Just wanted to comment that between public square and east 40th this morning, we had to stop for a fairly significant amount of time at almost every light.  However, the same ride yesterday had almost no time spent at lights (I could see many of them change as we approached) and was a much quicker ride.

 

Agreed on the severe fluctuations between rides.  It has taken anywhere between 15-35 from Public Square to the Clinic.

Took the Healthline to get to an appointment in University Circle today. First impressions:

 

1. Ridewise - sooooo much better than the 6 (probably a given but still).

2. Timing - going from downtown to University Circle was fine, but in reverse there was plenty of bunching up (aka waiting at the station longer than expected).

3. Some issues of long waits at the lights at East 6th (as said upthread, it's because of the lane closure for the 668 Euclid building), and East 9th (I'm guessing because of the Browns game).

 

Just adding to the chorus of once the timing is worked out, it f#cking rocks.

Could RTA maybe forgo charging people on the Healthline until it's fully operational? One advantage is that it would reduce boarding time to what was initially planned, which would in turn alleviate the bottlenecks and give the signal timing a chance to work. Right? Also, it would be a nice way of acknowledging that riders aren't yet getting what they paid for.

 

I do not mean to sound like a hard-nose, but the you pay for a ride, and you are getting a ride. Any agency facing the financial limitations that RTA is does not give away its product.

I'm sure people are trying to work out kinks but you know, I agree - the first day or two, yeah, but to have this continuing for a couple of weeks, that's enough to sour people on the system who are sitting for no reason, seeing the buses stack up against each other and watching the cars go by faster than they can go.  I also agree if the plan wasn't ready, perhaps the ribbon cutting could have been postponed, or they could have just had ONE bus running as a "sample" on the big splashy day as to how it would be, until the kinks were worked out.

 

The HealthLine is superior to the #6 service, and improvements are being made daily. RTA apologizes for any inconvenience. We wanted to give our customers as much service as we could, as soon as we could, and that's what we are doing.

I see now those bunches of whitish low cylinder thingies are located to prevent cars from driving right up to the medians.  They are not attached to the infrastructure but are placed on top, with rubber suction cups or whatever keepign them down.  They are, however, mostly tilted and unattractive in a rebuilt corridor where high-tech rules in general.  I was hoping they were temporary during construction until something better looking would replace them but it looks like no.  And I assume nobody did anything about straigtening out all the crooked lightpoles (by Union Club and so many others - including many of the light cylinders in Clinic area.

And I take it no more tall sidewalk streetlights are to be installed in that area, even though there are long gaps missing these lights.

Does anyone know what became of "The Politician: a Toy," the Billy Lawless sculpture that had been situated by Chester near E. 65th?  At one time it was to be moved to Euclid and E. 55th, where the train station used to be (this is the connect with this topic....), and then I had read it was to be moved down Chester in CSU area.  Don't see it now at all.

 

It's being refurbished and going to CSU - behind the Law Library on Chester. (Search the CSU Projects thread for renderings I did.)

Problems at the Healthline already. I wonder what is going to come out of this story? http://www.woio.com/global/story.asp?s=9311128

I was going to take the healthline from playhouse square to public square on Thursday, but it said there was a 35-minute wait at 5 p.m. I'm not sure if I should be glad that it made me not wait and walk, or whether I should be angry that there was a 35-minute wait.

 

No Healthlines or trolleys passed during my walk -- not that I would have hopped on a trolley with Browns traffic in the non-bus lanes.

I was going to take the healthline from playhouse square to public square on Thursday, but it said there was a 35-minute wait at 5 p.m. I'm not sure if I should be glad that it made me not wait and walk, or whether I should be angry that there was a 35-minute wait.

 

No Healthlines or trolleys passed during my walk -- not that I would have hopped on a trolley with Browns traffic in the non-bus lanes.

 

There was no Browns game today.  :?

how many healthline busses are there going along euclid vs #6 busses?

I was going to take the healthline from playhouse square to public square on Thursday, but it said there was a 35-minute wait at 5 p.m. I'm not sure if I should be glad that it made me not wait and walk, or whether I should be angry that there was a 35-minute wait.

 

No Healthlines or trolleys passed during my walk -- not that I would have hopped on a trolley with Browns traffic in the non-bus lanes.

 

There was no Browns game today. :?

