KJP

That calculation is for 300 workers. Any possibility that all 1,700+ will be consolidated into a new site? If so, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, they estimate that there is an average of 387 square feet per worker in office buildings (the average for all commercial buildings is 766 square feet per worker). According to OfficeFinder.com, in typical office scenarios, you can estimate 175-250 square feet per employee. If there are large executive offices, then you need to estimate more square footage for those. OfficeFinder.com estimates typical "presidential" offices range from 150-400 square feet. Secretarial and administrative space, on the other hand, will range from 60-110 square feet. So since this is a governmental operation, let's round down to about 300 square feet per office worker. For 300 employees, that's 90,000 square feet. For 1,700, now we're talking 510,000 square feet. For comparison purposes, check out these building stats (courtesy of http://www.downtownclevelandpartnership.com/office.html)... Penton Media (formerly Bond Court Bldg.), E. 9th at St. Clair Ave., 21 stories tall, 553,000 sq. ft. One Cleveland Center, St. Clair Ave. at E. 9th St., 32 stories tall, 525,000 sq. ft. SBC Technical Center, Huron Rd., 24 stories, 491,000 sq. ft. Fifth Third Center (formerly Bank One), Superior Ave., 28 stories, 475,000 sq. ft. So, if DFAS wants their own building, better get ready to build a new 'scraper downtown. Might I suggest that God-awful parking lot on Public Square. Please!!!! KJP P.S. in case anyone was wondering, the Celebreze Federal Building (where the DFAS is currently located) has 990,000 square feet. It's a big-ass building. Anyone know how much vacant space is in the building? Given the high lease rates, I think DFAS needs their own spread (of course, I want to see a new 'scraper in town, and I want that Eyesore on the Square to go away!!!).

Putting a coffee shop, a newstand and/or something else on the sidewalk won't change that. The building would be even more unique with those features added, since few other buildings in that neighborhood have them, nor do they contribute to making the sidewalks a destination in and of themselves. Think Warehouse District, or the ground floor of the Crittenden Apartments at West 10th and St. Clair, or the Chesterfield, etc etc KJP

Don't forget all the homeless people sleeping outside the the welfare building on Superior and at the church across 17th Street from it.... Sorry, couldn't resist. KJP

That's awesome! KJP

The four daily (er, nightly) Amtrak trains are scheduled to show up in Cleveland between 12:30 a.m. and 4 a.m. But in reality, they show up anywhere from 12:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m..... KJP

Go to www.allaboardohio.com You can join via the site, register to vote, access Ohio Hub planning documents ... save the whales, cure cancer... KJP

I ain't poo-pooing the Pope. I'm ragging and nagging on him. :shoot: KJP

I also wonder why there is no sidewalk retail with this building. I'll be glad to see it get built, but a coffee shop and maybe a newstand would do wonders for making it less like a bunker that you drive in and out of out. Sidewalk activity, and the spontaneous social interaction with neighbors it creates, is one of the wonderful things about city living. KJP

Financing/leasing, depreciation, stuff like that. KJP

I think this article makes a good case for the region to begin planning and building for being "big" again. If you don't build infrastructure and amenities for adding hundreds of thousands of new residents, then why should they come here? What message are we sending to outsiders by being timid? If we build confidently about our future, growth-minded people will be inspired by that and want to be a part of it. But if we use trends of the past 40 years to guide our future development (as the Greater Cleveland Growth Association, NOACA and others have done), then we might as well hang out a sign that says "please help us" rather than "we can help you." Which city would you, as an outsider looking for a new home/business location, want to become part of? KJP

