JMasek

Those interested in the progress of the University Circle - Little Italy Rapid Station may want to vist... http://www.riderta.com/majorprojects/uclittleitaly/ Tuesday's meeting included a presentation by City Architecture, an informational handout, and a call for comments to RTA by Aug. 14. You can make comments here, of course, but if you want your comments to be "official", then please make them in the manner specified on that page. I could not attend the meeting, but I have an "informed source" (JetDog), who says the proposed designs were met with favorable comments.

^ The train logo is there for those who do not read English. Scav said we have "2 clear system, bus and mass transit." I think he/she meant to say "bus and Rapid Transit."

Sorry news to report. Leonard Ronis, 90, died this morning. The PD will probably have a full obit Friday. Ronis was the last GM of CTS, and the first GM of RTA. He was an architect of the state legislation that allowed transit authorities to be created. He helped form the Ohio Public Transit Assn. He was active nationally, served two years as president of APTA, and was inducted into their Hall of Fame. He was active in transit for 60 years. Thousands of people who never knew him are benefitting from his dedication. I thought you would want to know. http://obits.cleveland.com/obituaries/cleveland/obituary.aspx?n=leonard-ronis&pid=158387037&fhid=2098

<<I think that Calabrezze is doing fine at running RTA, but I think he's done a poor job of lobbying the state legislature, and looking into ways to make it better.> There were times, especially during budget season, when Joe Calabrese spent significant time lobbying in Columbus. He is a past president of OPTA, and is very committed to making sure state legislators know how important transit is. The problem is Ohio's formulas. People generally agree that we need an increase in the gas tax to give transit a dedicated source, but a recession, like the one we had, is no time to raise taxes. As things get better, the issue will be raised again.

^ In my opinion, UO may have called the PD's attention to write about the machines, but the progress on the contract was independent of that. The real game-changer was getting Xerox officials to the table and making them more aware of the scope of the issue. Believe me, all options were considered, including some of the ones that have been mentioned on this forum. In each case, we weighed the consequences of option A with the consequences of option B, and chose the one that, in our opinion, was best for RTA and our customers. You may disagree with our actions, and that is your right, but know that we never just ignored the problem, as some have said earlier.

Not to sound like a smarty, but generally those stations with the largest parking lots draw the most riders. I know Tower City is first overall, and Brookpark has the highest ridership on the West Side. University Circle leads all stations with bus-to-rail transfers.

I have been here since 2000, and I have never seen weekday data reported, unless there is a special ask, as in "how many people did we carry on St. Patrick's Day?" Other than that, ridership is always reported by calendar month.

<<Does RTA still plan on running the Waterfront Line daily once the Flats East Bank opens up?>> Yes. I think the date is sometime in 2013.

^ You are right. I got some dates transposed. Tober -- 5-28-88 to 10-31-99. Calabrese -- 2-22-2000 to present.

Most of Twitter work comes from Marketing, but Media Relations and IT also help. Few things in RTA are one-man shows. I will pass along your comments. Thank you.

<<When are those 20-minute Red Line intervals going to go down to 15-minute intervals?">> When all repairs are done and signals are tested. It is a matter of safety. The damage was massive, and work proceeds daily. I ride the Red Line every day. So do many RTA staffers. When the work is complete and we can ensure the safety of all trains, we will be delighted to increase the frequency. Until then, we thank you for your support.

Ladies and gentlemen, some random thoughts. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the debate on Joe Calabrese. Most points were made well, and none dropped to the name-calling level I have seen elsewhere. I was hired at RTA as Media Relations Manager 6 weeks before Joe was hired, so I have had a front-row seat for his entire term of office. Ron Tober started at RTA on Oct. 31, 1999 (Halloween), so RTA has gone more than 20 years with just two leaders. That bodes well for the stability of the agency. I have also had the pleasure of working for George V. Voinovich for 5 years, and I find the two men very similar. I have loads of respect for each. As for the debate over RTA being a business, yes, it is very much a business. The first priority of any business is survival -- pay your bills, stay solvent, be fiscally responsible. How many people would an agency serve if it went out of business? Answer: zero. To survive is the first order, to thrive is the second. Survival in this climate, with economic depression, unreliable state funding, and questionable federal funding, is a huge effort, and consumes much attention. I know many of you care deeply about transit, and that's why you are here. I would LOVE for some of you to be able to sit in the big chair for even an hour, and face the realities of the day. As someone who has gone from journalism to PR to journalism and back to PR, I have learned that are few black-and-white issues. Most things are shades of grey, as some of you alluded to above. Few things are as simple as they appear. If you read the "Politifact" column in the PD, where they dissect the many political ads, you will get a greater understanding of some of the issues. Even though it has little to do with transit, I heartily recommend it. Have a good day.

