Lakewood officials I'd spoken with weren't too keen about that Clifton BRT project. Maybe the change in administration will mean a change in attitude but as a Clifton Boulevard homeowner, I hope not.

 

KJP, does this mean you are not a Clifton BRT supporter?  I'm curious about your take.

I would think that maybe the reason that the #55 isn't in the top ten busiest is because it is actually more of a pain in some peoples eyes to ride a cramped bus and still wait in traffic.  Living along the Clifton corridor I would welcome larger more ..(gulp) trainlike busses that have right of way....especially if the shoreway is turned into a blvd.  I think this would spur ridership and take more cars off of the street.  There are a lot of downtown workers that live allong the corridor from Rocky River to downtown, personally I like the idea of BRT, but then again, I am sure KJP will have an educated viewpoint that will once again sway me.  :)

I don't support a BRT (or BRT-lite) on Clifton for the same reasons the prior mayoral administration didn't:

 

-- It would be on a path that bypasses the city's main employment district -- downtown/Detroit Avenue.

 

-- Given that path, it would provide transportation primarily from the residential areas of northern Lakewood to downtown Cleveland, thus providing a benefit only to the housing stock of Lakewood.

 

-- A Detroit Avenue BRT could provide transportation from Lakewood to Downtown Cleveland, PLUS from the outer suburbs to downtown Lakewood and the rest of the Detroit Avenue commercial district, thus providing a benefit to the housing stock of Lakewood PLUS the employment base of Lakewood and the sales tax base of Cuyahoga County.

 

-- Thus, Lakewood officials were concerned that a Clifton BRT would make it easier for outer suburban residents just to pass through Lakewood with little or no benefit to the city's tax-rich office market.

 

-- The existing Clifton Boulevard bus route #55 is already pretty quick. The increase in speed and operating cost efficiency from a BRT would likely be minimal.

 

-- The Detroit Avenue bus route #26 is very slow, as buses must wind through their way through heavier traffic and more closely spaced traffic lights. It's heavily used, but might be used more if it were a faster, more reliable and more identifiable route.

 

-- And, yes, a Clifton BRT would serve the same general market of and undermine the need for a West Shore Corridor rail transit service. The rail line runs through downtown Lakewood's backyard, providing even faster transit service to Lakewood's employment core than a Detroit Avenue BRT or Clifton BRT could. The rail transit service would be complemented by connecting local transportation via the Lakewood Community Circulator. Much of the infrastructure already exists for the rail transit service, aside from the waiting environments/stations that might be similarly be part of any BRT. The rail service could be powered by electricity from the First Energy power line along the railway, sparing RTA from spiking oil/diesel fuel prices and sparing the surrounding neighborhoods the emissions from diesel-powered buses.

 

Those are just a few of the reasons off the top of my head.

The Detroit BRT also makes sense to me because it would be easy to link it with the silver line off of public square.

^^Interesting.  KJP, how would you envision Detroit Ave BRT- just signal prioritization, enhanced stations/shelters, fewer stops and increased frequency?  I think the Detroit ROW (less than 70 feet?) is significantly narrower than Euclid's, so I'm guessing no bus-only lanes.

 

As for the rail: your westshore proposal would have only one stop in Lakewood, no?  Wouldn't the Cifton BRT provide service to a much larger portion of Lakewood?  I guess I just never thought of the two as competing or duplicative.

 

^McCleveland, I'm with you, I really love the idea of extending the silver line to the west side somehow to give more and faster one-seat rides to the Downtown-UC corridor.

i just like the idea of University Circle - Midtown - CSU - Downtown - Ohio City - Detroit Shoreway - w.117th - Lakewood - ??  all linked essentially on the same line.

Is Detroit wide enough?  I am thinking of Detroit around W. 65th

BRT in Lakewood would be a waste of money and designed, probably, to thwart rail expansion efforts: esp a project like the well-planned West Shore commuter rail.  BRT would be billed, like it was viz ECP, as the cheap alternative to rail, and of course, we all know a subway/rail system should have been built up the Euclid corridor as part of the (eventually failed) Dual Hub initiative of the 80s & 90s.  However, it would make little sense.  While it may be somewhat faster than local buses, it is clearly slower and inferior --  capacity-wise, comfort-wise -- to rail.  Also, please explain BRT's so-called speed prospects along the Clifton route considering the West Shoreway is slated to be converted from a freeway to a low-speed, multi traffic-light(ed) "boulevard" serving high-density, multi-unit residences.

