KJP

On that score, I don't think I'd want to spent most of my day working on top of one either. Freethink, we still have to manufacture things. It's extremely dangerous to rely on other nations to build things for us, if not for national security than for ensuring good wages and a decent standard of living. Remember, not everyone is a brainiac to work in the technology or health care fields. They still need to be able to make a good living, and that usually means manufacturing, placed near a large labor supply and near water resources. The decline of manufacturing in America is a key part of America's decline, just as it was England's a century ago. Now it's our turn, rooted in our own failed policies. And just as we were there to take over as the #1 economy from England, China appears poised to take over from us. That is, unless we get our house in order including offering more modern, efficient and environmentally friendly manufacturing facilities. And the Flats is as appropriate a place to put them as any.

I am of the opinion that as oil prices continue to skyrocket in the future, that we'll need as much land for walkable, transit-accessible housing and basic services near the urban core as possible. And I further believe that more airlines will disappear into financial oblivion, private aviation will become affordable only to the super rich and airports will become less important in our future. Car races and air shows? They may still exist, but only to show off the latest renewable energy technologies (as pricey and low-yield as they may be). In my vision of Cleveland in 2050, the urbanized area has been redesigned (land use, transportation, etc.) to reduce oil use by 50-75 percent. In that vision, Burke as an airport no longer needs to exist.

I understand. I just can't figure out why. I spend more time at work than I do at home, as with most of us poor people who have to work more hours or jobs to make ends meet.

Move out of the suburbs for a walkable city neighborhood!

Toronto's Route 401 where up to 400,000 cars per day tread: São Paulo, Brazil subway, where up to 400,000 riders per day use this one line (oops, if Superman looks real hard, he can see it below the quiet streets of the 18-million-resident city using his x-ray vision): Here's what Superman would see: Yeah, I see what you mean about rail being more disruptive.

Thanks Mike. Great article. And welcome aboard!

True, besides it takes a long time to close down an airport, especially one that has received federal funds.

That would be damn cool. I wonder if the new port island could be designed in such a way to land some aircraft for the air show, and put up temorary bleachers on the island or at Edgewater Park for the flybys and races?

One of the best city photo spreads I've seen in a long time. It's probably twice as long as it needs to be, but I'm very impressed. Nice mix of people, architecture and cityscapes. And, for those in Cincinnati who say using older rail tunnels for modern transit can't be done, I encourage you to visit St. Louis and to share this photo with others... Not only that, St. Louis used their existing rail tunnels (and Mississippi River bridge) as their local share to leverage federal funds to build their first rail transit line (all 18 miles of it). In other words, St. Louis didn't spend a single cent of local or state tax dollars to build that line! Are you listening Cincy?

We got a call at the office today from someone asking the question: is it taxation without representation that the majority (nonsmokers) may vote to raise taxes on the minority (smokers)? Interesting thought. I understand that smokers choose their activity, and thus choose to be the minority, but once they've chosen it, it's VERY difficult to stop.

Yeah, they are. And I like having them here. The community needs to make a choice -- what is more beneficial to it? Events on two weekends out of 52 each year but draw hundreds of thousands of visitors each year to Burke? Or a huge neighborhood and recreational area on land now owned by the city that's happening 365 days each year? Also, consider the viability of each option with respect to the possibility that fuel prices will continue to rise in the future, possibly as sharply as they have in the last three years.

I don't consider the area is as isolated as some do. There will be a bicycle/walking path coming down the hill from Tremont at the north end. And, a walkway built over I-71 from MetroHealth on the west end would improve access to/from its 6,000 workers, plus the neighborhood. As for residential, I also don't think it's as bad a site as some suggest. Keep in mind that the remaining steel mills are to the east of SYC. Rarely is there an east wind in this city and when it does happen, it's in winter when most are indoors. Brownfield contaminants are a concern, but why aren't they a concern for retail workers who will spend eight hours a day at SYC? I think some subsidized housing, live-work, day care, business incubators, and a tech college/continuing education would make for a nice welfare-to-work economic engine at that site.

An excellent point

Like Frankfurt, Amsterdam's Schipol airport also has a high-speed rail station.

I can't begin to emphasize how easy it would be to add LRT to the West Shoreway, and I suspect RTA wouldn't have to ante up a single nickel of local funding to pay for its construction. How? Do it the St. Louis way. This is something I wrote for the next issue of the Ohio Passenger Rail News, due to come out soon.... The first leg of St. Louis' MetroLink light-rail system opened in 1993, including a downtown subway and a bridge over the Mississippi River to Illinois. The tunnels and bridge, once used by freight trains, offered more than a physical path to building a modern light-rail service. They also offered a financial path for the community to start its light-rail system without spending a single cent of local taxpayers' money. The secret was in the value of the abandoned railway tunnels and bridge, estimated at nearly $90 million. A federal transportation funding provision allows a community's equity in a right of way to be counted as part of the local share. In the case of St. Louis, that equity counted for the entire local share, and was used to leverage $355 million in federal funds -- at a 75/25 percent federal/local matching basis. What similar rail assets could we contribute to the construction of LRT down the West Shoreway? Why, the lower deck of the Detroit-Superior high-level bridge and its two subway stations, of course! Based on estimates of other right-of-way contributions (including St. Louis and potentially Cincinnati), the lower deck of the Detroit-Superior bridge could offer a local equity share of $30 million toward leveraging a federal grant. If the feds are willing to offer only a 50 percent matching share, then that might get another $30 million. But if the federal share is 80 percent, then the equity from the bridge and subway stations could yield $120 million in federal funds. The biggest physical barriers to doing this is between the existing tracks in Tower City and the old subway ramp in Superior, and burrowing out the center-median highway ramps to the West Shoreway from the West 25th/Detroit intersection. After that, there could be a ready-made right of way for LRT, all the way from downtown into Lakewood. This was a topic of discussion at: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=1916.0 And that discussion evolved into realizing that extending LRT into Lakewood could be done for even less money if it were extended west from the existing Red Line at West Boulevard. And, on top of that, it could be done for even less money still if a dual-mode electric-diesel light-rail equipment were used. But ... before even that much money could be secured, there needs to be an effort to eliminate the skepticism about rail locally -- hence the need for a long-term demonstration project. And that's where we are now with the Cleveland-Lorain Regional Rail stakeholders meeting July 19. I think the equity value of the lower deck of the Detroit-Superior bridge might be better used to secure funds for a downtown streetcar system, so all those historic trolleys hiding in Tower City's underbelly can see the light again.

