JMasek

As of Nov. 22, RTA is extending Waterfront Line hours, a topic that was discussed here some time ago. The last train to leave South Harbor for Tower City will be at 12:05 a.m.

KJP, yes the July 28 agenda is very full. There are a number of projects that have been discussed for this area, and I do not know precisely what the Mayor will present. Check your tweets.

FYI: July 28: RTA Board will consider a resolution to hire a firm to demolish the rail station at Euclid - East 120th. The agenda is very full and can be seen at http://www.riderta.com/news/july-28-2015-board-meeting-agenda-set Aug. 11: 6:30 p.m., A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at the Little Italy-University Circle Station at East 119 and Mayfield Road. If you attend, please say hello. I will be wearing a suit, tie and a Nikon SLR.

FYI, if you are looking for the name of the new station on an RTA map, or the RTA Web site it is....Little Italy-University Circle. The other new area station is Cedar-University (as in CWRU).

Yes, RTA plans to have the new Little Italy-University Circle Station open by the time the festival begins. According to Google Maps, it is a 4-minute walk from the Station to Holy Rosary Church -- the epicenter of it all. Four minutes? Gee, that's hardly enough exercise to work off all those calories from the rich food there. As soon as all the details of the opening ceremony for the station are confirmed, I will post them here.

There's good reading in today's PD about the sorry state of transit funding in Ohio. http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/07/to_boost_ohio_transit_think_ou.html#incart_river

On Monday, July 20, RTA will begin demolishing the tunnel at the popular Brookpark Rapid Station, as part of a major renovation project there. On that day... ADA parking will be removed from the east parking lot. All ADA customers must park in ADA spaces in the west parking lot. Customers will walk from the east side to the west side via a new sidewalk that is being uilt along Brookpark Road. RTA is also installing stairs, underpass lights, and a wooden barrier to protect customers from vehicles and highway splashing. "Our Number One goal is always safety," says RTA CEO and General Manager Joe Calabrese. "This is the best way that we can keep our customers safe, and still keep the Rapid Station open. We apologize for the inconvenience." Two nearby parking lots -- Puritas and Triskett -- have available parking.

Transit Police receive the same training, and have the same authority, as municipal police. Their jurisdiction includes RTA vehicles and property, and some common areas, such as Public Square and the Euclid Avenue. Because transit can be a terrorist target, they do receive federal grants from time to time for special items, such as the bomb-sniffing canine unit.

Major changes coming to popular Brookpark Station http://www.riderta.com/news/major-changes-coming-popular-brookpark-rapid-station

Good afternoon. I just wanted to drop in for a quick reminder. I have seen several times on this Forum when people "unofficially" want to sound as if they are representing RTA. They are not. The only people on this Forum who can speak officially for RTA are myself and JetDog. Many other people here know a lot about RTA, and we respect their opinions, but opinions are different from facts. They may say they have "inside information," but I have seen inside information posted here that was far from true. Things at RTA change quickly. That which is true on Monday is not always true on Tuesday, and that which is accurate at 3 p.m., may change by 4 p.m. When answering a question from this list, or any customer, we often have to call a primary source, to verify our information. If I am not on the Forum and you have a question that needs immediate attention, please send an e-mail to [email protected]. Thanks for caring so much about public transit in Cleveland. And for all you Dads, Happy Father's Day.

Buses replace trains for all rail service east of Tower City this weekend. ODOT will work on two parts of the Inner Belt bridge, as well as improvements near the Buckeye-Woodhill Rapid Station. Contractors working for RTA will focus on stations at Lee-Van Aken and Little Italy-University Circle, track work at Shaker Square, and installing new high mast lights in the rail yard. Rail crews will work on track upgrades at several locations.

^ I know the media noticed. All four TV stations, plus the PD, used stories and photos. Later this week, look for a piece on Reuters as well.

Yesterday, we became aware of an incident at the West 117th St. Station, and immediately launched a thorough investigation. Today, we received a formal complaint from Ms. Jessica Ferrato, and we will be interviewing her as part of the process. From what we know now, it appears this incident could have been handled far more appropriately. We apologize for the way this incident transpired. This is clearly an unfortunate situation. Importantly, we will be taking the appropriate action internally. Once the investigation is complete, we will be able to provide further details.

Regarding the incident at the West 117th Street Station last weekend: RTA is conducting a thorough investigation, and we will take appropriate action.

The printed version was distributed at the annual meeting today (it always is). It will be added to the Web site this week.