Well in light of all this, I had a great ride on the Healthline today - E9th to Stokes/Stearns in seventeen minutes - my best daytime ride yet with the system.  Let's hope it only gets better.

Well in light of all this, I had a great ride on the Healthline today - E9th to Stokes/Stearns in seventeen minutes - my best daytime ride yet with the system. Let's hope it only gets better.

 

I happened to have one of my slower morning rides today.  We seemed to wait for a while at every single light.

I'm sorry but the whistleblower with the voice modulation is freaking hillarious.  It's good to hear there are remedies, though I would prefer they at least give us some idea of what that would be.

 

And Carl Monday is such a tool. with this delayed-until-sweeps report.  I wonder if complicity is against the law in Ohio.

I'm sorry but I'm not sure whether to laugh or be incredibly pissed at Calabrese for this:

 

"So we had double and triple checks on this project.  But we didn't have a Carl Monday."

 

 

bottom line is if they secretly added Calcium Chloride, they are in trouble. calcium chloride is an admixture to cement.. one of its main negatives is that it quite literally makes a weaker concrete.

 

You can tell calcium chloride is added because it will actually produce a salty white powder on top of the concrete. wondering what thats going to effect in the winter time with salt, etc.

 

a third party testing company needs to be brought in and if (and i imagine it has) been after 28 days they can take a sample of each poured section and figure out where, if at all, any calcium chloride was added.

 

this is in no way a fault of the city of cleveland, it is a fault of the concrete company. if its discovered they made the slip, then they will pay the consequences.

 

it would be most cost-effective to take a jackhammer to the bad concrete now instead of later to avoid having to replace the steel reinforcement.. but doing more construction now simply isn't possible with all the businesses, etc.

 

if the cement was mixed improperly, let those at fault pay to get it redone in the future.

As you may know, TV-19 recently aired a somewhat negative editorial about the HealthLine. Today, Joe Calabrese taped an editorial response that will air on TV-19 the following times.

 

Tonight, Wed., Nov. 12, end of 6 p.m. newscast, and end of 10 p.m. newscast.

 

Thursday, Nov. 13, end of noon newcast, and end of the 5 p.m. newscast.

 

Friday, Nov. 14, at the end of the noon newscast.

^^Cleveland and RTA absolutely have some responsibility here.  With all the years of careful and planning, Cleveland and RTA should have paid extremely close attention to every detail.  Any conflict of interest (and there are some major ones) between Perk, McTech, and TTL Meadows should have been thoroughly investigated before construction, and it's completely unacceptable that Carl Monday found out, not the city or RTA. 

 

And only now, several weeks after a big and, in my opinion, unnecessary celebration of the Project's opening (it should have been cancelled or at least toned down, at the very least due to that day's loss of National City), these issues come up to the public.  And not only do we now know of conflicts of interest and collaborations, but I am growing suspicious that RTA and/or Cleveland knew of these connections but did nothing about it for whatever reasons.  This may just be paranoia, but the fact that it's a reasonable paranoia makes this whole situation even more upsetting

RTNDA is the professional group that represents "electronic journalists." This is from the first sentence of their code of ethics.

 

"Professional electronic journalists should recognize that their first obligation is to the public."

 

To read the entire code, click here. It should be your guide to judging the ethics of local TV news.

http://www.rtnda.org/pages/media_items/code-of-ethics-and-professional-conduct48.php

 

The Society of Professional Journalists, of which I am a long-time member, also has a code of ethics at www.spj.org.

^^Cleveland and RTA absolutely have some responsibility here.  With all the years of careful and planning, Cleveland and RTA should have paid extremely close attention to every detail.  Any conflict of interest (and there are some major ones) between Perk, McTech, and TTL Meadows should have been thoroughly investigated before construction, and it's completely unacceptable that Carl Monday found out, not the city or RTA. 

 

And only now, several weeks after a big and, in my opinion, unnecessary celebration of the Project's opening (it should have been cancelled or at least toned down, at the very least due to that day's loss of National City), these issues come up to the public.  And not only do we now know of conflicts of interest and collaborations, but I am growing suspicious that RTA and/or Cleveland knew of these connections but did nothing about it for whatever reasons.  This may just be paranoia, but the fact that it's a reasonable paranoia makes this whole situation even more upsetting

 

What does the City of Cleveland have to do with this??

