Cleburger

Thank you as always Jerry. We believe in Clifton and the partnership with RTA in one of Cleveland's most transit friendly neighborhoods. RTA's improvements through the corridor make huge sense. Would be interesting to hear where the Enhance Clifton initiative stands in terms of timeline and funding. The website doesn't seem to be updated very often.

Vikings football would have a perfect venue right on the lakefront. There is a stadium there that cost $400 million and only gets used 10 days a year, and hopefully a few more in the coming years (and I'm talking Holmgren playoff appearances--not adding regular season NFL games!). Another 10 college game schedule would definitely help justify it's existence!

Have always maintained that a Division I football program and 30,000 kids living in dorms/housing in downtown Cleveland would change this town forever. We need to keep growing CSU and change it's history as a commuter school.

South of Clifton certainly is not as nice as north of Clifton, as there are few stately homes south of Clifton. But you should have been in this area in the 1990s and earlier. It underwent a major cleanup and rejuvenation effort in the early- to mid-90s. It could probably use another, but it's still a lot better than it was in the 80s. The city installed the ramps because of ADA lawsuits. It had to install them. The sidewalks have been left to rot because they saw this Clifton project coming (same with the street surface conditions). Unlike Lakewood, which repaved Clifton in 2008 (I think mistakenly), Cleveland opted to wait because the entire street (and sidewalks) will get torn up for this Clifton project. Doesn't make sense to pay for it twice -- especially when the feds and the state are paying most of the cost. This neighborhood doesn't even deserve to have that question asked of it. On a scale of Cleveland neighborhoods, I'd rank it a 7 or 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. Let me say that I don't completely disagree with anything above. I was around in the 1990's, albeit as a renter then. Now as an owner perhaps I pay more attention to my surroundings, but I definitely see more trouble today than then. It's bound to be that way. There was no foreclosure crisis in the 1990's that has affected all Cleveland neighborhoods to some degree, and Lakewood as well for that matter. I am not sure if the sidewalks were canceled due to the project, or if the Cleveland side of Clifton was on a completely different timeline than that of Lakewood due to ODOT funding stipulations. I guess the ADA suit people couldn't exercise patience on the issue no matter! And, just because I'm curious, are there any Cleveland neighborhoods you'd rate a 9 or 10?

What are you looking for explanation on? I think some of the confusion is that this thread is entitled "BRT" but the "Enhance Clifton" project does not include BRT. It is merely streetscaping enhancements including the potential median. RTA is tagged on because it would receive a dedicated rush hour lane and upgraded bus shelters. From what I can tell RTA's plans for full-on BRT on Clifton appear to have stalled, but if anyone here has any updated info it would be appreciated.

Call it goofy if you will, but I live on the Cleveland side and I can guarantee you that times have changed in Clifton/Baltic/Edgewater. And I don't just mean the demographics (which is definitely moving to poorer and more ethnically diverse). The housing stock itself is suffering as many of the stately homes you mention are falling into disrepair, along with the more modest ones in the W 100's south of Clifton. I also take issue with the horrific state of the infastructure itself. For a so-called "walking neighborhood" the sidewalks on Clifton are crumbling. I did find it amusing the city spent money to install ADA ramps at intersections while meanwhile the sidewalks between them are unpassable to wheelchairs! :) Is it the worst neighborhood in Cleveland? Of course not. It still has a lot of great qualities and home owners that do care. But the time is ripe for this project while there are still enough of us who want to invest in the neighborhood.

Just to be clear--the project at Enhance Clifton is not full-on BRT ala the Health Line. All it is is dedicated lanes at rush hour and vastly improved waiting environments. I am also a resident and stand fully behind this project. Clifton/Edgewater is hanging on by a thread--I'm sure this project would breathe life back into the area at a minimal cost. More importantly--it will help connect it to Detroit Shoreway--something Cleveland neighborhoods seem to have trouble doing.

The median is tied to the overall design phase according to the Enhance Clifton website: http://www.enhanceclifton.com/ I personally hope it happens--would be much nicer than the 7 lane freeway Clifton has become.

Are we talking about Lakeside Ave? I'm not sure the CC extends under St Clair.

Don't forget the required number of city and county employees to "supervise." That could easily double that number. ;)

I'm all for both. In the bigger picture the cost of the bike lane on a bridge which will hopefully stand for the next 100 years is well worth it. The LED's will add a nice visual dynamic to the valley. They installed those on the Peace Bridge between Ft Erie and Buffalo a couple years back--makes for a very nice view at night.

