JMasek

From E. 79th to E. 105th, there is one traffic lane, one transit and at some intersections, there is a left-turn lane. From E. 105th to Windermere, RTVs will operate in the curb lane. There are 1-2 lanes of mixed traffic, depending on what stretch of the road you are on.

There was a BRT conference in Cleveland Monday and Tuesday, and visitors from several foreign countries were here to see how we do what we do. Thus, the photos.

I will check for you. Because Euclid Avenue within East Cleveland was rehabbed just a few years ago, we did not want to rip up new pavement. The RTVs will be in the curb lane, but I am not sure if it is a transit-only lane.

We believe that some fare cards are folded up by riders in their attempt to ride for free. We are working on that now.

The Waterfront Line will be fully restored when the development warrants it, to be sure. A lot of development that was on the books when it was built never materialized, so it's great to see it coming back now. Joe Calabrese is not anti-rail. Financially speaking, he is just realistic.

The day that RTA switched to BRT and took the overhead wires out of the system, the budget was reduced $33 million, and lots of overhead visual issues were resolved.

Hello. Sorry to miss so much great conversation. There was no actual survey on bus vs. rail -- just feedback we got from customers. They viewed bus as more "warm and fuzzy" or "social" -- and trains as somewhat colder "cattle cars." Their reaction was more emotional than logical. It happened, and whether you believe it or not won't change anything. Yes, RTA is planning to end more bus routes at rail stations. Someone said the cuts lacked "creativity." If you have specific ideas, send them to [email protected] or come to a public hearing. Nothing is written in stone. You may have a better workable idea. We are open to new ideas, as long as it will help us balance our budget. Re: use of alternative fuel. Few suppliers can give RTA the quanitities we need to operate. Re: shift money from capital to operating. Bad idea. Review your history, City of Cleveland, late 1970s. The police were being paid (operating budget), but the police cars were falling apart (capital budget). Transit is very capital-intensive. If you do not keep up with it, you will be playing catch up for a long, long, time. Re: state funding. Only 1 state has a worse record than Ohio. The average state gives its transit systems 23 percent of their operating budget. Ohio gives 3 percent. This year, state funding to all 60 transit agencies in Ohio totaled $16 million, yet their fuel costs rose $18 million. Thanks for caring.

On July 26-27, during Ingenuity, there will be free trips on the RTVs between Tower City and the festival at Playhouse Square. On Monday, July 28, traffic will be restored from Public Square to East Ninth.

He's certainly getting hammered on cleveland.dumb Thanks for the note, but I am ok -- down but not out. Chad Self, who recently left RTA, is now free to speak his mind, and you will see him from time to time on cleveland.com. I hope you transit supporters can come to some hearings and make intelligent comments. We could use your help.

Yes, JeTDOG was quoted recently in the Dispatch, but his 15 seconds of fame was very very fleeting. He can tell you more.

I think the lingo is TVM for ticket vending machine and CSK for Customer Service Kiosk (more fare media options, but not located at every station). I will get back to you with the other answers.

Probably not/not sure and No, at least not at first. The machines have the software to implement smartcards, but that is in a later phase of the project...first things first.

GOOD NEWS! Traffic restored on another section of Euclid Avenue Tere’s lots of good news for Clevelanders who use Lower Euclid Avenue. At noon Thursday, July 17, traffic will be restored from East Ninth Street to East 14th Street, and the intersection at East 12th Street will re-open. During the Ingenuity Festival on July 26-27, the new 63-foot-long Rapid Transit Vehicles (RTVs) will operate free in both directions, from Tower City to Playhouse Square, giving Clevelanders a peak at the future of transit here. By July 31, two-way traffic will be restored to Lower Euclid Avenue, from Public Square to East Ninth Street. Euclid Avenue is already open from East 17th Street to East 86th Street, and in East Cleveland. After Aug. 1, the only road construction will be in the Cleveland Clinic-University Circle area. “Obviously, we are delighted,” says RTA CEO and General Manager Joe Calabrese. “Lower Euclid Avenue is at the very heart of Cleveland, and having traffic restored there will enable thousands to move around the city easier and enjoy all the improvements the project has made.” “We thank Mayor Jackson and City Council for their efforts to allow RTA to accelerate construction in this area. The project is on budget and ahead of schedule. We look forward to an Oct. 25 ribbon-cutting.”