 

This is an RTA project, period.

 

If the contractor/subcontractor was mixing good product on days of inspections or using the additive on certain pours, how can that be 100% RTAs sole fault.

 

As the lead agency they take the direct hit, but based on the video, it appears that the contractor was being dishonest from jump.

 

This is the sole reason Monday should have come forward earlier.

I never said RTA is solely to blame, but it clearlyis as responsible for this project as an employer whose employee does something wrong.  I also lay some blame to Cleveland because I was under the impression that the city was working with RTA in some kind of joint capacity with this project - I mean, RTA obviously can't seek local tax money without city approval.

 

Monday definitely should have come forward earlier, but I'm more concerned with RTA and Cleveland at this point

 

 

this is in no way a fault of the city of cleveland, it is a fault of the concrete company. if its discovered they made the slip, then they will pay the consequences.

 

RTA and the city WILL pay consequences if they have to tear up the street again to re-pour the concrete.  It will shut down stretches of the corridor for unknown periods of time, hurting businesses.  It will interrupt service on the HealthLine, hurting RTA at the farebox.  And it will cause the Dick Feagler in everyone to moan and groan about it, costing the city in the Unquantifiable Ledger of Image.

 

Will the parties responsible for the misdeed be held accountable not just to replace their substandard work, but also compensate the city and GCRTA for their other losses?  Carl Monday's team ostensibly knew about the malfeasance as it occurred but waited until now to report it.  They need to be held accountable.  It is with great pleasure that I hold them accountable.  Here is a man who the public SHOULD be thanking.  After all, RTA claims to have had checks in place to ensure quality work.  The checks failed, which is unfortunate.  Had the Monday investigation not been done we may have been looking at crumbling stretches Euclid avenue in X years and not known why.  More money would have been needed to make repairs on the road, and/or theoretically the vehicles from driving on a deteriorating avenue.  All that may now be avoided due to the report by Carl Monday.  But the repeated tearup of the road could have been avoided if Carl November hadn't waited until now to make his findings known.

 

In sum:  Contractor responsible for the issue needs to pay reparations.  Not just replace what they did incorrectly in the first place.

 

RTA needs to look at why these so-called double and triple checks did not catch whatever it is Carl November may have caught, and stop kissing his ass on TV.  (You go, Jerry)

 

Carl Monday needs to be kicked in the jacobs.

^^Cleveland and RTA absolutely have some responsibility here.  With all the years of careful and planning, Cleveland and RTA should have paid extremely close attention to every detail.  Any conflict of interest (and there are some major ones) between Perk, McTech, and TTL Meadows should have been thoroughly investigated before construction, and it's completely unacceptable that Carl Monday found out, not the city or RTA.  

 

And only now, several weeks after a big and, in my opinion, unnecessary celebration of the Project's opening (it should have been cancelled or at least toned down, at the very least due to that day's loss of National City), these issues come up to the public.  And not only do we now know of conflicts of interest and collaborations, but I am growing suspicious that RTA and/or Cleveland knew of these connections but did nothing about it for whatever reasons.  This may just be paranoia, but the fact that it's a reasonable paranoia makes this whole situation even more upsetting

 

I cannot control your paranoia, but stop and think? Why would RTA jeopardize its jewel of a project, one that is gaining national and international attention? There were multiple levels of supervision and oversight. Concrete was tested repeatedly for physical strength and related characteristics. It was not tested for additives that were prohibited by contract specs. It's much like a blood test. If you think you have diabetes, you are tested for diabetes, not brain tumors. Unless there is a reason for a test, you don't spend taxpayers money on extensive and expensive testing.

 

RTA selected the contractors by competitive bids, as required by law. The contractors selected the subcontractors -- including the concrete firm. If RTA tells you that you can't compete for work on a multi-million project, we have to have proof that will stand up in court. Right now, there isn't any proof. Even The Plain Dealer, in its extensive two-part series, could not establish an illegal link, just some things that "smelled bad."

 

Carl Monday did not "find out" anything. A tipster gave it to him on a silver platter.

