^ I thought the purple was bright and cheery. I'm not sure I'd want it across the street from my house, but I didn't think it was that bad.

Im not really a fan of the color purple that much, but I dont think it looks bad at the station. Makes it look new and more inviting in my opinion. I think one purple station is enough though. lol

Jerry

 

Quick comment and question if you don't mind. Graphically, RTA could be performing at a much higher level than current. I think the RTA system map is a bit outdated. Also, when I click on a bus/M stop in google, the name of the bus/M comes up but the route/line does not.  (try clicking on a bus stop in SF on google for example) While the graphics on the healthline are beautiful and easy to understand. (though the fare card machine is another story and we wont get into that).. but IMHO as good as it is, the graphics on the healthline need to function better within the overall system.

 

I think its absolutely vital to improve when considering that the new CC/Medical Mart will increase use of the airport station and an influx of riders connecting to the red line and healthline and the whole of downtown. You will have many people from out of town trying to get to their hotel, etc, and improved RTA signage could truly be a huge aid when it comes to how well the city is received.

 

Rail, with street grid, healthline, and downtown trolley maps, as well as a suggested taxi zone downtown, could be a useful tool.

 

Anything like this in the works? Thank you!

 

Graphically, RTA could be performing at a much higher level than current. I think the RTA system map is a bit outdated. Also, when I click on a bus/M stop in google, the name of the bus/M comes up but the route/line does not.  (try clicking on a bus stop in SF on google for example) While the graphics on the healthline are beautiful and easy to understand. (though the fare card machine is another story and we wont get into that).. but IMHO as good as it is, the graphics on the HealthLine need to function better within the overall system.

 

I think its absolutely vital to improve when considering that the new CC/Medical Mart will increase use of the airport station and an influx of riders connecting to the Red Line and HealthLine and the whole of downtown. You will have many people from out of town trying to get to their hotel, etc, and improved RTA signage could truly be a huge aid when it comes to how well the city is received.

 

Rail, with street grid, HealthLine, and downtown trolley maps, as well as a suggested taxi zone downtown, could be a useful tool.

Anything like this in the works? Thank you!

 

I can only answer generally....

 

1. We are always looking to improve the way we do things, and I will pass along the comments about the HealthLine graphics, etc.

 

2. The way that new downtown facilities will integrate with transit is the topic of on-going conversations with RTA, city fathers, and major developers. Obviously, if you want visitors to our city to get from Point A to Point B as easy as possible, you try to design easy-to-use routes and facilities. I know one thing under discussion is expanded trolley service, both in routes and on evening and weekends. That has been said in public several times.

 

3. Another issue which has not been discussed here (at least not recently that I recall) is the proposed remake of Public Square. Some want to make this more of a "people" zone, and move the transit service to other areas of downtown. RTA is taking an active part in those discussions. Every action has a consequence, and we want people to fully realize what would happen if certain proposals become reality.

 

4. As reality changes, the maps will change.

 

I hope this helps.

Thank you so much! I appreciate it a ton.

 

I am an avid public transit rider, and graphics nerd, so this makes me happy to hear :)

 

A quality integration of wayfinding and signage is the low-hanging fruit to hosting happy tourists.

 

 

Was checking out downtown office spaces and locations today and used the E-Line to get around. I was pleasantly surprised at how full it was, even at 9, 10 and 11 a.m. and by a wide cross section of people. Looked like there were a few business types, from secretaries to executives, using it to visit clients, colleagues or suppliers on the other side of downtown. I would love to see some rider testimonials of why people use it, and see how it might be expanded to other parts of downtown or at later hours/weekends. The buses (sorry, I can't call 'em trolleys!) were pretty full with most packed to the doors.

Was checking out downtown office spaces and locations today and used the E-Line to get around. I was pleasantly surprised at how full it was, even at 9, 10 and 11 a.m. and by a wide cross section of people. Looked like there were a few business types, from secretaries to executives, using it to visit clients, colleagues or suppliers on the other side of downtown. I would love to see some rider testimonials of why people use it, and see how it might be expanded to other parts of downtown or at later hours/weekends. The buses (sorry, I can't call 'em trolleys!) were pretty full with most packed to the doors.

 

I use it because it is convenient, gets me where I want to go, and most importantly, I love that they are free! The bus drivers are always friendly and nice to talk to. Also if someone was going to take a bus from Playhouse Square to Public Square, Id recommend the E line over the Healthline anyday. By the time the Healthline gets to the edge of downtown, It can be very hard, if not impossible to get on the bus. At times, the Healthline has got to be running at over capacity, which creates several safety risks, as well as makes it hard for people to get off at any stop other than public square.