 

As noted above, even in the current state, the Gold Coast-Edgewater area through western Lakewood appears pretty well served by bus (#326)and circulator connections to the 2 Red Line rapid stations in addition to the #55s.   As for Lakewood stations for the commuter rail line, in addition to the downtown Lakewood stop, there could be thinking toward a stop at W.117 on the Lakewood-Cleveland border serving the Gold Coast area...

 

Given all this, I think BRT would serve no purpose other than expense, lifestyle/business disruption with little payoff along with, as noted, the suppression of the superior rail alternative.  Also keep in mind, while ECP has torn up Euclid and disrupted business and traffic, the main locus is Midtown which is sparsely populated, low-income and rundown.  Conversely, the Lakewood-Edgewater (and possibly Cudell, along Detroit) area of this westward BRT is through a high-density, (mainly) upper middle class region.  You think those residents would go for their handsome, historic Clifton being torn up for BRT?  And how would they like those futuristic BRT "station" stops -- like those springing up along Euclid's Silver Line -- sitting in front of their gracious old homes and brownstone walk-up apartment buildings? 

 

Makes no sense while as KJP noted, the current NS freight line through area backyards could be retrofitted for commuter service much cheaper while delivering a superior service.

 

^ there are aspects of BRT that can be accomplished without tearing up the street. Before you all rush to judgement, please know that everything is very preliminary, and there are no formal proposals. It would seem prudent (to me) to keep your bullets in check until you have a definite target to shoot at.

I think a BRT line traveling down Detroit and transfering over to Clifton via Lake Ave. (after w.73), would be a good route. 

^Sorry, Jerry, I didn't mean that as an attack.  I greatly appreciate the ideas and RTA info you bring to this forum... I guess we're not going to agree on everything.

^ there are aspects of BRT that can be accomplished without tearing up the street. Before you all rush to judgement, please know that everything is very preliminary, and there are no formal proposals. It would seem prudent (to me) to keep your bullets in check until you have a definite target to shoot at.

 

All good advice.  But if we can't bicker about purely speculative transit projects on this forum, where can we?

 

I'd like to hear more from KJP on his views.  I'm curious what portion of the Westshore's riders would come from Lakewood versus the outer suburbs who face longer drives.  If I were a Lakewood resident, I'm not sure I could be convinced that the greater number of stops, service frequency, and multiple downtown stops provided by BRT would be less of an improvement than commuter rail.  But don't get me wrong, I'm also strongly in favor of the Westshore project.

While I don't share clvlndr's more aggressive views, I do respect them. And while RTA has the right to pose projects that are internally generated, communities and knowledgeable stakeholders also have the right to generate their own before RTA comes to the table.

 

West Shore Corridor rail service can take one of many forms. Its form, if implemented, will depend on a number of factors, with the type of train equipment being a dominant factor. That will determine how closely stops can be made and what routing into downtown Cleveland is followed. The options at this point appear to be:

 

-- Traditional commuter trains hauled by a locomotive, station stops spaced 2-5 miles apart. Mixed in with freight train traffic. See Chicago, Albuquerque, Salt Lake City, etc. for examples.

-- Self-propelled diesel-powered or hybrid-electric powered light-rail vehicle, station stops spaced 1-3 miles apart. Freight train traffic restricted to overnight hours. See New Jersey Transit's RiverLine between Camden and Trenton for example.

-- RTA electrically powered rapid transit trains, station stops spaced as close together as they are on the existing RTA rail system (RTA electrifies the NS line west of the West Boulevard Rapid Station where a track connection could be built between the Red Line and the NS line with freight train service restricted to overnight hours -- see Baltimore LRT for example).

 

Those are the basic options.

 

My basic issue is what does RTA get with a BRT-lite on Clifton. Here's my understanding of what Joe Calabrese has suggested in conceptual form to Cleveland and Lakewood officials: Clifton is going to be ripped up for a complete rebuilding. Once the work is done, RTA would use the outside lane during rush hours for buses only. That's not too much different than what they do now, except that buses share the lane with cars. In off-peak hours, those lanes are used for parking. That would probably continue. RTA might also create more comfortable waiting areas at key stops (such as those that the 55 Flyer stops at). These waiting areas probably wouldn't be as extravagant as Euclid Corridor stations.