 

And pardon me for being blunt, but if you believe that a project of the magnitude of the Euclid Corridor opening can be cancelled or "toned down" on a two-hour notice, then you know nothing about event planning. The public was adversely affected by the construction, and on opening weekend, they had a right to party. It was not an RTA celebration, but a community celebration.

 

You said RTA has a responsibility here. Of course we do. Allegations were made. Facts are being collected to see if those allegations are valid. ONLY after facts are known can a course of action be determined.

 

I work with people of great character, and am proud of the company I keep.

you can't blame the client for the faults of the builder. not even the engineer. if its specified by the engineer that calcium chloride should not be used, then its not his/her/their fault(s). RTA managed to the extreme point as was deemed necessary. the only test they would have done on-site is a slump test. obviously the mixture of calcium chloride did not effect this test, or it would not have been used. either that or someone was manipulating the system. Further tests to analyze the concrete now is very expensive, but will have to be done if the contractor is proven guilty. they will be the ones paying for it.

 

different parties can get partial blame.. of course.. but the only entity that can take 100% of it is the contractor.. or whoever it was who knew they were secretly jeopardizing the project.

If the tests come back positive for the additive, the next question will be how deep is the contractor's liability insurance...

If the tests come back positive for the additive, the next question will be how deep is the contractor's liability insurance...

Especially since it appears they did this intentionally and secretively!

I can not fault RTA or the city in this mess. It seems they are the victims as much as the tax payers. The only question is how vigorously they persue justice in this matter. The contractor should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. As for Monday and the execs at TV-19, how can they sequester this report for 5 months and for what possible purpose. This delay in reporting is just mind boggling, and it too should be investigated. :wtf:

Honest.Fair.Everywhere... Yeah I trust 19ActionNews about as far as I could throw Denise Dufala.

I'm sorry, but to scapegoat Monday for this is ridiculous.  While he unfortunately rained on everyone's parade, if he had not reported this than the contractors would have gotten away with it.  Is he a dirt-bag for waiting until after the grand opening?  YES. 

 

But seriously, it was RTA's job to have all of their bases covered.  The PD had that article 2 months ago about the possible conflict of interest, and this should have tipped off RTA.

 

I apologize if it seems I am being too harsh on RTA, but when you are entrusted with such large sums of money, you assume the responsibility of quality-control.

Regarding Action19, I could not help but laugh at the piece on Beachwood Place.  The reporter started talking about one of Cleveland's premier malls being closed down (not that I would care), but then concluded with, "in all likelihood, the possibility of Beachwood Place closing down is very slim."  Good reporting Leena Ly.

Didn't Summit Mall just announce it's closing down?

"I'm sorry, but to scapegoat Monday for this is ridiculous.  While he unfortunately rained on everyone's parade, if he had not reported this than the contractors would have gotten away with it.  Is he a dirt-bag for waiting until after the grand opening?  YES."

 

palijandro7 I'm not sure I understand; YES he is a dirt bag, but he is not culpable. He was given information on an ongoing criminal activity and has it on film. If it is not illegal to withold this evidence from the authorities it is certainly unethical, not to mention it's his job. 

palijandro7 I'm not sure I understand; YES he is a dirt bag, but he is not culpable. He was given information on an ongoing criminal activity and has it on film. If it is not illegal to withold this evidence from the authorities it is certainly unethical, not to mention it's his job. 

 

It is very unethical.  The guy is a gotcha journalist and I cannot stand him.  However, it is not his job to monitor the construction (on a side note, a third-party has no duty to report anything). 

 

Obviously I understand that the RTA cannot monitor everything.  However, I just do not understand how they let the same company test the product.  Why they did not have an independent company test the cement is pure negligence. 

 

Please, I am not saying that Calabrese and Masek are not great guys.  Rarely do projects of this magnitude go perfectly.  I just think that instead of scape goating Monday, the RTA needs to take a look in the mirror on this one and just admit they screwed up.

 

Obviously I understand that the RTA cannot monitor everything.  However, I just do not understand how they let the same company test the product.  Why they did not have an independent company test the cement is pure negligence.

 

My impression was that it was not the same company that did the testing, rather a company owned by members of the same family.  I'm not saying that makes it ok, but I also thought that RTA was not aware of those connections at the time, and the companies themselves of course did not disclose that information.  Am I remembering things incorrectly?

