KJP

Here's an executive summary to a larger report by AASHTO that shows what we're up against.... ______________ http://www.transportation1.org/tif1report/execsummary.html Executive Summary Congress created the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission to examine “future surface transportation system needs, expected demographic and economic changes that will shape traffic demand, the future of the Interstate System, and the potential for expansion, upgrades, and other changes to the surface transportation system to meet the nation’s needs.” The Commission was directed to consult with representatives of State departments of transportation. This report is the first of six that AASHTO plans to provide to assist the Commission. It contains a comprehensive assessment of transportation needs today and in the future, and the demographic and economic changes that will shape that future. On October 30, 2006, AASHTO’s Board of Directors approved a series of policy recommendations for the Commission which included a “Call for Action.” In part it read, “Our generation inherited the world’s best transportation system made possible by the commitment of the past two generations to invest in the country’s future. We have spent that inheritance.” “The 21st Century is an increasingly competitive world where countries like China and India have set their sights on overtaking America as the preeminent economic power. Our prosperity and way of life are at stake. America must respond.” Today the country is faced with increasing global competition. China, with a population of 1.3 billion, is building a 53,000-mile National Expressway System which, when complete in 2020, will rival the 47,000-mile U.S. Interstate System. India, with a population of one billion, is building a 10,000-mile national expressway system. Europe, with a population of 450 million, is spending hundreds of billions of euros on a network of highways, bridges, tunnels, ports, and rail lines. To support their economic development, nearly all the major players on the world stage are investing aggressively in their transportation infrastructure. The two questions this raises for the United States are: First, does not the United States also need to invest to compete? And second, if so, how much? Future Surface Transportation Needs The future needs of the U.S. surface transportation system are great and the costs to provide them are increasing: Preservation. The current system of highways, transit, and railroads is growing old and will need to be rebuilt or replaced. Capacity. Travel on the current system has increased well beyond what it was designed to carry. Over the next 50 years, nearly as much highway arterial capacity as was built over the past 50 years will need to be added. Over the next 20 years, we should double transit ridership. Increased Costs of Construction. Between 1993 and 2015, construction costs will have increased nearly 70 percent. To restore the purchasing power of the highway and transit programs, revenues will have to be increased to levels which match the increase in costs. For highways, that would mean increasing the Federal program from $43 billion, in 2009 to $73 billion in 2015. For transit, it would mean increasing the Federal program from $10.3 billion in 2009 to $17.3 billion in 2015. Global Trade. International trade and the volume of freight needed to be carried by truck and rail is increasing rapidly. This will require substantial additional capacity and in many cases dedicated truck lanes. Highways and Transit The 2007 “cost to improve” highways and bridges in the United States is estimated at $155.5 billion and the “cost to improve” transit is estimated at $31.4 billion. Freight Rail The “cost to maintain freight rail’s current market share,” in 2007 is estimated at $12 billion—$2.75 billion annually in public support and $9.25 billion annually in railroad private capital investment. Intercity Passenger Rail The “cost to bring 21 intercity passenger rail corridors to a good state of repair” is $3.3 billion in annual rail capital investment. Are these investments achievable? Is it is even worthwhile to consider investments of these magnitudes? Yes, for three reasons. First, the needs are based on the estimate made by U.S. DOT in 2006, updated using a credible index which accounts for the increases in construction costs which have occurred in the recent past and are expected in the future. Second, when put into historic perspective they look more realistic. Actual highway capital spending nationally increased from $19.7 billion in 1981, to $75 billion in 2005, an increase of 280 percent over 24 years. Between 1981 and 2004, transit capital investment increased by 290 percent. If both the Federal and state governments continue to fund their shares of the increases needed over time, significant growth in both programs can be achieved. The third reason to consider investments of this magnitude is that while they are huge, they do not have to be achieved all at once. The program needs to be increased over many years and several phases. In the first phase, from 2008 to 2010, the objective should be to assure sufficient revenues to sustain the highway and transit programs at the levels promised in SAFETEA-LU. In the second phase, from 2010 to 2015, the objective should be to restore the purchasing power of the highway and transit programs to 1993, the last time the Federal gas tax was increased. In the third phase, from 2015 and beyond, the objective should be to close the gap between current spending and the “cost to improve” goals. Demographic Trends Affecting Transportation Population Between 1955 and 2005, the U.S. population grew by 130 million to 295 million. Over the next 50 years it is expected to grow by 140 million to 435 million. Over the next 30 years, 88 percent of that growth will occur in the south and west. By 2030, the population of people over 65 will have grown from 35 million to 70 million. More than 70 percent of the nation’s population growth and 80 percent of its economic growth are expected to take place in metropolitan areas. At the same time, rural states will face the enormous cost of preserving the network of roads they have built over the past 80 years. Vehicles In 1955, U.S. highways carried 65 million cars and trucks. They carry 246 million today, and that number is expected to reach nearly 400 million by 2055. Travel Highway travel, measured in “vehicle miles traveled,” increased from 600 billion in 1955 to three trillion in 2006. FHWA forecasts that it will grow by 2.07 percent through 2022. Travel may exceed seven trillion vehicle miles by 2055. Truck Freight Truck tonnage is expected to increase 114 percent between 2004 and 2035. Trucks are expected to carry 79 percent of total tonnage. Today’s Interstates carry an average of 10,500 trucks per day per mile. By 2035, this figure will increase to 22,700 trucks per day per mile. Rail Freight Rail tonnage is expected to grow by 63 percent by 2035. Rail is expected to carry 13 percent of total tonnage in 2035, down from 14 percent in 2004. Trade Trade as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased from 13 percent in 1990 to 26 percent in 2000, and is expected to reach 35 percent in 2020. Container traffic increased from 8 million units in 1980, to 42 million in 2005. By 2020, container volume is expected to hit 110 million units. Economic Forecast U.S. economic growth is anticipated to remain healthy, with real GDP projected to expand by 2.8 percent annually. Oil prices are expected to drop from the record-setting levels of $70 a barrel and above in early 2006 and hover around the $50 per barrel range. Thereafter, the forecast shows oil prices climbing steadily to 2030 and beyond. ###

