Is the proposed Mayfield station project still on the table? 

 

Gildone, see these posts in the RTA thread....

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=4504.msg217184#msg217184

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=4504.msg217209#msg217209

<<Is the proposed Mayfield station project still on the table?  That would be fantastic.  Little Italy would benefit a great deal by moving the E. 120th station to Mayfield.>>

 

Yes, planning continues. It is too early to announce a definite timetable.

Mayfield Road (relocated from E. 120th Street) and Cedar-University stations to be rebuilt and operational in the next 3-5 years.  Mayfield first.  As has been said previously, there is different ridership based on origin, destination and other less objective criteria, though I can see why some redundancy in the two routes (silver and red lines) is perceived.

Selfishly speaking, I'm a big fan of the one seat ride from the East Side to the Airport.  And if/when I move to University Circle, I'll like the one seat ride to Ohio City too.  With the station relocations/renovations and their increased integration with UC development, I imagine East Side Red Line ridership will jump up even with the Silver Line in service.

 

Gildone, see these posts in the RTA thread....

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=4504.msg217184#msg217184

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=4504.msg217209#msg217209

 

Thanks.  I was on vacation when these were posted.  No wonder I missed them...

I found this very funny (CWRU Humor):

 

[youtube=425,350]J-fyexuGl7M

 

This also got me thinking about the most crossed pedestrian intersections along Euclid.  My vote goes to these two:  E9th and Adelbert Rd at Case (with the latter being possibly the most Jay-walked per day) .  JMasek, has there been any special concern about that particular heavily used pedestrian intersection (especially safety of the students)??  For the first time I've even seen, there has been a crossing guard during office hours for the past 2 months directing traffic and people (But I was thinking it was due to the Cornell Bridge being out). 

 

I'd be up for Case getting another nice sum donation for a wide pedestrian bridge with weather-proof escalators and a covered moving sidewalk top...

has there been any special concern about that particular heavily used pedestrian intersection (especially safety of the students)??

 

Okay, I'm gonna vent a little bit here, and I will preface this with the statement that these are my own personal, non-professional, non-RTA opinions. The sentiment expressed in the quote above rankles  me in the same way as "think of the children!" or "if we do/don't x, the terrorists win!" in terms of being empty rhetoric that serves no real purpose other than to perpetuate a victim mentality.

 

Of course, due concern was given to ALL intersections - fer chrissakes, they are areas where pedestrains and vehicles interact, they're going to, by their very nature, be dangerous. An intelligent human (as I would HOPE most college-age persons should be), when presented with an unfamiliar and potentially dangerous situation, should look for advice and guidance (traffic signals, crosswalks) and follow that advice accordingly. Failure to heed that advice results in assumption of risk and expectation of  potential consequences.

 

IIRC, I was crossing busy intersections successfully, on my own, when I was about 8 or 9. I don't think we need to save every lemming from jumping off the cliff if that is what they choose to do. I'll say it again -- what they CHOOSE to do.

 

MuRrAy HiLL, this is nothing personally directed at you, just me starting off the day a little grumpy...

^ Also known as "Natural Selection."

We need more of it.

MuRrAy HiLL, good Case find there....we're such an interesting breed.

 

I know that when I was a student (and still today), there is great discussion from students about building a pedestrian bridge over the corner, but we've seen what that does to places like the Cleveland Clinic - it just kills the corner.  Do I think that intersection should be carefully planned?  (both crossings open, pavers, maybe a scatter walk) Yes.  However, I argued before and I will again that a pedestrian bridge is not good for street life.

 

Personally, I've always considered them unsafe too - you get up in no man's land, and what if there were not so nice people on either side?  You've got no where to go.

 

Musky, JeTDoG, no complaints there.  If they choose to jaywalk, let them get hit.

<<JMasek, has there been any special concern about that particular heavily used pedestrian intersection (especially safety of the students)??>>

 

Safety has always been a primary concern when designing the Euclid Corridor. RTA's Safety Department, which led by a professional engineer, has to approve all designs, etc. before construction can proceed. No section of the project will open to the public until safety officials sign off on it. It is interesting that the only areas you mention are those in higher education. You would think those who are more educated would be smarter than the rest of us. Your idea of building a bridge is not going to happen. Signs of a depressed economy are all around us, and very few people, public or private, or going to donate funds for a bridge that is essentially being built so college students do not have to obey the law. I know that is harsh, but it's reality. I know that I personally would loudly oppose any such use of tax dollars. If students obey the law, they will be safe.

hey, CWRU kids are only "book smart" so unless its covered in their fortran programming course, they aren't going to know how to properly obey walk signs and intersections and how cars and pedestrians interact with each other.

