JMasek

By the way, VAC stands for Volunteer Action Committee, not VACation, as some have been led to believe. I go to many meetings (but not all) that are held by the Citizens Advisory Board. My time here is limited. I will jump in where I am needed, or when facts tend to be skipped over, but this is far from my full-time job. For now, I am planning to be more reactive than pro-active, but we will see where things go. My background includes much newspaper journalism (including The Cleveland Press), and working with the Society of Professional Journalists to protect and defend free speech. This forum is certainly in line with my background. I just trust that your opinions will be based on fact.

You mean transit-oriented development...like at the Puritas station, where both the LaQuinta Inn and the National City Bank Center parking lot rent space from RTA...like the Windermere Station, where RTA worked with Headstart to build a first-class day care center next to the Station, to support a community need...like the Brookpark Rapid Station, where RTA sought (without success, so far) to find hotels and restaurants that wanted to build in our parking lot (that story is still being written)...like Eco Village, the wonderful townhouses that were built next to the West 65th Station...like projects that are going up all along the light-rail lines. We are doing a lot...but we can always do more.

In the not-too-distant future, RTA hopes to have Joe Calabrese host a chatroom, so some of your issues can be answered. Once, when George Voinovich was running for governor, a newspaper editorial noted that if George could walk door-to-door, and meet every voter in Ohio, there would be no reason for an election. When you have a chance to talk to him one-on-one, he is very engaging, informative and sincere (as his former mayoral press secretary, I know that). Anyway, I can say the same thing for Joe Calabrese. In 2000, I started at RTA just six weeks before he did, so I have seen him in this job since Day 1. I have no doubt that some people may disagree with RTA policy, but if you have a chance to talk to Joe Calabrese one-on-one, and listen to him with an open mind, you will be impressed with his knowledge of transit (30 years and counting), his love of Cleveland, his strong managerial and people skills, and his firm desire to make RTA one of the best transit systems in the nation. He may not yet be willing to "fight some fights" that you deem important, perhaps because the timing is not right. He is not shy about sharing his opinions, and he welcomes the chance to talk transit. A word about regionalism...Calabrese believes that RTA is not truly "regional"...we are, in effect, a countywide system. In NY state, where he worked for years, systems are truly "regional", with one transit system serving a central city, and all surrounding counties. How would such a system work here? It is an interesting thought.

There have been times in my life when I found it more valuable to keep my identity and opinions to myself. Often while riding the Rapid, I will hear two people in an adjoining seat having an RTA-related conversation. I listen to see how much they really know about the subject at hand. That gives me some indication of well our public awareness efforts are going. I am often amazed (and keenly disappointed) that one uniformed John Doe will ask another uniformed John Doe about an issue, and then believe everything he hears. I guess that is just human nature. The bottom line: people sign up for this forum for different reasons, and I respect that. My reason is to make sure RTA has a seat at the table...now let's eat.

FYI, from 1998 through 2006, Red Line ridership ranged from 5.6 million to 4.5 million annually. I am still looking for older numbers.

Your comments are appreciated. RTA is working closely with neighborhood groups from Bellaire-Puritas and Kamms Corners. The design will be completed in late 2008, when a 24-month construction period begins. Estimated cost: $6.5 million. How about if I post the renderings to rideRTA.com, and give you the link here? That is easier for me to do.

I am looking now to try to find better ridership numbers, but I can offer you some food for thought. Last year, RTA had 57.2 million riders. Generically, the approx percentages are: 85 percent bus, 10 percent heavy rail, 5 percent light rail.