I just found this in the PD. Read until the end. Also, Does anyone know if they are renovating the Lee Rd. station? I bought a house in Shaker back in the Spring, and our realtor told us that this was supposed to happen.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/shaker-heights/index.ssf/2011/10/shaker_heights_scores_federal.html

^ FYI, you found this item on cleveland.com, but it comes from the Sun Newspapers, not from the PD. RTA unveiled the first look at its 2012 proposed capital budget Tuesday, and Lee-Van Aken was included. I am at home now, but I will try to post more tomorrow when I am back at the office.

I would love to see some rider testimonials of why people use it, and see how it might be expanded to other parts of downtown or at later hours/weekends. The buses (sorry, I can't call 'em trolleys!) were pretty full with most packed to the doors.

 

If you are collecting info to be shared with others, such as city leaders, and you don't call them trolleys, then you are being counter-productive, in my opinion. I am sure you have some historic reason for not using the trolley name, but that is how they are known, that is how they are loved, and that "branding" is what RTA has been working for. They are a different siz, shape and color. They are green, fun, easy to use and free, and they often carry more than 4,000 people a day. The operators, called "trolley ambassadors", are chosen for their customer service skills, and trained to answer a myriad of questions from visitors.  Thanks.

^ I am not sure what you mean. If you are referring to the signs along the light-rail Green Line, most of the above-ground rail is in Shaker Heights. The program was a joint effort of RTA and the City of Shaker Heights. If you can clarify your question, I will try to get  you an answer.

 

Yes , the Green line.    But what about the rest of the crossings on the blue line in Cleveland?

I am sure you have some historic reason for not using the trolley name, but that is how they are known

 

 

Doesn't make it accurate. :-P It's a word that has taken on a different meaning over time. This is what a trolley is -- it's the device at the end of the pole that collects electricity from the wire for a streetcar or electrically powered bus. In this photo, the device was a wheel which was most commonly used...

 

 

Even the earliest electric rail cars didn't use a pole. They dragged a small cart that rode on the overhead wires. The term "trolley" came from "trolling" -- as in fishing, which is what it looked the rail car was doing by dragging the trolley cart above and behind it.

 

EDIT: I haven't been able to find a picture of what the first trolley device looked like, but it was more like a metal pallet.

Also, when I click on a bus/M stop in google, the name of the bus/M comes up but the route/line does not.  (try clicking on a bus stop in SF on google for example)

 

Scav:

 

I can try to address some of the Google Transit related aspects of your question more specifically, since I'm RTA's web manager and I am directly responsible for the post-processing of the files we send to Google.

 

In order to do this, I'd like to get some more information from you. Do you have specific examples of what you're seeing in San Fran's information display that you might like to see incorporated here in Cleveland? Specifically, is there a particular stop that would provide a good representative example of your desires?

 

The Bay Area is a very diverse, distributed system, with service provided by no fewer than four distinct agencies (BART, SFMTA, AC Transit, and CalTrain), and I just want to be sure I'm looking at the right source data/engaging with the right contacts out there to try to research this. I can't make any promises, but I concur with Jerry that we're always looking at ways we can improve our communication.

""The best way is for them to contact me, provide specific locations and  we will look at them on a case-by-case basis." -- From Bryan K. Moore, Bus Shelter & Signage Maintenance Supervisor, RTA, [email protected]

 

I don't call them trolleys either, because it confuses people.  Words have meanings and these are buses.  It's a great service though.

^If you are referring to the signs along the light-rail Green Line, most of the above-ground rail is in Shaker Heights. The program was a joint effort of RTA and the City of Shaker Heights. If you can clarify your question, I will try to get  you an answer.

 

Yes , the Green Line. But what about the rest of the crossings on the blue line in Cleveland?

 

From RTA Safety Director Pamela McCombe: About 5 years ago, RTA and the City of Shaker Heights installed illuminated "no left turn" signs along the Blue and Green rail lines in that city. The signs are lit only when there is a train in the area. Just recently, signs were upgraded in the Shaker Square area, as part of a joint project with the City of Cleveland and RTA. All road crossings along the Waterfront Line already have crossing gates, so every light-rail crossing that RTA uses has the proper safety warnings.

I was in Ohio City last night and there was a heightened presence of RTA's police. Around 7:00pm, there were 3 or 4 of them and a k9 outside the w.25th station and another 2 cars at the northwest corner of lorain and w. 25th, next to the park and the bus stop there. Any particular reason(s) for the increased presence ?!

