JMasek

Referring to using the Waterfront Line to avoid the large Tower City crowds....If your final destination is the Red Line on the West Side, then even if you boarded the Waterfront Line, you would still have to deboard at Tower City and change trains. If your final destination is Shaker Heights or the eastern suburbs, then that makes more sense, as it would be a one-seat ride.

To hear a local transit update from Cleveland and Akronthat was aired earlier this week on WCPN, click here. http://www.ideastream.org/soi/entry/46034

If you were not able to listen to WCPN today, you missed a chance to hear officials from Cleveland and RTA talk about public transit. A lot of myths were shot down. Here are the facts. http://www.riderta.com/newsroom/releases/?listingid=1717

RTA offers St. Patrick Day summary: http://www.riderta.com/newsroom/releases/?listingid=1716

RTA's 2011 annual report is now available on-line. Enjoy. http://www.riderta.com/annual/2011/

Official RTA rail info, as of 12-31-2011 Annual Rail Service: 2.5 million revenue miles Red Line Rapid Transit * 60 heavy-rail cars * 18 high-platform stations * 19 route miles of track Blue/Green Line Rapid Transit (includes Waterfront Line) * 48 light-rail cars * 34 low-platform stations * 15.3 route miles of track

^ I have some generic ridership percentages for you. Of course, they may vary from month-to-month. * Bus, 85 percent * Heavy rail: 10 percent * Light rail: 5 percent.

I heard an economist talk the other day. He said the local economy is improving, but at a rate that could take up 14 years to put us back where we were before the housing bubble burst.

RTA ridership history in recent years, from our annual reports, (all figures in millions), with some of the reasons 1999 59.3 2000 59.16, down .2 percent, GM Calabrese started 2-28-2000 2001 58.2, down 1.7 percent, half of decrease came after 9-11 attack 2002 52.7, now the climb begins 2003 53.5, first year of increase 2004 55.5, second straight year of increase 2005 57.1, third straight year 2006 57.2, fourth straight year 2007 57.3, fifth straight year 2008 57.9, sixth straight year, a record 2009 49.9, housing bubble bursts, national depression begins. Job losses led to decrease in income tax revenue and service cuts. 2010 44.7, still depressed 2011 46.2, increase climb begins again 1975, RTA created 1976-1980, five straight years of increased ridership 2003-2008, six straight years of increase, a record

When I have the raw numbers for ridership, I will share them.

News about service changes is: * Posted on RTA's Web site. * Sent to all local media, with several reminders. * Posted on-board trains and buses. * Posted on Facebook and Twitter * Published in Rider's Digest * Published usually twice in e-news * Mayor of the affected are usually notified Of ocurse, we cannot control what gets used in the media. Many news Web sites for TV and radio take our releases and use them verbatim.

The February ridership report is ready. Total ridership has increased for 10 straight months. The first number in each category compares Feb. 2012 to Feb. 2011. The second number is YTD 2012 to 2011. * Systemwide: Up 16 percent and 11 percent. That's 540,000 more rides than last year, for Feb. * Total Rapid: Up 13 percent and 11 percent * Heavy Rail: Up 14 percent and 12 percent. Best February since 1988. * Light Rail: Up 12 percent and 10 percent * Total Bus: Up 17 percent, and 10 percent * HealthLine: Up 7 percent and 6 percent -- a steady increase since it opened in Oct. 2008. * Trolley ridership: 89,000, up 10 percent. * Average daily trolley ridership: 3,600, an increase of 23 percent. * Weekday average rose 11.3 percent, or about 17,000 more rides. * Bikes: 2,000 boardings, up 88 percent over last year. Thanks for all your support.

Regarding comments on St. Patrick's Day... All suggestions regarding serivce changes were forwarded to those who will develop the plan for next year. Thanks you for your input. The maximum car capacity is THREE. The stations cannot accommodate more, AND the electrical system cannot accommodate more. Period. As far as RTA making money that day, let me say this. The costs for both RTA (and I assume the City of Cleveland) are huge on any St. Patrick's Day. Many, many extra people worked that day, in positions you could see, as well as behind the scenes. All public transit systems lose money and need a subsidy.

Let me respond to the Casino talk: Civic leaders -- led by Positively Cleveland -- have met several times to explore things that have to be improved before the casinos open. One of them was transportation. Without going into all the details, RTA is stressing Red Line service to Hopkins, the HealthLine to UC, and the trolleys to connect points downtown. We have 80 percent of the funding in place to start three new trolley lines in mid-May, and the other 20 percent is now being raised by the private sector. Trolley service would be extended to 11 p.m. weekdays, add service on weekends, and add a trolley on East Ninth Street (rush-hour only) to serve the Muny Parking Lot, and provide an option for some new employers downtown to have no place to park. There will be new signage and new communications tools, as well as the new Cleveland Pass.

