justine

I agree that with some change of the decorative pavement, added signage and a small fence or hedge on one side of the water park, the safety concerns could be partly alleviated. More plants, grass and shrubs could go a long way to make the square appear more green. We need to remember that buses are green and part of vibrant urban life.

I am totally fed up with both the Mayor and J. Calabrese. They knew (or should have known) that closing the square to buses would be a breach of the contract with the federal government. Why did Joe Calabrese go along with the city on this for awhile and waste money and time on this study/? At first he was adamant about keeping the square open for buses then he reversed his position and said he was working with the city to reroute the buses and keep the square open. His failure to stand up for the riders he serves just added to the confusion. Enough has been said about the ridiculous concerns made by Mayor Jackson about pedestrian safety, terrorism, etc. A pedestrian bridge could be built over Superior Ave. and the splash pool could be moved to Mall A or Mall B. After all, Public Square is not the only green space downtown. Detroit's Campus Martius park in the downtown does not have a splash pool but is still immensely popular. Cleveland's downtown has surface parking lots that could be converted to green spaces. Even if the city pays the 12M fine, this does nothing to address the buses being delayed because they have to go around Public Square. The 22 bus has been off schedule ever since the square was closed to buses. With all the delays, more people will abandon RTA. This will further weaken an already weakened transit system. Has anyone considered moving part of Superior Ave. under the square? I know it would be costly but I believe they have done something like this in Madrid to provide more pedestrian only public spaces.

One of the things I like about my neighborhood on the west side of Cleveland is that there are several parks to walk to. Having nearby parks does not necessarily mean less density since families could have smaller yards if there is a nearby park for kids to play in. I met someone in my neighborhood who said he and his wife bought a house near Halloran Park because of the recreation at the park and the ability of his children to walk a block and catch a bus.

Unfortunately, I think it might be true that RTA is purposely trying to save money by unscheduled shut downs of rail and skipped buses. Since I ride both rail and buses I have noticed since this summer that some scheduled buses simply "skip". It is not just a matter of the bus being late because of the detour around public square. This has happened so often that it seems deliberate. There have also been an increase of malfunctioning buses - buses with no a.c., buses that breakdown. I have talked to two people who don't have a car who say they no longer can rely on RTA and they are planning on buying a car. This is not good and is a downward spiral for RTA.

There has been a lot of discussion here about the state of the Rapid here lately, but I have had increasingly frustrating problems with the buses. The number #22 bus has skipped three times and not just two but three 22 buses have shown up at once. These buses are more than a half hour late. This has happened downtown, at W. 25th and Lorain and at W. 110th and Lorain. I have called and written RTA three times. There is construction on Lorain Ave. near the West Park station requiring the bus to be rerouted. Why doesn't RTA publish a temporary schedule for this route during the construction if they know there will be delays? Also, twice in the last month, a bus broke down and passengers had to get off and wait for a new bus. Once a bus was smoking and the other time it was the Health Line. It was leaking a green fluid. Now, I wonder if RTA is keeping up with maintenance of the buses.

Do we have any information on whether or not RTA is doing all they can do to seek funding besides raising fares? Is it the role of a transit organization to pursue funds or is it the role of local elected officials? I agree with the letter to the PD that we really need to be talking about how to get RTA more funding instead of talking about which routes to cut. RTA has tried to limit the conversation to just two options - raise fares and/or cut service. Also, I agree that transit needs to be convenient and pleasant. Even if it takes longer than driving, there is not the hassle of parking and on transit you can read or check your phone - things you can't or shouldn't do while driving.

Thanks, TPH2 for the mention of Clevelanders for Public Transit. I have joined and agree we need a group to keep RTA accountable and to show the lawmakers in Columbus that the citizens want more transit. Sometimes these groups start out small and then grow and grow until they become mainstream.

I attended the public hearing on RTA service cuts and fare increases downtown. I also do not think the Clevelanders for Public Transit is anti-rail. They have stated no cuts and no increases. They are also calling for the RTA to be more transparent. One way they could be more transparent is to let the public know exactly how they are lobbying the state to receive more funding for transit. I agree with some of the other comments that RTA does not do a good enough job of advertising the waterfront line. There was a lot of PR this last summer about the "new" CSU line on Clifton Blvd. "New" in parenthesis because the 55 line followed basically the same route. Why can't they do the same for the Waterfront line? It is unfortunate that some people feel they must cut one line to save another. We need a viable transit system. Has anyone considered raising the sales tax or influencing public officials in the big three C cities to advocate for transit in the state house? Also, I think RTA has done a poor job of advertising these hearings.

Jefferson here. Wanted a small place with some parks to walk to as well as library and grocery stores. Not easy to find a newish house that is in good shape in a walkable neighborhood. Our choices seemed to be Old Brooklyn or Jefferson. Jefferson won out due to better transit and more shopping within walking distance.

