I think 8Shades has covered it for me...

Outstanding response, 8Shades. I hope you also decide to post that on Scene's blog (the link the was posted with her "article" in this thread).

 

She had no idea what to tell the poor guy? How about: "I don't know anything about Cleveland so you should ask someone else, but I'm going to write an article about this experience so thousands of readers will realize what a dumb ass I am." I realize that many of us in the media think it's better to be a skeptic otherwise we fear our colleagues and readers will think we're wimpy stenographers. But it really is OK to say flattering things about your city and still be accurate.

^Right.  Or perhaps she could've just said, hey, wander around the city a bit and get lost... that's a fun way of doing it.  Or maybe a more sensible answer would've been to send the guy up to the new Public Square Visitor Center.  Hopefully, this "poor guy" had enough sense to shrug off this shameful ambassador and go look for a second opinion...

in other news, what happened to that old school bus shelter at East 55th Street & Chester at the foot of that CMHA tower???  That thing was so cool and a rare example of a RTA bus shelter that actually fit into its surroundings!

From the comments after, it looks like other people are pointing out how flawed she is..  I think she'll be sorry she didnt put more any thought into this.

 

there, fixed that for ya :-)

 

I was going to comment, but all of the rest of you have done such a fabulous job... I love this town! I will say that I had a couple of opportunities recently to catch the 807 to/from Steelyard Commons, and only then was I able to appreciate the beauty of the neighborhood it passes through. In a word -- WOW!!!

I miss the old scene, the one that talked about cool music and the cool things going on in Cleveland.

I miss the old scene, the one that talked about cool music and the cool things going on in Cleveland.

 

Yeah, I was thinking; of all the media outlets to have a good amount of staff "in-tune" with cleveland, it should have been the local weekly.......

Scene is too snarky for a smart-ass like me. It just gives me a headache.

so other than papa smurf, er, 8shades, who wrote or called to complain about this "ambassador"?

what are you, my mother?

An off the wall question but I figured if anyone knows, it would be people around here.  Are there many other areas that refer to their rail transit system as "The Rapid" as we in Cleveland do?  There are not many other localities that come up in a Google search for "Take the Rapid."  What is the origin of referring to it as "The Rapid", is it just a term that people used and then grew naturally or was it marketed as "The Rapid?" early on?  If it wasn't called that originally then any ideas on when it started?   

 

I also might have heard that some people only call the Red Line by that term and don't use it for the others, but maybe that was in a dream.

Stupid garce! 

 

Another thing, it's too bad that throngs of  people who rip on RTA maybe venture to Chicago (I'll use this as an example since it's closer and cheaper to travel to/visit than NYC and has a "real" public transit system) once a year or once every few years and use the CTA for a couple rides.  They marvel about how wonderful it is and why RTA sucks.  If they actually used it, they'd realize that buses and trains tend to comes in groups of 3 too!  It's not uncommon to wait 30 min. for 3 #29 buses or have the trip to ORD take over an hour from downtown b/c the train stops in between every stop for crews on the tracks. 

 

As negative as some people are about Cleveland, they also have huge egos thinking that we're this special case study on urban America and why no other city in the world can compare to all of our "shortcomings". Give me a break!

 

Ahh!  Oh well,  today my commute took 10 min thanks to N. America's best transit system instead of 1.5 hours like coworkers who were stuck on the freeways.

 

Let's go RTA!  Now that they've earned that title, there is no room for complacency. 

I hope that the recent rate increase for the taxi service at Hopkins will be a BIG push for RTA to really market the TRAINS(easier phrase than rapid) to downtown throughout the airport for out of town travellers.  The announcements have gottne better...but more visible signage or kiosks (which include train destinations) throughout the airport may help ridership even more...just a thought

Matches, every city with a rail system (or virtually every) has its own name for it. In Chicago, of course, they call it the El, even the parts in the subway! In New York, they call it the subway, even the parts that are elevated. In  Boston, it's The T. So is it in Pittsburgh. In Washington DC, it's The Metro. Same deal in Los Angeles (though some call it Metro Rail). In San Diego, it's The Trolley. Same thing in New Orleans. In San Francisco, it's BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) or the Muni (for the Municipal Railways). In Atlanta, it's MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Regional Transit Authority). In Toronto, the streetcar network is called The Rocket, but the subway is simply The Subway. Any others I'm forgetting??

