August 1, 20231 yr Author So they're ready to open the Waterfront Line but only for Browns games and no Blue & Green Line trains to serve it for a month.... For Immediate Release August 1, 2022 GCRTA – Rail Services Update Cleveland, OH – Planned repairs and upgrades to GCRTA rail infrastructure remain on schedule. This update covers major Blue/Green Line and Waterfront Line projects. Blue/Green Line Update The Blue/Green Line will close for major rehabilitation on Sunday, August 20, and will reopen on Sunday, October 1, 2023. Replacement bus service will use the same special alignment that was used during planned construction work in 2021. Schedules are now available on rideRTA.com. Waterfront Line Update Numerous repairs and improvements to the Waterfront Line remain on schedule. As a result, RTA plans to provide Waterfront Line service for every regular-season home game at Cleveland Browns Stadium, starting September 10, 2023. RTA will continue to perform various upgrades on days while trains are not running. Next spring or summer, on a date to be determined, the Waterfront Line will begin operating on a regular schedule in addition to serving major events. ABOUT RTA: GCRTA was formed in 1975 with the mission of providing public transit services to the 59 communities and 1.2 million residents of Cuyahoga County. As the largest public transit agency in the State of Ohio, GCRTA’s service options include bus, BRT, trolley, paratransit and three rail lines. GCRTA makes connections that empower individuals, neighborhoods, and communities to rise. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 1, 20231 yr Birdsong and the RTA ‘leadership’ ought to have their compensation tied to network availability. When was the last time the whole thing was actually functioning properly? My hovercraft is full of eels
August 1, 20231 yr Wait... the Blue AND Green lines are shut down for 6 weeks? For the entire east sides? F that S.
August 1, 20231 yr 32 minutes ago, roman totale XVII said: Birdsong and the RTA ‘leadership’ ought to have their compensation tied to network availability. When was the last time the whole thing was actually functioning properly? Sorry, all I can do is a $50k+ raise. In reality though, how much of this is deferred maintenance from the previous (and still existing) RTA regime? Edited August 1, 20231 yr by GISguy
August 2, 20231 yr Frankly, the only time the waterfront line was used was during browns games. It's virtually empty the rest of the time.
August 2, 20231 yr Author 9 hours ago, AsDustinFoxWouldSay said: Frankly, the only time the waterfront line was used was during browns games. It's virtually empty the rest of the time. Ridership on the Waterfront Line peaked at 1.5 million rides in 1998, the year BEFORE the Browns returned. Why? Because they charged for rides only inbound to Tower City. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 2, 20231 yr 4 hours ago, KJP said: Ridership on the Waterfront Line peaked at 1.5 million rides in 1998, the year BEFORE the Browns returned. Why? Because they charged for rides only inbound to Tower City. This is why we need it to connect to a downtown loop. A loop! A loop! We want a loop! 😁 Seriously, it's a spur into a rarely-visited cul-de-sac, and you have to go to Tower City to make use of it. Connect the Waterfront line to CSU and Tri-C and the potential ridership explodes.
August 2, 20231 yr 23 hours ago, TBideon said: Wait... the Blue AND Green lines are shut down for 6 weeks? For the entire east sides? F that S. Frustrating, I know. The Washington Metro went through two years of shut-downs and heavy maintenance; but in the end it was worth it. Now, if they continue progressive maintenance, we'll be fine. But they never do. Remember: It's the Year of the Snake
August 4, 20231 yr Frankly, the only time the waterfront line was used was during browns games. It's virtually empty the rest of the time. I think the most baffling thing imo is the Waterfront Line closing down at 7 PM when the flats east bank just started to take off. Parking during busy times can suck and I have had plenty of times when I wanted to take the train. Yes train ridership struggled in the beginning of the FEB lifespan but as people got used to it and realized the headache it can be to get down there I'm sure it would've grown. Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk
August 4, 20231 yr Author Because of it didn't involve downtown commuting, it was outside of GCRTA's routine. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 4, 20231 yr 11 hours ago, MyPhoneDead said: I think the most baffling thing imo is the Waterfront Line closing down at 7 PM when the flats east bank just started to take off. Parking during busy times can suck and I have had plenty of times when I wanted to take the train. Yes train ridership struggled in the beginning of the FEB lifespan but as people got used to it and realized the headache it can be to get down there I'm sure it would've grown. Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk Almost as dumb as "regular Sunday schedule" the evening of the Cavaliers Game 7 in 2016. The Muni Lot would have made hitting FEB much easier. But that may have cut into the profits of the lot operators, and we can't have that.....
