I will say, though, that I really love that shot of the bus at the station in the Blade article. These things will be really cool once they're up and running.

I will say, though, that I really love that shot of the bus at the station in the Blade article. These things will be really cool once they're up and running.

Probably a bit off topic but I can see those zooming down Euclid when they show local footage of nationally televised Browns, Indians, and Cavs games. 8-)

I think that has all been gone over to death on this thread.  We had to cut costs to be competitive for the federal money.

 

bah. so what's the holdup now? they should be openly discussing new projects. where's an rta masterplan? none of that requires anything but foresight. just sayin.

 

 

Where's the thread to discuss this?

 

Oh yeah, not here.

I think that has all been gone over to death on this thread.  We had to cut costs to be competitive for the federal money.

 

bah. so what's the holdup now? they should be openly discussing new projects. where's an rta masterplan? none of that requires anything but foresight. just sayin.

 

 

that would be here: http://www.riderta.com/transit2025/ or here: http://www.riderta.com/plandev/, with more to come...

 

and you need to get yourself over to the RTA thread before pope layeth the smacketh down...

 

Cleveland’s Mr. Calabrese said he believes volume and density affect the viability of train lines between cities as well.

 

“If you look at the intercity rail that has been the most successful, it’s the northeast corridor. One reason is you have a lot of people, a lot of density,” he said. “We don’t have the density to make rail be cost effective.”

 

BuckeyeB wrote:

Jeez, Calabrese is starting to sound like a problem. That could cause some people and groups who have been supportive in the past to take a fresh look at things, especially if these sorts of comments continue. To suggest that Cleveland or Ohio does not have the population density to make rail work is very counterproductive and is simply not true.

 

Calabrese is also on the Century 21 task force and has a position of influence. If he is using that influence to push for more buses without looking ahead to an oil-short future and making the investment in electrified rail, it's only fair to ask why he appears to be wedded to buses.

 

If it turns out he is interested in is buses first and rail "someday", others might have a lot to say about that stance.

 

I hope that's not true.

 

What a completely ignorant statement by Calabrese.  He's the CEO of a transit agency.  It's his job to have a grip on the facts and to know better.

 

Ohio's population density is almost the same as that of France.  States and countries with lower population densities than Ohio have successful rail systems. 

 

Come on Joe, what gives here?  Why the blatant ignorance?  :wtf:

 

You're right, KJP, except that frustration is putting it mildly.  :whip:

 

BuckeyeB  It looks like a certain statewide advocacy group needs to start addressing this.    ;)

 

 

I think that has all been gone over to death on this thread.  We had to cut costs to be competitive for the federal money.

 

Bingo!  As I said earlier in this thread-- countries that are willing to invest what it takes have great subway and rail systems.  It's all about federal transportation priorities and what they are willing to pay for. 

 

If our government and our country were willing to pay for urban subway systems, we would have them-- even in Cleveland. 

When Joe first came on board, he wasn't supportive of the Euclid Corridor either. A number of people, including members of All Aboard Ohio's board, convinced him of the need for this project. And, frankly, the project was too far along to be stopped even if he was still interested in doing so.

 

All of the Ohio Hub and other rail expansion components in ODOT's 21 Century Transportation Task Force report were unilaterally deleted by Calabrese, who is chair of the multimodal committee. In other words, he did what USDOT Secretary Mary Peters did in removing all rail elements from the National Surface Transportation Commission report to Congress. The Commission members overruled her, just as ODOT brass overruled Joe Calabrese and ordered him to put the rail components back in.

 

What Joe has thus far failed to realize is that rail adds a constituency to the overall political push for more rail/transit funding. One is less likely without the other, both in funding terms and in usage terms, as in transit will get used more as the "last mile" of a cross-state rail trip. We'll be more successful if we work together than we will in working against each other. Unfortunately the latter is what's happening when Joe C utters ignorant and outright damaging public statements like he did in the Toledo Blade, and in deleting references to state-sponsored rail plans from a statewide transportation policy document.

 

Not a good way to keep friends when you need them most.

BuckeyeB  It looks like a certain statewide advocacy group needs to start addressing this.    ;)

 

Well, those from RTA who read these messages should take heed. Calabrese is entitled to his views when it comes to running RTA, but when he tries to force state policy by editing things, he is crossing the line. There are those out there who will take quite a dim view of actions such as this.

 

One other thing. I understand that while Joe was forced to put back the language concerning intercity passenger rail, he still left out any mention of the West Shore project or any other commuter rail initiative. This is censorship, plain and simple and should not be tolerated for an instant.

 

Everyone must understand that this is not an either/or proposition. We need each other if we are to move the ball forward. The last thing we need is to let things degenerate into factions unwilling to work for the common good.

 

RTA needs all the support it can get. Alienating key constituencies is not the way to do that.

^And this man is the head of the only transit system that runs the only rapid rail system in the State!?  :drunk:

To quote his holiness:

 

Where's the thread to discuss this?