 

It seems to be a low-cost way of branding a corridor and could bring some public recognition to the transit service there (ie: Gold Line). But I'll wager it's also low-impact -- what is the benefit to Lakewood? That's not a reason for not doing it, since the cost would probably be minimal. But so might the benefit. When it comes to bus projects, I'd rather RTA focus its limited energies on projects which would allow RTA to reduce its operating costs, speed up its sluggish yet busiest routes and potentially increase ridership and revenue. I don't see a Clifton BRT achieving these benefits, but I will await RTA's analysis before taking a firm stance. If RTA wants to use Clifton as a timely (because the road will be rebuilt anyway) and cheap test bed for making more impactful improvements to its busier bus routes, then I don't have a problem with it. A Clifton BRT-lite just doesn't get me excited as a stand-alone project. I think RTA could hit some home runs by creating BRT Lites with signal prioritization on Routes 1, 2, 3, 10, 14, 19, 20, 22 and 26 rather than tap a bunt for a cosmetic Clifton BRT Lite.

^Thanks, that is very helpful.  Lots of complicated factors to weigh on this one.  For one thing, I had forgotten how the Clifton bus line is not even near the top of the ridership list, likely due to the small number of transit-dependent residents it serves [see http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=4504.msg109589;topicseen#msg109589].  Tough to know how much potential ridership increase there would be with improved service- maybe not very much. 

 

The genius of the ECP is that it can serve the city's economic development needs without really risking embarrassingly low ridership because it continues to serve high-transit dependency areas in addition to the main business corridor.  Maybe the same thinking would apply to juicing up the Detroit Avenue route...though I suspect the traffic situation there might make it impossible for a direct tie-in to the Silver Line.  I'm really hung up on ways to provide one-seat rides to the Euclid Corridor- I just don't see a lot of west side riders-by-choice transferring downtown to the BRT and spending another 15-25 mins waiting and riding on public transit.  I hope I'm wrong.

I'm really hung up on ways to provide one-seat rides to the Euclid Corridor- I just don't see a lot of west side riders-by-choice transferring downtown to the BRT and spending another 15-25 mins waiting and riding on public transit.  I hope I'm wrong.

 

I'm with you 100%. If the Silverline ran down Detroit, I know that my wife would use it to get to work. Transferring on Public Square is an inconvenience that keeps many people from using RTA to commute.

 

Outside of eastern burbs, Lakewood is the next highest city for UC employees. It is a connection that we need to make.

If you are already subscribed to the RTA e-newsletter, it will arrive about 3 a.m. Tuesday with stories on:

* How service will be impacted on ongoing Euclid Corridor construction.

* How many new vehicles RTA will purchase in 2008.

* An update on the Commuter Advantage program.

* A story on an increase in the federal limit of how much companies can pay for tax-free transit commuter benefits each month.

 

Just a quick heads-up...

actually, more like between 5:00am and 8:00am

^fight fight fight!

Mr. Masek:

 

Today I, along with several other RTA regulars, were simply livid.  Whoever was driving the Shaker Rapid (the one that leaves Green/Shaker at 7:50am) this cold, snowy morning is a huge arsehole, as we were only a few feet away from the train at West Green when the doors closed and it left us.  The conductor had to have seen us (I don't know if the train is fully automated) but, at least according to my cell phone, we were still less than a minute early.  Fortunately, another train was at Green waiting, so I was only 10 minutes late for work, but still....  This stuff happens, but I was absolutely steaming.  Not a good way to start the Monday.

 

Please chastise the conductor for us.  It won't make a damn difference but I'd feel little better.

Honestly during rush hour I've never given a damn if a train is quick on the draw.

 

Also, your cell phone isn't RTA time.

 

Also, try showing up earlier.

 

^ As a lifelong Catholic, I have never been one to disagree with the Pope.

 

On the serious side, I am checking into it.

 

Some random thoughts for you:

 

* Both my PC at my desk and the clock on my cell phone are set to the RTA - GPS time. Despite that, I rarely use them, because I ride the Red Line every day. If you miss one train, another will be along shortly.

