^Yes, I know that, but the construction elsewhere along the corridor involved a lot of sidewalk work (storefront to storefront) in preparation for the forthcoming infrastructure.  Maybe they're not doing any on Public Square, (I haven't been able to get the information out of the RTA) but if they are, that wasn't part of this phase of construction...

 

Earlier this year, I had an RTA brochure that listed the different phases and the timelines.  I misplaced it, though, and nothing has been  updated on the Euclid Corridor section of the website.  You would think RTA would want to keep people informed of the progress. 

The "trench" in the middle is where the waiting stationswill be for transitriders.  It switches from center median loading downtown to sidewalk loading areas in midtown and then back to center median loading in University Circle (am I correct in this statement?).

The "trench" in the middle is where the waiting stationswill be for transitriders.  It switches from center median loading downtown to sidewalk loading areas in midtown and then back to center median loading in University Circle (am I correct in this statement?).

 

But the trench is continuous and varies in width  going westward until it pinches out just before E. 55th.  Some places, it's not wide enough for a station. 

 

I thought it was center median all the way to U.C., then sidewalk stations eastward from there.

 

 

my unprofessional guess:

 

either utility upgrades or road upgrades (for weight purposes?)

my unprofessional guess:

 

either utility upgrades or road upgrades (for weight purposes?)

 

I guess.  It's nothing but dirt now.

The "trench" in the middle is where the waiting stationswill be for transitriders.  It switches from center median loading downtown to sidewalk loading areas in midtown and then back to center median loading in University Circle (am I correct in this statement?).

 

 

You are correct.

Also, the sidewalks in downtown are all supposed to be the same style of brick that is currently in front of the Ohio, State and Palace theaters.

The "trench" in the middle is where the waiting stationswill be for transitriders.  It switches from center median loading downtown to sidewalk loading areas in midtown and then back to center median loading in University Circle (am I correct in this statement?).

 

well, the big trench which has large cement barriers at either end, will be the stations.  closer to downtown, some of the trench will be for the stations, but in most cases i believe that it is just a few feet of empty space that will be cemented as phase 3 - they can't go all the way to the other lanes yet, they have to leave some space (see e14-e17).  from everything i've seen, this will be paved, but later in the process.

The reason they're not doing them now is that they're part of a different bid package...which means that a completely different company could be doing the medians...much as a different company could be doing each segment of the corridor.

 

University Circle construction (from Stokes) to the E. 120th Street bridge will begin early next year and hopefully wrap up by the end of 2007.

 

The first BRT vehicles aren't expected until mid-2008.

 

More later!

Here's another question, when will the BRT buses start running?  When construction is completed to University Circle, or when the entire project is completed all the way out to Windermere?

 

RTA's expectation is to have some of the vehicles out on the road some time in early 2007, well before the entire project is complete.

 

At this point, the vehicles have just about completed their Altoona testing. There's still in-house testing, maintenance training, and especially driver training to be done, since these things are 1/3 - 1/2 again as long as a typical coach, and with the median stations being high-curbed for easy boarding, it's WAY too easy to take out 60' of sheet metal if you don't know what you're doing  :-o.

RTA's expectation is to have some of the vehicles out on the road some time in early 2007, well before the entire project is complete.

 

On the road, maybe, but certainly not ready for passengers... The way I heard it, they'll have the vehicles by the second half of '07 and they'll start training the new drivers...  Until the whole corridor is finished, I don't know how well they'll be able to operate these buses on a torn up Euclid.

RTA's expectation is to have some of the vehicles out on the road some time in early 2007, well before the entire project is complete.

 

On the road, maybe, but certainly not ready for passengers... The way I heard it, they'll have the vehicles by the second half of '07 and they'll start training the new drivers...  Until the whole corridor is finished, I don't know how well they'll be able to operate these buses on a torn up Euclid.

 

Just a guess, if this is feasible.  I would think RTA would test the busses on long cross town routes, major transfer points, Red Line Stations, to promote them and to peak people's interest. 