 

And, as we all know, here in C-town we lovingly call our little slice of rail paradise The Rapid. The Shaker lines were called that since before the Red Line was opened in 1955. Back then, the Red Line was called the CTS Rapid (the Cleveland Transit System was owned by the City of Cleveland). The Shaker lines (owned by the City of Shaker Heights) were called the Shaker Rapid. When they merged under RTA, the name The Rapid soon became applicable to both parts of the rail system.

I hope that the recent rate increase for the taxi service at Hopkins will be a BIG push for RTA to really market the TRAINS (easier phrase than rapid) to downtown throughout the airport for out-of- town travellers.  The announcements have gotten better...but more visible signage or kiosks (which include train destinations) throughout the airport may help ridership even more.

 

Our relationship with Hopkins has been growing in recent years. We will continue to look for ways to increase ridership there. I will pass along your ideas. Many thanks.

^ I was there this weekend and was pleased to hear that the rapid was the first transportation option given over the announcements

^Aren't all of the lines you quoted "rapid transit lines" but they just took nicknames like "el" or "T"? 

Not all. Some are streetcars (light-rail). Some are rapid transit (heavy rail) and some are hybrids, like the San Diego Trolley which operates both as a streetcar and on dedicated right of way at 50+ mph speeds.

A lot of the The Chicago "el" station bridges have signs on them that refer to it as rapid transit.  I know for sure the Addison station near Wrigley still has a sign on the bridge that says "Rapid transit to the loop".  It used to say 19 minutes, but they blocked that out long ago.

 

Another thing, it's too bad that throngs of  people who rip on RTA maybe venture to Chicago (I'll use this as an example since it's closer and cheaper to travel to/visit than NYC and has a "real" public transit system) once a year or once every few years and use the CTA for a couple rides.  They marvel about how wonderful it is and why RTA sucks.  If they actually used it, they'd realize that buses and trains tend to comes in groups of 3 too!  It's not uncommon to wait 30 min. for 3 #29 buses or have the trip to ORD take over an hour from downtown b/c the train stops in between every stop for crews on the tracks. 

 

A-freakin-men.  Buses breakdown daily.  I was in a cab the other day and the African cab driver was complaining about how bad traffic was in Chicago, and blamed it on how bad the cta sucks....and people are choosing to drive more.  He pointed at one of the old buses and said "Back in my country, we have the same bus...and it's a 3rd world country!"  Some of the buses literally have pieces falling off as they go down the road belching black smoke.

 

We are once again in a doomsday scenerio, bus lines will be cut and possibly rail lines if they don't get state funding.  Pretty sad for the 2nd largest transit system in the US.

Matches, every city with a rail system (or virtually every) has its own name for it. In Chicago, of course, they call it the El, even the parts in the subway! In New York, they call it the subway, even the parts that are elevated. In  Boston, it's The T. So is it in Pittsburgh. In Washington DC, it's The Metro. Same deal in Los Angeles (though some call it Metro Rail). In San Diego, it's The Trolley. Same thing in New Orleans. In San Francisco, it's BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) or the Muni (for the Municipal Railways). In Atlanta, it's MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Regional Transit Authority). In Toronto, the streetcar network is called The Rocket, but the subway is simply The Subway. Any others I'm forgetting??

 

And, as we all know, here in C-town we lovingly call our little slice of rail paradise The Rapid. The Shaker lines were called that since before the Red Line was opened in 1955. Back then, the Red Line was called the CTS Rapid (the Cleveland Transit System was owned by the City of Cleveland). The Shaker lines (owned by the City of Shaker Heights) were called the Shaker Rapid. When they merged under RTA, the name The Rapid soon became applicable to both parts of the rail system.

 

Growing up and still to this day, most people I know called the Red Line the Cleveland Rapid.  Even now I rarely say the color of the line, I still say Cleveland Rapid or Shaker Rapid.

 

Although I agree with JDDs suggestion that our signage and "announcements" at the airport should use the universal word "train".

For the younger generation it's all "the Rapid."

For the younger generation it's all "the Rapid."

 

And I know a girl who's called it "The Rapids" making it sound like a rafting adventure.  KJP covered a lot of the major systems and no other "Rapids", so... that makes me feel a little special.  I thought it was pretty unique and wonder if it sounds odd to out-of-towners.

