JMasek

Maybe if you explained that their choice was bus to rapid and ergo more seats vs. overcrowded, often late buses where you are forced to stand due to lack of room, they would (now) reconsider. Just making changes without explaining it is of course going to make people mad. We proposed the change, and there was lots of talking, some of it "lively." They did not want a rail ride, period. I know that concept is hard for some of you to grasp. The change was never adopted, as I recall.

For your listening pleasure... from 9:06-9:20 a.m. on Tuesday, June 17, on WCPN 90.3 FM, RTA General Manager Joe Calabrese will speak about the ODOT Task Force public meeting.

For your listening pleasure... from 9:06-9:20 a.m. on Tuesday, June 17, on WCPN 90.3 FM, RTA General Manager Joe Calabrese will speak about the ODOT Task Force public meeting.

In an earlier post, I wrote: "We tried that on a Berea route. There was mutiny. The people wanted a bus route, not a rail route." No, this was not the proposed Red Line extension. We tried to shorten one of the bus routes out of Berea, and end it at the Brookpark Station. The riders said "no way".

This was one of the times that I didn't. I was preoccupied by observing my daughter's second ever ride on the rapid! I have been sharing things with Jerry in the past, though. On the brighter side of the news, I had a driver stop at the W. 65th Street station a couple weeks ago who saw me hustling across the ped. bridge on my way to the station house. She gave a friendly "toot too" to let me know she was waiting. She smiled as I ran to get on the train and I gave a winded "thank you!" This was the second time she's done this in the past few months and it shaves a good 15 minutes off my AM commute. Thanks! Tuesday, May 27th, 8:18 AM Windermere-bound Red Line #310 I will make sure the operator is recognized internally

Go to http://www.riderta.com/ro_bike.asp

Great idea! A bus from say Strongsville only travels to Brookpark and back instead of all the way downtown. We tried that on a Berea route. There was mutiny. The people wanted a bus route, not a rail route.

May I share a personal viewpoint? RTA is owned by the taxpayers. They own City Hall, they own the schools and they a lot of other things. It is our responsibility to take care of those things we own. We who work in government were delegated the responsibility to care for it for you, but that does not mean you are off the hook. Working to improve RTA, or City Hall, or the schools, is everyone's responsibility. How many citizens attend a city council meeting, a school board meeting, or an RTA Board meeting? How many people skip over government-related news in the newspaper and jump right to the sports page? How many people even pass on their right to vote? I may be preaching to the choir here, but from where I sit (a former government reporter with now 20 experience in three levels of government), the system would be a lot better if more people truly cared. Whining is not caring...whining is reacting when you are upset with something. Caring means taking the time to really understand why things are the way they area, and working within the system to make meaningful changes. So when I read someone say "it's not my job to inform them", my face becomes flush, my hair stands straight, and I say with conviction..."Yes, sir, it is."

Expanding service costs money. Right now, there is no money. The E-Line service operates until 11pm to respond to issues from CSU. Of course, others use it as well. On rare weekends for special events, RTA has operated trolley service.

The bottom line: we know the buses are overcrowded, but there is no money for more service. If we put out enough service to respond to all complaints, RTA would go bankrupt. Maintaining fiscal integrity has its advantages...we're staying in business. As far as communicating this to riders, we have been saying it repeatedly for years, to both riders and to legislators. Only now, with gas at $4 a gallon, are some people starting to listen.

On June 17, RTA is extending service on the free E-Line trolley from 3:30-9 p.m. to the ODOT meeting site at 3100 Chester Ave. If you don't mind walking a block, you can also ride any bus down Euclid Avenue, get off at the East 30th Street station by TV-5. The meeting runs from 4-8 p.m.

Here is part of an update given by the RTA General Manager yesterday at the Citizens Advisory Board: RTA is on schedule to have all paving on Lower Euclid Avenue done by July 4, and the project done in time for the Oct. 25 grand opening. Some international visitors will be here in July to view the project.

From 3:30-9 p.m. on June 17, the E-Line trolley route will be extended to serve the ODOT meeting site at 3100 Chester Ave.

The solution lies in more funding from state and federal governments, and that is why the June 17 ODOT meeting is so important. In my opinion, there is no way fares could be raised enough to make up the increase created by gas costs. That would make transit too expensive, especially for those who need it most.

Here are some interesting transit updates from the General Manager's report at today's meeting of the Citizens Advisory Board: CORRIDOR -- RTA is on schedule to have all paving on Lower Euclid Avenue done by July 4, and the project done in time for the Oct. 25 grand opening. Some international visitors will be here in July to view the project. FUEL COSTS -- RTA is locking in a price of $4.15 a gallon for the next 90 days. Last year's price was $2.15 a gallon. * Total fuel cost in 2007 was $12 million. This year, it is projected to be $21 million. * Some transit systems are considering indexing passenger fares, so they reflect the fuel costs on the day you use transit. * Some airlines are not even posting fares on their Web sites, if you try to buy tickets too far in advance. * CNG costs are up 50 percent over last year. Before RTA makes it next major bus purchase in late 2009, it will compare the cost of CNG vs diesel. * Statewide, funding for transit does not even equal the combined increase cost of fuel transit systems are paying this year. RIDERSHIP -- The Westlake Park-n-Ride, which is now being expanded, was 52 cars over capacity earlier this week. * Paratransit ridership is up 52 percent over the last four years. JUNE 17 ODOT MEETING: * 4-5 p.m., Presentations by NOACA, RTA and Port Authority. * 5-6 p.m., Time to talk in small groups at various tables that will be set up. * 6-8 p.m,. Public comment PROPOSED FEDERAL RULE: A recently proposed federal rule would restrict how a transit system's ability to serve students. RTA is looking into the details of this proposal, and will work with local education officials to lobby against it.

I have never seen this addressed before, so I will present an educated guess. The bus or rail operator has the responsibility to keep the ride safe for everyone. If you got on, could not keep your balance, bothered other riders, etc., I would ask you to remove them. If you got on and were so coordinated about it that no one even realized you were wearing them...well, that speaks for itself. I am not setting policy here, just presenting an educated guess.

Here is the response from service planner John Palagyi, Riders can access Edgewater Park in two ways: 1. Ride the #55 to Clifton & West Blvd and walk north to the park entrance off of West Blvd. 2. Ride the #26 or #45Y/R to Detroit & W. 65th and walk north on W. 65th and then on the bike path under the Norfolk Southern tracks to reach Edgewater (approx. 0.5 mile walk). Having the #55 use the ramps at Edgewater is not as straight-forward as the #86 using the ramps at Snow. The ramps at Edgewater are laid out differently and are more time-consuming to use. Ridership is lower on the #86 at Snow than it is on the #55 at Edgewater. Thus, more people would be inconvenienced by the #55 exiting/re-entering the Shoreway than are inconvenienced by the #86 doing what it does at Snow. Contrary to what you said, we could not do this "by request only". A driver would never know if a rider was waiting down below to be picked-up, thus all trips within a given time period would have to exit and re-enter the freeway, regardless of whether or not anyone actually wanted to get-on/off at Edgewater. Ultimately, the City of Cleveland's project to convert the Shoreway from a freeway to a boulevard with at-grade intersections will improve access to Edgewater Park for transit riders. Until then, the bus stops at Clifton & West Blvd and Detroit & W. 65th will have to suffice.

http://www.riderta.com/PDF/InsideRTA/Insider_6-08.pdf The June issue of Inside RTA has been posted. It contains important information on the June 17 ODOT public hearing.

http://www.riderta.com/PDF/InsideRTA/Insider_6-08.pdf The June issue of Inside RTA has been posted. It contains important information on the June 17 ODOT public hearing.

Re: RTA phone service The RTAnswerline is 216-621-9500. It includes many prompts, including an option for Spanish. Listen to the prompts to make the proper selections. One of the options is to select Customer Service line. It may be easier, from 7am-6pm M-F, to call directly to 216-566-5227. The phone line is manned only during those hours, and does not accept voice mail. You can always fill out the online feedback form at: http://tripplanner.gcrta.org/hiwire?.a=cCustomerComplaint

I am forwarding your comment to the person who supervises the telephone center. Thanks for sharing this with us. If you have specific information on the incident, please it directly to me at [email protected], and I will submit it.

This is from RTA rail officials, in response to an earlier question posted here. "The 'Passenger Signal' strips on all light-rail vehicles are working. During peak ridership hours, operators may opt to disable the 'Passenger Signal' due to multiple requests to stop at the next station. Operators make all stops at stations during that time."

If you go right now to www.myfoxcleveland.com, there is a transit-related poll in the far right column. Is it safe to operate buses on shoulders? 50 percent say No. :police: Please log on and voice your opinion. :wave:

Here is your chance to talk directly to RTA Media Relations Manager Chad Self. From 5-6 p.m. today (Monday, June 2), he will be chatting and answering questions on myfoxcleveland.com. Go to the site and the link should be apparent. TV-8 is airing a story tonight on "buses on shoulders" -- a project that starts today, and Chad has promised to "shoulder" the responsibility of answering your questions.

This is in response to an earlier question about three-car trains on the Red Line. Our operations people said: "We can't currently run 3-car trains on the Red Line, as some stations are too short. As we reconstruct stations, all are being built to a three-car standard. There is a significant cost of operating unnecessary cars. In addition to the power consumption, we would require twice as much car, track, and overhead maintenance. Unlike on buses, where the largest cost component is the operator, the mileage component on rail is quite high."