 

Please, I am not saying that Calabrese and Masek are not great guys.  Rarely do projects of this magnitude go perfectly.  I just think that instead of scape goating Monday, the RTA needs to take a look in the mirror on this one and just admit they screwed up.

 

Nothing has been proven yet...

 

I agree that RTA shares some responsibility (as Jerry stated), however I do not think that they have a reason to admit to screwing up when there might not even be a problem.  Also, it does not appear that there was much more they could have reasonably (affordably) done, from what I understand RTA had normal oversight and testing for a project of this magnitude.  Someone more familiar with this sort of thing can correct me if I am wrong.

If a third party sees something criminal, yes there is a duty to report or they're complicit.  Monday's not looking good here, however...

 

On a project of this magnitude there is a certain amount of buck stoppage that has to take place.  RTA was in charge of getting it done right, period, and the cost of replacing defective roadway-- including social cost-- trumps the cost of testing every single time.  We all hope the concrete turns out to be OK, but what an absurd position to find ourselves in.     

Are you a concrete supplier, a contractor, or a project manager specializing in this sort of work?  If not then I think you are offering professional judgment without the professionalism.

327, sorry but you are way off base on this one.  I've been a project manager in the construction buisiness for about a decade.  I've worked on some really large jobs. 

1. we're assuming all contractors were asked to fill out a confilict of interest disclosure form.  If they did and they lied there isn't much more you can do.  Even the PD at best revealed a very tangled web that might link these companies, there really is no proof.

2. If you think construction budgets (particuarly public works ones) allow for expensive testing of substances that are specifically prohibited from use (clearly spelled out in the project specs), well... i don't know what to tell you.  Budgets don't allow for that, and if you tested for everything known to man that could be damaging that shouldn't be used who are you going to explain that too when you're millions of dollars over budget?

 

Bottom line is some people in all walks of life are dirt bags and will always try to scam people however they can to make a buck.  RTA's only real responsibility in this is to do exactly what they are doing right now... which is to investigate the claim, and if it's found to be true, nail these jerks to the wall.

Thank you.

The Mayor has spoken.

 

I agree.

My comment there was unwarranted, I removed it, and I apologize.  I have not worked in construction.  I have however worked in multiple situations where substantial cost overruns, and even more costly delays, were realized not because of testing but because testing wasn't done.  The same story plays out over and over again-- in a variety of fields-- testing looks really expensive on the front end, then much cheaper in hindsight when the entire job must be redone and the customer relationship is damaged.  If there is no room in the budget for testing, there is certainly no room for a mile of bad road, and once done is done collecting from the guilty party can be time-consuming and tricky.  I have also encountered several professional situations in which contractors (in the more general sense of the term) were given far too much trust and leeway, when they ultimately don't have to answer for the final product in the same way their client does.  Public sector situations endure an extra level of scrutiny and they always will.  If F-35s start falling out of the sky, it's not a Lockheed problem nearly so much as it's a Pentagon problem.  Lockheed can get sued or go out of business all it wants, but the Pentagon simply cannot be allowed to fail. 

 

Again, I apologize for making blanket statements about peoples' line of work.  My line of work gets some of that too, and I don't like it either. 

My comment there was unwarranted, I removed it, and I apologize.  I have not worked in construction.  I have however worked in multiple situations where substantial cost overruns, and even more costly delays, were realized not because of testing but because testing wasn't done.  The same story plays out over and over again-- in a variety of fields-- testing looks really expensive on the front end, then much cheaper in hindsight when the entire job must be redone and the customer relationship is damaged.  If there is no room in the budget for testing, there is certainly no room for a mile of bad road, and once done is done collecting from the guilty party can be time-consuming and tricky.  I have also encountered several professional situations in which contractors (in the more general sense of the term) were given far too much trust and leeway, when they ultimately don't have to answer for the final product in the same way their client does.  Public sector situations endure an extra level of scrutiny and they always will.  If F-35s start falling out of the sky, it's not a Lockheed problem nearly so much as it's a Pentagon problem.  Lockheed can get sued or go out of business all it wants, but the Pentagon simply cannot be allowed to fail. 