JMasek have you seen google transit yet??  has RTA done anything with google, i think this would definately help with what RTA has on their website

 

http://www.google.com/transit

When I was a little kid, I thought it was "rabbit transit."

^So did I!

 

^^Agreed.  Our use of "The Rapid" is an excellent organic Clevelandism.  Up there with "the "Flats".

Have you seen Google transit yet? Has RTA done anything with Google? I think this would definately help with what RTA has on its Web site. http://www.google.com/transit

 

I think that officials from every system in the nation have seen Google Transit. It's great to see such a powerful cyberspace leader paying so much attention to transit. That, in itself, is good for the industry.

 

I have not had a reason to use Google Transit, so I cannot speak to it. I know RTA is studying it. We have a trip planner on our Web site, and we are always interested in improving it. When I get a more definitive answer, I will pass it along.

2. Someone asked: why doesn't RTA just "run more buses." Please consider the makeup of the operating fund -- approx 70 percent from a poorly performing one percent countywide sales tax, 20 percent from the farebox, and 10 percent from misc. sources -- including transit advertising, investments and limited state and federal funds. Speaking in private-sector terms, RTA loses money on every transit trip.

 

 

hmm, that sounds like an awfully poor return or bang for the buck from riders. i'd like to hear your thoughts about why that is so low considering the following info taken from a link on our "other systems" thread:

 

 

"(nyc) riders already cover nearly 60 percent of the MTA’s operating budget — 68 percent for the subway. That’s a “phenomenally high fare box return,” noted MTA boss Elliot Sander in testimony before a state legislative committee earlier this year. The national average for big transit systems is 40 percent."

 

I've also wondered why RTA's return is so low. I believe rider fares cover only 16 percent of the system's costs -- JM, please correct me if I'm wrong.

I've also wondered why RTA's return is so low. I believe rider fares cover only 16 percent of the system's costs -- JM, please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

JM said 20 percent earlier.

JMasek have you seen google transit yet??  has RTA done anything with google, i think this would definately help with what RTA has on their website

 

http://www.google.com/transit

 

That's pretty neat!

well i really feel like thats something thats missing with RTA's trip planner.  An interactive map.  Plus if Cleveland RTA could be on a main google page... exposure?... more use? especially for people visiting and dont know RTA's address or the fact that it has an online trip planner to begin with?

Having links to rta's website on various other "touristy" sites (as rta does) is important. I visit Cleveland 3 to 4 times a year and my last trip was back in August to the rock hall. I clicked on the link to rta's website from the rock hall's website to see what the trip planner would offer.

 

As we discussed in another rta thread, the trip planner didn't suggest taking the waterfront line even though the first leg was on the red line. It suggested taking a bus (at tower city from Brecksville) to Lakeside & E 9th then walking. The other option was a shuttle to Lakeside & E 9th.

 

It is a great asset to be able to get on the rapid at the airport and with one transfer end up on the doorstep of two of Cleveland's biggest tourist attractions. The rock hall does give directions to take the red line to the waterfront line but rta does not.

OK, I got an RTA issue for your Jerry.....

 

Last night (at almost exactly 10 p.m. Oct. 13) I was heading north on the Jennings Freeway (SR176) and took the ramp to I-90 westbound. I and the car in front of me merged right, into one of the two lanes coming from the Inner Belt. There was a pair of headlights well behind us, so I (and apparently the driver in front of me) figured I had plenty of room to merge. Wrong.

 

The vehicle, an RTA police car, was traveling at approximately 80 mph without its emergency flashing lights on. It swerved hard left to avoid hitting us, narrowly missing my rear bumper, then veered across all lanes of traffic (including those coming from I-490) to get in the high-speed lane next to the median barrier. The RTA police car disappeared and I didn't see where it went.

 

I thought the RTA police officer was driving recklessly and worse, well above the speed limit without its emergency lights on. He could've caused a serious accident.

 

Please investigate this. I hope disciplinary action is taken if the officer can be identified.

Several posters have pointed out shortcomings with RTA's trip planner. This is a work in progress, and modifcations are still being made. Your comments will be shared with those who administer it.