 

I think AMN was talking about Thursday nights Browns game

Thought Litt's "architectural review" of the HealthLine was pretty balanced and about the right tone.  In one edition of the PD - yesterday's (Sunday's) it was spelled "Health Line" in Litt's article, "HealthLine" in an editorial ( I think), and "Healthline" somewhere else.  As I've mentioned the electronic billboard in the stations calls is "Health Line" (at least as of two weeks ago).  There should be only one correct spelling, and I'm sure it's "HealthLine" (the trendy one).  Tsk!

I hate hitting shift in the middle of a word.

How many HealthLine busses are there going along Euclid vs #6 busses?

 

During a typical AM rush hour, we used 24 standard buses on the #6.

 

With the HealthLine, we now use 16.

Thought Litt's "architectural review" of the HealthLine was pretty balanced and about the right tone. In one edition of the PD - yesterday's (Sunday's) it was spelled "Health Line" in Litt's article, "HealthLine" in an editorial ( I think), and "Healthline" somewhere else. As I've mentioned the electronic billboard in the stations calls is "Health Line" (at least as of two weeks ago). There should be only one correct spelling, and I'm sure it's "HealthLine" (the trendy one). Tsk!

 

HealthLine is correct in all cases. So is "Web site", and you see how many ways we butcher that one.

Problems at the Healthline already. I wonder what is going to come out of this story? http://www.woio.com/global/story.asp?s=9311128

 

TV-19 is airing a story at 11 p.m tonight. Promos began airing Thursday during the Browns game. Joe Calabrese sent this response out Friday to community leaders.

 

----

 

We want to update you on a very important issue that will be aired Monday night on TV-19 WOIO.

 

On Oct. 31, we met with TV-19 reporter Carl Monday, regarding some questions on the quality of concrete used in the Euclid Corridor Project.  At that time, he presented photos alleging that the concrete supplier - a sub-contractor to a prime contractor - added calcium chloride to the concrete mix for parts of Euclid Avenue.  If these allegations are confirmed, it would mean the concrete did not meet our specifications.

 

At the interview, we requested the actual dates that the photos were taken.  On Nov. 5, we were informed of the dates -- May 22 and May 28, 2008 - and the trucks involved.

 

Our construction management consultant, Washington Group International, immediately began to review the concrete pours in question.  Based on concrete batch plant tickets, we found no evidence that concrete poured on those dates contained calcium chloride.  The concrete tests for those pours showed that the concrete met the physical and strength characteristics required by our specifications.

 

Attached is a letter to that effect from our construction management firm.

 

We also reviewed our records and found there were no requests, by either the prime contractor or the subcontractor, to use an alternate concrete mix on those days.

 

During our Oct. 31 interview, we noted that the project included more than 1,800 concrete pours of various concrete mix designs.  During the course of the Euclid Project, we documented only 27 instances of non-conformance with the concrete  - 23 of them have already been addressed, three are being resolved by concrete replacement at the contractor's expense, and the final one is still being reviewed.

 

TV-19's alleged use of improper additives is being added to our non-conformance report.

 

We are in the process of having the concrete in question tested for chlorine content. In addition, RTA is doing random sampling of concrete throughout the length of the project.

 

If our tests confirm the use of calcium chloride, RTA will take appropriate action against the contractor and subcontractor.  The concrete in question was used for non-reinforced roadway pavement.  Based on the physical characteristics and strength tests that have already been done, we firmly believe we have a high-quality roadway in place. 

 

We are keenly disappointed that Carl Monday waited until after the project was over to bring this important matter to our attention, and we expressed that to him.

 

We hope this clears up any doubts the TV-19 story might create.

A link to Litt's review of the project...

www.cleveland.com/entertainment/plaindealer/steven_litt/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-0/122613662876861.xml&coll=2

Carl Monday is such a twit

Something I've been wondering for weeks - What is the symbolism of the rock piles in the center median between MLK and East Blvd?

Carl Monday is such a twit

 

Well, it is November and that means sweeps time. So we will be bombarded with all sorts of public corruption, waste of tax payers money and sex stories for a few more weeks.

Carl Monday may be on to something.  When you have two companies run by the same family, one pouring concrete, the other inspecting it, you may run into problems...