Pupster, let me first welcome you to Cleveland. The amenities you are looking for will be found in larger buildings, but many of those are condos. Yet, even in some that are, you can find sublet units. Some of those buildings have already been noted in this thread (Reserve Square, Chesterfield etc). Others that haven't been noted are found at... Lakewood's Gold Coast (Here's one of a dozen - Marine Towers West http://beta.forrent.com/apartment-community-profile/1030198) [great neighborhood, and easy to get to/from airport via Lakewood Circulator linked to Red Line at West 117th station] Shaker Square [great neighborhood, and on the Blue/Green lines] University Circle (Try the Triangle at http://www.thetriangleapts.com/triangle/ though it doesn't have a pool) [proximity to CWRU speaks for itself, plus easy walk to UC attractions, Little Italy and the Red Line] Westlake (Residences at Crocker Park) [decent faux urban neighborhood, can get to Red Line in mornings or rush hour/evenints via direct #46 bus, but a LONG drive to University Circle] Parma (Midtown Towers http://www.rent.com/rentals/ohio/cleveland-and-vicinity/parma/447038/) [easy cab ride from airport, pretty boring neighborhood though] Warehouse District (Bingham, Bridgeview, etc) Euclid (North Pointe Apartments, http://beta.forrent.com/apartment-community-profile/1001454) [not a bad drive to CWRU but a haul from the airport] ...and there's more that I'm probably not thinking of. But you can find more at: http://beta.forrent.com/search-apartments-by-area/OH/Chillicothe%7CAthens/Bristol-Area/Cleveland/page1.html/index.html Or at: http://cleveland.craigslist.org/apa/ Happy hunting! Let us know if you want to know about specific buildings and neighborhoods.

Who else did the appraiser work for? If he worked exclusively, or almost exclusively for Wolstein, then it wouldn't pass the smell test. But if the appraiser worked for many different clients, especially developers, then this is merely an attempt by the Flats property owners to conjure the appearance of impropriety. And, if anyone doesn't pass the smell test, it's Tony George.