What is considered the optimal distance someone would need to be to a transit stop to use it? I see someone here mentioned 1000 feet. RTA at the hearing today mentioned 1/2 mile as a reasonable distance to walk. Does there need to be north-south as well as east-west for optional usage?

I attended the hearing today in a packed room. Any one else there? RTA gave a summary of route changes proposed and explained the funding situation. They also explained the efforts they made to advertise the hearings and asked for specifics on how the changes would affect customers. Did anyone see notices of the hearings or proposed reduction of services on the buses or rapid? I rode 4 different lines last week and didn't see any notices of these hearings on the buses. Since this is where the riders are, I would think it would be a good place to post notices.

These pictures and drawings are amazing KJP. Thanks for posting them. Makes me want to cry though thinking of what was lost and what could have been.

I think some of these so managers spend a lot of time in self-congratulation, going to meetings learning how to be "leaders" rather than being citizens

I was informed by our council person, Brian Kazy, that RTA is selling some of its land at the Triskett Rapid Station and a day care center is planning on moving in there. People who ride the rapid could drop off their children their and ride to work. It would also be a plus for young families who might want to relocate to the neighborhood. Does anyone know of any other land on rapid stations that is being developed? Don't agree that the Tower City retail is that dismal. It has some stores that are useful for some. May not be to everyone's taste. Foot Locker has all styles of shoes. Tower City Cinemas is very popular. Some new food places have gone in recently. There are banks, coffee shops, a movies theater, clothing stores, a dollar store, shoes store and a post office.

Thanks for all your replies. I have tried Las Dos Fronteres and agree it is good as is La Plaza supermarket. Didn't like Si Senor as much. Will give Vila y Zapata a try as well as the place on W. 105th and in Fairview Park.

These are ways that I think RTA could improve marketing: Partner with City Living Magazine and include bus and rail routes with it's neighborhood descriptions. Put up signage (as a previous poster suggested) saying this route goes to W. Side Mkt or Detroit Shoreway or Coventry or whatever the destination in 20 minutes, or 15 minutes More ads about how much money can be saved by using transit plus other benefits, more walking, not having the stress of traffic, freedom to read, check phone or relax.

Peter thank you for your post. You made some good points. I was at the Jarrett Walker lecture also and found it disconcerting that a "transit" person said he couldn't find any info about RTA but saw lots of info about Trolleys. The trolleys are heavily advertised and supported by local business. RTA needs to upgrade its marketing and approach advertising differently. As far as your comments about fitness. RTA and other transit systems have been part of my fitness plan. I read that on average, transit users get in 20 minutes of exercise walking everyday just by using transit! Lets promote transit as a health issue. When you look at all the people killed and disabled by auto accidents and add the fitness benefits, transit looks like a new years resolution to promote health and well-being.

Hi Everyone, since you are so helpful, maybe you direct me to a good authentic Mexican Restaurant. I really liked Mi Pueblo on Lorain, but it has been closed for awhile. Went with my husband to Orale and had a good experience but looking for something with colorful décor and good, filling Mexican food for a couple on a budget. Also, not a loud place, something more relaxing.

Does anyone know how many architects and designers are on the commission? The reason I ask is that I would like to see more attention paid to beauty and design. We have focused for the past fifty years or so on efficiency and utility. Are most of the people on the commission developers and engineers? People seem to want good design now. Streetscapes are being redone as pleasant pedestrian spaces.

This is an interesting article about landlords liking to rent to immigrants. Do you know what neighborhood west of the Cuyahoga river is being referred to in the article?

Peterdietz, I like the model you did - very impressive visual presentation of the difference in the transit commute. Vince, I agree it only makes sense if you don't care about sustainability and only look at cost in the short term.

I think the offices moving to Independence creates more sprawl, more driving and puts more of the cost on the employees who have to now put more wear and tear on their cars.

We mostly hear that downtown conversion of office space to residential is a good thing. Does anyone know if there might be unintended consequences that will effect mass transit? This week, I learned of another business downtown moving to Independence, Ohio because the building is being converted from office to residential! So, since so much of our mass transit is geared towards getting people back and forth to work and feeds into downtown, what happens to transit when workplaces leave downtown? I really can't see RTA having the resources to serve these auto centric office parks in the distant suburbs. It seems to me that we need workers downtown and offices not just residential. If ridership falls off going into downtown, RTA might consider cutting service. :wtf:

McLovin, I went looking for the McDonalds in Tower City last week for my morning coffee (80 cents with senior discount) and was told by someone working in Tower City that they got rid of McDonalds because they had a no bid contract. They want to get other similar eateries in there. He said a new McDonalds without a no bid contract might come in soon. Now the lines at Dunkin Donuts in the morning are super long.

It's so refreshing to read about the high cost of free parking from people who understand. It drives me crazy when people talk about how they resent having to "subsidize" transit with tax payer money. These same people think that the automobile is self sufficient and unsubsidized. They don't realize the real cost, parking, paving over lots of land, patching up people who have been in accidents, etc. What about the cost of parking in Europe. I would think that would discourage some driving.