August 4, 20231 yr The red line from the airport to Little Italy was ROUGH for long stretches on Wednesday evening. While I doubt other cities have something similar, our trains really need safe cars, quiet cars, luxury cars, whatever you want to call it, in which homeless, junkies, smokers, hustlers, and thugs are prohibited from accessing. Just one per train, I'm not asking for the moon. That was not a fun trip, not a good impression of the city. Certainly not a problem unique to Cleveland, but it was a tense 40+ minutes. Edited August 4, 20231 yr by TBideon
August 4, 20231 yr 15 minutes ago, TBideon said: The red line from the airport to Little Italy was ROUGH for long stretches on Wednesday evening. While I doubt other cities have something similar, our trains really need safe cars, quiet cars, luxury cars, whatever you want to call it, in which homeless, junkies, smokers, hustlers, and thugs are prohibited from accessing. Just one per train, I'm not asking for the moon. That was not a fun trip, not a good impression of the city. Certainly not a problem unique to Cleveland, but it was a tense 40+ minutes. Going back to fare enforcement at the station turnstile would likely solve a lot of that problem, as well as similar issues on the platforms.
August 4, 20231 yr Sure, that would help a great deal. But why can't we also have at least one luxury/safe/quiet car per train with security, right by the conductor. Maybe it would require reservations or have higher fees to be practical -- but that should be manageable. We went to the moon 60+ years ago and build giant bridges 60+ years before that; certainly this can't be insurmountable in the US. Just one quiet place where passengers can have safe passage and not deal with the constant tensions and abuses of contrarians and derelicts. The one-size-fits-all model just isn't working in a post-COVID world otherwise. Edited August 4, 20231 yr by TBideon
August 4, 20231 yr 2 hours ago, TBideon said: The red line from the airport to Little Italy was ROUGH for long stretches on Wednesday evening. While I doubt other cities have something similar, our trains really need safe cars, quiet cars, luxury cars, whatever you want to call it, in which homeless, junkies, smokers, hustlers, and thugs are prohibited from accessing. Just one per train, I'm not asking for the moon. That was not a fun trip, not a good impression of the city. Certainly not a problem unique to Cleveland, but it was a tense 40+ minutes. Right, if only they could make certain people ride at the back of the bus, eh? You know, undesirables.
August 4, 20231 yr 3 hours ago, TBideon said: Sure, that would help a great deal. But why can't we also have at least one luxury/safe/quiet car per train with security, right by the conductor. Maybe it would require reservations or have higher fees to be practical -- but that should be manageable. We went to the moon 60+ years ago and build giant bridges 60+ years before that; certainly this can't be insurmountable in the US. Just one quiet place where passengers can have safe passage and not deal with the constant tensions and abuses of contrarians and derelicts. The one-size-fits-all model just isn't working in a post-COVID world otherwise. I agree with you of course, but that would require a massive cultural shift for a bureaucracy that has never felt the need to appeal to those who have options.
August 4, 20231 yr A lot of people seem to prefer the "race to the bottom" mentality rather than using common sense behavioral screenings and new approaches for preserving if not incentivizing public transportation use. I can only imagine European or Asian tourist reactions when they see all the chaos on these trains with normal people distracting themselves from the loons who seemingly have carte blanche to smoke, inject, harass, menace, assault, sleep, panhandle, assault some more, change cars looking for victims, repeat and rinse. That s**t sure doesn't happen in Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, UK, Japan, Spain, Bahrain, hell, even Russia, China and North Korea. But MTA, CTA, RTA, Metro, SEPTA, BART, etc, anything goes. Consequence free. Sixty years of public transportation standards plummeting with the buh buh buh wacism idiots aiding its demise.
August 4, 20231 yr 10 minutes ago, TBideon said: A lot of people seem to prefer the "race to the bottom" mentality rather than using common sense behavioral screenings and new approaches for preserving if not incentivizing public transportation use. I can only imagine European or Asian tourist reactions when they see all the chaos on these trains with normal people distracting themselves from the loons who seemingly have carte blanche to smoke, inject, harass, menace, assault, sleep, panhandle, assault some more, change cars looking for victims, repeat and rinse. That s**t sure doesn't happen in Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, UK, Japan, Spain, Bahrain, hell, even Russia, China and North Korea. But MTA, CTA, RTA, Metro, SEPTA, BART, etc, anything goes. Consequence free. Sixty years of public transportation standards plummeting with the buh buh buh wacism idiots aiding its demise. Always with the histrionics.