Someone forgot to mention the nuisance argument. Certain property owners in the Flats repeatedly failed to control their customers. Their failure to maintain control created an atmosphere of unruliness in the Flats where drunkeness, fights, drownings and even murders became all too familiar occurrences. Their negligence caused the city to incur higher costs to its safety, service and law departments. And, it drove away responsible businesses and customers, affecting property values and income tax revenues. The only option left is forcibly remove the nuisance and redevelop the site with a calmer mix of uses. I hope the port authority makes that argument.

Interest high in Flats' eminent domain case Foes to challenge economic benefit Sunday, March 18, 2007 Tom Breckenridge Plain Dealer Reporter The $230 million Flats East Bank Neighborhood development is either illegally taking land to benefit a favored developer, or it is a laudable plan for a blighted neighborhood. Those are the sides staked out in Cuyahoga County Probate Court, where the local port authority, working with developer Scott Wolstein and the city of Cleveland, is wielding eminent domain to take nine properties at prices that the owners say are unfair. More at http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1174208085212470.xml&coll=2

Pretty well done, but would have been better with some views of Little Italy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snLIUsBOI-k&mode=related&search=

You gotta watch this....

Somehow I doubt Ghandi would utter such words, censored or not. Go shag a posey, then we'll see.

What are other states doing? Well, in California, they're putting the fire out and making plans to build a new bridge on a major rail line in Sacramento... Nearly 20 photos are posted at: http://data.sacbee.com/photography/view/trestle Rail blaze possibly arson Debris is sifted for clues to cause of trestle inferno By Tony Bizjak, Ryan Lillis and Phillip Reese - Bee Staff Writers Published 12:00 am PDT Saturday, March 17, 2007 Story appeared in MAIN NEWS section, Page A1 Teams of experts from federal firearms investigators to state toxics analysts sifted through the smoldering ruins of a train trestle Friday seeking clues to the causes and consequences of the massive blaze on the American River Parkway. The cause of the spectacular Thursday evening inferno on the Union Pacific mainline remained undetermined but may have been arson, investigators said. The track closure forced passenger and freight train officials to scramble to reroute dozens of trains Friday, causing slowdowns throughout the region. No incendiary device had been found. However, Sacramento Fire Department officials said they suspect the fire could have been purposely set. Union Pacific crews were allowed onto the site Friday afternoon to begin a several-day demolition and cleanup process. The inferno that destroyed the trestle seemed to ignite just after 5:30 p.m. in a thin line along a 100-yard section of the tracks north of the river and just west of the Capital City Freeway. "It's suspicious because of how rapidly it spread," Sacramento Fire Capt. Jim Doucette said. Doucette, a 27-year veteran of the department, said that in his experience, "an accident wouldn't have spread as quickly." He said, however, it was too soon to rule out any theory. The Sacramento Police Department's explosive-ordnance disposal unit responded to the scene "due to the suspicious nature of the fire and the speed with which it spread," said police Sgt. Matthew Young. Investigators with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also arrived soon after the blaze began, officials said. A crew from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had been under the trestle Thursday morning inspecting replanted elderberry bushes, but did not report anything unusual, corps officials said. An Auburn-bound Capitol Corridor commuter train passed over the tracks about 15 minutes before the fire erupted, but officials say they have not connected the train to the fire's start. Train officials and passengers reported seeing nothing suspicious. Union Pacific is offering a $2,500 reward for information about the fire's cause. The destruction of a critical main train line through the heart of the urban area caused immediate disruptions to freight and passenger trains and forced one westbound train to stop Thursday as a thick screen of black smoke loomed ahead. The smoke caused a nearby Costco store to remain closed Friday. Store managers expect to reopen today. Union Pacific rerouted freight trains Friday, and Amtrak and Capitol Corridor officials instituted "bus bridges" to transport several hundred passengers from trains on one side of the disruption to waiting trains on the other. But officials with Union Pacific and Amtrak said freight shipments will be slowed through Sacramento by as much as 90 minutes, and train passengers can expect delays until the damaged line is rebuilt and reopened. Rebuilding is expected to cost $25 million to $30 million, and Union Pacific officials said they hope to resume one line of service by April 1 and the other by May 1. The fire, which threw up a smoke plume seen for 50 miles, prompted county health officials to issue warnings. The