 

RTA didn't know about its contractor's ties

 

Posted by Joel Rutchick and Sandra Livingston September 07, 2008 21:52PM

 

Perk Co., owned by Anthony and Joseph Cifani, was primary contractor on this stretch of the Euclid Corridor project. McTech Corp., owned by Mark Perkins and Joseph Cifani's wife, provided much of the concrete. And TTL Meadows Group, a joint venture in which Mark Perkins' sister and Anthony Cifani's wife had a financial interest, tested the quality of the concrete.

 

<continued at>

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/09/rta_didnt_know_about_its_contr.html

From EagleFan's article:

 

"[The cross-ownership is] something that should have been disclosed," said Joseph Calabrese, RTA's chief executive officer. "Things like this certainly could create a perception of possible conflict of interest."

 

Perception?  Possible?  Come on.  In other news, companies paid and selected by Diebold said Diebold voting machines were A-OK.  Diebold still has our money while their junk machines sit in a warehouse unusable.

 

"The problem with situations like this is even if they are doing a 100 percent A-plus job, it raises a perception," the RTA's Calabrese said, "that everything might not be on the up and up."

 

No.  This isn't a perception issue.  The real and actual conflict meant that company was not at all qualified to inspect what was really its own work.  Perk commited a fraud upon the government and should be treated as such.

One would think it would be mandated in the contract that an independent, conflict of interest free third party would be responsible for verification & validation. Hopefully it amounts to nothing and everything is on the up and up.

Something I've been wondering for weeks - What is the symbolism of the rock piles in the center median between MLK and East Blvd?

 

checking

What is the symbolism of the rock piles in the center median between MLK and East Blvd?

 

From Project Officer Danielle Willis: It's called Osmosis by Murase Studio from Portland Oregon. This landscape architecture connects many themes including Doan's Brook;  universal forms (the circle) that is contrasting in materials with morphed spheres as they emerge from the earth. Some materials will be neatly fitted and others in an upright position forming a serpentine stone wall. The artist wants to represent a crossroad of thoughts and critical thinking that affects the lives outside the circle on a daily basis. 

 

The cairn on the Severance Hall side seems to evoke various interpretations from people passing by. At first, some people thought it was a wishing well as it was only partially built.  Others have asked if it was a beehive or honeycomb. There certainly is a resemblance.  I suppose it could be interpreted as that but the circular cairn is just a stone marker in the landscape. It's actually an ancient and universal form found in many places in the world.  There are stupas found in the East with a similar form with cosmological interpretations. but here in this context it can also be related to the curvatures of the dome structures and windows of the nearby churches.

 

I suppose the many interpretations people have is what an abstract piece allows for. It simply is just an landscape art form.

 

My children and I love it. At first when coming from downtown, I thought it was unfinished or had been vandalized. But when I saw the whole piece, I loved it. I have something similar in front yard - seriously.

 

Thanks JMasek

Thanks for looking into that :)  I guess I'm too scientific-minded to ever have gotten that on my own, hence why I asked!

I like the cairn a lot.

Did anybody watch that shmuck's piece last night?  Was it basically the same story as discussed a few posts ago?

^ I'm reticent to give him ratings, even via the intertubes, but you can watch it here:

 

http://www.woio.com/Global/category.asp?C=4397&nav=menu68_1

 

It's listed under the featured videos. I would direct link to if I could but the geniuses use an obfuscated link through a javascript pop-up in order to force you to watch a commercial. Didn't work under Firefox for me, either.

 

*edit: after watching it, I didn't think it was his usual over the top style and seemed like a decent report. It also appears he caught McTech red handed adding the calcium chloride. Sigh.

Just watched it.  Yikes.

 

JMasek or JetDog, what would be a worst case scenario with this situation.  Is it foreseeable/possible that, if the cement really is substantially tainted with that stuff, the entire Corridor would have to be repaved?

I think they said McTech only poured between Public Square and Playhouse Square. It still remains to be seen what impact this will have. For example does one bag really have that much of an impact? I assume McTech will be held liable for any significant re-work (if any is needed). There's a follow up tonight with an official response from RTA.

What would be a worst case scenario with this situation? Is it foreseeable/possible that, if the cement really is substantially tainted with that stuff, the entire Corridor would have to be repaved?

 

We are testing the concrete, and will take action based on the results of those tests. No agency responds to "What if" questions.

JMasek, I have to take umbrage with that.  As a taxpayer who funded this project both on a local and federal level, I feel that's a reasonable question and RTA should have a more detailed response other than wait-and-see.  What if I were a potential business owner looking to expand to Euclid - surely a massive repaving project would be highly relevant to my decision.

