KJP

I guess my calculation was a little low as to a street's value! Tomorrow (11-15), RTA's board is expected to approve acquiring parcels for $1.4 million to extend East 17th Street about 400 feet south from Euclid Avenue to Prospect Avenue. That's only about 20,000 square feet of property (or $71 per square foot). My earlier estimate for donating the existing portions of East 17th and Rockwell/Frankfort assumed $20-$50 per square foot. Maybe we could get an even larger local share (and thus a larger federal match) by contributing those streets as streetcar/LRT rights of way... Anyway, here's what RTA's street extension is proposed to look like:

At first, I thought my big scoop for this week was going to be the news that Cleveland was going to hire it's own engineering consultant to look into the bridge, as well as the loss of ramps (which is a bigger issue for many one council). Alas, despite rumors, the city is not planning on hiring an outside consultant and will instead use its traffic engineers to review ODOT's plan (I'd like to see civil engineers involved, though). Then, at the City Council meeting tonight, I told Councilman Cimperman (chair of council's Planning Committee), and who also heard the rumor about the city hiring its own consultant, that the rumor is untrue. His response was a bit crytpic: "This whole thing is just heating up." Frank Jackson gave me a bit of a rootless reaction (ie: "too many loose ends to answer how I feel about it"), but he had to put a plug in for the Opportunity Corridor....

Unfortunately, Alsenas presented his idea a couple of years ago, and ODOT rejected it. B&N told them a curved, cable-stayed bridge couldn't be built, and so Alsenas' bridge would have had to start curving much farther south, requiring the Greek Orthodox Church to be demolished. Problem is, cable-stayed bridges can be curved -- the Clark Bridge over the Mississippi at Alton, Illinois is proof. Hopefully, I will be able to break a story on this Innerbelt bridge matter in this Thursday's paper.

I suspect the girlfriend didn't want her picture posted for all to see, correct?

But I think Smackem has a point about cars lining up to get into the parking deck. There needs to be some place to cue them up to get in, and it would be better do it on a driveway than on a through street, let alone a busy one like Chester. Moving the truck docks for Playhouse Square would also allow a cover to be added to protect stage props and such from the elements. And, I'd move the restaurant that's behind the theaters to the corner of East 17th and Chester, giving it better visibility. Here's another thing... If East 17th from Euclid to Rockwell, and Rockwell/Frankfort from East 17th to West 3rd were donated as trolley/LRT-only rights of way, that represents about 267,000 square feet of downtown real estate. At current downtown real estate prices of $20-$50 per square foot, that's an additional local contribution of $5.34 million to $13.35 million. Add that to the $10 million to $40 million for the contribution of the subway decks of the two bridges, that could mean a local contribution of $15 million to $53 million. If that can be used to leverage a 75 percent federal share, the federal share could range from $60 million to $212 million. If it's $60 million, it might be possible to build the full loop (West 25th, Lorain/Carnegie, East 17th, Rockwell/Frankfort, Superior/Detroit), but it might have to be built as a single-track line with second-hand rail, not have subway stations at the ends of the bridges, and use only the historic streetcars that NORM has. If it's $212 million, it could be double-tracked, with subway stations at the ends of the bridges, totally rebuild East 17th plus Rockwell/Frankfort with historic treatments (cobblestones, decorative lighting, etc) and include modern tram cars, in addition to the historic stuff. Just pondering....

X, Denver also has a fare-free zone. Good points, Smackem. Maybe some things could be moved around, like this?....