Some of the ideas mentioned are good ones. But I'd be surprised if we see anything more than a short tourist line that can be funded with some private-sector donations and a small contribution from RTA. And, when suggesting use of the lakefront freight tracks, the only way a streetcar can use the right of way is if it takes it over. Railroads no longer allow transit tracks to be built next to active freight tracks -- unless there is a 25 foot separation from the centerline of the nearest transit track to the centerline of the nearest freight track. Or, a concrete barrier between them is construction to allow for closer spacing of tracks. The latter would probably have to be done (or add more fill dirt and more bridge structures to widen the right of way), since the existing right of way has only one vacant track space. Otherwise, the assumption is that the owner (Norfolk Southern) is willing to sell. Don't expect them to, because they operate 70 freight trains a day (and rising fast) over that route. To detour them to a different route, such as the Lakefront Bypass route for which I did a study for EcoCity Cleveland and the Cleveland Waterfront Coalition, would cost about $144 million or more. Still, vacating the lakefront tracks for trolleys would require a new route for Amtrak trains and proposed Ohio Hub trains through the city, since operating the two types of rail equipment on the same tracks would violate federal regulations. The trolleys fail to meet federal railroad crash-impact standards. If a much heavier Amtrak train hit a trolley, it would destroy it. To meet the regulations, you would have guarantee a time-of-day separation. Since Amtrak's on-time performance is so abysmal, I don't think such a guarantee can be made. Best to stick with dedicated transit rights of way, or a streetcar-type operation. KJP

What I was suggesting (and maybe you already gathered this) is take a regular Laketrans bus in the mornings when the Cavs or Indians are in town, then take the post-game Laketrans bus home. Of course, I say this without knowing your schedule. Yep, you're getting it from me. I'm sure you're aware that most of the costs of driving a car that you own are the fixed costs of owning said car. Even with you having your car on your parents' insurance, your costs per mile are astronomical for owning a car that you drive so little. You'd be farther ahead if you took that car for 100-mile drives into the country each weekend to lower your per-mile costs. Or, better yet, sell the car, invest the money and take a freakin' taxi each day! You'd still be farther ahead. The ragging continues....just trying to save the spendthrifts amongst us. KJP

Laketran offers late-night bus service when the Indians or Cavs play at home. Might consider that as a way to head back to Lake County. OK, explain that one to me. When is driving ever cheaper than taking transit? Are you borrowing someone else's car for free? KJP

I see your dilemma. You're going from one distant, outlying area to another distant, outlying area. This is why this nation is so vulnerable to peak oil. The land use and lifestyle changes that will result will be quite profound, and some will be lost without a compass. Fortunately, you don't seem like one of those people. KJP

Where's your job A2daK? KJP

Some days I take the bus the work. I purposefully chose my residential location near Lakewood's Gold Coast because it is one of the few inner-ring communities that has fairly decent transit service to where I work. A one-seat bus ride to near the county line is a rare thing! But, if the Rapid went past where I work, I'd prefer to take that. Some days, when I have to be downtown first thing in the morning, I take the bus downtown (it runs every five minutes past my building). After I pick up documents at the Justice Center, I sometimes walk to Tower City to get some breakfast and take the Rapid to West 117th and transfer to the #75X bus to North Olmsted. Or, I'll take an earlier bus, get breakfast in Fairview Park, and catch the next bus out to North Olmsted. Today, I was able to cover that distance (home to downtown to North Olmsted) in an hour and 20 minutes, just because all the connections worked and I didn't stop for breakfast. Some days I drive to work (if I'm going to be covering multiple news stories -- though I recently took on a different news beat so I wouldn't have to drive as much and because I'll be able to cover redevelopment and transit issues more often). In other words, I'm a multi-modal kinda guy. KJP

I also like the idea of running the historic streetcars/interurbans on the lower level of the Detroit-Superior bridge and into Ohio City. But I think it would work to have these run daily (as with the McKinney Avenue streetcar line in Dallas), or complement a daily extension of modern LRT equipment (ala Portland). KJP

A temporary one, if things keep going the way they are. KJP

Although not a "late-breaking news" article, it's worth reading and sharing with others. KJP __________________ http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050626/LIVING/50721004/-1/AUTO THE COST OF CARS Driving is more expensive than most realize Published: Sunday, June 26, 2005 Tim Johnson, Free Press Staff Writer PART 3 OF A 4-PART SERIES Free parking can cost more than you might think. Suppose you want to buy a pair of shoes at University Mall, which offers more than 3,100 spaces where you can park your car without feeding a meter or paying a parking fee. Somebody pays for you to park there, though. So-called free parking -- provided by suburban shopping centers and employers -- is one of the big, hidden subsidies of car use in Vermont and across the country. It's hidden because it's a cost associated with cars that escapes most people's notice. Cars impose other costs that drivers don't pay directly. What about the costs of building, maintaining and policing all the roads and highways that accommodate all the cars and trucks? Drivers don't pay the full share of those costs. ..........

