KJP

Peak ridership on the Waterfront Line was in 1999, at more 800,000 rides for the year. The decline of the Flats was a big reason for ridership falling into 200,000's annually. Several major development projects were proposed for the line, including a World Trade Center at Dock 20 (near the mouth of the Cuyahoga), the DoubleTree Hotel near the West 3rd station, and a large residential development in the vicinity of Davenport Bluffs at the end of the Waterfront Line. But the problem of the Waterfront Line is it was originally designed to be a single-track, tourist trolley, running back and forth between the lakefront and Tower City for special events only. Former RTA GM Ron Tober wanted it to be a full-blown light-rail transit line, causing costs to balloon from $10 million to more than $70 million. When RTA and city officials opted for the more extravagent project, there was no consideration for tying the Waterfront Line's construction into a land use/development strategy with incentives for encouraging transit-friendly development along the route. Instead, the Waterfront Line was considered to be the end result of their efforts, rather than be one of several tools to achieve an end result - more downtown development and ridership generators. Now, the outcome is what you see - a $70 million special-event, tourist trolley. And, I take exception to the comment that Ohioans love cars so they won't ride trains. That's a lazy comment that avoids taking a look at the bigger picture. It's like saying a couple stranded on a deserted island love only each other. We have no alternatives to cars for nearly every trip we wish to take in Ohio. That's not a love affair. It's a shotgun marriage. They use to think in California that residents were so in love with their cars that they wouldn't use rail service. Today, as many people (55 million per year) use the San Diego light rail system as ride the entire Cleveland RTA rail AND bus system despite the two metro areas having comparable populations. For LA's Red Line, people said no one would use it. Today, more than 150,000 people ride that line -- per DAY. The Los Angeles to San Diego, and Bay Area to Sacramento rail lines are the second- and fourth-busiest Amtrak corridors in the nation, each carrying more than 1 million riders per year. Similar success stories have occured for new rail transit services in San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose, and other rail lines in LA. Give people attractive alternatives and they will use them. California does just that, by investing more per year on rail capital improvements in that state than does the federal government for the entire nation. In Ohio? ODOT spends 95 percent of its budget on highways (thanks to a constitutional restriction that forbids it from spending state gas taxes on transportation modes other than highways) while it has cut investments in transit 40 percent since 2002. And, guess what? More than 95 percent of our daily trips are by car because we are forced to drive. But, if we're too old, poor or disabled to drive, we remain at home, left out of Ohio's economy. If you want trains in Ohio, go to www.allaboardohio.org and help us out. I'll step off my soapbox now. EDITED to update the web address

Thanks, but please don't use the term "railfan." You wouldn't call a highway lobbyist a "cementhead" would you? Or an aviation advocate an "air head"? <g> KJP

Wonderful pics. It took me a couple of double-takes to realize the red brick building in each of the top two photos were the same building! I had no idea there were still craftsmen who were capable of replicating intricate brickwork from a century ago. What a nice surprise! KJP

All, If you'd like to find out more what's being planned for Ohio, passenger rail-wise, visit the Ohio Rail Development Commission's web page on this matter, at: http://www.dot.state.oh.us/ohiorail/Programs/Rail%20Programs.htm For more information on the advocacy component of this effort, please visit: www.OhioansForPassengerRail.com or, for the specific campaign effort: http://www.ohioansforpassengerrail.com/corridors.php If you would like more information, feel free to contact me at [email protected] or the Ohio Rail Development Commission. ORDC's contact information is available on their website (listed above). Regards, KJP