still-smoldering fire spread ashes for several miles Friday, prompting residents miles away to report smelling the acrid smoke. "If you see or smell smoke, restrict your outside activities," Sacramento County Health Officer Glennah Trochet said. Asthmatics, the very young and old, and people with respiratory disease "should be particularly careful," she said. The plume of smoke continued to waft above the site throughout the day, even as demolition crews began tearing into the remains of the trestle. The century-old trestle was saturated with the wood preservative creosote, a toxic material containing arsenic, copper and poly aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that include benzopyrene, a well-documented human carcinogen. "It's a who's who of bad actors," said Tommy Cahill, a University of Arizona toxicologist. An army of state and federal officials were on the scene Friday examining the fire's environmental consequences. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board took air samples at at the fire site and in surrounding urban areas. Officials reported they detected no immediate threat to water quality in the American River, but California Department of Fish and Game officials took water and soil samples for laboratory analysis. Demolition crews are expected to work through the weekend clearing tons of charred and burned debris, Union Pacific officials said. Some 1,400 feet of timber and rail is expected to be removed by cranes and bulldozers, Union Pacific spokesman James Barnes said. Once the clearing is finished, Barnes said, Union Pacific hopes to begin work immediately on building a new trestle of concrete and steel. Barnes said the wooden structure will be replaced by concrete because railroad officials "saw this as an opportunity to try to make some improvements." Parts for the new trestle are to arrive by train and truck as early as today from UP yards in California, Arizona, Texas and Nebraska. Bridge engineers at Union Pacific headquarters in Omaha have worked out the number of pieces and dimensions, from the H-beam steel pilings (256, each 60 feet long) to the concrete girders (184, 30 feet long by 7 feet wide by 3 feet high). "Our challenge is the logistics of getting materials from all over our system," said Dave Wickersham, chief engineer for the western region of Union Pacific. Amtrak officials, who run several trains a day on that line, including the California Zephyr to Chicago, said about 600 train passengers a day are expected to be affected while the line is being rebuilt. Half of those commute on the Capitol Corridor trains between Sacramento and the Roseville, Rocklin and Auburn stations and will be transported around the fire zone on buses. "The train will be waiting for them when they get off the buses," said David Kutrosky, deputy director of the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority. "They should expect a 10- to 15-minute delay." Several Capitol Corridor train commuters lauded officials Friday for alerting riders via e-mail and sending buses to stations on time. "Capitol Corridor did a fabulous job of regrouping," said rider Chuck Robuck of Auburn. "They had buses ready and got us to work on time." Amtrak's long-distance California Zephyr trains will be diverted through Marysville, spokeswoman Vernae Graham said. Freight trains that usually travel through Sacramento will be diverted to the Marysville line, causing delays of at least 90 minutes, said Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis. That means the Marysville line, which normally handles about 20 trains a day, will do double duty throughout the trestle reconstruction. Freight train delays will be exacerbated for trains that need to stop for sorting at Union Pacific's large Roseville railyard. These trains load and unload canisters for different destinations -- some go south to Stockton, for example, while some head to Oakland. Delays for trains that need cargo sorted could last up to 24 hours, Davis said. That is expected to cause problems for companies expecting goods at a particular time. "It's everything and anything," Davis said. "It could be electronics, motorcycles, paint." Officials warned residents in Lincoln, Wheatland and Rio Linda of another hassle: Motorists along the detour route will be much more likely to suffer long waits for trains to pass in the coming weeks. Also, Sacramento County officials announced closure of a section of the American River Parkway bicycle trail from mile 3.5 to mile six. The trail runs under a burned section of the trestle south of Exposition Boulevard. ### Here's a video link: http://www.sacbee.com/static/newsroom/traintrestle

The delays continue on Ohio Amtrak trains. Today: Train 30, EB Capitol Ltd, running 5.5 hours late Train 29, WB Capitol Ltd, due to arrive Chicago at 4:14 p.m. (7.5 hours late) Train 48, EB Lake Shore Ltd, info N/A due to unknown rail service disruption Train 49, WB Lake Shore Ltd, due to arrive Chicago at 5:32 pm (7.75 hours late) I suspect some of this was due to the snowstorm on the East Coast. But the delay to Train 30 was from axle/traction motor problems. I don't know what the unknown service disruption was to Train 48, but it appears to have been annulled. Welcome to the Third World.