 

I don't know if they could be revenue ready, but atleast folks across the city can see the bus, get excited...woo hoo...blah blah blah.

 

 

Or they could Burke :-D

This is an excerpt from a summary of a meeting we had in University Circle in October:

 

The contract for construction along the University Circle section of the ECTP (E. 107th to the E. 120th Street Bridge) was awarded in June 2006.  The Federal Transit Administration approved the contract in July and a notice to proceed was signed in August.  Construction is slated to begin along this section of the corridor in February 2007 and continue to the end of the year.  The section beyond the railroad bridge to the city border will be completed in the first half of 2008.  The first buses are scheduled to begin operation in June 2008.

 

As GCRTA has done along the sections of the corridor, work will begin on either the north or south half of the roadway, while leaving the other half open to traffic.  This strategy allows Euclid to stay open during construction.  Detours will be marked and road closures will be announced ahead of construction.  GCRTA, UCI and others will work to keep the community informed of these notices as they become available. 

 

The only scheduled full road closure will take place as construction passes through the Cleveland Clinic’s campus and the construction site for their new heart center.  This will be along Euclid Avenue, from E. 90th to E. 97th, and will reduce construction time by one full construction year. 

 

.....

 

In other news, I had the opportunity to chat with an RTA staffer on Monday night at an event and he brought up the issue of TOD along the corridor and elsewhere on his own.  He also mentioned the commuter rail to Lorain without me asking about it. 

 

I'm still waiting to hear more about this project that will rise out of the recent demolition proceedings on Euclid in the east 60s, adjacent to the Dunham Davern.

Earlier this year, I had an RTA brochure that listed the different phases and the timelines.  I misplaced it, though, and nothing has been  updated on the Euclid Corridor section of the website.  You would think RTA would want to keep people informed of the progress. 

 

From the PD in July:

the best line on that graphic is "Work from Playhouse Square to the Innerbelt slated to end Dec. 24"  ...  in reality, work between e14 and e17 might be done by Dec 24. 

 

The entire south side of euclid between e18 and the innerbelt hasn't even been started yet.  Between all of the delays in coordinating utilities, city work, etc., i can only imagine how long public square to e14 might take.  i hope i am wrong. 

It looks like it means December 2007,so they've got a while to complete that phase.

Thanks, Kevin, for the timeline/graphic.  I had misremembered. I thought the line was supposed to by done by the end of '07.  Oh well, what's another 7 months after 50 years of talk about the Corridor? 

 

I'm in the camp that wished they could have stuck with the streetcar/rail plan, but I'm still looking forward to the project's completion.  I know the reason had to do with the FTA asking them to cut money from the project due largely to transportation priority changes after the Bush administration took over. 

 

Anyway, the #6 buses usually run so packed that the 60' buses alone should be a major improvement, not to mention the abysmal lack of light timing that has existed on Euclid.  I do think/hope it will be a TOD growth engine too.

 

 

 

Construction update:

 

Workers just moved the cones and shifted traffic to the northern lanes from E.14th to the innerbelt.  18th street is open to traffic (for now).

^And I have pictures of it about an hour before the move... but you will have to wait until to see them.

^As promised - pics:

 

 

 

Some random shots of the north side before they opened it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

thanks for the updates, the weather is making my lunch walks shorter and shorter

I'm curious as to everyone's opinion of the streetlights.

 

Anyone?

 

 

I'll like them more when the rest of the Silverline hardware goes into place. I think that they make more sense with the new shelters, etc. 

 

In person, I think that the poles look like they are made of plastic. Yuck.

ECP Lightposts: better than Cincinnati's!

"I'm curious as to everyone's opinion of the streetlights.

 

Anyone?"

 

They would not have been my first choice, but there has been a model behind CPP's offices for over a year now.  I didn't like them then and I don't like them anymore know.  Perhaps they will blend in better when the rest of the infrastructure is in place.  Does anyone recall if the pedestrian scale streetlights will be of a smaller version of the same design?