 

Oh yeah, not here.

 

Getting back on topic for the 8-billionth time:

ROME?  AWESOME PIC!

barrels are rapidly disapearing from lower euclid.

East of E12th there are no barrels to be seen.

To quote his holiness:

 

Where's the thread to discuss this?

 

Oh yeah, not here.

 

Getting back on topic for the 8-billionth time:

 

Sorry MayDay. The conversation on Calabrese's rail-related actions has been moved to the ODOT Policy Discussion at http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,4500.0.html. All: follow that discussion there, please.

 

For discussions of Big Buses That Look Like Trains, kindly continue the chit-chat here!!

Sidewalk work is all but finished on Lower Euclid.  I would think by the weekend they'll essentially be finished (with the exception of the area directly in front of the rotunda and 1010 where they appear to be doing vault work and one small stretch by plahouse square).  Perhaps in another week or two after all the barrels have disapeared and perhaps some rain has washed the dirt off I'll get some pics of the completed corridor.  In the meantime, here's a brief update.

 

1. The median heading towards the East 2nd bus stop is about the last of the brickwork left to do.

2. Part of the public art, a "things change" bench in front of the Sohio Building the BP Building 200 public square.

3. More of the public art in front of 200 PS.

4. Sidewalks are all finished  :-)

I love the "things change" sculptures!  They're rather cynical and tell all of those naysayers to shut the F up and get over it!  It's not 1950 anymore, most of the mills have closed,  but things are changing for the better!  With or without you!  God I think they're great!

 

:clap:

"I love the "things change" sculptures!"

 

I love the "change things" sculptures. ;-)

ooh!  :lol:

A couple quick shots from the corridor... the first is foundations for the public art installation at the East 13th St / Playhouse Square BRT station, and the second is paver work continuing across from said station.  When they are done with this area (which should only take a few days) all that will be left to do on lower Euclid is the area in front of 1010 / the rotunda.

 

EDIT: ohhh, also... i know some people were commenting on the amount of dead or dying trees on the north side of the street from 9th to PS.  Today I saw some water company people digging up bricks on the north side of the street just west of 9th.  Big surprise... the trees weren't getting enough water.  :-)

Quick query for jmasek or JeTDog: have the two interior bike racks been retained for the BRT vehicles? I was just at a City Bicycle meeting when this question was asked, and I haven't actually seen the inside of the displayed vehicle.

Michael Schipper, Deputy GM for Engineering and Project Support, is in charge of the Corridor Project. He says the RTV have a flip-up seat by the right rear door for two bikes. You can stand in the space with your bikes, or use racks.

Very good- thank you!

Euclid is now open from Downtown to E.105th.

paving work next week from E. 107/Stokes to E. 123rd.  This puppie's wrapping up soon!

 

I was disappointed to find that the contiguous stretch of open Euclid Avenue has already been disrupted east of 6th street, due to the demolition of the Dollar Bank Building.  It would've been nice if that were done earlier!  All the buses were being re-routed to Superior this morning.

It would've been nice if that were done earlier!

 

Or not done at all!

 

That demo has to be wrapping up pretty soon though, no?

All I have to say is thank godddddddddddddd.  Euclid around Case is a giant clusterf*ck right now.  Does anyone know what the finished streetscape/public art around Euclid and MLK/Chester/East Blvd. will look like?  It's just a whole lotta rocks right now.  And I mean A LOT...... way more than the pet rock farm at the Clinic, although these are stacked and moulded into shapes as opposed to laying around singly.

All I have to say is thank godddddddddddddd.  Euclid around Case is a giant clusterf*ck right now.  Does anyone know what the finished streetscape/public art around Euclid and MLK/Chester/East Blvd. will look like?  It's just a whole lotta rocks right now.  And I mean A LOT...... way more than the pet rock farm at the Clinic, although these are stacked and moulded into shapes as opposed to laying around singly.

 

I say we build a giant Aggro Crag!  People will lines up for miles to climb to the top!

All I have to say is thank godddddddddddddd. Euclid around Case is a giant clusterf*ck right now. Does anyone know what the finished streetscape/public art around Euclid and MLK/Chester/East Blvd. will look like? It's just a whole lotta rocks right now. And I mean A LOT...... way more than the pet rock farm at the Clinic, although these are stacked and moulded into shapes as opposed to laying around singly.

 

I say we build a giant Aggro Crag! People will lines up for miles to climb to the top!

 

GUTS!

http://blog.cleveland.com/architecture/2008/09/mark_reigelman_designs_public.html

 

Cleveland Institute of Art grad Mark Reigelman II designs public art planters for Euclid Avenue

Posted by Steven Litt

September 08, 2008 15:29PM

 

 

Mark Reigelman II, a 2006 graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art who now lives and works in New York, has returned to the city of his roots for an important gig that will soon have significant visual impact on lower Euclid Avenue.

