I haven't made a photo post on UO in a long, long time, but I figured these might be enjoyed here.

 

I have a larger update about Cleveland in general coming to my website eventually, but I had some transit specific photos I wanted to share here on UO.

 

This wasn't my first time to Cleveland. I’d been to the Jake as a kid, a few concerts as a teenager, and went up on my own in 2009 to photograph the closed streetcar subway beneath the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge. On that trip I briefly rode the Red Line, but hadn't seen much.

 

This time my girlfriend and I went up to visit her sister and her sister’s fiancé.

 

On our first day we hopped the Red Line from a park and ride to Ohio City before walking into downtown and seeing some sights while the Indians/Blue Jays game got going.

 

- Waiting for the Red Line on day 1

 

- Downtown CLE as seen from the Red Line

 

That was fun, but I wanted to explore the transit system a bit more so the next day I woke up early, about 6:00 am to get started.

 

The folks we stayed with live in Lakewood. I walked from their house to the Triskett station of the Red Line, about a mile walk. Google routed me down a busy road with no sidewalk and that cause a delay, but soon enough I made it to the Triskett station, boarding the next train after I missed the one I planned on:

 

 

- Heading towards downtown/Tower City.

 

- Crossing the bridge towards Tower City.

 

- Arriving in a quiet Tower City subway station.

 

- Tower City interior.

 

I had purchased an all day pass using the CLE RTA app. It's the same app Cincinnati uses for its Metro/Streetcar system known as Cincy EZRide. Very easy to use.

 

I rode from Triskett to Tower City, where I transferred to the Blue/Green Line. There's some sort of work going on and I got misdirected to the proper waiting area so I missed my intended train, just hanging out till the next one came.

 

 

 

The operator on the Blue/Green was named Reggie, a super friendly employee who struck up a conversation about my camera. We talked about our respective cities, their transit systems, etc. A few other passengers joined in, many who were commuting home from shifts at the JACK Casino in Tower City. Getting to talk with people was a nice break from an otherwise quiet morning.

 

I said goodbye to Reggie, opting to depart at Shaker Square. I walked around for an bit, saw many people walking dogs and enjoying breakfast. I grabbed a cup of coffee at Michael’s Diner within the Shaker Square station. I loved that it was open 24 hours and wasn't anywhere close to being a tourist trap. For years I'd been seeing people post about it on here and finally I had the chance to go in. Decent coffee, several regulars enjoying breakfast and talking to their servers. Love how close the trains are to the windows.

 

- Rapid departing Shaker Square.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hopped back on and had Reggie as my driver again. We talked more before I jumped off at the 55th street station. I snapped some photos of the RTA rail yard before transferring onto the next red line train.

 

- Reggie

 

- 55th Street station and RTA rail yard.

 

- Crossing back over the river and past the Veteran's Memorial Bridge. I once had the chance to photograph the closed subway/track beneath the bridge that once served Cleveland's streetcars.

 

If I had more time before everyone else wanted to do some stuff for the day, I wanted to try and visit the Health Line as well as a standard bus, but I had to head back. Rode back through Tower City and out to Triskett. Walking through some beautiful neighborhoods, people were just starting to wake up as I crossed the Cleveland/Lakewood border.  I made the 1 mile walk back and ended the day.

 

- Back at the Triskett Station

 

- Triskett Station from above.

 

- Cleveland neighborhood near the Lakewood border.

 

All in all, I love the RTA system in Cleveland and riding it gave me a nice perspective on the city. I have some more observations about the city in general that I'll share in a longer essay in my website, but all in all: I really grew from just appreciating Cleveland to loving it. If I ever ended up there, it'd have to be in a place near the RTA system.

Thanks for visiting the best nabe in Cleveland - Shaker Square!  Seems like you loved the "shack on the tracks"?

Fantastic shots!

The Triskett station is probably one of my favorites because it's a station that the RTA did well and without much expense shaved.

 

Their capital projects tend to be very nice, considering that funding for track rehabilitations and station rebuilds have been pretty decent. I think the hangup is in having decent customer service, having an app that works (surprised yours worked!), having working elevators (an ongoing issue with the temporary station at Tower City), and maintenance - which I'm sure is true of most systems. There is always money for capital but not maintenance.

 

RTA has been cut to the bone. Now that it's in such desperate straits, there is actually a viable push to get a regional transit system in place to fund RTA. Can you imagine if Metro and TANK joined forces? It'd be like that.

Thanks. I have always liked that Triskett station.

Diggin' Reggie's Members-Only jacket!

What a neat thread!  Thanks for posting.  Gives a nice perspective that despite the dire straits RTA is in, its still a great system for a metro of this size.  Hopefully things will get better

Really cool thread... Like MTS, glad you made it over to the great and beautiful Shaker Square and, yes, Michael's Diner is a classic, under-appreciated all-night (on weekends anyway) diner.  I can't think of another similar eatery so close to live trains either.

...btw, I'm also on board with Triskett being one of, if not the, finest of RTA's rail station rebuilds.  It's physically modern, beautiful and substantial -- more importantly, back in those days (ie the 1990s), RTA didn't scrimp on escalators -- which should be a staple in each major Red Line station.  RTA actually removed them when Puritas station just a few miles down the line, was rebuilt 5 or so years ago.

 

(quick aside) ...one exception from the 1990s was W. 25 which was built with just stairs and an elevator (RTA's current standard)... Of course back in the early 1990s I believe the Market Square area was a dump (besides WSM) with few attractions and modest foot traffic so, I guess, the Ron Tober-led RTA didn't feel they were warranted.  Of course RTA didn't foresee the bustling neighborhood that Market Square is today where commuters often nearly overwhelm the narrow stairs and platform of W. 25 and where the lack of escalators there are a serious impediment. 