August 4, 20231 yr 2 hours ago, TBideon said: Sixty years of public transportation standards plummeting with the buh buh buh wacism idiots aiding its demise. Ah yes, that's definitely it, not like idk, the consequences of capitalism but hey moving on. I've been on the train when the stopped it to tell someone to stop hucking goods (he was selling like candy), she warned him a few times over the PA and he actually stopped. RTA Police employ ~120-130 cops, maybe they can get out of their massive SUV's and do something. Edited August 4, 20231 yr by GISguy
August 9, 20231 yr Author Happy times on the Rapid "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 9, 20231 yr ^ What else do you do in that guys situation? A lot of times these stations are no-mans land. Even if you stay on the train all the way to the airport you are a sitting duck before then.
August 9, 20231 yr Author What do I do? I stop taking transit in Cleveland, which I have. Infrequent service, unreliable service, high fares, homeless hanging out in desolate stations, threat of getting attacked, no police anywhere, etc. I may love the concept of transit (and I used it a lot on my trip last week in Europe), but I don't love transit here and I refuse to subject myself to the indignity of using it. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 9, 20231 yr 4 minutes ago, KJP said: What do I do? I stop taking transit in Cleveland, which I have. Infrequent service, unreliable service, high fares, homeless hanging out in desolate stations, threat of getting attacked, no police anywhere, etc. I may love the concept of transit (and I used it a lot on my trip last week in Europe), but I don't love transit here and I refuse to subject myself to the indignity of using it. RTA spends a lot of money on police who just drive around in their SUVS all the time.
August 9, 20231 yr I wonder how much (and what % of) RTA Execs take the bus/train to get to work or go places.
August 9, 20231 yr On 8/4/2023 at 3:29 PM, TBideon said: That s**t sure doesn't happen in Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, UK, Japan, Spain, Bahrain, hell, even Russia, China and North Korea. Sorry, but that's not true -- I've seen it in Germany, Hong Kong, UK, and Japan (yes, ever-so-polite Japan!). Haven't been to any of those other countries. Could RTA do better, particularly with having more transit police around to control bad behavior? -- yes. But to say that it doesn't happen anywhere but the US suggests a lack of personal experience in those other countries.
August 9, 20231 yr 33 minutes ago, GISguy said: I wonder how much (and what % of) RTA Execs take the bus/train to get to work or go places. My hovercraft is full of eels
August 9, 20231 yr Maybe some investigative reporting on the alleged state of RTA is warranted. Journalists?
August 9, 20231 yr 3 hours ago, GISguy said: I wonder how much (and what % of) RTA Execs take the bus/train to get to work or go places. Unless it's a photo-op like Ronayne taking the Red line to office on his first day, they wouldn't be caught dead riding it.
August 9, 20231 yr 4 hours ago, surfohio said: ^ What else do you do in that guys situation? A lot of times these stations are no-mans land. Even if you stay on the train all the way to the airport you are a sitting duck before then. Again, control access to the station. If you're not a paid fare, you're not on the platform. Unless they have been radically changed, that's exactly what they are designed for, and how it used to be. I assume they have plenty of cameras, if not they aren't merely incompetent they are actively negligent.
August 10, 20231 yr Again, control access to the station. If you're not a paid fare, you're not on the platform. Unless they have been radically changed, that's exactly what they are designed for, and how it used to be. I assume they have plenty of cameras, if not they aren't merely incompetent they are actively negligent.Bring back the fare turnstiles but allow fare to be paid with your phone. Tickets don't even have to be printed. The turnstiles could have a screen on them you press, "One way" or "All day pass" you tap your phone or credit card, it deducts and sends you a digital receipt (If phone is used, Google pay and Apple Pay already provide payment notifications). Credit card users can get a quick receipt printed. If you use cash then you can either use the existing payment terminals and get a card and people swipe just like they do with a police officer (or fare enforcement). The turnstiles though would be taller and similar to MTA in New York to deter fare jumpers. Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk
August 10, 20231 yr The whole system is odd. The red line is essentially free unless you're getting off/on at Tower City. For years I've been taking that train and never seen a fair collector. What the hell am I paying for exactly?