Worth reading, printing, copying and sharing with others.... http://www.simmonsco-intl.com/files/Coloardo%20College%20March%205%20to%207.pdf Also note the section on page 7 about Ohio being one of the four worst energy parasites (energy-deficit states) in the USA. California, Florida and New York are the other three. In other words, when the shit hits the fan, Ohio's suffering will be among the worst -- unless we change our policies to promote more sustainable transportation and land use practices.

http://www.greencarcongress.com/GCC-logo.png Auto Industry Leaders Tell Congress They Would Support Mobile Source CO2 Caps in Principle 16 March 2007 In testimony before the House Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality this week, the heads of the United Autoworkers, GM, Toyota North America, Ford, and the Chrysler Group all agreed, in response to a question from the committee, that they would support national caps on mobile source CO2 emissions, depending on the details of the program and especially assuming that it factored in the entire sector—i.e., fuel providers as well as automakers. The hearing was exploring the feasibility of using a new version of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program—specifically the 4% per year increase proposed by the Administration. Although the enthusiasm for such a boost in existing CAFE-style regulations ranged from non-existent to barely tepid, the witnesses agreed to work with the committee on developing regulations targeted at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. More of this article, including specific testimony by auto-industry reps, appears at: http://www.greencarcongress.com/2007/03/auto_industry_l.html#more

There's got to be a location on the east side where something like this would work. Maybe somewhere along Euclid or near University Circle? If Gallucci's and the Food Coop became anchor tenants, I'll bet it would succeed.

Where is Bar One? Is that the place seen to the right of the entrance to the Leader Building?

I'm happy with my given name, Erectus Maximus.

CDM should change his name to Facetious, the Greek God of horse puckey.

I love Toronto. I hate Toronto (jealous is more like it)....

That last photo is going to make an interesting then-and-now comparison in a few years.

Thanks for taking notes last night, Musky. I thought it was a good meeting and a good start. I'll comment more later.

There is a big difference between a study and a plan. A study is a test with little or no potential end product other than the study document. What we're trying to get funding for is a plan, with the end product being a transit service and the economic development surrounding transit nodes along the corridor. We're also trying to make it a little easier on ourselves by avoiding federal funding, which is scarce and involves a long, complicated process. The only federal funds that will likely be considered is if Congress puts money into an unfunded program called "Small Starts" -- new transit routes with low start-up costs.

I've never had a cat do that to me. If you don't know how to communicate with and approach cats, better stay away from them. I get along great with them. That includes cats that friends or relatives warn me to stay away from because of how they respond to strangers. Yet I can get them to warm up to me, to start purring and even cuddle in my arms. My own cats are probably the only "children" I will ever have.

Amazingly, no thread on this either. There should be, considering the major discussions underway on the fate of the soon-to-be-insolvent federal Highway Trust Fund. ____________________ http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=187179 Thursday, March 08, 2007 Report: Tolls can't meet future highway needs By Eric Kelderman, Stateline.org Staff Writer State highway officials warned Wednesday (March 7) of a looming $11 billion hole in federal highway funds and said the growing shift toward tolls and private leases of roads can’t generate enough money to meet the nation’s short- or long-term transportation needs. Instead, the federal gas tax of 18.4 cents per gallon, last raised 14 years ago, would have to go up at least 3 cents by 2009 and 7 cents more by 2015 just to maintain the current highway system and keep pace with the fast-rising cost of roads, according to a new report (http://www.transportation1.org/tif1report) by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). One popular solution to road-funding woes involves state and local governments adding toll lanes or leasing toll roads to private companies. In 2005, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels ® inked a $3.85 billion deal to lease the Indiana Toll Road to an international consortium for 75 years. In 2002, Texas Gov. Rick Perry ® launched a 50-year plan to build 4,000 miles of privately financed toll roads along portions of I-69 and I-35. Pennsylvania and New Jersey are considering leasing portions of their toll roads to private companies. More at link above AASHTO Report: Transportation - Invest In Our Future (http://www.transportation1.org/tif1report/)