That is your opinion. Here are the facts. 1. Both Cleveland and Lakewood, as well as the nearby Cudell Improvement Corp., were involved in the formation of the design. 2. The effort was led by Maribeth Feke, Chief RTA planner, and John Goodworth, who is the project manager. Both are respected professionals. Feke is often asked to speaks at transit conferences. 3. A rail station must be designed to meet the needs of the buses, trains, and passengers. It must be ADA compliant. meet safety standards, and be accepted by the neighborhood. 4. This design was not conceived in a closed-door meeting. RTA held numerous public meetings with elected officials, community leaders and residents and business people from the area. Ask around, and you will find out...they are "thrilled" with the new facility. 5. All RTA stations follow the same design formation policy...we seek a station that meets transit needs as well as community needs, one that compliments existing architecture, one that is an asset to the neighborhood. Some, like Triskett and West 25th Street, are community landmarks. 6. If you would like to be included in the design process for other transit facilities, just write to me at [email protected]. I will forward your address to the design team, and you will be notified of public meetings. I am sure you will agree -- that is certainly a better use of your energy than to sit back, do nothing, and then be critical of the final product. Why be part of the problem, when you can be part of the solution?

2007 Mid-October, RTA will officially dedicate the new station at West 117th Street. It will be called Highland Square, a name from our area's history. Please stop in, the facility looks great. 2008 Saturday, Oct. 25, the target date for the grand opening of the Euclid Corridor, RTA's new Silver Line. Joe Calabrese announced this date to the Board of Trustees on Sept. 4. You heard it here first. Yes, it may change, but for now, that's the date.

Cleveland is the largest city in this region, and most community leaders would agree that its health is critical to the health of this region. Downtown is the center of Cleveland, and a major employment center (300,000+ from what I have heard, but I never actually counted). CTS, and later RTA, used a transit model of bringing surbanites downtown in the AM, and take them home in the PM. Large masses of people used this model, so it made sense for transit to follow it. In today's market, we see Westlakers working in Euclid, and Beachwoodians (??) commuting to Berea. It makes the job of providing transit much more challenging, because the number of people needing any single route may not be very large. Does RTA provide lots of service to downtown? Yes. Do 30,000 people a day use the Tower City Station? Yes Is there too much service (considering the Browns, Indians, Cavs, Air Show, auto races, parades and festivals)? No. Can RTA do a better job of serving the suburbs? Yes, but it can be compared to hitting a moving target. Society today certainly does not stand still, and what may be a trend today can be gone tomorrow.

1. RTA has detailed criteria for each kind of service. For instance, there has to be X number of daily riders at a bus stop before it becomes a bus shelter. 2. Many cities ask for Circulators, (for some, it a source of community pride), and RTA has a prioritized waiting list. Circulators work well in certain areas, like Lakewood, where there is a high population density, simple routing and strong community support. Lakewood's Circulator consistently ranks #1 in the system in ridership. If RTA is asked to add a Circulator to Ward x, then our first question is...what service can we cut to pay for it? Otherwise, we just duplicate service, compete against ourselves for riders, and waste limited financial resources. Over the years, RTA has developed a list of criteria of what works and what does not, and when Ward X asks for a Circulator, we analyze the request against the criteria. 3. Service needs are constantly being modified. Bus routes change four times a year, and a systemwide service plan is introduced each fall, as part of the budget process. 4. Smarter minds than mine are wrestling with this issue. If you mean building more RTA rail lines, I would say winning the next Mega Millions jackpot might be a good start. New rail lines are very expensive, and federal funding is needed. Typically, federal funds go to cities that are growing. Cleveland is not. That is why RTA is putting its emphasis on the Euclid Corridor BRT project. If you are talking about using existing rail lines for passengers as well as freight...there are persons on this forum who could address that issue better than I.......but thanks for the softball.

Hello. I'm Jerry Masek, a public information officer for the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, officially called RTA...unofficially, we're probably called a lot of things. I formerly worked in Media Relations, now I work in Publications. Either way, I am qualified to speak for RTA on most issues. I have ridden RTA daily, usually from Puritas to Tower City, for more than 20 years. I have been told that many of you often raise legitimate concerns about RTA. In the past, perhaps RTA has not been as active in cyberspace as we could -- or should. My presence here tells you that is about to change. Someone once said their goal in life was not to know all the answers, but to understand all the questions. I am still trying to do both. If I do not know the answers, I will try to find them and keep you informed. I will try to drop in around lunch, and again in the evening. If you have an urgent question, you can always send e-mail to [email protected]. Some days, my work schedule will preclude being on at all. Your understanding is appreciated. And away we go....