August 10, 20231 yr 2 minutes ago, TBideon said: The whole system is odd. The red line is essentially free unless you're getting off/on at Tower City. For years I've been taking that train and never seen a fair collector. What the hell am I paying for exactly? I encountered transit police about 2 weeks ago checking my fare. But transit police are basically useless and a waste of RTA as the operate tight now.
August 10, 20231 yr RTA trustees boosted general manager’s pay, now they must demonstrate it was a good investment: Editorial Trustees for the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority recently approved a new 5-year contract for General Manager India Birdsong Terry boosting her pay by $56,000 a year and creating potential performance bonuses. Birdsong Terry’s salary climbed from $278,512 to $335,000 a year. She will be eligible for performance bonuses worth up to 15% of her pay – more than $50,000. https://www.cleveland.com/opinion/2023/08/rta-trustees-boosted-general-managers-pay-now-they-must-demonstrate-it-was-a-good-investment-editorial.html From Axios- never really looked at the comp numbers but lol how does our transit chief make more than Chicago's?!?! Edited August 10, 20231 yr by GISguy
August 10, 20231 yr 4 minutes ago, GISguy said: RTA trustees boosted general manager’s pay, now they must demonstrate it was a good investment: Editorial Trustees for the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority recently approved a new 5-year contract for General Manager India Birdsong Terry boosting her pay by $56,000 a year and creating potential performance bonuses. Birdsong Terry’s salary climbed from $278,512 to $335,000 a year. She will be eligible for performance bonuses worth up to 15% of her pay – more than $50,000. https://www.cleveland.com/opinion/2023/08/rta-trustees-boosted-general-managers-pay-now-they-must-demonstrate-it-was-a-good-investment-editorial.html meanwhile, wi-fi on buses and trains hasn't worked in months. My complaints to RTA go completely unanswered. I guess she earned that raise.
August 10, 20231 yr RTA trustees boosted general manager’s pay, now they must demonstrate it was a good investment: Editorial Spoiler: They sure as s-hit won't.
August 10, 20231 yr On 8/9/2023 at 10:33 AM, surfohio said: A lot of times these stations are no-mans land. Last time I took the rapid I walked past broken glass and a blood-soaked towel on my way up to the W 117th platform, RTA cops were questioning someone in the parking lot. And the train was leaking water from the ceiling when I got on. I’m being dead serious. I’m not planning on boycotting public transit anytime soon, but RTA needs to get their sh*t together.
August 11, 20231 yr Author Puke is a biohazard "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 11, 20231 yr This is another reason why they shouldn't do cloth/cushioned seats on the new trains being ordered. Beyond the fact that they're more durable, It's a lot easier to wash and keep plastic/metal seats clean and sanitary. While I'm here..... I cannot believe Birdsong got a raise, that's ridiculous!!!! Has she done anything since she's been here? Was she even a part of the new train search and purchase, or was that all the RTA board? I feel like she's the Frank (no-action) Jackson of transit leadership, it's embarrassing. To be clear, I'm not necessarily against giving a raise to that position to keep competitive with the market, and keep/get someone good. I'm against giving her a raise, she's terrible. If our RTA GM was good, then fine give the raise and keep'em, but she's not. If they were booting her and going after someone new and they needed to increase the pay, I'd be fine with that or anything else, but don't reward poor work and poor leadership!!! I'd rather put that 56k towards hiring another maintenance tech, putting in turnstiles, upgrading our payment methods...ANYTHING really.... other then paying her more money. Also, in response to a Q above about RTA execs riding public transit... does anyone know if RTA leadership get company cars? That would be ironic, wouldn't it? Lastly. With the Erieview/Galleria Tower reno, the CSU masterplan and Cross Country Mortgage all colliding on the east side of downtown/CBD, does anyone know if this has prompted new conversations about expanding the Waterfront Line and completing the Downtown Loop? I know it was mentioned recently about waiting until development happens on the muni lot, but I feel like that is a bad plan and short sited. Now that we have these three big projects happening on the eastern side of downtown I think its the perfect time to strike while the iron is hot, finish The Loop, and promote further development on the quieter side of town and the CBD as a whole. The RTA/DCA/Ronayne,City leadership all talk about the need for transit use/transit access/growing Downtown/bringing people back to the city core and all that... but I never hear them talk about the Downtown Loop. If they want all the previously listed things to happen then they need to make transit more worth riding, and theirs not really a better way to make transit more worth riding then being able to have full access to ALL of Downtown. Make the investment, get partners, tap into the FED money(there's never been a better time) and finish The Loop. This is probably one of the times when this is actually true... "if you build it, they will come" ... Finish The Loop!!!