 

* Commuter should allow some flex time in their travels. There are many legitimate reasons why trains might be running behind schedule.

 

* I am sending this at 9:22 a.m., RTA-GPS time. Let's see what time the posting is marked.

Mr. Masek:

 

Today I, along with several other RTA regulars, were simply livid.  Whoever was driving the Shaker Rapid (the one that leaves Green/Shaker at 7:50am) this cold, snowy morning is a huge arsehole, as we were only a few feet away from the train at West Green when the doors closed and it left us.  The conductor had to have seen us (I don't know if the train is fully automated) but, at least according to my cell phone, we were still less than a minute early.  Fortunately, another train was at Green waiting, so I was only 10 minutes late for work, but still....  This stuff happens, but I was absolutely steaming.  Not a good way to start the Monday.

 

Please chastise the conductor for us.  It won't make a damn difference but I'd feel little better.

 

I'm sure Jerry will take the time to respond on this one, but I just wanted to say a few words. The detail you've provided will go a long way toward locating the operator of the train in question, and I'm certain this will be mentioned to the operator, i.e., "it will make a damn difference".

 

We take very seriously the problem presented by a vehicle leaving a stop earlier than the scheduled time. It is something that sends our General Manager up a proverbial wall, since it is disruptive to our service, leads to dissatisfaction, and is completely preventable. Mind you, with the many items an operator needs to attend to, he or she honestly may not have seen you.

 

I think I may have mentioned this before, but we have an online feedback form available for reporting these and other situations (and for relating instances of exceptional service, or suggestions on improvements). This form can be found at http://tripplanner.gcrta.org/hiwire?.a=cCustomerComplaint (a URL that I'll probably have a friendlier version of in relatively short order, since it's getting more extensive use lately). One advantage of reporting incidents through this form is that it will provide a tracking number that can be used for further investigation if no response is received. Please don't abuse this avenue of feedback, but know that it is available.

^ To within seconds, the posting time here is the same as RTA time. Gentlemen, adjust your clocks.

Hi Jerry,

    Two questions again from a COTA guy, does the GCRTA have any programs that attempt to "Improve the view of public transit in the eyes of the public"?  Also, does GCRTA have any programs to promote any sort of forward, innovative thinking to push GCRTA towards the future?  I am attempting to run an innovation meeting with COTA to see how the agency can be pushed into a more forward thinking mode so I was wondering if any similar agencies have done this before.

 

 

Does the GCRTA have any programs that attempt to "Improve the view of public transit in the eyes of the public"?  Does GCRTA have any programs to promote any sort of forward, innovative thinking to push GCRTA towards the future?  I am attempting to run an innovation meeting with COTA to see how the agency can be pushed into a more forward-thinking mode, so I was wondering if any similar agencies have done this before.

 

Eight years ago, RTA adopted a "back to the basics" business plan.

* Enhance customer service

* Improve image

* Increase ridership

* Maintain financial health

 

Of course, you could write a book about each point, and all things are inter-related. If you enhance customer service and maintain good PR, it will improve your image. This, in turn, will spill over to increase ridership (four straight years here) and more riders mean more revenue. It also means that when times get tough, and you have to raise rates for the first time in 13 years, most people understand.

 

We recently had someone picket the building to protest a fare hike. In eight years, and 200,000 riders a day, that is the first picket I have ever seen. That says a lot right there.

 

To answer your first question -- do we have any specific programs to improve the image of public transit...NO, we do not, because virtually program we do affects our image. Image-building is not a separate program, it is part of every program. If you visit RTA, you will see that the office of the Media Relations Manager is right next to the office of the General Manager. That tells you the value they place on the job. Some places joke about giving the media guy a dark office in the basement, but that does not happen here.

 

The question about being forward-thinking is harder to answer. If you have read the posts on this forum, you'll see that many people have their own agendas about what RTA could be or should be. Some say, "if I were the GM for a day, I would x and y and z...and public transit in Cleveland would be great." I am pleased that there are so many people in Cleveland who love transit.

 

My advice to you: Human beings are great copycats, and that can be a good thing. Cleveland and Columbus are very different, and what works in one city may not work in another. I would find a city that resembles Columbus closely and has a great transit system. Invite someone from there to speak, or sit in on a conference call, or share a PowerPoint presentation. Certainly, you cannot copy every idea word for word, but it can get the creative juices flowing.