 

I don't mean to attack you - I'm sure you and the other RTA people are furious by this news - but we have a right to know what's going on regarding the various scenarios.  Just as you were undoubtedly angered by Carl Monday's hiding this information until now, I kind of feel the same way about RTA's response thus far.

JMasek or JetDog, what would be a worst case scenario with this situation.  Is it foreseeable/possible that, if the cement really is substantially tainted with that stuff, the entire Corridor would have to be repaved?

 

I hope McTech, their subsidiary, and anyone complicit in this scam is thrown in the hoosegow.  Actually, there should be a flogging in public square first.

JMasek or JetDog, what would be a worst case scenario with this situation.  Is it foreseeable/possible that, if the cement really is substantially tainted with that stuff, the entire Corridor would have to be repaved?

 

I hope McTech, their subsidiary, and anyone complicit in this scam is thrown in the hoosegow.  Actually, there should be a flogging in public square first.

 

hummm.  New programming on Public Square! :clap:

 

On another note, I haven't heard or used the word "hoosegow" in ages.  What a throwback!

JMasek, I have to take umbrage with that.  As a taxpayer who funded this project both on a local and federal level, I feel that's a reasonable question and RTA should have a more detailed response other than wait-and-see.  What if I were a potential business owner looking to expand to Euclid - surely a massive repaving project would be highly relevant to my decision.

 

I don't mean to attack you - I'm sure you and the other RTA people are furious by this news - but we have a right to know what's going on regarding the various scenarios.  Just as you were undoubtedly angered by Carl Monday's hiding this information until now, I kind of feel the same way about RTA's response thus far.

 

I agree, big time. I'm quite taken aback by your nonchalant answer, JMasek, personally. "No agency responds to "What if" questions."?? So you mean to tell me that you just take everything at face value?

 

I personally was hoping RTA would take it upon itself to do whatever it could to provide excellent service to its customers and to make sure that taxpayers are getting their money's worth.

^The personal insults aren't necessary, jpop.

 

I do have to agree with TBideon - I understand that there are certain things that can't be disclosed and specifics regarding a potential fix may not even be planned yet, but I think we're allowed to be miffed about this.

^The personal insults aren't necessary, jpop.

 

I do have to agree with TBideon - I understand that there are certain things that can't be disclosed and specifics regarding a potential fix may not even be planned yet, but I think we're allowed to be miffed about this.

 

I've edited my response. You never let me have any fun.

 

It's not so much that a mistake was made that has me miffed. Shit happens! It's more the attitude we're getting from RTA that has me a bit incredulous. It just feels like no one is willing to apologize for it. I feel like it's more, "Shit happened. Deal with it."

First off, I feel bad for RTA's spokesmen because they're having to answer for problems they did not create.  Their presence and accessibility on this forum is a huge benefit to everyone.

 

On with my rant... this is well beyond "what if," it's a matter of "what's next."  What's next should be this community asserting itself in the face of villany.  RTA needs to stand up for its constituents' interest in not being ripped off.  This is an affront to the people of our community and we're tired of being stepped on by scumbag contractors and vendors.  Cleveland will continue to be ridiculed if it slinks off muttering "aw shucks" every time someone leaves it holding the bag.  We need to stand up and fight for no-excuses, top-notch infrastructure.  There were prior issues with bad concrete on this project, and this section was laid after the one near 55th had already been done twice.  Testing should have been taken more seriously from that point on.  If Carl Monday has to point it out, and we're testing AFTER his report, AFTER the grand opening, a tremendous failure has taken place.  I have some background in quality control, and the clear lack of oversight throughout this project has really disappointed me.

I really know nothing about this stuff, but I wonder if it's possible it was just an honest mistake. Probably not, but worth considering before vilifying anyone.

Carl Monday acted on a tip from an informant. If the informant was really interested in the public good, he could have reported it to us. Carl Monday shot the footage in May, and he told us in late October. Draw your own conclusions. There was oversight and testing at many different levels, and all professional engineering and testing standards were met. The Plain Dealer and Sun Newspapers both monitor Urban Ohio. We are dealing with this issue as quickly and logically as possbile. Allegations were made. First, you collect facts to determine if the allegations are correct, and then you determine a course of action, based on those facts. It is not in anyone's best interests to declare a course of action before the facts are known. We have not even seen the whole report yet -- RTA's response will be aired on the 11 p.m. news today.