Next meeting West Shore Corridor Stakeholders 1:00-2:30 p.m. Friday, March 30 Lakewood Womens Pavilion Lakewood Park, of Lake Road at Belle Avenue Lakewood Mayor Tom George and All Aboard Ohio invite you to attend a special meeting of the West Shore Corridor Stakeholders. AAO is grateful to Mayor George for hosting this meeting. Special guest speaker: A very informative guest speaker will be Stephen Del Giudice, Transit Bureau Chief in Arlington County Virginia, and former mayor (1985-1990) of Takoma Park, Maryland. Subject: Major transit investments and their impacts on urban sprawl, inner communities, access to jobs and station-area redevelopment. Mr. Del Giudice's experience in municipal government, regional transportation planning and development will provide insights on issues and action steps they have already worked on and which Northeast Ohio is now facing. Background: Arlington County is comprised primarily older communities across the Potomac River from Washington D.C. By 1980, many areas in the county suffered from decayed commercial corridors in their oldest communities. Arlington County has seen significant redevelopment along major transit lines, including two commuter rail services added in the 1990s into exurban Virginia. Meanwhile Takoma Park is an inner-ring suburb on a long-established commuter rail route into rural Maryland. Detail: Since Arlington County developed rail services and integrated Transit-Oriented Development, it has accomplished a great deal, while still protecting its single family neighborhoods. Consider: • Since 1980's, 75 percent of Arlington's 30 million square feet of new development is around transit stops. • 33 percent of tax base is located in 7 percent of land in TOD's. • Core Transit Corridor is now one of nation's 5 densest downtowns. • Vacancy rates half those of exurban Tyson's Corner, Virginia. • Lowest tax rate in DC metro area. Additional agenda items: update on the federal funding request by Lorain County, follow-up by subcommittee on identifying non-federal funding shares for alternatives analysis, and possibly a presentation by a Michigan firm which is supplying second-hand rail cars from Chicago for new commuter rail services in Southeast Michigan.