 

Remember the first rule of brainstorming -- there are NO bad ideas. The first thing to want to do is to include every idea, and when that part is exhausted, start picking the ones that are the most doable.

 

It may also help to have a neutral moderator whose only agenda is to keep the discussion on tap. You may also want to consider doing this WITHOUT the GM or Board members around. A frank discussion may bruise one of them, and the ideas can be shared with them later.

 

I hope this helps. Good luck.

thanks jetdog

If you are already subscribed to the RTA e-newsletter, it will arrive about 3 a.m. Tuesday with stories on:

* How service will be impacted on ongoing Euclid Corridor construction.

* How many new vehicles RTA will purchase in 2008.

* An update on the Commuter Advantage program.

* A story on an increase in the federal limit of how much companies can pay for tax-free transit commuter benefits each month.

 

Just a quick heads-up...

 

I thought that RTA was also going to acquire 60' articulated buses (not the ECP buses with multiple doors, etc., but just extended nabi type buses) to increase capacity on heavily used routes. 

 

Is this not happening in 2008 or has this plan been scrapped?  I don't see any mention of it in the email/web posting.

Regarding an earlier post on being left on the light-rail platform...

 

Rail Director Michael Couse noted the RTA policy (not a direct quote)....

 

The operator is expected to leave on time, thus showing respect to those already seated. He or she should wait if they know a connecting bus is running behind schedule. He or she should pick up all passengers on the platform.

 

I do not know where you were standing in relationship to the rail car, and that is something you can put in the complaint that JetDog mentioned earlier. In defense of the operator...if at each stop you are held up just 1 minute, and there are 17 stops on the Green Line, that means you roll into Tower City 17 minutes late. Certainly, that is unacceptable by anyone's standard.

 

I am truly sorry that you had a bad Monday morning, and that this incident occurred.

^ You are correct. The release mentioned buying other buses but did not elaborate. RTA plans to purchase 20 articulated 60-foot buses this year. They will be assigned to the Triskett District and serve heavily used routes on the West Side, and in the western suburbs.  The 2008 budget includes a set number that RTA can spend, and the exact number of buses purchased may change if the bids come in higher than expected.

 

Well, our Bikes on Rail program is definitely good for something: the likelihood of this happening on an RTA train is greatly reduced...

^ You are correct. The release mentioned buying other buses but did not elaborate. RTA plans to purchase 20 articulated 60-foot buses this year. They will be assigned to the Triskett District and serve heavily used routes on the West Side, and in the western suburbs.  The 2008 budget includes a set number that RTA can spend, and the exact number of buses purchased may change if the bids come in higher than expected.

 

 

Cool.  Low platform?  Does RTA purchase any high platform buses these days?

^ I have not seen the specs, but in recent years, most of RTA's bus purchases have been low-floor.

JMasek-

 

First off, how does one go about actually gettin a refund from RTA when the pass machines screw up? The machine at Tower City ate my money awhile back and I was just told to call the number. However when I called the number on the pamphlet and left all the information stated (name, number, time & date, location, descrption of problem, machine number) I was never called back and there was no message left on the answering machine.

 

 

Second, RTA started charging for the new fares about a week before the actual date. I realize that you have to change the machines and get the new ticket things installed but I highly doubt this takes several days to install. People in this city have a hard time gettin by as it is .....at least make the fare increase on the actual date its going to happen.

 

I think RTA should bring in frequent rider passes/discounts. For someone like me who doesnt use it everyday of the month or week its not much savings to buy a 5-rde or all day especially now that its 1.75 each. So if you catch the rapid spend a couple hrs downtown youre not going to save money with an all day pass or 5-ride since the transfer is only 1 hr 15 min for rapid I believe. Have they considered bringin back the 10-ride passes?

 

RTA needs to step up bus service too. On Wednesday I waited about 20 minutes on Public Square to catch the 26 down Detroit while several other routes had 2 buses come durin that time and a "not in service" bus pass. When the 26 finally arrived, it became so packed that there were people crowding the entire aisle, you could barely even get off the bus. The driver had to turn away people because there was no more room. This is inexcusable on a weekday in the middle of the city. Moreover coming back down Detroit to downtown I had to wait again 15-20 minutes while 2 went the other way.