What Texas has done (see below), in creating a funding mechanism that may ultimately lead to the South Central High Speed Rail Corridor, has lessons for us in Ohio as we seek the Ohio Hub System. The 110-mph passenger train and the 90-mph intermodal freight train are kissing cousins which are looking for the means to create the infrastructure for them. In its absence, that traffic will have no choice but to clog our highways and damage them with more expensive trucks that have proven vulnerable to fuel price spikes, unnecessarily costing shippers. Texas is taking the lead, to make their economy more competitive than Ohio's, yet we have much more intermodal rail freight traffic (see map at bottom). If we want to keep it, grow it and prosper from it, then we need to follow Texas' lead.... ________________ 12 November 2005 Texas's new rail relocation fund opens possibilities for more rail passenger and rail transit services in state While the Bush administration has been stepping up its efforts to bludgeon intercity rail passenger service and constrain urban rail transit development, efforts to actually improve and expand these kinds of public transport services have just been given at least a modest boost in the US state of Texas. As we have noted (below) in our article Texas rail relocation measure passes, the approval of Texas's new Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund by voters this past Tuesday (8 November) "opens the possibility for major improvements to rail transport safety and intercity passenger service, and the use of urban railway corridors for public transit projects." In a statement issued in Dallas on 11 November, Texas Rail Advocates (TRA) – one of several statewide organizations promoting rail passenger transportation in Texas – called the vote "an historic step toward future development of faster and more dependable passenger rail service in the state." "By the passage of State Proposition 1 we now have the means to help the freight railroads relocate and improve their original lines throughout the state and that makes it possible to plan for faster freight and passenger trains” said Paul Mangelsdorf, Executive Director of TRA. The group's formal statement continued: Texas Rail Advocates urges TxDOT [Texas Department of Transportation] to lay out a priority list of the most important rail relocation and improvement projects in the state and to engage the three largest freight rail carriers, Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway and Kansas City Southern Railroad in serious talks on the issues. As the advocate organization's Executive Director Mangelsdorf pointed out, "Texas is mostly a one-track rail system with some passing sidings. We must prepare for rail gridlock in the next decade if the lines are not upgraded." The group spelled out some of its recommendations for speeding up intercity railroad operations: TRA believes that one of the key plans should include an engineering and feasibility study of the South Central High Speed Rail Corridor that the U.S. Department of Transportation authorized five years ago. This tri-state rail corridor, using enhanced infrastructure improvements including grade crossings and signaling, would be capable of handling containerized and trailer freight trains up to 90 miles per hour and fast, frequent passenger service up to 110 miles per hour between major Texas cities. It would give travelers an attractive, dependable option to expensive automobile travel. Mangelsdorf noted that passage of the Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund means that many rail grade crossings can be eliminated or improved in the future, leading to fewer motor vehicle-train accidents. "Importantly, in addition to safety, taking some of the heavy truck traffic off our beaten-down overburdened highways will also help improve air quality" Mangelsdorf said. "Texas Rail Advocates believes that our economic engine in Texas will be riding on the rails as new industries find the state to be more inviting because of a dynamic transportation system" Mangelsdorf added. Texas Rail Advocates and Paul Mangelsdorf, Executive Director, can be contacted as follows: Email: [email protected] Phone: 214.749-3549 Website: http://www.TexasRailAdvocates.org

Seems my idea has drawn a big yawn!

''It's sad Ford couldn't keep it open and keep it running,'' said Vince Tramontana, 55, of Lorain who retired from the Lorain plant July 1 after working there for 35 years. ''That's progress, I guess. Ford basically paid for my whole life. It supported our whole family. It's kind of hard to see it close.'' That's progress? I can't stand when someone says that when the evidence is clearly to the contrary. "That's progress" is probably the biggest excuse for not thinking clearly, or at all.

They would get upset if there were no other discount retailers and the firing led to the closing of numerous stores. That's the distinction.

^ That's not the point. The point is that a competent man was in charge of a federal corporation which Bush & Co. would rather see just go away. It doesn't matter to them what the corporation's potential is, with proper federal support. It on'y matters that the corporation has a history of failure, without federal support or reform, but they don't care to understand those complexities. And, by the way, during the Reagan years, when Amtrak routinely faced a zero budget request by the Reagan administration (and also threatened to cut Social Security), the most letters Congress received on any one subject was regarding Social Security. Number two? Amtrak.

Oh, and by the way, make the downtown-Ohio City streetcar loop fare-free, with the support of downtown businesses. RTA is already trying to secure support from the Downtown Cleveland Partnership for its replica "trolleys" (er, buses).

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/bal-ed.gunn11nov11,1,4857811.story?coll=bal-opinion-headlines Railroaded November 11, 2005 The nation's beleaguered passenger rail system lost one of its most valuable assets when Amtrak's board fired David L. Gunn on Wednesday. During his three years as Amtrak's president, Mr. Gunn had worked wonders with a perpetually dysfunctional organization. Even Amtrak Chairman David M. Laney described Mr. Gunn's performance as "splendid" a matter of weeks ago. Apparently, that wasn't good enough.

Oh, but it might bring in those people!