The PD also ran a number of stories about PD writers' experiences in taking transit to work. Maybe if these downtown commuters didn't live practically out of state and resided in town, then the time comparison would have been more equal. I didn't care much for their choice of routes or wording. But, here they are, and you decide.... KJP ___________________ http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1128850358291450.xml&coll=2 It takes a little more time, but it doesn't lack comfort Sunday, October 09, 2005 Marc Bona Nice to know it's there in an emergency. Bus route: The X61, from West Point Market and Summit Mall in the West Akron area, then on to Euclid Avenue and East 13th Street in Cleveland. _______________________ http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/living/1128850802291450.xml&coll=2 A penny saved, certainly, but almost an hour lost Sunday, October 09, 2005 Bill Lubinger Could be real handy in snow belt[mst: cq lowercase: ]-NT%> season. Bus route: First drive to Eastgate Shopping Center at SOM Center and Mayfield roads in Mayfield Heights, then take 9X RTA bus downtown. ............

Not a peep about Campbell's endorsement of HSR. I've learned the PD doesn't care much for her. I understand that this article was written a long time ago, and that James Ewinger has taken over the transportation beat from Rich Exner. KJP ______________ http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1128850725291450.xml&coll=2 Backers of high-speed rail growing more optimistic Sunday, October 09, 2005 Rich Exner Plain Dealer Reporter The map seems logical. And thought of renewing an old form of travel with a modern twist is intriguing. Hop on a train in Cleveland and shoot off to places like Columbus, Detroit, Pittsburgh or Toronto at 110 mph. You'd be in Columbus, for example, in one hour and 38 minutes. It would take around four hours to get to Chicago. The idea, in various forms, has lingered for decades. But now, in part because of interest from Congress and isolated successes of similar routes across the country, train advocates are singing an optimistic tune for a high-speed rail system that could make Cleveland a hub.

Or you could just take the train directly from Cincinnati to New York City, if you're traveling on the same day(s) that the thrice-weekly Cardinal is operating. KJP

Studying ways to move more traffic more smoothly doesn't sound like a proper use of TLC funding to me. If they want a serious use of TLC funding, use it to study how to reduce Vehicle-Miles Traveled. But that would cause them to begin questioning that their sprawling, sub-divided, auto-dominated land uses are actually the problem. To fix that would cost much more than the $26 million for the interchange and associated road widenings. Memo to Brunstucky officials -- you made your auto-bed, now sleep in it before peak oil rudely wakes you up to its unsustainability. That being said, I don't expect NOACA to give them an early wake up call by denying the grant. It will probably get approved under political pressure. Of course, it won't solve anything. Only gas prices rising and staying above $5/gallon apparently will. KJP

How about companion legislation in the House? Feel free to e-mail me instead, if you prefer. KJP

If this will be industrial corridor, then it will be of marginal benefit to the Red Line. Most industries these days require single-level factories. Anything single-level is not high density. And lack of density favors auto use, not transit. For the limited transit ridership that will likely be generated by these light-densit uses, the times that this will occur is at shift changes. Now, if there is a mix of light-industrial, offices, high-density housing, ground-floor retail (especially grocers and others that are sorely lacking in the urban core), then this will offer the kind of round-the-clock ridership generators that is needed. Each station needs to be the focal point of concentrated "village" of mixed uses, stacked one on top of the other, to be of meaningful value to a high-density transit facility like the Red Line. Given that this corridor is so badly emaciated, there is a real opportunity to "start over" when it comes to land use, including high-density uses clustered in pedestrian settings around stations. And this can be done without the NIMBY factor that has threatened such transit-friendly land use at the Ohio City Red Line station. If our only hope for cleaning the abandoned, polluted, industrial sites along the Red Line on the east side is to build a road through them, then we have truly failed our urban areas. KJP