 

this happened between 3:30 and 5:00 PM

 

often times the 26 will become crowded and very slow with 2 busses comin at once and 2 busses comin the other way in the span that 1 comes yours

 

run more busses

 

oh yea i forgot to mention..........running trains on new years anyone? i remember a year back my brother was here with a friend and they couldnt even catch the rapid back on new years eve

^ You raise a lot of issues, and I cannot respond to all of them without checking with some other people. I will respond as quickly as I get the info. Thanks for sharing.

I've also had problems with the farecard machines in Tower City. Those are the machines which dispense day passes etc. On Saturday (Jan. 12, 2008) I kept trying to feed in a crisp, unwrinkled $5 bill for the $4 pass. It kept spitting it back out at me. Finally, after about a half-dozen tries, it took the money and gave me the $1 coin. Same thing happened to my friend who was with me. She said if I hadn't already gotten my pass, she would've given up and gone back to her Warehouse District apartment to get her car.

 

Jerry, Please pass along my feedback regarding the fare machines to the appropriate people. If you need more information, let me know. Thanks.

 

I think RTA should bring in frequent rider passes/discounts. For someone like me who doesnt use it everyday of the month or week its not much savings to buy a 5-rde or all day especially now that its 1.75 each. So if you catch the rapid spend a couple hrs downtown youre not going to save money with an all day pass or 5-ride since the transfer is only 1 hr 15 min for rapid I believe. Have they considered bringin back the 10-ride passes?

 

 

1) especially now that its 1.75 each - that 25 cents really broke the bank, huh?

 

2) the 5-ride card is a frequent rider discount designed for people like you. What do you want, to pay 50 cents to ride 6 times a month?

 

3) Does your employer offer pre-tax transportation benefits? Companies like Wageworks will mail you whatever combination of RTA passes you want monthly on a pre-tax basis, instant savings to pad that 25 cents you're having a hard time coming up with.

 

4) frequent rider passes/discounts. For someone like me who doesnt use it everyday of the month or week  - So I ask, if you don't use it everyday of the month or week, how does that make you frequent?

Pope, your dry humor is perfect for the ridiculous notion of people complaining about a 25 cent rate change.  There's this little thing called inflation.

Do the new fare boxes accept $1 coins?

^ speaking of that, do busses and trains in the cleve accept dollar bills and change or just change? thx

 

They accept both, paper money and coins.

pope you completely missed what i was sayin. what i meant was that the price was still 1.75 to enter at tower city, so if you are buying a 5-ride card youre not going to pay less since 8.75/5 is 1.75 per ride, same as you'd pay regularly. before you could save money by buying the passes, either 5-ride or all day (7.50 and i forget what it was before that, $3). i know you obviously have the transfer priviledges with a pass but if im correct you can still ask for a transfer at TC (not sure how long those last)

 

lets say i use the rapid/bus everyday except for the weekend. thats 5 days, so if i purchase a week pass now for 17.50 its 3.50 per day. thats no discount over buying a 5-ride since you would use 2 trips at 1.75 per trip for 3.50 a day. the all day pass is no longer an option since its more expensive at 4.00. if you use a week pass everyday it gives you a discount as youre payin 2.50 a day.

 

another example, say i need to run some errands or go to the westside. since i take the rapid home i only have 1 hr 15 minutes to do so and it becomes a squeeze even if im going to be somewhere for a half hour especially considerin how slow some of the busses run

 

it would be easier if the transfer on the 5-ride was 2.5 hrs for both bus AND rapid, which since RTA consolidated rapid/bus fare into the same price would only be fair

 

1) especially now that its 1.75 each - that 25 cents really broke the bank, huh?

 

i wasnt referring to a .25 increase on 1 fare but 50 cents or $1 more per day makes a difference and adds up

 

 

4) frequent rider passes/discounts. For someone like me who doesnt use it everyday of the month or week  - So I ask, if you don't use it everyday of the month or week, how does that make you frequent?

 

i use RTA 15-20 days a month.....id say thats pretty frequent. guess in your mind i gotta use it 365 days a yr to be frequent though. i dont own a car but i dont need to take the bus or rapid everyday

 

 

 

i have no problem with RTA's fare increase as long as they dont cut service and work on improving current service (more frequent service, expanded rail in the future)

 

 

They accept both, paper money and coins.