2. Someone asked: why doesn't RTA just "run more buses." Please consider the makeup of the operating fund -- approx 70 percent from a poorly performing one percent countywide sales tax, 20 percent from the farebox, and 10 percent from misc. sources -- including transit advertising, investments and limited state and federal funds. Speaking in private-sector terms, RTA loses money on every transit trip.

 

hmm, that sounds like an awfully poor return or bang for the buck from riders. i'd like to hear your thoughts about why that is so low considering the following info taken from a link on our "other systems" thread: "(nyc) riders already cover nearly 60 percent of the MTAs operating budget 68 percent for the subway. Thats a phenomenally high fare box return, noted MTA boss Elliot Sander in testimony before a state legislative committee earlier this year. The national average for big transit systems is 40 percent."

 

This number is tied to ridership and density. Once you have bought the buses and built rail lines and stations, most costs are fixed. A route that carries 100 passengers an hour has a better return than a route that carries 50 passengers an hour. Obviously, NYC has density. RTA is constantly monitoring its service plan to get the most "bang for its buck" from operations.

 

KJP, the 20 percent figure I used is a generic one. In any given year, numbers may vary.

Also, note the text in bold below. GREAT NEWS!!

____________________

 

RTA opens new rapid station

at West 117th

 

WHAT: Officials from the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) will be joined by a host of community leaders as it opens a new Red Line rail station on W. 117th St.

 

The new $4.7 million station will be called the W. 117th St. –Madison Avenue Highland Square Rapid Station, a reference to a neighborhood name used in the 1800s. The new station features a number of customer amenities including, a heated waiting area for 50 on the platform level and canopies for passengers who need to walk from the station to waiting buses. The station also features energy-efficient lighting and is ADA compliant. 

 

Along with opening the new station, RTA will make a major announcement that will officially lift the restriction of bikes on its rail system during the a.m. and p.m. rush hours.

 

WHEN: Tuesday, October 16

9:30 a.m.

 

WHERE: W. 117th St.–Madison Avenue Highland Sq. Rapid Station

11631 Madison Avenue

Cleveland-Lakewood border

 

WHO: Frank G. Jackson, Mayor, city of Cleveland

Thomas J. George, Mayor, city of Lakewood

Jay Westbrook, Councilman, city of Cleveland Ward 18

Anita Brindza, Executive Dir., Cudell Improvement

George F. Dixon, III, President, RTA Board of Trustees

Joseph A. Calabrese, CEO & GM, RTA

Great news all around!  It's still going to be tricky to figure out where to put your bike while you're on board, but at least it seems that someone's listening!

^ Couldn't they add a third car if there was no room?

^ yeah but the bigger cities systems are that much bigger too and have relatively that much more operating costs.

 

nyc aside, i dk about that response.....esp given the national average is 40%. seems like something aint right.

 

it may reflect that like other city services the rta system has remained too big given the city population has shrunk....not that i personally would suggest shrinking rta services, quite the opposite!

<<yeah but the bigger cities systems are that much bigger too and have relatively that much more operating costs. nyc aside, i dk about that response.....esp given the national average is 40%. seems like something aint right.>>

 

Nothing personal, but I really appreciate people using the English language properly. For instance, I have no I idea what "dk" means. If your reader does not understand the meaning of a message, it is useless.

dk = don't know

Attention bicyclists!! Help us spread the news.

 

Effective today, RTA has new rules for bikes on rails. I knew it was coming, but I could not say anything because I had not seen the exact wording. Here is a summary, as announced at today's official opening of the station at West 117th St.

 

1. RTA permits bicycles on all trains at all hours.

 

2. No tandems, recumbents, tricycles, electric or battery-powered scooters or “Segway” personnel carriers are permitted. Bicycles must not be carried or ridden on escalators. Bicycles must not be ridden inside rail stations. (this rule has always been in place)

 

3. RTA rail operators and/or service monitors will permit customers to bring bicycles aboard each rail vehicle, based on customer loads.

 

4. ADA customers, including those in wheelchairs, take priority over bicycles, and operating personnel may limit the number of bicycles in those circumstances.

 

5. An adult must accompany cyclists under the age of 18.

 

All other previous rules are still in place. Because of work schedules, etc., it may take a few days for ALL rail operators to receive the new rules.

 

RTA is now updating its Web site, signs at stations, etc. Your patience and support is appreciated.

thank you for this. 