 

Again, I apologize for making blanket statements about peoples' line of work.  My line of work gets some of that too, and I don't like it either. 

 

Easier said than done.

My buddy from LA sent me this. It's is a nice article.

 

http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/11/13/rave-review-for-cleveland%E2%80%99s-brt-debut/

 

Rave Review for Cleveland’s BRT Debut

by Ben Fried on November 13, 2008

 

Cleveland bus riders at one of the Health Line's new stations.Cleveland's first venture into Bus Rapid Transit -- a 10-mile route called the Health Line -- was turning heads before it fully launched, attracting planners from other cities looking to boost transit ridership. Now that the ribbons have been cut, the Plain Dealer's Steven Litt hails the finished product:

 

.......

My comment there was unwarranted, I removed it, and I apologize. I have not worked in construction. I have however worked in multiple situations where substantial cost overruns, and even more costly delays, were realized not because of testing but because testing wasn't done. The same story plays out over and over again-- in a variety of fields-- testing looks really expensive on the front end, then much cheaper in hindsight when the entire job must be redone and the customer relationship is damaged. If there is no room in the budget for testing, there is certainly no room for a mile of bad road, and once done is done collecting from the guilty party can be time-consuming and tricky. I have also encountered several professional situations in which contractors (in the more general sense of the term) were given far too much trust and leeway, when they ultimately don't have to answer for the final product in the same way their client does. Public sector situations endure an extra level of scrutiny and they always will. If F-35s start falling out of the sky, it's not a Lockheed problem nearly so much as it's a Pentagon problem. Lockheed can get sued or go out of business all it wants, but the Pentagon simply cannot be allowed to fail.  

 

Again, I apologize for making blanket statements about peoples' line of work. My line of work gets some of that too, and I don't like it either.

 

327, I think you are still missing the point. There is no "blanket test" for concrete.  you don't just stick an instrument in it and say... hey, there's calcium chloride in here.  You have to specifically test for calcium chloride.  And why on earth would you specifically test for an additive that is clearly prohibited in your building specifications?  If you're going to do that shouldn't run a test for every single additive possibly out there?  If you tell someone not to use calcium chloride, and they agree to not use calcium chloride, and then they sneak behind your back and add it anyway there isn't much you could do.  To test for every single additive that could have been put in that concrete would have been cost prohibitive to the absurd level.  No one, and I mean, no one... anywhere, in any city, state, nation, etc. would have done all that extra testing.  Bottom line is the culpability lies solely with the contractor, not RTA. 

 

  And I agree with matches, if they are proved to have actually done this and we need to replace large sections of the roadway, then those people need to pay reparations, not just replace the road.  Just paying to replace the road is getting off too easy.  Every business in front of the area that will need to be redone should be getting checks from McCrap.

If a third party sees something criminal, yes there is a duty to report or they're complicit.  Monday's not looking good here, however...     

 

Not to beat a dead horse, but I am almost 100% positive there is no "Good Samaritan" statute in the ORC.  Thus, while it would be despicable to watch a father drowning his son in Lake Erie, there is no responsibility on the third-party to notify anyone.  If there is no responsibility to report that, there surely is no legal responsibility (different than ethical responsibility) on Monday.

 

On a related note, I watched Calabrese's editorial response last night and was surprised he made no mention of the potential problem.  Was this bc he did not want to speculate?

Also, has anyone noticed how often one RTV catches up with the one in front of it?  I took it yesterday bw Tower City and CSU, and by the time I arrived at the E.22nd station, our RTV had already caught up with the one that had departed earlier.  Not trying to nitpick, but this is the 2nd or 3rd time this has happened. 

 

I suppose it all depends on how the RTV's are hitting the lights. 

http://law.justia.com/ohio/codes/orc/jd_2923-5afd.html

 

Looks like Monday's in the clear.  He's still a irresponsible dick.

Also, has anyone noticed how often one RTV catches up with the one in front of it?  I took it yesterday bw Tower City and CSU, and by the time I arrived at the E.22nd station, our RTV had already caught up with the one that had departed earlier.  Not trying to nitpick, but this is the 2nd or 3rd time this has happened. 

 

I suppose it all depends on how the RTV's are hitting the lights. 