And now RTA buys gas in small quantities whenever the prices are down, and we are saving MILLIONS. We are now buying gas for 2014. Whatever money we may have lost that first year, we have made up over and over again. How can one argue about $26,000 in salary increases when millions have been saved by his efficiencies?

You get what you pay for. Joe Calabrese is ranked as one of the top transit CEOs in the nation. You may debate certain policies, but no one who really knows RTA can debate that Joe is worth every penny. I believe the leadership at Hopkins Airport is also "up there" in salary. I raise that because the positions are similar. You pull talent from a national market, not a local one. If you want someone who has led an airport close in size to Hopkins, you have to go to another city. If you want someone who has led a transit system close in size to RTA, you have to look elsewhere. RTA did, and after a national search, hired Joe Calabrese in early 2000.

^ Gee, do you also feel qualified to tell Cleveland City Police how to deploy their resources? I know I don't. Most police agencies follow a simple rule -- put your officers where the most crimes are, OR where the most people are. It's not a roll of the dice. They have access to intell which we don't, and they place their officers where it is believed they are needed. I have called on TP at Tower City many times, and I have a hard time visuallizing a major transit hub without them.

^ I am glad that some posters here understand Transit 101 finances. We hear these kind of complaints from riders who have to stand because the bus is full. They reason that "It's such a simple solution. Why can't RTA figure it out?" If the first bus is full and 7 people have to stand, they believe RTA should just add a second bus for those seven standees. As you can see, this would elevate expenses tremendously. It was heartening to see this discussion take place on-line. I hope many found it educational.

^ I do not have figures. Both stations remain open during construction.

^ Watch this page for updates. http://www.riderta.com/majorprojects/mayfield/ It says, "RTA hopes to begin construction in 2013."

An update for you: This week, the expansion of the Westlake Park-N-Ride is complete. Today, the Board selects vendors for University Circle Rapid Station wor. Look for a ceremony by late July. Work on Buckeye-Woodhill should be done by August.

Ridership report -- May 2012 vs May 2011 -- great weather, special events and the Casino * Systemwide: 2.8 million rides. Up 7.4 percent, or 290,000 rides, in May, 7.1 percent YTD. 14th straight month of increases. Average weekday ridership rose 4 percent, or 6,400 rides * Bus: Up 6.7 percent and 6.7 percent * HealthLine: Up 6.7 percent and 3.4 percent. Best May ever. * Total Bus: Up 6.7 percent and 6.3 percent * Heavy Rail: Up 11.6 percent and 10.9 percent * Light Rail: Up 6.9 percent and 8.7 percent * Total Rapid: Up 10.1 percent and 10.2 percent, best May since 2008 * Paratransit: Up 12.5 percent and 11.6 percent * Trolley: Down 1.8 percent * Bikes boarded: Up 1.7 percent. YTD, 13,800 bikes boarded.

To those who posted about Friday night, I will pass along your coments, and I apologize.

I am not an attorney, but everything that I know says the answer to your question is -- YES. Transit Police graduate from the police academy, the same as police in any city. They carry guns and can make arrests. They can and have ticketed jaywalkers -- which at times is a major concern on the HealthLine. Ticketing cyclists would certainly be in their jurisdiction. As some of you may know, Transit Police and City Police have a joint jurisdiction agreement that covers all of Public Square and the HealthLine, as well as some other areas.

There is no need to. Return service from downtown special events is guaranteed for 90 minutes after the event ends. So if an extra-inning ballgame ends at 2 a.m., there will be RTA service from Tower City until 3:30 a.m. -- which just about the time it starts for the new day. Often, RTA supervisors monitor crowd flow, and service continues until the crowd is gone, which may be well before the 90 minutes. You could say the promise is: "Leave no rider behind."

I just received an off-list message from a new poster who asked if I worked for RTA. From time to time, I guess I should mention that for those new to the list. Yes, I work for RTA, and you are welcome to contact me directly if you wish. Jerry Masek Manager of Publications RTA Marketing 216-566-5173 [email protected] JetDog is also an RTA employee, as most of you know.

^ Thanks for the note. I shared it with the staff.