 

since I started my new job, I have had to skip biking to work.  now I can wear a tie to work in the morning, and a bike helmet home in the evening.  I am looking forward to working this out. 

The September ridership report was released today.

 

SYSTEMWIDE: September up 2.3 percent or 110,000 rides. Third quarter up 2.2 percent, or 560,000 rides. Year-to-date is still down 0.6 percent.

 

AVERAGE WEEKDAY RIDERSHIP: Up 4.4 percent, or 20,000 rides. At 197,273, it is the largest average weekdays ridership since 1998.

 

BUS: Up 0.1 percent in September, down 2.3 percent year-to-date.

 

RAIL: Up 14.2 percent in September, 9.4 percent year-to-date.

 

PARATRANSIT: UP 10.3 percent in September, 4.6 percent year-to-date.

 

TROLLEYS: More than 65,000 riders in September. Total ridership up 48 percent, and average daily ridership up 56 percent.

 

BIKES: 5,677 in September. Up 23.8 percent for month, and 42 percent year-to-date.

You may want to monitor the continuing topic of more state funding for public transit, which has declined by 60 percent since 2000.

 

A recent survey found that the ONLY major transit system in Ohio that is not seeking service cuts in 2007 is COTA. So, everyone is pretty much in the same boat.

 

State Senator Capri Cafaro, a Democrat from Warren, is planning to introduce legislation in the Ohio Senate to establish a Public Transit Funding Task Force, to review state public transportation funding in Ohio. The task force would study the adequacy of Ohio's public transit funding and establish a long-term plan for a stable source of funding public transit.

 

I will let you know when the bill is formally introduced. Your ongoing interest and support are appreciated.

 

<<yeah but the bigger cities systems are that much bigger too and have relatively that much more operating costs. nyc aside, i dk about that response.....esp given the national average is 40%. seems like something aint right.>>

 

Nothing personal, but I really appreciate people using the English language properly. For instance, I have no I idea what "dk" means. If your reader does not understand the meaning of a message, it is useless.

 

fyi (for your information): dk = don't know and nyc = new york city

 

my question was why do you suspect that rta only comes in at half of the national average on that ridership funding stat?

 

<<yeah but the bigger cities systems are that much bigger too and have relatively that much more operating costs. nyc aside, i dk about that response.....esp given the national average is 40%. seems like something aint right.>>

 

Nothing personal, but I really appreciate people using the English language properly. For instance, I have no I idea what "dk" means. If your reader does not understand the meaning of a message, it is useless.

 

fyi (for your information): dk = don't know and nyc = new york city

 

my question was why do you suspect that rta only comes in at half of the national average on that ridership funding stat?

 

 

mrnyc, can you quote an authoritative source for that 40% number? I only ask because in my prior dealings with NFTA (Buffalo, NY), anything above 20-25% was considered spectacular, and I can't fathom that things would have changed so drastically in 2-3 years

Jerry,

 

Not sure if you work with cleveland.com on this page, but there are a few out of date pieces.  It came to my attention today with all their online resources for visitors to Cleveland during the ALCS...

 

http://www.cleveland.com/visit/index.ssf?/travel/more/navi/rta.html

<<yeah but the bigger cities systems are that much bigger too and have relatively that much more operating costs. nyc aside, i dk about that response.....esp given the national average is 40%. seems like something aint right.>>

 

Nothing personal, but I really appreciate people using the English language properly. For instance, I have no I idea what "dk" means. If your reader does not understand the meaning of a message, it is useless.

 

fyi (for your information): dk = don't know and nyc = new york city

 

my question was why do you suspect that rta only comes in at half of the national average on that ridership funding stat?

 

 

mrnyc, can you quote an authoritative source for that 40% number? I only ask because in my prior dealings with NFTA (Buffalo, NY), anything above 20-25% was considered spectacular, and I can't fathom that things would have changed so drastically in 2-3 years

 

yes, elliot sander, the head of mta, said that.

 

Jerry,

 

How much does RTA attribute the rail up-tick to the ECP construction taking out Euclid which may both shift some riders to rail and cause some drivers to ditch their autos for rail into the CBD? 

 

How much is E. 4th Street's success contributing to greater rail usage?

 

And has RTA thought about publicizing rail as a prime mode to get folks down to E. 4th (esp in light of Euclid's semi-closure)?