MEETING SUMMARY West Shore Corridor Stakeholders February 23, 2007 Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency Board Meeting Room NOTE: The next full meeting of the West Shore Corridor Stakeholders will be held at 1 p.m. Friday March 30 at Lakewood Women's Pavilion in Lakewood Park, off Lake Road at Belle Ave. Special guest speaker: A very informative guest speaker at the March 30 stakeholders meeting will be Stephen Del Giudice, Transit Bureau Chief in Arlington County Virginia, and mayor (1985-1990) of Takoma Park, Maryland. He will discuss his region’s experiences with major transit projects and their impacts on urban sprawl, inner communities, access to jobs and station-area redevelopment. _________________________ FEB. 23 MEETING HIGHLIGHTS (Full Summary follows attendees list) Lorain County officials said they have agreed to sponsor the West Shore Transit Corridor project and submit an application for $1.5 million in federal funding in each of the two years to do an alternatives analysis of transportation improvements. County officials are meeting with staff for U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton (D-13) and U.S. Marcy Kaptur (D-9) to secure the funding. Resolutions in support of federal funding for the alternatives analysis have been passed thus far by Cleveland City Council, Lakewood City County, Westlake City Council, Lorain Port Authority board and Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority board. More communities and organizations are encouraged to pass the resolution. The draft resolution is available at: http://members.cox.net/kjprendergast/SAMPLE_RESOLUTION.doc (MS Word, 24kb) Rep. Dennis Kucinich will support the West Shore Corridor planning work if there also is a consensus of support from Rocky River and Bay Village, where city councils are considering whether to pass resolutions urging Congress to approve federal funds for the alternatives analysis. Non-federal funding in the amount of $300,000 in each of the next two years is also being sought. Meetings were held with Gov. Ted Strickland’s Northeast Ohio representative Anne Hill to identify state funding support and a new subcommittee was formed to identify local funding sources. The possibility of a demonstration commuter rail and/or express bus service was discussed, and the new subcommittee will also take a look at that, as well as developing a scope of work for the alternatives analysis once funding is identified. __________________________ ATTENDEES - At the Feb 23rd meeting, there were 35 attendees (listed alphabetically by last name): Jim Armaline, Planner, Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency Andrew Bemer, Law Director, City of Rocky River Betty Blair, Commissioner, Lorain County Bob Brown, President, NOACA; Director, Cleveland City Planning Joe Calabrese, General Manager, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) Michael Challender, Executive Director, Lorain Growth Corporation Mary Cierebiej, Deputy Project Manager, HNTB, Cleveland Dennis Clough, Mayor, City of Westlake Brian J. Cummins, Ward 15 Councilman, Cleveland City Council Karen L. Davis, Special Projects Manager, Lorain County Edward Favre, Lakewood mayor’s office and Lakewood Board of Education Maribeth Feke, Director, Programming & Planning, GCRTA Tom Ferguson, General Manager, Lorain County Transit Sheri Fointino, Director of Development, Greater Cleveland Partnership Marty Gelfand, Staff Counsel, Congressman Dennis Kucinich Paul Gluck, Professional Engineer, CH2M Hill, Cleveland David Hartman, Director of Business Development, RE Warner & Associates, Westlake Anne Hill, Director, Northeast Ohio office, Governor Ted Strickland, Cleveland Kevin Kelley, Ward 16, Cleveland City Councilman Coletta Kubik, co-chair, Concerned Citizens of Vermilion Dennis Lamont, Lorain Street Railway Will McCracken, Lorain County National Historic Area Committee John Motl, Planning & Programs, District 12, Ohio Department of Transportation Stu Nicholson, Public Information Officer, Ohio Rail Development Commission Rick Novak, Executive Director, Lorain Port Authority Bob Parry, Director of Planning & Economic Development, City of Westlake Ken Prendergast, Director of Research & Communications, All Aboard Ohio Rocky River councilman attended, did not sign attendance sheet Mark Schwinn, All Aboard Ohio, Berwin, Illinois Nathan W. Torres, resident, Cleveland Vince Urbin, Development Department, Lorain County Ginny Vigrass, resident, Lakewood Jerome Walcott, Associate Director, Commission on Catholic Community Action Ceil Zander, Capt. William Young Bed & Breakfast, Vermilion George Zeller, Center for Community Solutions and GCRTA Citizens Advisory Board _________________________ FULL SUMMARY Bob Brown, President of the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency and Cleveland City Planning Director, welcomed everyone to the fifth full meeting of the West Shore Corridor Stakeholders. He said that transit meets Cleveland’s goals and that the city is willing to support the West Shore Corridor (WSC) project. Further, he noted that cities need to maximize transit options and that rail options make a lot of sense. Betty Blair, Lorain County Commissioner, said she and other Lorain County officials met with staff for U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton (D-13) and will meet with staff of U.S. Marcy Kaptur (D-9). She said Lorain County will sponsor the West Shore Corridor Transit Project and submit an application for federal funds for planning work. Rick Novak, Executive Director, Lorain Port Authority, said the county is looking for $1.5 million in each of the next two federal fiscal years