Nice job, Gordon. You might enjoy some of the threads about history, RTA operations/services, construction projects, and future....

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/board,38.0.html

Thanks for visiting the best nabe in Cleveland - Shaker Square!  Seems like you loved the "shack on the tracks"?

 

I've never heard it called that before, but I love it!

 

Fantastic shots!

 

Thanks, Chris!

 

RTA has been cut to the bone. Now that it's in such desperate straits, there is actually a viable push to get a regional transit system in place to fund RTA. Can you imagine if Metro and TANK joined forces? It'd be like that.

 

Granted, I'm looking through it with rose colored glasses as a visitor, but just how bad have the cuts been? For what I needed on one particular day service didn't seem too bad, but it was also a weekend and I just kind of went with what was available and conformed to that. METRO/TANK combined would be awesome, but TANK has cut down a lot here in Cincy/NKY. I used to ride the #11 from Fort Thomas to NKU and Cincy all the time, but now that bus only runs till like 7 and not on weekends. True funding for the respective agencies would be a great help. As a regular Metro rider, the app has worked well for me. I didn't have any issues with the CLE version, but like Metro they just inspect visually and not with the QR code.

 

Thanks. I have always liked that Triskett station.

 

Thanks for checking them out. I liked how all the RTA park and ride locations further out were all pretty visible and had some uniqueness to them.

 

Diggin' Reggie's Members-Only jacket!

 

I love that RTA logo and seeing it on that jacket was awesome. Felt like I was in the 90's for a minute.

 

Of course RTA didn't foresee the bustling neighborhood that Market Square is today where commuters often nearly overwhelm the narrow stairs and platform of W. 25 and where the lack of escalators there are a serious impediment. 

 

Is that the Ohio City station? On our first day we hopped off of there with a few Indians fans, but it was pretty early in the day. Even with a sparsely populated station, those stairs were rough and the elevator was out. They had an announcement about it, but it was hard to hear.

 

Speaking of which, that is my only complaint about the RTA experience - you can hardly understand what the operators are saying when they call out the stations on the PA.

 

Nice job, Gordon. You might enjoy some of the threads about history, RTA operations/services, construction projects, and future....

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/board,38.0.html

 

Thank you for the references. I'll check them out, it'll be good reading on today's bus ride home.

Thanks for visiting the best nabe in Cleveland - Shaker Square!  Seems like you loved the "shack on the tracks"?

 

I've never heard it called that before, but I love it!

 

 

We've always called it that.

 

The Triskett station is probably one of my favorites because it's a station that the RTA did well and without much expense shaved.

 

Their capital projects tend to be very nice, considering that funding for track rehabilitations and station rebuilds have been pretty decent. I think the hangup is in having decent customer service, having an app that works (surprised yours worked!), having working elevators (an ongoing issue with the temporary station at Tower City), and maintenance - which I'm sure is true of most systems. There is always money for capital but not maintenance.

 

RTA has been cut to the bone. Now that it's in such desperate straits, there is actually a viable push to get a regional transit system in place to fund RTA. Can you imagine if Metro and TANK joined forces? It'd be like that.

 

Not sure you're old enough and I don't think you've lived here very long.  But nothing is as bad as CTS "Cleveland rapid" and buses.  I've been riding the Shaker Rapid, on a regular basis, longer than anyone here.  Rider since 1971.

 

I can remember those old gray trains, with the center doors, that didn't have any heat, AC or interior lights that would break down regularly.  And the PCC cars with no working windows, no A/C and varying heat.  Deteriorating wooden sheds that provided little or no shelter from the elements.  Muddy slabs, that were labeled "stations".  You really don't know how bad CTS & the "Cleveland Rapid", The "Shaker Rapids" and the many bus lines that predate RTA really were.

^Gray trains?  Center doors?  Wow, you are old.  :-o  Did you ride horse cars too?

^Gray trains?  Center doors?  Wow, you are old.  :o  Did you ride horse cars too?

 

clvlndr[/member]  God will get you for that!

 

Yes they were the trains, that were used for the five car "express" trains to Warrensville or Shaker Square.  RTA retired those when they bought some additional orange PCC cars.  Remember the orange cars?  Right after the transfer, the yellow PCC cars were painted to advertised the .35 cents fare.  Then most were refurbished and painted with the then "new" orange & brown on white scheme.  After that they changed the pantographs to light rail style.

 

I know about my Shaker Rapid!

^Gray trains?  Center doors?  Wow, you are old.  :o  Did you ride horse cars too?

 

clvlndr[/member]  God will get you for that!

 

Yes they were the trains, that were used for the five car "express" trains to Warrensville or Shaker Square.  RTA retired those when they bought some additional orange PCC cars.  Remember the orange cars?  Right after the transfer, the yellow PCC cars were painted to advertised the .35 cents fare.  Then most were refurbished and painted with the then "new" orange & brown on white scheme.  After that they changed the pantographs to light rail style.

 

I know about my Shaker Rapid!

 

I'm sure you do.  You apparently took this photo.

 

^Gray trains?  Center doors?  Wow, you are old.  :o  Did you ride horse cars too?

 

clvlndr[/member]  God will get you for that!

 

Yes they were the trains, that were used for the five car "express" trains to Warrensville or Shaker Square.  RTA retired those when they bought some additional orange PCC cars.  Remember the orange cars?  Right after the transfer, the yellow PCC cars were painted to advertised the .35 cents fare.  Then most were refurbished and painted with the then "new" orange & brown on white scheme.  After that they changed the pantographs to light rail style.

 

I know about my Shaker Rapid!

 

I'm sure you do.  You apparently took this photo.