I was in Ohio City last night and there was a heightened presence of RTA's police. Around 7:00pm, there were 3 or 4 of them and a k9 outside the w.25th station and another 2 cars at the northwest corner of lorain and w. 25th, next to the park and the bus stop there. Any particular reason(s) for the increased presence ?!

 

Last night, we were still running shuttle buses between Tower City and W 25 as part of the Cuyahoga Viaduct maintenance project. Transit Police presence was an integral part of maintaining crowd control and providing customer assistance in transitioning to and from the shuttle buses and the Rapid, and they were on site at both ends (Tower City, as well).

Now that the viaduct work is over, it would be interesting to learn how many substitute buses RTA ran to compensate for the trains. Perhaps on a train-to-bus ratio -- how many buses it took to carry a train load of passengers, on average.

I am sure you have some historic reason for not using the trolley name, but that is how they are known

 

 

Doesn't make it accurate. :-P It's a word that has taken on a different meaning over time.

I don't call them trolleys either, because it confuses people.  Words have meanings and these are buses.  It's a great service though.

 

Do you also refuse to call Lolley the Trolley, Lolley the Trolley?  Because it's actually Lolley the Bus? 

 

Did you actually find someone who was looking for the "E Line Trolley" miss it when the "E Line Bus" went by because they were looking for a trolley and didn't see the big "E Line" sign on the front of the "bus"?

Now that the viaduct work is over, it would be interesting to learn how many substitute buses RTA ran to compensate for the trains. Perhaps on a train-to-bus ratio -- how many buses it took to carry a train load of passengers, on average.

 

The number of buses varied for peak and off-peak times, because the demand varied. Also, some buses (especially during off-peak times) made the 3-mile round trip to and from Tower City with much less than a full load. During rush hours, a fully loaded 3-car train filled about 4 buses, with some standees. (I worked 3 days, 6:30-9 am, at W. 25). Some buses were standard low-floor coaches, and a few were MCIs.

Thanks Jerry. Interesting that it takes up to four bus drivers to do what one rapid transit driver can do, especially since labor is 3/4 of RTA's operating budget. Granted the rail system requires TLC, but it shows that if we bring more traffic generators to within walking distance of Rapid stations, RTA's revenues would go up faster than its incremental costs -- especially if GCRTA could undertake some value-capture activities from real estate developers (http://www.vtpi.org/smith.pdf) like what MRN, Fairmount, etc are doing next to the Rapid lines.

 

And yes I call it Lolley The Bus. :) Really, it doesn't matter to me. But I do like to have fun with people in effort to educate them on the etymology of words, the history and evolution of transit and the technical aspects of transit vehicles over the years.

 

See, I told you I was a complicated guy....

Also, when I click on a bus/M stop in google, the name of the bus/M comes up but the route/line does not.  (try clicking on a bus stop in SF on google for example)

 

Scav:

 

I can try to address some of the Google Transit related aspects of your question more specifically, since I'm RTA's web manager and I am directly responsible for the post-processing of the files we send to Google.

 

In order to do this, I'd like to get some more information from you. Do you have specific examples of what you're seeing in San Fran's information display that you might like to see incorporated here in Cleveland? Specifically, is there a particular stop that would provide a good representative example of your desires?

 

The Bay Area is a very diverse, distributed system, with service provided by no fewer than four distinct agencies (BART, SFMTA, AC Transit, and CalTrain), and I just want to be sure I'm looking at the right source data/engaging with the right contacts out there to try to research this. I can't make any promises, but I concur with Jerry that we're always looking at ways we can improve our communication.

 

WOW sweet! Well my main question was just how much would it take to input the exact route into Google so that it is highlighted when a stop is clicked on.

I found the "highlighting of the route" aspect on Google to be a nice tool when looking at the transit system in SF. (and many comparable cities)

 

http://g.co/maps/fp9fz

 

^ I like that idea. Would be nice if Cleveland had that on Googlemaps

I found it most useful navigating Europe.. especially when I lived here.. http://g.co/maps/uw38k

 

;)

Did you actually find someone who was looking for the "E Line Trolley" miss it when the "E Line Bus" went by because they were looking for a trolley and didn't see the big "E Line" sign on the front of the "bus"?