 

The light timing isn't activate yet, IIRC.  Also, since passengers have to pay onboard until the POP fare collection system goes live, that also can delay buses.

 

Jerry, or someone else, I am correct in stating that, yes?

http://law.justia.com/ohio/codes/orc/jd_2923-5afd.html

 

Looks like Monday's in the clear.  He's still a irresponsible dick.

 

I second that.. :shoot: Carl "my real last name is not Monday"

http://law.justia.com/ohio/codes/orc/jd_2923-5afd.html

 

Looks like Monday's in the clear. He's still a irresponsible dick.

 

I don't want to get hypertechnical but depending on what exactly happened, aid and abet can be awfully broad terms.  Regardless, I think reaching full function and full confidence is the main goal now.

From my preliminary checking...

 

Journalists have the same duty to report a crime as everyone else has. There is no law saying that journalists are exempt from being good citizens.

 

Of course, the court of public opinion may feel otherwise.

 

Ethically, it's a huge mistake, as already pointed out in several Codes of Ethics posted earlier.

Re: bus timing.

 

Buses leave Public Square and Windermere every 5 minutes during rush hour. However, if the front bus lags a bit because of boarding time or whatever reason, then the next bus catches up quickly. If the two run together, then the front bus is always stopping to pick up passengers and the back one is empty. When this happens, the front vehicle may pass up a station to try to put some distance between them. So, if an RTV fails to stop at a station where you are waiting, it is because another RTV is close behind.

 

On a related note, I watched Calabrese's editorial response last night and was surprised he made no mention of the potential problem. Was this bc he did not want to speculate?

 

Joe was responding to a TV-19 editorial that doubted the HealthLine would spark development on Euclid Avenue. His goal was to respond to the editorial, nothing more.

 

Now, if TV-19 does a concrete editorial, we will respond to that, as well.

 

I see today there's a new monumental plaque up on the median strip of Euclid between the 200 Public Square and May Company Buildings - somewhere around there.  Can someone please post here a photo of this plaque?  I don't do digital, but I'm a little surprised no one has already posted a photo or even mentioned it here.

 

Now, if TV-19 does a concrete editorial, we will respond to that, as well.

 

 

Nice job, Jerry.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/bottleneck/

 

The LA Times weighs in on the HealthLine.

I'll post it. I'm not afraid of La La Land:

 

 

 

A bus rapid transit project opened last month in Cleveland and get this -- the local transit agency sold naming rights for the "HealthLine" for $6.25 million for 25 years to the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals.  In a review of the line published Sunday in the Plain Dealer, writer Steve Litt says the bus line has turned Euclid Avenue "the city's once-crumbling Main Street into a well-designed image of hope and renewal." The 7.1-mile line cost about $200 million and was built instead of a  light rail line. Hat tip: Streetsblog Los Angeles.

Ok, this Thurs will be my first time riding the health line down to the Clinic.  I'll be honest, ever since I've been taking the bus down there there has been construction and we've always diverted off Euclid onto Chester, so I have no idea where the stops are near where the building is I need to get to for my treatments.  How do I determine where to get off the Healthline? I feel stupid but I can't see a map anywhere on RTA's site so I don't know where to plan to exit and I don't want to miss my stop since it doesn't stop like every block the way the 6 did.  It's the last numbered street before Stokes, I think e 111th.  Any tips?

Ok, this Thurs will be my first time riding the health line down to the Clinic.  I'll be honest, ever since I've been taking the bus down there there has been construction and we've always diverted off Euclid onto Chester, so I have no idea where the stops are near where the building is I need to get to for my treatments.  How do I determine where to get off the Healthline? I feel stupid but I can't see a map anywhere on RTA's site so I don't know where to plan to exit and I don't want to miss my stop since it doesn't stop like every block the way the 6 did.  It's the last numbered street before Stokes, I think e 111th.  Any tips?

 

http://www.rtahealthline.com/healthline-flash.html

rockandroller, do you know the name of the specific building? From your description it sounds like the W.O. Walker building.

If you want to get to the W.O. Walker building that MayDay is referencing, you'll want to get off at the East 105th exit - it's the one right after E. 93rd in front of their new heart center. 

^Yep, the Walker building is at the corner of Euclid and East 105th - per the CCF map, that's the last numbered street before Stokes.