The crosswalk signs should be in binary.

No, just our walkways.

how cars and pedestrians interact with each other.

 

If it can be expressed as a formula (car's mass*velocity=flattened geek) I'm sure they will understand.

You people are priceless!

JeffreyT, I hear what you're saying about pedestrian bridges and tunnels killing the street life, but I don't think a single one in a location like this would do that damage.  It could be tastefully done and be more of a landmark/gateway thing than a "flyover."  Plus, it wouldn't be connecting one interior space to another... it'd be picking peds up from one corner and placing them on another, still on the street.  Besides, CWRU hasn't done much lately to improve street life on Euclid Avenue with its recent projects...

 

This is all, of course, extremely hypothetical and as JMasek said, not going to happen.  It don't hurt to dream and make pretty videos, though!

 

I enjoyed the video, by the way...

 

Oh, and from what I've seen of the plans, the improvements to the pedestrian environment along Euclid Avenue between E. 107th and E. 118th Streets (as part of the ECTP) will be substantial.

Oh, and from what I've seen of the plans, the improvements to the pedestrian environment along Euclid Avenue between E. 107th and E. 118th Streets (as part of the ECTP) will be substantial.

 

Images please!

you don't have them already??? KJP, I'm shocked!

Can everyone on this list make a New Year's resolution to subscribe to RTA's GREAT twice-a-month e-newsletter? The next issues will magically appear in your e-mail inbox on Jan. 15 and Feb. 1. Go ahead, make my day.

 

www.rideRTA.com/e-news

^Done!

 

So, while visiting Cleveland around Christmas time, I was driving east down Euclid and low and behold, driving west, I passed one of the new ECP buses being driven by Santa.  Quite a sight.

^shut up!  that's great!

 

And Jerry, I signed up two weeks ago, so you didn't even need to ask me!

By the way:

 

EUCLID CORRIDOR CONSTRUCTION ALERT - EUCLID/EAST 86TH - EAST 107TH TRAFFIC CHANGES AND CLOSURES

 

Beginning January 15, 2008, reconstruction work will begin between East 86th and East 107th Street. The following areas will be affected until August 2008:

 

-    Two-way traffic will be maintained between East 86th and East 87th;

 

-    From East 87th to East 89th one-way traffic will be maintained WESTBOUND;

 

-    Cleveland Clinic Main Entrance will be accessible via East 93rd;

 

-    Euclid Avenue and all side streets leading into Euclid Avenue will be CLOSED to through traffic from East 89th to East 97th;

 

-    One way Euclid Avenue traffic will be maintained EASTBOUND from East 97th to East 107th;

 

-    East 89th NORTHBOUND traffic lane will be CLOSED to through traffic. SOUTHBOUND traffic will have access to Euclid Avenue;

 

-  The WESTBOUND Euclid Avenue traffic from the East side will be detoured to Chester Avenue at Martin Luther King Blvd.  Traffic will travel along Chester

    Avenue to bypass the construction.  The detour will direct traffic to East 89th for access to Euclid Avenue;

 

-  The EASTBOUND Euclid Avenue traffic will be detoured North on East 87th.  Traffic will follow Chester Avenue to East 97th where it will regain access to

    Euclid Avenue.

 

Update on the south side of Euclid between East 6th and Public Square - a lot of streetlamps have been installed. They're shorter than the Public Square lights which should brighten things nicely. Pretty snazzy if you ask me:

 

Wow that looks really nice with the trees! (even the one that doesnt appear too straight)

So are the sidewalks done in this area then, or not even close? 

Closer to "not-even close"...but you can get to Jimmy Johns and Teresa's Pizza no problem now. 

 

Anyone know the timeline for the sidewalk completion between Public Square and E. 6th??

They have crews working on the brick as we type.

^Those guys have got to be loving this freakishly warm January weather.

While riding the Silver Line last week, I couldn't help but notice that these street lights, which appear to be of a more pedestrian nature, are facing out over the street.  Now, since I don't see taller lights over the street, maybe these really are street lights, but my impression was that they were intended to be pedestrian lights and were installed backwards.  Guess that's just me being negative, since the ECTP hasn't made any silly mistakes like this yet... :wink:

the ones between 9th and 14th are functioning and give off quite a bit of light, amply lighting the sidewalk, but the street as well.  There are also going to be the tall street lights reaching out in both directions from the median.  so all in all i don't think there will be an issue.