 

Reigelman, 25, has designed a series of large concrete planters, 120 of which will be installed along the refurbished avenue from PlayhouseSquare to East 18th Street next year as an enhancement of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's Euclid Corridor project.

Face-off:

either way i think the trolley is getting smoked.  :)

^Unless it's Eddie Mae driving - she may be sweet on the exterior but something tells me she could open a can of whoop@ss on anything in her way!

I think one of those articulateds would eat a trolley for breakfast...

paving work next week from E. 107/Stokes to E. 123rd. This puppie's wrapping up soon!

 

I was disappointed to find that the contiguous stretch of open Euclid Avenue has already been disrupted east of 6th street, due to the demolition of the Dollar Bank Building. It would've been nice if that were done earlier! All the buses were being re-routed to Superior this morning.

 

They're apparently starting paving in the Case area Thursday night :-D  (Or so says the big sign thingy at Euclid and Adelbert)

Well, I just rode my bike along the corridor, from East 4th to East 105th and I must say I am jealous at how nice the CC section looks, and the lushness of the landscaping.  I know the Clinic put alot of extra money in, and that Downtown has more planters coming, but it looks so sparse in comparison.

Well, I just rode my bike along the corridor, from East 4th to East 105th and I must say I am jealous at how nice the CC section looks, and the lushness of the landscaping.  I know the Clinic put alot of extra money in, and that Downtown has more planters coming, but it looks so sparse in comparison.

 

Don't worry, it'll be winter soon enough.

 

(That should even things out a little bit...)

They also seem to be in the process of replacing the old stations on superior with ones smiliar to the ones on the ECP. This evening the one in front of the fed was gone, and a new one was errected in front of the keith building.

I had a dream last night that I was driving to work, and when I turned left from Chester/MLK to Euclid, 2 lanes of traffic were open going eastbound.  :sleep:

You have boring dreams!

You have boring dreams!

 

It may have been boring, but I was so excited!!!  Until I actually drove to work this morning and remembered that didn't actually happen....

Regarding design along the Euclid Corridor, what can be done about the tilted new lighting? It's enough the new lighting is not really elegant, nor does it offer any affinity with the great avenue's past, but at least as clean contemporary design the poles should be parallel with each other!

Looking down Euclid the general streetscape is surely compromised with many of these poles not in sync. Perhaps the worst are the new light cylinders just installed in the Cleveland Clinic vicinity - a good share of the upper,"light" segments of these are tilted, even if the bases are fairly straight. Is it possible some effort will be made by "official opening day" - in late October - for all poles and the cylinders to be better installed?

Some of those "historic" streetlights in the Warehouse District/Flats area, and notoriably those around Tower City Center, have been crooked for years - doing much to minimize the overall effect, but here's the spanking new RedLine and the brand new lights look uncoordinated and sloppy.

Has anyone else even noticed? What can be done? Thanks!

... a follower of every inch of the Corridor project since inception....

 

Why on earth has the stretch from E. 105th or E. 107th to the E. 115th bridge been done differently than elsewhere, whereby in this UC stretch the sidewalks and curbing were done first and then traffic lanes cut off for months and months?  And is it true the final paving on this UC stretch is blacktop while for E. 107th to Public Square it's the concrete?

Any ideas about the "soft-concrete-type" beds in the sidewalk streetscaping in the vicinity around Bonfoey?  Right away footprints could be seen and little pebbles loose all over.  Perhaps this is considered some sort of artistic landscaping but it is strange and will always be losing pebbles or dirt unless the beds are regularly refurbished.

^^Looking at this picture I can't say it looks terrible.  Do you have an image to illustrate your point?

 

Pic from today:

 

No, and I don't have the equipment to quickly take a shot and post it.  This stretch looks good in the photo but just walk or drive around.  This includes both the tall poles and short ones west of the Theater District.  I don't mean every one, but many, and they stand out when one is looking at a progression.  And MANY of those "tube" poles are crooked in the Cleveland Clinic area - if not the entire vertical pole the lighting part.  Just look at them and see how many may be okay in the bottom part but then noticeably tilted above.  Just enough to detract greatly from the overall efect, IMHO.

^There is definitely an issue with the lights being plum... and I have no idea who would get contacted to do anything about it.  Probably CPP since they installed them, but as I call them about 5 times a week anyway, I doubt you'll get any real action out of it.  They can hardly keep the lights that are up on, let alone straight.  And yes, this is most unfortunate... and should be unacceptable.

I LOATHE CPP.  We still have no streetlights around building 2 of the townhomes.  I doubt they'd fix the HealthLine ones in any reasonable period of time, if ever.

I've commented on the plumness of the Euclid Corridor poles for over a year.  It really is ridiculous and takes only a little care to actually get them correct.

OK Jerry.  The kids have listed a reasonable concern, can you forward this information and report back to us.  thanks!  :-D

What does "plum" mean in this instance?

 

P.S. Welcome aboard, lafont.

"straight" square wouldn't really be the proper term as the poles aren't a constant diamater.