JMasek

That is being worked on as we speak...well, we are not really speaking, but you know what I mean. The new map will reflect changes being made on April 4.

At the end of the line, as the operator walks through the train to get to the other end, he or she is supposed to check for lost and found items. Some of them also pick up newspapers, etc. if time permits.

I am told these voices and their controls comes from the communications center, and in the past, that is where I have gone to make on-the-fly changes.

It has been quite a while since we talked about this. If you have a specific question, please send it to me directly, and I will check into it. I am not even sure where to begin checking, so it may not be an instant response.

When I learn of an event that needs reporting, I take it upon myself to report it. That is called "pride of ownership." However, I also have a list of other duties from holding down two jobs, and it would be best if you reported a problem thru established lines.

<<When drivers are called in front of a supervisor, is the incident in question written into their employee file? Or do they just get a little slap on the wrist and then forget about the whole thing?>> Yes, it is part of their employee file. If patterns show up, one or more employees may go in for re-training so a given policy or procedure can be further stressed.

<<While Jerry seems to be reading some, he can only say (above) to report such drivers.. Is there any point if there is no response?? Do we know if it does any good?>> I am not certain what kind of response you want. Operator who are targets of complaints ares called in front of a supervisor and reminded of the rules and policies. So yes, your complaints "do good".

Thanks. I have just reported this. Operators will be reminded of the "rules of the road" in this area.

Content on the Web site. Printing more than 1 million timetables a year. Overseeing vendors Brokaw and CBS Outdoor. Handling 1,000 calls a year from media. Advertising in radio, TV and print. Producing an annual report. Coordinating all public hearings and special events. Producing information and publications for employees, customers and special audiences. Monitoring blogs like this one, and responding to posts like this one. I could go on and on and on, but I believe I made my point.

Solitaire is "playing on the Internet." Talking with your customers is just good business sense. FYI, got a letter last week from the PD, thanking RTA for posting intelligent views on cleveland.com. Just a plug for that blog -- they have done a lot to clean it up, and a lot of aimless posters seem to have gone elsewhere. If you have not been there lately, I encourage you to check it out. End of commercial.

<<Does RTA have the man power and money in the budget to affectively cover social media?>> RTA is now actively looking at several forms of social media. Actually, blogs and forums are considered social media, and here we are! First you walk, then you run. Your patience is appreciated.

I see my quote marks are misplaced in the posting above. The second "quote" belongs to me.

I think Joe was just thinking logically (not a bad trait for a GM to have). Cleveland has some 7,000 bus stops, and bus schedules (in Cleveland) can change up to four times a year. If you estimate that NYC is 6 times larger than Cleveland, then that is 49,000 bus stops. Changing schedules "manually" four times a year at 49,000 bus stops would certainly employ a lot of people. Of course, there are many factors which we do not know, so everything is open to speculation.

Of course they have to obey traffic signals. You may not be at a position to catch the vehicle number, but you know which line it is by where you are standing, and you know the time and the place. Report it, and the driver will be reminded of the law.

Thanks for the note of support, but there is a reason I did not comment on your comments. I responded (to the initial post), and the bottom line is: you did not like my response, so you came back with more comments. That is called a debate, and I do not debate here. I just provide the RTA viewpoint and try to stop people who post inaccurate info. I did my part. Interesting, many people have told me that RTA never responded on their letter. Well, (often) we did respond, they did not like our response, so they figured it did not count. I once had to interview an old man who had valuable info for my family tree. He knew I had a government job, and the first thing he said was, "ALL politicians are criminals." His jaw was set, his mind was made up, and he wanted an afternoon filled with rhetoric. I could have debated that one for hours, but I quickly steered the talk back to the family tree. It was certainly a better use of my time. I sincerely appreciate that most everyone on this forum seems to respect other's opinions. That is indeed refreshing. This is America, you all have the right to your opinions, and I have the right to decline to debate. Yes, I was out for brain surgery, and my goal now is to stop in once a day, spread some cheer, and then move on. Thanks for listening.

Re: trash on the Rapid right-of-way... If you go back a ways, you will see we've had this discussion before. Some points... 1. I agree in principle with everything you say. I hate litter. 2. There is a price to pay for being a pig, and some people are pigs. If you, as a taxpayer, decide that a clean right-of-way is a priority, then RTA can certainly beef us its cleaning efforts -- but the money has to come from somewhere. Our operating fund is already stretched to the max. The end result would be that service is cut so the trash is picked up, and we do not believe that RTA was created to remove trash that was placed there illegally. 3. The root cause -- people would still be pigs, and within a few weeks after the cleanup was done, you would not be able to tell that we were even there. Thus, the taxpayers' money would indeed have been wasted. 4. Much of the right-of-way that you perceive to be owned by RTA is actually owned by commercial railroads. 5. Volunteer efforts are used sometimes, but because of the dangerous nature of being close to tracks, the work has to be heavily supervised. I do not mean to dismiss your ideas. I just want to interject some reality into your passion, which is indeed well-placed.

Voters in Cuyahoga County approved the initial tax, so they would have to approve any additional tax.