 

I can fully appreciate these emotional posts, but a "rush to judgement" is the last thing anyone needs right now.

Jerry, being in the "field" I feel you pain.

Is the Carl Monday report related to the issue with the inspection firm being related to the concrete company?  Just wondering the obvious...would legitimate inspections have caught this problem, or they two completely different errors?

In defense of Jerry, there are no good answers for "what if" questions because they are usually purely speculation. Let a legitimate investigation find out the facts and make a determination whether it was accidental or deliberate.

 

It never fails to amaze me how ready people are to "git a rope" and hang someone before the facts are known.

 

BTW: Here's the P-D's take on the story...

 

Cleveland's Euclid Avenue concrete could be tainted

Posted by spatton November 10, 2008 18:14PM

 

CLEVELAND -- The RTA plans to test concrete along seven miles of Euclid Avenue to see if it contains a chemical that could erode steel bars, causing the road to crumble.

 

Concrete samples will be taken from locations along the road and checked for calcium chloride, which is added to concrete to help it set faster. The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Agency did not give approval for the chemical to be used in its recently unveiled Euclid Corridor HealthLine project, said Mike Schipper, deputy general manager of for engineering.

 

.........

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/11/clevelands_euclid_avenue_concr.html

 

 

Some degree of dishonesty has already taken place, in RTA not being informed of the conflict of interest with the testing firm.  We're also allowed to be upset about honest mistakes, because multiple systems are supposed to be in place to prevent mistakes from getting this far.  This isn't like Earnest Byner dropping a football.  One person screwing up by themselves can't make this happen, it requires a cascade of failure.  Like that one Mars rover where nobody noticed the plans were in metric.

 

Unfortunately, this project starts out with strikes against it because BRT is somewhat alien, and seemingly everyone but us is talking about getting new rail lines.  (Incidentally, how does one get a job running a cereal company if one hates corn?  Why would one so inclined even pursue that job?)  Thus a smooth rollout was critical, but at this point that's spilt milk.  I think people are less upset that things have gone wrong, and more upset about RTA's lukewarm approach when their partners are unfairly making them (and our city) look bad.  This isn't just about the concrete, either.  People want to know that our officials are zealously advancing our interests.  Certainly, promises were made by the signal timing vendor in their proposal and/or their sales materials.  I would hope they have someone here working around the clock to get things fixed.

On another topic, Joe Calabrese is taping a response to the TV-19 HealthLine editorial and it should air in a few days.

 

Ken Sislak also sent comments to TV-19. He shared them with me. They are below.

 

I was disappointed with the negative editorial sewing seeds of doubt about the wisdom of investing $200 million into the re-construction of Euclid Avenue.  The improvement of bus service in the Euclid Corridor has already resulted in a renaissance of the infrastructure along Cleveland’s Main Street.  Yes, there are many empty buildings along Euclid Avenue.  But over time, they will be renovated or replaced with new businesses and housing as we come to grips with re-inventing our city as a more sustainable place to live, learn, work and play.  The downward movement of gasoline prices is likely to be only a temporary relief from the upward pressure exerted on a commodity that is dwindling both in terms of sources of supply and limited production capacity in a world that has grown more dependent on oil for energy and base chemicals for plastics.  The reinvestment in transportation infrastructure, such as improvements to public transportation like the HealthLine bus rapid transit service or new high-speed rail systems linking the cities of the Great Lakes region, will allow Cleveland to re-gain its prominence as the “best location in the nation.”  Be patient, Rome was not built in a day and the HealthLine is not a magic bullet that will reinvigorate Cleveland overnight.  It will take vision, imagination, political leadership, new government policies on a range of topics and the willingness of many people in this community to overcome our sense of self-doubt that is enabled by editorials such as yours that dwell on doubt rather than hope.

 

Kenneth G. Sislak

 

I thought it would only be fair to link to RTA's response on WOIO last night. This one has a bit more of that special Carl Monday feel to it --

 

LINK

That's pathetic.  This place is not to far from my house and its a minority business.  If Carl's "investigation" is true, shame on them.

 

The big question is why didn't Carl speak up DURING the construction/pour phase??

 

He's trying to come off as a hero, but really an opportunist.  If he had CLEVELANDS best intrest at heart he would have spoken out sooner.

 

Also, the beginning of this is why I don't watch 19.  Denise you're a joke as well!