to do an alternatives analysis of transportation improvements in the WSC. Ken Prendergast, Director of Research & Communications, All Aboard Ohio, said he and Commissioner Blair, Mayor Clough, Ed Favre, Mayor George, Councilman Kelley, Dennis Lamont, Will McCracken and Rick Novak met with Gov. Strickland’s Northeast Ohio liaison Anne Hill about a state funding share for the alternatives analysis and inquired about $50 million in state development funds for a demonstration/introductory commuter rail/express bus service in the WSC. He added that resolutions in support of federal funding for the alternatives analysis have been passed by Cleveland City Council, Lakewood City County, Westlake City Council, Lorain Port Authority board, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority board. Others are being asked to pass the resolution. He said it is not a commuter rail resolution but a study resolution. Dennis Clough, Westlake mayor, said he supports council’s resolution and talked to Rep. Dennis Kucinich who said as long as West Shore communities support the WSC project, he’ll support it. Marty Gelfand, Chief Counsel to Rep. Kucinich, discussed the agreement with freight railroad Norfolk Southern on the limiting of train traffic to an average of 14 through trains per day. He said the region ended up with a good agreement to which Bay Village, Lakewood and Rocky River were signatories. He hadn’t yet seen the Lakewood resolution in support of WSC. He added that Kucinich will support the request for funds if there is a consensus of support from mayors, law directors and councilmembers in Rocky River and Bay Village, where city councils are also considering whether to pass resolutions urging Congress to approve federal funds for the alternatives analysis. Andrew Bemer, Rocky River Law Director, said council has the WSC resolution on second reading. Ed Favre, Lakewood Mayor George’s office, said Lakewood supports the WSC and city council passed the resolution. He also has spoken with NS Vice President Bill Harris and said railroad companies might be interested in managing a commuter train service. Lakewood Community Progress Inc. is engaged in a process for making downtown Lakewood more pedestrian oriented and sees commuter rail as a piece of that. Maribeth Feke, Director, Programming & Planning, GCRTA, said NOACA has planning funds available through its Transportation for Livable Communities Initiative (TLCI) program for station-area development. GCRTA is using TLCI funds for station-area planning at its rapid transit stations. Brown said a station-area design/planning activities for West 117th at the Lakewood-Cleveland border were underway at a meeting being held today (Feb. 23). Howard Maier, Executive Director of NOACA, confirmed the appropriateness of TLCI for station-area redevelopment planning and encouraged Lakewood and other communities to submit applications. Prendergast said non-federal contributions of $300,000 in each of the next two years to the alternatives analysis are needed considering Lorain County’s tight financial situation. A request for state funding was made through Strickland’s representative Hill, but local shares would help leverage state and federal funding. Novak said he will ask the Lorain Port Authority’s board for a local share. Maier said NOACA has some reserve funds. Joe Calabrese, General Manager of GCRTA, said the level of benefit to local entities should be a factor in their contributions. Brian Cummins, Cleveland Ward 15 Councilman, said there should be a subcommittee of stakeholders to develop a strategy for local contributions. He was willing to co-chair a subcommittee. Novak also agreed to co-chair the subcommittee. Feke, McCracken and possibly retiring RTA Planning Team Leader Rich Enty also will serve on the subcommittee. A meeting of the subcommittee prior to the next full stakeholders committee was discussed. Prendergast said a demonstration commuter rail and/or express bus service should be considered for a piece of the alternatives analysis to determine potential ridership and community impacts. A commuter rail demonstration might be done for up to $50 million over two years, with a significant portion of the funding going for Quiet Zones. Second-hand train equipment could be used to reduce costs. Dennis Lamont of Lorain Street Railway said Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad self-propelled rail diesel cars should be considered and NS could operate it. Favre said a commuter rail demonstration would need to be set up by a new entity since there is nothing like it in Ohio. Stu Nicholson, Public Information Officer at the Ohio Rail Development Commission, said a steering committee set up for doing the due diligence for a 2-C (Cleveland-Columbus) interim rail passenger service would be a good model for a demonstration WSC service. Feke said state law gives transit agencies a monopoly in the counties in which they are based. Cooperative agreements may need a vote of the counties. There was general discussion that the same subcommittee seeking to identify local shares for the alternatives analysis could also develop a scope of work for the alternatives analysis and begin looking at oversight structure(s) for a demonstration commuter rail and/or express bus service. Meeting was concluded at roughly 2:30 p.m.

http://www.cleveland.com/sun/sunherald/index.ssf?/base/news-0/11727713033390.xml&coll=3 West Shore Sun Rail plan gets a boost Thursday, March 01, 2007 By Leana Donofrio WESTLAKE - City officials said they are supporting the creation of a commuter rail that connects Lorain to Cleveland because of the boost it will give to all of northeast Ohio. .......