Offering free or extra service on NY Eve is certainly the wrong message for RTA to send after telling staff, union members and the public how BAD things are. The bottom line: with a annual operating budget of $260 million, RTA ended the year with around $1 million left, or enough to operate for two days. The Dec. 31 paycheck for some staff was even pushed back to Jan. 1 so the cushion could be created. How small of a margin is that? It is like going on vacation and returning with a dollar in your pocket. Would you be concerned on your drive home from your vacation? You should be. When I hear statements like..."It galls me"....well, it just galls me. A bit about terms...journalism is a profession, writing is a craft, but newspapering is a business. That is why The Plain Dealer is so thin every day. It's not that the people there do not WANT to put out a thicker product, it's just that is there is no money to. RTA provides a SERVICE, but in order for that SERVICE to be maintained in a long-range fashion, it must be run like a BUSINESS. You can debate that sentence all you want, but the reality will not change. I have had a front-row seat to this reality for the last 10 years, and I know it to be true. I will not engage in a debate here on that topic, as it would be a waste of time and energy. One does not debate facts. Happy New Year to all of you. See you at the hearings.

begin quote Great to hear that RTA has no interest in BRT on Buckeye. I wouldn't have raised the Buckeye BRT issue if not for the fact that, according to this article, Cleveland requested $50 mill of stimulus money in furtherance of "Euclid Corridor style" BRT on Clifton, 55th, and Buckeye. http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,1795.msg357591.html#msg357591 I had made a logical leap in assuming that since RTA is in charge of transit planning around here, RTA would have been at least tangentially involved in this funding request. If the city was acting in a loose-cannon capacity, 1) that can't be how it's supposed to work, and 2) perhaps RTA should clear the air in DC by letting the administration know we definitely don't want BRT on Buckeye. end quote I recall seeing the list from Mayor Jackson, but did not recall the reference to BRT. Please note the request from City Hall, and not from RTA. When there is a pot of money that is as large as ARRA, people ask for all kinds of projects.

You have the right place. Keep checking the page and the text. It will be updated as needed.

Hello. I have been out for 6 weeks on medical leave (brain surgery), and today is my first day back. Granted, I have not had a chance to read every post, but I understand that there has been quite a bit of unproductive energy here, while people debate a project, that, as far as I can determine, exists only on Fantasy Island. Earlier today, I spoke with Joe Calabrese, who said flat out, "there is no BRT being planned for the Buckeye area, but Maribeth Feke (head of RTA planning) is working with the community there on some other projects." I asked Maribeth to give me a summary of what is being planned there, and here is what she wrote, verbatim. "RTA is engaged in two planning projects in the Buckeye area. One is a station area plan for the E. 116th Street light rail station. RTA is finalizing the station area plan, which includes a new station, street improvements, and a station area land use plan. This was funded by NOACA as part of its Transportation for Livable Communities Initiative (TLCI). RTA partnered with the Buckeye Areas Development Corporation on this." "Funding from NOACA was just announced for the Buckeye/Woodhill station area plan. RTA again partnered with Buckeye Area Development Corporation and also St. Lukes Foundation to complete a station area plan for the Light Rail station at Buckeye/E. 93/Shaker/Woodhill intersection. It is anticipated that the Woodhill Station Plan will leverage 3rd party development and spur economic activity around this key RTA received $75,000 from NOACA for this effort and also $10,000 from the St. Lukes Foundation. The planning process will begin this spring and be completed by the end of 2010." RTA staff regularly monitors this forum because it (usually) has valuable insight into transit-related matters. If you want to ask us a question, please do so. An opinion based on false information is a waste of time for both the reader and the poster. Several reporters also monitor this site, so spreading false info here could have far-reaching effects. On many days, my other duties keep me from logging on. If my presence is urgently needed, just send an e-mail to [email protected], and I will be happy to weigh in on the issue of the day. I hope each of you had a happy and safe holiday, and may 2010 be a "fare" one for us all. --- Jerry Masek, Media Relations Manager and Publications Manager, RTA

Well...I am back...did I miss anything? Please know that I am only contributring from recuperating at home, and lack any knowledge of being at the office.

I am back, and just read all the posts about the talking buses. Accidents caused by left-hands turns are a national problem, and all transit systems are looking at ways to make the environment safer for all concerned. Pedestrians have a role to play, and speaking as someone who walks daily around downtown Cleveland, I can say they are a very impatient bunch, with no regard for crosswalks, traffic signals, cars or buses. Some of them think the sign that flashes "don't walk" is an advertisement for RTA. On the flip side, every day I see motorists who stop in the middle of crosswalks, people who "cruise" through a right turn on red (no stop), and many other problems. One day, in the short walk from Tower City to RTA, I counted 10 people breaking the law. The issue will be with us for some time. Your suggestions are always welcome, but frankly, I do not see the talking buses going away until something more "viable" and more "reliable" comes along. No one wants to see more accidents, more fatals, and more settlements. If this is what it takes, then so be it. Thanks to those on this forum for providing mostly intelligent posts. The posters over at cleveland.com are now being held to a higher standard, and that's great. Maybe the personal attacks on me will subside. If people can just stick to the message, instead of aiming at the messenger, we will all be better off. FYI, last week, I stayed with a family that was not transit-friendly, so we drove everywhere. Did you know that it costs $35 a day to park your car for more than an hour in downtown Chicago? I would not pay that price, but they do, about once a month. My wife saw a number of trains in Chicago, and her only comment was "they look old."

^ I am puzzled by the word "finally". RTA broke ground in May for the stimulus-funded renovation at Puritas, and there have been several major events since then.

^ Yes, RTA is allowed to use the shoulder, but only on certain areas of certain streets.