That would be great. I haven't been by the airport in a while to see how things are proceeding with the extension of 6R-24L to 11,250 feet. The work was scheduled to be underway by now.... http://www.clevelandairport.com/site/494/default.aspx Runway 6R/24L Uncoupling and Extension This project is a safety enhancement mandated by the FAA. In November 2000, the FAA issued a Record of Decision (ROD) requiring that the Airport eliminate the intersection of runways 6R/24L and 10/28. This project will eliminate the last remaining runway intersection at CLE and provide a fully compliant runway safety area for runway 6R/24L. The uncoupling project will relocate the threshold of runway 6R/24L approximately 1,000 feet to the southwest and will construct associated taxiway, infrastructure and navigational aid improvements. In conjunction with this project, the runway will be extended by approximately 2,500 feet to result in a runway length of approximately 11,250 feet. When the runway is completed and fully instrumented, CLE will have the ability to accommodate unrestricted international service to any worldwide destination. Construction related to this project is expected to start in late 2005 and be completed by the Fall of 2007.

Blackwell to outline Turnpike proposal Created: 7/6/2006 9:54:54 AM Updated:7/6/2006 9:55:55 AM CLEVELAND -- Republican Gubernatorial candidate Ken Blackwell will outline his plan to lease the Ohio Turnpike in Strongsville Thursday. Click "Play video" for more details and today's weather. http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=54238

The green and the purple lines are two different estimates of how much oil is being produced by Saudi Arabia, and measured by the numbers going up the left side of the graph. The blue line is the number oil rigs in Saudi Arabia, and measured by the numbers going up the right side of the graph.

Cool. Even better is that it won't conflict with the Regional Rail Stakeholders Meeting at 9:30 a.m. at Westlake City Hall.

If there's room. See my expanded explanation above.

Reporters usually don't write headlines. Editors do. The question is, how do you describe what the story is about within one line (maybe two if there is enough room on the dummies) of text without leaving more than one or two blank spaces at the end of each line. Those are the design parameters of headlines that editors are required to follow. If not, they get bitchslapped by the people who pay their salary (actually, they get strongly worded memos). The dummies (layout mock-ups) that editors get from the production department have the banners, ads, side columns for what's inside, etc. already on the pages. The articles just fill in the spaces between them. It's like putting together a puzzle with too many pieces, many of which are oversized and have to be trimmed. And each of our 26 newspapers has to be dummied by one of our 10 editors and/or assistant editors in less than an hour's time. On top of that, they have to write strictly spaced headlines for most of the hundreds of articles, news briefs and shorts submitted by us writers. Anyone want to take a guess as to why I have no desire to be an editor!

Ah screw it, here's the chart (click and scroll right to see SA's skyrocketing oil rig count): Average Saudi Arabian daily oil + condensate production, by month, from EIA and JODI, together with Baker-Hughes oil rig count. January 2000-April 2006. Inset graph shows annual oil consumption and exports according to BP (including NGL). Click to enlarge. Source: EIA International Petroleum Monthly Table 1.1a, Baker-Hughes, and BP. Last green point is from press reports.

Check the Peak Oil thread... A number of the oil drilling platforms have been towed out of the Gulf of Mexico to more fertile areas. Among them are the waters around the Arabian peninsula. And, there's been some terrific charts posted on www.theoildrum.com and elsewhere showing the oil well count in Saudi Arabia has been skyrocketing yet the oil produced from SA has flat-lined. To me, that says Saudi Arabia is peaking in production. If that's the case, then the world is peaking, too, and the cheap oil party is over. It may not be that much longer before $3 gas will seem like the good ol' days.

That is correct, wimwar. Trolleyville had the old streetcars, interurbans and trolleys trucked on flatbeds from Olmsted Township to RTA's Brook Park shops near the airport. They were placed on the RTA's tracks and towed in the middle of the night (so as not to interfere with Red Line trains) by an RTA diesel switcher downtown to Tower City. The moves were done over a number of nights. The historic rail cars are being kept on the tracks in the pre-1990 Shaker Rapid station. RTA is providing police security and storage, but I don't know if it's for a small fee or not. Trolleyville had to be off the Olmsted Township property by last month, according to lease terms with the property owner. Trolleyville had nowhere else to go locally. There was a big risk of losing these historic cars to other museums and collections. RTA deserves a big thanks for agreeing to store them on their tracks and keeping the cars in town while funding for a permanent storage facility is secured.

When I saw the subject line, I thought this was going to be a joke thread. Now I see it's actually a very serious issue. And if urban real estate agents and marketers were smart, they would advertise that the place to find more greenery is actually in the city and the older, established suburbs! Great find Grasscat!