simple as you're making it out to be. It's a safety hazard for pedestrians and drivers.

Was there any discussion of a boardwalk? Is that definitely part of the plan?

Beautiful! Great job as always! As a side note, I find the trend of adding green roofs into every rendering obnoxious. They almost certainly won't be there in the finished product, so it ends up just being a cheap way to make the development look more "green"

I no longer want to see any new casino addition. Possibly unpopular opinion, but Casino's are a lot cooler in the movies than they are in real life... If we have to add another (or move it to a larger location) I think this gateway location makes more sense than anywhere on the waterfront. To echo someone else, waterfront is wasted on a windowless building.

This is why I prefer census defined urban areas for measuring city size. It's the least arbitrary method. I'll be interested to see when the numbers are updated for the most recent census. (A quick search indicates they will be modifying the criteria somewhat). https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_urban_areas

Does RTA have any way of counting the people who don't get on or off at Tower City, and choose not to purchase a ticket? I don't doubt these lines are underutilized, but I'm guessing we're undercounting a bit as well.

From Market Square

Gearing up for the All Star game. Also several new stores have opened in the last month. All in the back section. One possible silver lining of the water damage is that in forcing all shops to the back, it can hopefully revitalize that section, and positive outgrowth can follow.

I'm curious what exactly is meant by this paragraph. "In addition to reviving the Green Ribbon idea, NOACA wants to study widening the six-lane East Ninth Street bridge that connects downtown to the lakefront and the Shoreway. The bridge could become part of a larger platform that would also cover a portion of the Shoreway between City Hall and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame." It sounds like they are talking about a seperate land bridge? Would this be in place of, or in addition to one coming from the mall? Also, I want to re-up the idea of greencapping the tops of the parking garages behind the court and city Hall. It would create a green cross for comparatively little cost, plus it would make Willard and Fort Huntington parks more useful. Super quick sketch below.

An interesting side point of discussion regarding apartments and off street parking is where are the surplus tenants supposed to park when there's a street parking ban due to plowing, like we've been getting recently? (I don't mean that as a gotcha question, I'm genuinely curious).