I think we have a language problem here. When you say "deterioration", I am thinking rusty door hinges falling off because no one oiled them. I talked to an RTA staffer who personally checked out the station after your post. He found no "deterioration" -- just some dust and dirt caused by a station that is being used. We really need to instill pride in those who use our facilities. The other day, I saw a woman leave a half-filled pop bottle on a bench on a HealthLine station. As she walked away, I said, "Maam, you left your pop bottle here." (That was of course, the most polite way I could tell that littering is against the law.) She replied, "Oh that's ok, you can finish it." Egad! I was not THAT thirsty. RTA custodial staff has a plan to maintain stations. The public can help by throwing trash where it belongs, and reporting vandalism promptly.

At this time, no additional service hours are being considered. RTA has a number of bus routes that operate 24/7 and I'm told that there is more than enough capacity on these buses to meet the late-night demand. Most major Rapid stations are also served by buses 24/7.

Greetings: I understand that there are many service-related posts here from Saturday's record crowd. I have been away on other projects for several days, and have not read them yet. Before I do, I want to post some general info that you may not be aware of. 1. Every year, RTA devises a plan for St. Patrick's Day, and every year, after the parade has come and gone, we meet to do a debriefing and take notes on what worked well, and what can be improved upon. Those notes are the basis of next year's plan. Every RTA department is involved in this plan in some way. 2. The ridership numbers were released today. The Rapid carried more than 100,000 persons. 3. Our plan called for us to put the maximum number of Rapid cars into service, and we did. We were limited somewhat, as repairs continue on the Far West Side, from the lighning strike on 7-22-11. 4. Many RTA employees volunteered to help out at the most heavily used transit stations, such as those on the West Side. 5. From 9 a.m.- 1 p.m., I helped park cars at the west lot at Brookpark. By then, there were people waiting in line 30-60 minutes to board the Rapid. I took a train to Tower City, snapped some photos, and returned to Brookpark. Even at 2 p.m. at Tower City, all cars had full loads, both coming and going. Back at Brookpark, I found a couple that somehow had stranded miles from their car, and I drove them to it. 6. As you know, you cannot increase the capacity of the entire system to accommodate crowds on one day. We at RTA are proud of our efforts on Saturday. However, we can always do better, and I expect that next year, we will. 7. One more word about air-conditioning on Rapid cars. There are several days in Cleveland every year when I use the heater in my car in the AM, and the AC in my car in the PM. Rail cars are not that flexible. Each rail car has to be taken out of service while mechanics work to switch its ventilating system from heat to AC, or vice versa. We all know how fickle Cleveland's temperatures are, so the date to make this switch is always a moving target. After the change begins, it takes several weeks before all cars can be serviced. That's why you may see a car with AC on a cool day, or a car with its heat on during a hot day.

KJP I believe it was a federal guideline, re: charter service, not the state. The feds often pay for up to 80 percent of new buses, thus giving public transit agencies an unfair advantage over private operators. At least, that was the logic (?).

We are striving for consistency, but old habits, especially names customers have known for years, will live on for a long time in their memory. I urge everyone (including posters here) to use proper names. "University Circle Rapid Station" is now correct. "Winderemere" is not a rapid station, but a neighborhood in East Cleveland named after a lake in England that found favor with a former East Cleveland Mayor. "The Louis Stokes Station at Windermere" may seem like a mouthful, so some shorten it to "Stokes-Windermere." I do not. "West Park" Rapid Station is correct, despite RTA's many signs to the contrary. Many merchants in that area opt for one word, "Westpark" and in doing so, they ignore history and geography. People will call things what they will. For the small part of the world that I control, I will be as clear and accurate as possible.

I'm glad you are always thinking. Thanks. Our service planners have looked at that, and decided it would not work. 1. A deviation to the IX Center would have to be part of the announced public schedule, so all #86 buses would have to serve the IX Center, even on days when there was no activity. Imagine how the other passengers on the bus would feel, watching the bus take them on a meaningless 10-minute detour every day. 2. Despite construction detours, downpours and the devil, RTA tries to maintain the integrity of each timetable. We could not just serve the IX Center off-route on certain days. Again, thanks for asking.

In response to your query, I did some checking... Many years ago, when it still legal, RTA operated a shuttle service to the IX Center for special events, and the poor response did not justify the expense. In recent years, federal regulations prohibit RTA from running what amounts to a charter service. That's why RTA has stopped running special buses for Browns' games and Indians games. If the operator of the IX Center -- with its acres of parking -- also wants to pay for a private vendor to bring people in by bus, then I am sure there are vendors who are willing to do that.

Improved service to Steelyard Commons and Cleveland Clinic starts March 18. http://www.riderta.com/newsroom/releases/?listingid=1706

Through Sunday, March 4, RTA has a display at the Cleveland Auto Show at the IX Center. The display includes an MCI bus and information on our Park-N-Ride service. Staff is on hand to answer questions. I will be there for a few hours on Thursday night. Stop by and say hello.

On March 18, RTA launches a new bus route, #54 Brookpark, that will help veterans reach a new VA outpatient clinic in Parma. http://www.riderta.com/newsroom/releases/?listingid=1704

It has not been mentioned in conversations to date, and we have operated them since 2006.