I was bored, so......(see previous message for description and available funding "source")

Nice web page! Congrats

Two views... KJP ______________ A L L A B O A R D O H I O FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Bill Hutchison, President November 11, 2005 (614) 882-1716 Amtrak president’s firing threatens Ohio’s trains, plans for future All Aboard Ohio, a nonprofit association, is calling for the immediate reinstatement of Amtrak President David Gunn, and for the resignation of U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta. All Aboard Ohio considers Gunn’s firing earlier this week as a direct threat to Ohio’s passenger trains, and to the future of the proposed Ohio Hub System. Gunn was fired by Amtrak’s board of directors who were appointed by President Bush at the behest of Mineta.

If ODOT's saying that, then they're talking out of both sides of their mouths. They propose to spend $50 million on that bridge "to make it last another 40 years" they've said. Worse, the existing bridge piers keep sliding, especially on the Tremont side, and will continue to need millions of dollars worth of repairs, including jacking up the bridge every so often.

I've heard that the Southern alignment's S-curve in the vicinity of the Central Interchange is the problem, and may not be able to be relocated as far south as Alsenas wanted to ease the S-curve. I dunno, it looks like a pretty easy curve to me -- assuming the 50-55 mph speed limit is preserved. If ODOT wants 60 mph, then it could be a problem. To quote a former mayor of San Francisco when the waterfront highway was proposed "what do you want to go so fast through our beautiful city for? Slow down, park, get out and walk around a bit." Of course, the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 got rid of that highway, and allowed the waterfront to be reopened for the people once again -- not to cold, lifeless concrete bridge piers and steel deck work. Mother Nature apparently doesn't like highways....

I interviewed the guy who's raising funds and developing the design for the new firefighters' museum. Turns out that, while the museum itself isn't threatened, some of their ancillary plans for it are. They (like ODOT) would like to see the traffic detoured off Commercial Road hill. But while ODOT wants it detoured so they can build their four lanes of highway and the access from ramp from Carnegie/Ontario, the museum wants it closed so it can make into a pedestrian-friendly area that celebrates its history. It would do so through interpretive exhibits, including images and maps of the old Central Viaduct, the industrial heritage, the Towpath Trail and make the museum into an educational facility. It would offer history about famous Cleveland fires (Collinwood school, Cleveland Clinic fire, East Ohio explosion etc) and offer instruction to children about fire safety. And, while the musuem building itself isn't threatened, the fire station next door would be, as the entrance ramp will come to within 10 feet of the fire vehicle doors. The musuem wants an active fire station next door. Nearly $100,000 has already been raised for the fire musuem -- it isn't some pipe dream. Some of the money came from Cleveland City Council. By the way, our favorite PD architecture critic is also on this story, according to the guy I interviewed.

What is happening is disgraceful. Some are now calling for Mineta's resignation and Gunn's reinstatement.

Now I'm hearing that a CMHA residential development is being considered for the Puritas-West 150th Rapid station site. I don't yet know if this is another site for the nomadically proposed CMHA Hope VI development originally proposed for Ohio City, or if it's something else.

That's pretty much what happened. Bush & Co. have such a hard-on to get rid of Amtrak, it's drained all the blood away from the head they should be using to make informed decisions. But they won't support anything that doesn't pay to play in Washington's "sound policy-making." Sometimes, I want to start the revolution over again. But I'd settle for a third party that actually cares about people.

Here's the web link for the Western Reserve Fire Musuem at Cleveland.... http://www.clevelandfire.us/museumhome.htm This is what they want their building to look like when done.... This was a motorcycle ride fundraiser they held for the musuem, which raised more than $9,000 -- the Inner Belt can be seen in the background. In the foreground, the five lanes for the new bridge, plus the entrance ramp from Ontario, would occupy the entire foreground.... Here's another view, looking toward Jacobs Field. A working fire station is at left....

Something to consider for Ohio? Post-election coverage of Texas Proposition 1 (to create a state fund for railroad route relocations) took a back seat to the gay-marriage ban in terms of news coverage, but I found this article from October which explains the issue pretty well (see below). By the way, Prop.1 passed.... 95.6% of Texas pcts. counted Proposition 1 Create the Texas rail relocation and improvement fund and authorize grants of money and issuance of obligations for financing the relocation, rehabilitation, and expansion of rail facilities STATEWIDE TOTALS For - 1,066,415 - 53.9% Against - 910,408 - 46.1% _______________________________ Oct. 22, 2005, 9:16PM Proposition 1 sets up fund for relocation of rail lines By CLAY ROBISON Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau ............