JMasek

Project officials say that paint is being fixed by contractor at own cost.

http://www.riderta.com/nu_newsroom_releases.asp?listingid=1107 A summary of Tuesday's Board Committee meeting has just been posted. It has links to: * A PowerPoint presentation on the Euclid Corridor progress. Nov. 26 is the target date for opening the road from East 17th Street to East 55th Street. * A PowerPoint presentation on the service changes proposed to take effect on Dec 16. * A PowerPoint presentation on the 2008 proposed operating budget. * The budget transmittal letter (actually, it's a book) from the General Manager to the Board. Folks, there is a LOT here to chew on. Enjoy.

http://www.riderta.com/nu_newsroom_releases.asp?listingid=1107 A summary of Tuesday's Board Committee meeting has just been posted. It has links to: * A PowerPoint presentation on the Euclid Corridor progress. Nov. 26 is the target date for opening the road from East 17th Street to East 55th Street. * A PowerPoint presentation on the service changes proposed to take effect on Dec 16. * A PowerPoint presentation on the 2008 proposed operating budget. * The budget transmittal letter (actually, it's a book) from the General Manager to the Board. Folks, there is a LOT here to chew on. Enjoy.

<<Is anyone addressing the peeling paint problems on Euclid?>> Our engineers are on Euclid Avenue daily. I will pass along your concerns.

http://www.riderta.com/pdf/forms/GMNomform.pdf Nominations sought for GM award Nominations for the RTA General Manager’s 2007Customer Service Award will be accepted until Jan. 4, 2008. The award recognizes employees or employee groups for exceptional customer service. The award is given annually to a small number of recipients. All employees or employee groups are eligible for the award. An employee group could be a task force, team, or any combination of employees who work together on a project. External or internal customers (no self-nominations) must nominate employees. Nominators should complete the nomination form and submit it to CEO/General Manager Joe Calabrese. Nomination forms are available at rideRTA.com, or call 216-566-5283. Calabrese will then review all nominations for compliance with criteria and make the final selection of award recipients. Recipients must meet one or more of the following: * Solving an extraordinary problem, achieving or exceeding a significantly difficult goal that serves internal and/or external customers. * Successful implementation of an innovative customer service idea or concept where the result is identifiable and measurable. * Outstanding act of customer service that brings positive recognition to the Authority or results in a delighted customer. The accomplishments should have been achieved within the calendar year for which the award is being given.

Thanks, I will pass along your comments. Rebecca was one of several employees who won the General Managers Customer Service Award last year, and we are again seeking nominations. I will post the item in just a minute.

<...info on the projected integration of East Side suburban bus routes with the Silver Line?>> I am sure there will be some. However, that is still about a year away. Service Planning is now engineering some savings by "tweaking" routes, it will be announced today, with service changes planned for Dec. 16. Other modifications will be made quarterly, according to the regular RTA calendar. So, when the Silver Line is in full operation, we will look at savings in all cases.

>>> Jerome Masek 11/9/2007 2:46 PM >>> I'd bet a fair number of riders will opt for the shortcut and jaywalk if there is no barrier. Can you see a group of high-schoolers getting off mid-platform and walking all the way down the ramp to the crosswalk? Seems pretty unlikely to me! Jaywalking is certainly an issue here, but it would seem to me that the simple liability issues for GCRTA of having an open platform on both sides when one side has no reason to be open would be cause enough for them to install rails. Someone who isn't paying attention could easily mis-step off the back of the platform, right into oncoming traffic. It's hard for me to believe that no one has thought of this already! I will not debate the fact that there is no end to the carelessness of some people. Every day at rail stations, I see passengers STANDING on the yellow stripe at the edge of the platform, like moths drawn to the flame, and stay there as the rail car passes. What are they thinking? I have no idea. I will pass along the idea. I have my own thoughts about its relative value, but I will keep them to myself. Every day, I walk at least twice from Tower City to the Main Office Building on West Sixth Street, and every day, I see at least 20 or 30 people breaking the law. I have even see clueless adults showing their children how to jaywalk. With this kind of utter disregard for the law, it is impossible to ensure total safety in any project.

Re: marketing RTA uses every means, both new and traditional, to convey its messages. However, some people do not read The Plain Dealer, do not subscribe to Sun, shun the computer, hate TV news for its violence, and only listen to CDs while driving in rush hour. There have been times when staffers have even stood at Tower City handing out leaflets with news, and people walk by, upset that we had the audacity to offer them something informative about transit. One of the problems today is that we are all faced with an endless bombardment of messages -- TV, radio, billboards, e-mail, Web sites, newsletters, magazines, phone calls...the list goes on and on and on. The trick is getting people to tune into YOUR messages, and even high-priced ad agencies argue about to that effectively. You can lead a horse to water, but... Your suggestions certainly have merit, but would they prevent letters like this from getting into The Plain Dealer? I do not think so.

Yes, we are drafting a response, but it would be even more effective if YOU drafted a response. Then, the person who selects which Letters to the Editor get published used will have a choice. If enough people write in, they may even group them together, as they often do on Sunday. I thank you in advance for lobbying on behalf of public transit.

KJP's answer is correct. I ride the rail daily, and there have been several instances lately where a train has stopped on the track, and other trains have to single-track around it. This causes delays, but the trains do keep running. We apologize for the inconvenience. The emotion in your letter reminds me of a phone call I received recently. A former co-worker (at another agency) verbally blasted RTA because her bus was late one morning. I checked, and the reason it was late was because, early in the run, a passenger had suffered a heart attack, and the operator waited for EMS to show up and transport him. When the caller learned this, she apologized for being so "over the top." Things happen, and we react as best we can to provide service under sometimes less than ideal conditions. In my opinion, it is always best to keep emotions in check until the facts are known. Thanks for asking.

I cannot answer that. I will pass along your suggestion, and I thank you for it.

Update today from Mike Schipper: The portion of Euclid Avenue from East 17th to East 55th Street still has to be striped, and the cold, wet weather is affecting that. The road will open as soon as the striping is done, perhaps around Thanksgiving.

I got these answers this morning from Mike Schipper, who is heading the project for RTA. 1. In the downtown portion of the Project, RTA has to deal with basements and vaults under sidewalks. Space (roadwidth) is definitely an issue. 2. The Project reduces the number of stops from 60 (current) to 36, or about one station every 1,500 feet. That is a dramatic decrease, but please note that all buses stop at all stations. 3. East of East 107th Street, we need more road capacity to carry the traffic, because we no longer have the parallel streets of Chester and Carnegie. There is no room for a bus-only lane.

Because you are not supposed to enter or exit the platform at the mid-way point, the height is a bit taller than normal curbs. It is, in fact, built at the same height level as the bus doorways, so walkers and wheelchairs can enter or exit with ease. I think the curb height may discourage some from trying to jaywalk.

Sporting events are covered under the term "operator's discretion." Inbound trains before a Browns game are usually packed, outbound trains are not. We cannot make rules for every situation, so the operator decides. It is not a perfect world, but it is an improvement.

Tower City officials say they do not care which exit you use, as long as you proceed directly to an exit.

Here is the proposed text of new signs that will soon be placed at RTA rail stations. What is your opinion of the text? Does it cover the things you need to know before you take your bike on the rail? You can respond here or off-list until Friday, Nov. 9. Thanks. ----- Bicycles are permitted on RTA trains (2 per car) whenever bicycles can be reasonably accommodated in designated locations at the operator’s discretion. Bicycles (are) prohibited in the Avenue at Tower City. You can walk your bike while transferring to other Rapid Transit lines at Tower City. To exit Tower City from the RTA rotunda, walk your bike to the elevator behind the Customer Service desk. Go to the M2 level, and walk your bike out to Public Square. (end of sign text)

Another tidbit of positive news for the naysayers to chew on.. The ECTP has been a catalyst for regional business growth and jobs for Northeast Ohioans. All but two major contracts (New Flyer and Central Denver Ironworks) were awarded to Northeast Ohio companies. $121 million of $131 million of construction dollars, or 92 percent, have been awarded to prime contractors from Northeast Ohio. Ninety-four (94) different companies are, or will be working, on the ECTP.

I have been gone for a few hours. Perhaps this "official" project scope can answer some of your questions. The Euclid Corridor Transportation Project consists of the design and construction of a Bus Rapid Transit System from Public Square in downtown Cleveland to the City of East Cleveland. The project is approximately 9.4 miles in length and is comprised of two major elements—the Euclid Avenue BRT element and the downtown Transit Zone BRT element. The ECTP BRT element is 7.1 miles with 36 stations on Euclid Avenue between Cleveland’s Public Square and East Cleveland’s Stokes-Windermere Rapid Transit Station. It connects the Cleveland Central Business District to Playhouse Square, Cleveland State University, Cleveland Clinic, University Circle, Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals, and the Stokes-Windermere Rapid Transit Station in the City of East Cleveland. (my note: so much for the comment about the project going nowhere.) From Public Square to East 17th Street, there will be exclusive transit lanes for the ECTP vehicles only, with seven Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant stations. From East 17th Street to East 107th Street, there will be 15 ADA-compliant stations, with exclusive transit lanes. From East 107th Street to the Stokes-Windermere Station, the BRT will be curbside operation in mixed traffic lanes, with 14 curbside stations. (my note: The State of Ohio recently helped fund major improvements to Rt. 20 -- Euclid Avenue -- in East Cleveland.) Each of the median stations will include level boarding and off-board fare collection. Traffic signal prioritization is an integral component of this BRT project. The Downtown Transit Zone BRT element is comprised of the rehabilitation of 2.3 miles of roadways between Public Square and Cleveland State University, including the creation of approximately one mile of 24-hour exclusive bus lanes on Superior Avenue, and 0.7 miles of peak hour exclusive bus lanes on St. Clair Avenue. The scope of the project also includes the procurement of 20 articulated low-floor vehicles with three doors on the right hand side and two doors on the left hand side to accommodate boarding needs. The vehicles will be fully ADA accessible and will seat approximately 46 passengers, and utilize diesel/electric technology to provide electric power for propulsion and operation. One vehicle will be procured for testing and training. (my note: that was the prototype that many of you saw earlier.) Other scope elements include: right-of-way acquisition, utility adjustments and relocations, traffic signals, communications and lighting, modifications to the existing Hayden Garage (where the RTVs will be parked) and Central Bus facilities (where the RTVs will go for major repairs), public art, environmental mitigation and start-up and testing prior to revenue service. (end of statement) I hope this helps.

I am not aware of every internal discussion at RTA. I do know that the value of having a rail line directly serve the development appeals to the Wolsteins. The existing Waterfront Line is part of the planning process, and discussions continue. Stay tuned.

An update on the former Brooklyn bus garage: In August, the RTA Board hired Precision Pump Inc. of Cleveland to remove eight underground storage tanks, as required by law, for $55,800. That work should be completed within two weeks. The removal helps prepare the garage for other uses. The next step is to remodel the building to accommodate the fledgling Senior Transportation Connection (STC). Their headquarters and dispatch center are moving there. This is great news for agencies involved in senior transportation issues. A lot of people on this list do not qualify now, but don't worry...some day you will.

You heard correctly. Next year, more than 40 shelters will be placed in the transit zone along Superior and St. Clair avenues, basically in the same areas where there are bus-only lanes. Yes, they will look like the shelter in Crocker Park, which is very attractive (in my opinion). Thanks for asking.

I do not know the exact origin of the riders. I think a lot depends on what time you leave work, and what your final destination is. If you are going to Shaker Square, then boarding at that station means you do not have to transfer, and I know people at City Hall who do that all the time. Many people in those buildings you mentioned may have opted to use the B-Line trolley, which serves East 12th Street and Lakeside Avenue with 10-minute frequency, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Ridership on the trolleys is growing steadily, and is now more than 4,000 on many days.

RTA and members of its Citizens Advisory Board are continuing to explore new ideas that would increase the attractiveness of the Transit-Waiting Environment, or TWE. In June 2004, RTA and KSU produced this "idea book", and work continues on a pilot project. There is not much more I can say at this point. http://www.cudc.kent.edu/d-Service-Learning/PDFs/TWE%20screen%20short.pdf