 

Even dollar coins?  Sorry, I don't mean to be obtuse... (I just have a lot of dollar coins, but I never bring them for fear of them not being accepted.)

I would assume so since RTA dispenses them as change. There's one way to find out..... Please inform of the results of your experiment. :)

ctownfinest330,

 

You only need to take 36 one way trips for the Monthly Pass to break even. Sounds like you are "frequent" enough. Go buy that and quit looking for handouts. And again, encourage your employer to coordinate pretax transportation benefits. 63 bucks pretax is cheaper than 63 post tax.

I would assume so since RTA dispenses them as change. There's one way to find out..... Please inform of the results of your experiment. :)

 

That would make sense, wouldn't it?  I'll check it out on my way home tonight.

 

A quick vent:

 

On my way to work this morning, I was on what I thought was the SLOWEST #6 bus in the history of Euclid transit.  It wasn't because of traffic or the crowds or stopping for passengers every other block... nor was it because of ECTP construction.  I hopped on at 8:30 at Public Square and didn't get to E. 55th until 8:50.  The driver was pushing 20 MPH most of the distance and stopped at green lights on a couple occasions.  At E. 55th, we sat through 2 cycles before finally proceeding on the 3rd.  What???  I decided to check my schedule to see how far behind we were and to my surprise, I found that we were right on time!  The schedule said departure from Public Square at 8:32 would reach E. 55th at 8:51.  So, I guess I can't really complain, except for the fact that we were really crawling and nothing's more irritating when you're on your way to work than sitting at green lights for what seems like no good reason.  End of the story was that I arrived in University Circle "on time," by the schedule's standards, but 35 minutes from P.S. to E. 115th Street when there is no traffic felt interminable.  I guess if I have a question, it would be whether the driver is required to go slow to stay on schedule.  And if that's the case, maybe the schedule should be a bit more aggressive!

CTownsFinest, you've enlightened me.  I thought transfers were eliminated with RTA's innovative all-day pass system a few years ago...

 

Also, I agree with your sentiments regarding New Year's Eve rail service... RTA used to offer all night, New Year’s Eve service a few years, which I thought was a great public service in keeping drunk driver's off the road and keeping other drivers safe from them.  With the continued resurgence of downtown nightlife (and other areas, like Ohio City), I think this service should be brought back. 

 

I also believe that summertime rail service till 2a should be returned as well. 

 

But I never seem to get an answer re either of these.

 

I believe JMasek Has responded to the late rider options before, the ridership never merited the costs of operating the extra trains

On my way to work this morning, I was on what I thought was the SLOWEST #6 bus in the history of Euclid transit.  It wasn't because of traffic or the crowds or stopping for passengers every other block... nor was it because of ECTP construction.  I hopped on at 8:30 at Public Square and didn't get to E. 55th until 8:50.  The driver was pushing 20 MPH most of the distance and stopped at green lights on a couple occasions.  At E. 55th, we sat through 2 cycles before finally proceeding on the 3rd.  What???  I decided to check my schedule to see how far behind we were and to my surprise, I found that we were right on time!  The schedule said departure from Public Square at 8:32 would reach E. 55th at 8:51.  So, I guess I can't really complain, except for the fact that we were really crawling and nothing's more irritating when you're on your way to work than sitting at green lights for what seems like no good reason.  End of the story was that I arrived in University Circle "on time," by the schedule's standards, but 35 minutes from P.S. to E. 115th Street when there is no traffic felt interminable.  I guess if I have a question, it would be whether the driver is required to go slow to stay on schedule.  And if that's the case, maybe the schedule should be a bit more aggressive!

 

this is the improvement from the ECP transit construction, prioritized lights, and less stations.  i thought that RTA was going to publish a new #6 timetable for this route to reflect the improved speed, but it looks like they are sticking with the published schedule for now.

I believe JMasek Has responded to the late rider options before, the ridership never merited the costs of operating the extra trains

 

Not the issue of New Year's eve service, nor the issue of this being a "service" and not a business.

RTA still has a bottom line ($$$) just like any other business. Encourage your local representatives to enhance financing for local transit authorities.