August 13, 20231 yr Author "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 13, 20231 yr 14 minutes ago, KJP said: I was the other person with KJP tonight on that bus. The driver woke up and started complaining about us talking while he was sleeping and then walked toward the door saying that if we wanted to talk we should have waited outside. Never mind that the door was open and other people were already on board. At first this seemed funny but as he went on about it we started to realize he wasn't joking and that began to tick me off. I'm glad KJP took the pics and I hope someone at RTA sees this and takes corrective action.
August 17, 20231 yr Author Another day, another long-term rail service suspension and substitute bus service For Immediate Release August 17, 2022 Temporary Alternative Service for Blue & Green Line Riders Beginning August 20 through September 30, 2023, 67R buses will replace the suspended Blue and Green Line rail service east of Tower City station due to track, signal, and station repairs. Last summer, the GCRTA Board of Trustees awarded $3.5 million in contracted work to support enhanced customer experience and safety improvements along the two rail lines. During this six-week timeframe, GCRTA has also scheduled several additional light rail system improvements, to take advantage of power outages and warmer weather conditions. Among the improvements includes work at the Shaker Square Station consisting of repairs to the platforms, replacement of the station service building roof, system control boxes, several catenary pole suspension/pullover bands, and replacement of a signal transformer amongst other enhancements to the lines. Upon completion of the project, riders will experience more reliable service throughout the Blue and Green Lines. REPLACEMENT BUS SERVICE Replacement 67R bus service will be available operating to/from Green Road via Van Aken Blvd. and Warrensville Center Road. See the map route provided for details. Replacement 67R buses will operate every 15-minutes during weekday rush periods, and every 30-minutes all other times. Please look for the orange colored 67R bus stop signs along the route to board the replacement bus. The Blue/Green Line will reopen on Sunday, October 1, 2023. Schedules for this replacement bus service are available on rideRTA.com https://www.riderta.com/riders-alerts/blue-green-line-replaced-67r-buses "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 18, 20231 yr Does anyone know what's going on with the waterfront line today? Just snapped a few quick pics as I was walking past, didn't have time to investigate. Edit: also just noticed that streetlight, ....ugh, smh.
August 19, 20231 yr Author Yes, GCRTA is sprucing up all of the Waterfront Line stations prior to the line's partial reopening next month. The repairs to the bridge over Front Street and the railroad tracks are progressing. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 28, 20231 yr On 8/10/2023 at 10:57 AM, freefourur said: I encountered transit police about 2 weeks ago checking my fare. But transit police are basically useless and a waste of RTA as the operate tight now. I was thinking about this post this morning as I watched 2 RTA transit police (complete with arm sleeve tattoos and wrap-around Oakleys) ticketing cars in the bus lane on Clifton. I'm all for the bus lanes on Clifton, but this seems like a horrendous waste of resources to have 2 officers in a full-sized SUV performing this function.
August 28, 20231 yr Yeah imagine how much more affordable fares would be if we didn’t waste sooo much money on the transit police, the insanely wasteful staffing levels, and the luxurious cars. Classic Ohio smh
August 28, 20231 yr 44 minutes ago, Clefan14 said: Yeah imagine how much more affordable fares would be if we didn’t waste sooo much money on the transit police, the insanely wasteful staffing levels, and the luxurious cars. Classic Ohio smh Instead of imagining, how about we show the math on that assertion?
August 28, 20231 yr 1 hour ago, Clefan14 said: Yeah imagine how much more affordable fares would be if we didn’t waste sooo much money on the transit police, the insanely wasteful staffing levels, and the luxurious cars. Classic Ohio smh How do you propose enforcing fare collection and the general rules?
August 28, 20231 yr yeah you gotta enforce that fare collection. at the very minimum it promotes and maintains responsible citizenship. out here since covid no one pays on nyc bus transit except tourists and busters. however, mta is starting to crack down a bit, yet still throwing poors and scoflaws a bone by designating one popular bus route in each boro free as kind of a test that starts in sept. that said, there is a decent legit call for making transit free for riders. fare revenue is only 38% of mta funding. i’m sure its funding pie chart is similar for cle rta and elsewhere. yeah it would take raising taxes tho.
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