Was also mentioned in this PD article on Cleveland.com on Saturday: http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/12/streetscape_and_trail_projects.html "Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority: Create 41/2 miles of bus-only lanes and add bus shelters on Clifton Boulevard from the east end of the Shoreway at Lake Avenue to the west end loop in Lakewood. The curb lanes will be bus-only, similar to those downtown, but just in peak hours. Federal contribution: $600,000"

Great to hear! Where did you get confirmation?

Good to hear--hopefully will help to quell any backlash on the non-paying fare jumper minors!

One question has not been answered: How do parents pay for said student passes? Send cash to school? Included in fees?

A quick lesson on Cleveland boating: While a marina may seem appropriate for the site, marinas on the river are not been successful. There are plenty of open slips outside of the river, where boaters are not trapped by the CSX bridge at the mouth (the Iron Curtain) after a 20 minute no-wake trip down river to get to that point. The weather in Cleveland is such that if you want to have fun, you need immediate gratification as a boater. Those docks would have to be mighty darn cheap to entice boaters all the way up there.

I'm sorry, but I fail to see the argument in not advertising a student discount. 1. You advertise senior, disabled and UPass discounts for other recipients. 2. You have a board member on public record worried about prosecuting youths for failing to pay anything. Now THAT is truly a discount for the students. 3. How do the students pay for these passes at their school? If mom sends Johnny to school with a $20 for the bus pass and he spends it elsewhere, you can't blame the kid if RTA is not going to prosecute him for fare jumping. Most kids would rather spend the money on McDonalds or a cell phone if they knew the system was going to let them off the hook.

Valid point--along with KJP's. But still, you would think there would be readily accessible information in this day and age? Why is there not a word mentioned when you search the word "student" on the RTA fare site? It could at least say something about the partnership with the schools? There is a whole list that comes up when you search student. This being the first. http://www.riderta.com/pro_student.asp This is for the University Pass, which I've already stated is a good idea. It appears to be mandatory included with student fees at CSU. Also a good idea (for RTA, who appears to be having trouble getting students to pay anything).

Valid point--along with KJP's. But still, you would think there would be readily accessible information in this day and age? Why is there not a word mentioned when you search the word "student" on the RTA fare site? It could at least say something about the partnership with the schools?

Students can buy student passes from the school they attend. The schools buy them from RTA in bulk and sell them to students, so I do not have the exact price amount. However, it is less than adult riders pay. I am in no way excusing the youths from failing to pay their way, but herein lies the problem. Why can't a parent just buy a student pass on the website? Why when I google RTA student pass does it talk about the Upass for college students (a good thing) but you cannot find a thing about a pass for high school students? Why does the RTA website return no results when you search for student in the fare card section? I can imagine how many parents send their $20 cash with little Johnny to school to buy a bus pass, only to have him spend the money on McDonalds, and jump fares on the bus to make up for his discretionary spending. File this under the same planning that gave us the fare machines only accessible from ones knees....

Does RTA have a "student" monthly rate? Maybe as that is extremely cost effective for these kids, but teaches them the value of playing by the rules. How about a monthly student pass for $20? How could board member Dixon spin that in a negative light?

If the river gets changed I will be forever convinced that there is little hope for anything in this city unless it's tied to a private-gets-public-pants-dropping. Wolstein gave us brown fields in a once-otherwise vibrant tourist destination. Now Forest City wants to alter the river, which overlooks a sea of empty land, parking lots and crumbling bridges..... :whip:

This woman is an RTA Service Monitor. Apparently, a staff member requested an update on some of the Clifton Blvd. service, and she will produce one. Are the buses on time? How full are they? Is more service needed at certain times, or is less service needed at certain times? The goal of any transit system is put the most service on the street at the time(s) it is most needed. The data this woman collects will help us meet that goal. I hope this answer helps. Have a nice day. Thank you! I wonder what "staff member" requested the update?

What is the deal with narrowing the river? I just cannot wrap my head around that aspect. There is empty space everywhere you look down the river--why not just extend further south and leave the existing river channel alone? Tower City Amphitheatre is already done for isn't it?

Question for Mr. Masek: I saw a car parked on Clifton today that had a sign in the window "RTA Traffic Survey." There was a lady sitting in the car obviously observing traffic. What do these folks do and what does it mean to see her parked on Clifton?