 

 

I'm curious as to everyone's opinion of the streetlights.

 

I don't think they are shouting "Cleveland" but an improvement nonetheless. From what I've seen so far they will fit in quite nicely when the entire project is completed.

Not horrible, but not exciting either.  Hopefully they will look better in the context of the rest of the the EC improvements.

simple, efficient, a bit plain....maybe it is the jcrew I am wearing, but I like them

BRT in Nagoya, Japan:

 

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=122973

The new E.17th St. between Euclid and Prospect is expected to open today.  They had a street sweeper out around noon and it looks like they're on schedule.

Should've just the let the rain wash it for free!

geez, in front of the arcade/515 garage, they've reduced the sidewalk down to about four feet. Its not fun.

 

I understand that they have to get "down there", but this is a bit ludicrous.

That's not going to be the permanent width, will it?

That's not going to be the permanent width, will it?

 

maybe the Corner Alley is going to do some sidewalk lanes for the summertime ;)

"geez, in front of the arcade/515 garage, they've reduced the sidewalk down to about four feet. Its not fun."

 

Just like how they had the sidewalk by the Park Building for the longest time - single-file in each direction. I was more than happy to drop a shoulder and bump idiots who tried to walk three across. I swear it sounded like bowling pins being hit :lol:

That's not going to be the permanent width, will it?

 

no this is my annoying complaining for when they dig down for utility repairs. And I really mean 4ft across, one person cannot pass another person without turning sideways.

We had a number of disabled, wheelchair-bound residents who attended an ECTP meeting we had over in University Circle in September.  They voiced concerns, and rightly so, over accessibility during construction.  If it's hard for those of us who have two good legs, imagine trying to navigate Euclid right now if you didn't!

Construction finally reaches the University Circle!

 

Euclid Corridor Construction Alert

 

Beginning January 15, 2007, utility work will begin along the south side of Euclid Avenue from East 107th to the east end of the city limits.  A roaming work zone will be implemented throughout the project area.  Please watch for traffic signs and arrow boards posted.  Traffic control officers will be used as needed to help direct traffic.  For more information, please contact the project office at 216-771-4144.

oh jeez, that should be fun...

that's exactly the word that most of us use to describe it! 

 

And it's just in time for Diana (WRHS), Monet (CMA) and the Flower Show (CBG)!

Man, driving down Euclid from downtown to UC around Christmas was super eerie...so few other cars and so few traffic lights...it looked totally abandoned, like Night-of-the-Comet abandoned.  Was really cool imagining what it will be like with fancy new buses whizzing down it in a few years.

 

What's Diana at WRHS?  Not the deceased Diana is it?  Wasn't aware of her connection to Cleveland...

Yes, as in the Princess of Wales...Not sure if there's a Cleveland connection at all.  I'll post an event thread later!

thank you channel 19 for whining and complaining about the disruption to traffic. Interviewing biased people whining and complaining and doing nothing to talk about the positive benefits.

 

Jeff Tancheck, still a douchebag.

I've been trying to figure out how to get the FCC to take away "Action News'" broadcasting license.

I've been trying to figure out how to get the FCC to take away "Action News'" broadcasting license.

 

channel 19, the jerry springer of cleveland news. When an anchor uses the term "he-she" something is seriously wrong

I have to admit when they first started their tabloid style newscast I kind of like it 'cause it was different, but lately they've gotten way out of hand. I call them "negative nineteen" now.

^this new plan seems like a reasonable compromise.

Because we should be known as the 'City of Compromise'. We always try and make everyone happy. This is why we will continue to get watered down versions of what really should be built.

^ So Euclid should be shut down to traffic? This is a nation of compromise, with out it, we might as well be living in Cuba. I do understand your point but the original plan called for cutting off one of Cleveland's major arteries. Thankfully in this instance, compromise is well justified.