Five public hearings set (REVISED) RTA has scheduled five public hearings to discuss a proposed fuel surcharge and service reductions. If approved by the Board of Trustees, they would take effect in October. Because of greatly reduced state funding and rising fuel prices, RTA projects a $20 million deficit in 2009, if no changes are made. If you cannot attend a hearing, you can send comments by Aug. 18 to: · [email protected] · RTA Marketing and Communications Department, 1240 West Sixth Street, Cleveland, OH 44113 HEARING SCHEDULE: Monday, Aug. 4 6 p.m., Don Umerley Civic Center Memorial Hall, 21016 Hilliard Road, Rocky River Tuesday, Aug. 5 Noon, Cleveland Public Library Auditorium, 325 Superior Ave. NE 6 p.m., Room 220, Council Chambers, Cleveland City Hall, 601 Lakeside Ave. The B-Line trolley will operate until 9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug.6 6 p.m., Cleveland Heights Community Center, One Monticello Blvd. Thursday, Aug. 7 6 p.m., Brooklyn Senior Community Center, 7727 Memphis Ave. All sites are served by public transit and are accessible. Interpretive services for hearing-impaired persons will be available. More details on the proposal will be announced.

RTA Board meets Tuesday, July 15 CLEVELAND – The Board of Trustees of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 15, in the Main Office Building, 1240 W. Sixth St. The Board will consider resolutions to: BUDGET: Approve the 2009 tax budget, which is an estimate of anticipated revenues. To obtain a balanced budget in 2009, RTA is considering a 25-50 cent fuel surcharge and up to a 10 percent service reduction, to take effect in October. Four public hearings on these proposals will be held the week of Aug. 4. The exact schedule will be announced in a few days. EAST 55TH STREET: Add $346,000 to the design budget for a new rail station at East 55th Street, bringing the total to $1.3 million for Hatch Mott McDonald. 80 percent is federally funded. DIESEL FUEL: Authorize money to cover increased fuel prices, which totaled more than $10 million for the first six months of 2008. CITYWHEELS: Authorize a one-year lease agreement for $1 for City Wheels at the Shaker Square Station. This is a self-serve car sharing program. MAYFIELD STATION: Authorize a $1.1 million contract with City Architecture for architectural and engineering services to relocate and rebuild the Mayfield Rail Station and track bridge. About 80 percent of the work will be covered by federal funds. DBE: Establish a goal for using Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) firms in Federal Fiscal Year 2009. # # #

Joe Calabrese will be on "Feagler and Friends" at 8:30 p.m. Friday, 8 p.m. Saturday and 1130 P.M. on Sunday, on WVIZ TV-25. He will talk about RTA budget issues and the Euclid Corridor Project.

RTA officials say: We just began testing the Heavy rail announcements. Based on your comments, we still have work to do on rail. On the buses (as well as the rail), we have two types of announcements, timed messages and location messages. Timed messages are new and will periodically announce things like "don't put packages on seats, stand behind the line, exit the rear door, etc." Location-specific messages are primarily stop announcements. They are based on the location of the bus, typically making the announcement shortly after departing the previous stop. We continue to have some problems with malfunctioning GPS units and odometers which are critical to locating the vehicle." "CTA uses a system on the rail that requires the operator to push a button to trigger the next announcement. I am not sure what is being used on the buses."

I will be on the rest of the day if you have questions.

This was posted earlier. Operators are doing test runs.

Thanks for the observation..I passed it along

"Are there any plans by RTA to step up maintenance at the W25th street rapid station?" I will pass along your comments.

That figure should be 36 AM trips and 36 PM trips. I have talked to the reporter and subsequent Medina stories will reflect this.

FYI, I will be on the rest of the afternoon...be nice.

An answer to an earlier question: what is the cost of a two-car train vs. a one-car train? I found out...RTA has not fully calculated this. The electrical and car maintenance costs are significant. Also, on light rail, we cannot operate a two-car train without an additional operator. We are working to install video and intercoms on the light rail, which will allow two-car, one operator operation.

From 9-10 a.m. Tuesday, July 8, GM Joe Calabrese and Finance Director Gail Fisk will be the guests on the Sound of Ideas program on WCPN 90.3 FM, National Public Radio. They will speak about RTA's financial situation and take calls from listeners.