While riding the Silver Line last week, I couldn't help but notice that these street lights, which appear to be of a more pedestrian nature, are facing out over the street.  Now, since I don't see taller lights over the street, maybe these really are street lights, but my impression was that they were intended to be pedestrian lights and were installed backwards.  Guess that's just me being negative, since the ECTP hasn't made any silly mistakes like this yet... :wink:

 

some of the original renderings showed fixtures on both sides of the poles - the street and sidewalk sides, but i haven't seen any installed like that.

 

i do believe that there will be larger lights in the medians though.

Does look a little funny having the pole between the sidewalk and the light in every case...Even if it gives ample light, it's not exactly a great pro-sidewalk design statement.

Wow that looks really nice with the trees! (even the one that doesnt appear too straight)

So are the sidewalks done in this area then, or not even close? 

 

I've said this before, but I think the majority of the tall posts and the little ones are off kilter.  Line up the center point of the poles with a building in the background and you'll see it.  And yes I realize that the post tapers towards the top.

Proof is in the pudding - w28th's right. I wouldn't mind a little more attention to detail - I don't mind my tax dollars being used but I expect a little better than this:

 

^ actually i am convinced this is intentional.  Next time take a look at the angle of the traffic signal pole at euclid and 9th. must be some sort of "engineering"... Also... the brick sidewalks are almost complete in front of HOB are almost complete and they are moving towards city blue.

Well, I'm convinced that they're installing them backwards!

^Map Boy, out of curiosity, what specific mistake were you referring to in your earlier post?

just that it seems like the lights should be over the sidewalk, instead of the road, especially considering that roadway lights will be in the middle of Euclid at that location.  Unless I've got that wrong.  I still may be off, but that's just what my first (and continued) reaction is.

Naaah, I got that part (and agree); I meant in the line excerpted below.  Maybe I just misinterpreted it, but I thought you were sarcastically referring to a past gaff.  Something about that wink ;)

 

Guess that's just me being negative, since the ECTP hasn't made any silly mistakes like this yet... :wink:

oh, right.  Well, they've had a couple/few segments of concrete work that they've had to do twice and probably a number of other smaller snafus...

Anyone know the timeline for the sidewalk completion between Public Square and E. 6th??

"Crews are working on it as the weather allows.  Work is 100 percent weather dependent." Michael Schipper, in charge of the project for RTA

I will say that they have really been flying through that section by house of blues.  In the fall when they were working over by playhouse square i would typically see teams of 4 workers laying brick.  When i walked by HOB last night a little before 5 i counted 10 guys working on those sidewalks.  And in 2 days they have completed the work from the alley by HOB all the way past City Blue.  I wouldn't be surprised if they finished that portion up to east 4th street today.

^^ By the way JMasek... do you have any idea when they are going to divert traffic to the newley finished section between PS and E9th?  I noticed street sweepers going by the last couple of days so I am assuming this is happening soon.  I am just anxious to see the rest of the delapitated section of euclid disapear, so work will really pick up on the north side.

^ We have a schedule for construction, and God has a schedule for bad weather. God usually wins.... Seriously, at this point, ASAP is the only answer I can give. Thanks for asking.

As of about 4:00 today, the main brick laying of the sidewalks infront of HOB seems to be complete.   

 

Also the old 6-7 story gutted building that looks like it belongs in Baghdad (about across from Gallucci;s...E 60 ish) appears to be getting ready fot a facade.  Anyone know anything about this?

^I bet the HOB is happy that they got that sidewalk in before the next snowstorm hits.

the old 6-7 story gutted building  across from Gallucci;s...E 60 ish) appears to be getting ready for a facade. Anyone know anything about this?

 

As I have written before (I could not locate the post today), RTA purchased the property at 6611 Euclid Avenue, as part of its efforts to straighten out Euclid Avenue. (The road width was not uniform.) The building is being closed up for safety reasons, and eventually will be sold.

I can't wait to see what horrid temporary facade is pasted onto the Euclid side of the 6611 building.  Seems silly to tear down a 6 story building to straighten a street.  Just my opinion.

Who cares if they tear it down.. it looks like it was relocated from London, post-blitzkrieg.

Who cares, let's just tear down everything so we can have nice open fields surrounded by chain link fence.  That would be nice.

Take a drive down Market Street in Youngstown for a visual.