 

No.  But I often have to give secondary explanation when people say "wait, since when is there a trolley system?"  This is mostly from visitors, who are forced to rely on general understandings of terms.  But I was on the B-line today and I heard a girl call it the trolley, so that name does appear to be sticking among downtown regulars.  I'm just not sure it's the best idea.  When private-sector Lolly the Trolley does this it comes off pleasantly whimsical.  I think it's different when a public transit agency starts switching concepts around.  Ask our friends in Cincinnati about buses and trolleys.  They're having quite the controversy over it down there.     

^ I just call it a "Trolley Bus!" 

^ I just call it a "Trolley Bus!" 

 

Ahem, THIS is a trolley bus -- as in what Dayton operates on several routes....

 

 

WOW sweet! Well my main question was just how much would it take to input the exact route into Google so that it is highlighted when a stop is clicked on.

I found the "highlighting of the route" aspect on Google to be a nice tool when looking at the transit system in SF. (and many comparable cities)

 

http://g.co/maps/fp9fz

 

 

Thanks for the additional detail, Scav. I took a little closer look at things, both in San Francisco and in Paris, and I see what you mean about the route highlighting.

 

The GTFS spec does offer the ability to include a file called shapes.txt that is a referenced set of geolocations for route traces, and that, combined with the route_color field in routes.txt, appears to be what's used to make this happen. It seems that San Fran's bus lines all use the default light blue color, as they do not specify a route color in their routes.txt file, while the BART rail lines DO specify route colors.

 

Cleveland currently includes a shapes.txt file in the feed that is supplied to Google, so it looks like we're giving them everything we need to. I've put the ask in to Google to see if there's anything we're missing, or if perhaps this route display is a limited-release feature only implemented for certain cities. Much as we'd all like Cleveland to be a top-tier testbed for Google, I suspect Paris and San Francisco might yield them more useful results, simply on volume alone (though I think they underestimate the enthusiasm of certain Clevelanders!).

 

I have noticed that this feature isn't present in all other cities, so Cleveland definitely isn't the only city that's missing it. Buffalo, my old stomping grounds, doesn't have the feature at all, and Boston seems to have it only for rail, as does Sacramento, CA (a system with a comparable level of service miles to Cleveland). So, this may be more "cutting edge" of a feature than we all realize, useful though it may be.

 

I'll keep you all apprised of anything additional I find out from Google. In the meantime, if any of you would like to get a look at the raw data we supply to Google, the latest data set is always available at http://www.riderta.com/gtfs/latest/google_transit.zip and a list of other available feeds can be found at http://code.google.com/p/googletransitdatafeed/wiki/PublicFeeds. There's currently no "license" associated with OUR feed, but if you're going to use our data to build something, please don't infringe on RTA's trademarks, or represent anything you do as being an official or endorsed RTA product, and please respect the license agreements presented by other agencies if you use their data.

"Ask our friends in Cincinnati about buses and trolleys.  They're having quite the controversy over it down there."

 

We know. The Cincinnati folks called RTA frequently for information on our trolleys, while they were developing their initial proposal.

 

 

 

WOW sweet! Well my main question was just how much would it take to input the exact route into Google so that it is highlighted when a stop is clicked on.

I found the "highlighting of the route" aspect on Google to be a nice tool when looking at the transit system in SF. (and many comparable cities)

 

http://g.co/maps/fp9fz

 

 

Thanks for the additional detail, Scav. I took a little closer look at things, both in San Francisco and in Paris, and I see what you mean about the route highlighting.

 

The GTFS spec does offer the ability to include a file called shapes.txt that is a referenced set of geolocations for route traces, and that, combined with the route_color field in routes.txt, appears to be what's used to make this happen. It seems that San Fran's bus lines all use the default light blue color, as they do not specify a route color in their routes.txt file, while the BART rail lines DO specify route colors.

 

Cleveland currently includes a shapes.txt file in the feed that is supplied to Google, so it looks like we're giving them everything we need to. I've put the ask in to Google to see if there's anything we're missing, or if perhaps this route display is a limited-release feature only implemented for certain cities. Much as we'd all like Cleveland to be a top-tier testbed for Google, I suspect Paris and San Francisco might yield them more useful results, simply on volume alone (though I think they underestimate the enthusiasm of certain Clevelanders!).

 

I have noticed that this feature isn't present in all other cities, so Cleveland definitely isn't the only city that's missing it. Buffalo, my old stomping grounds, doesn't have the feature at all, and Boston seems to have it only for rail, as does Sacramento, CA (a system with a comparable level of service miles to Cleveland). So, this may be more "cutting edge" of a feature than we all realize, useful though it may be.

 

I'll keep you all apprised of anything additional I find out from Google. In the meantime, if any of you would like to get a look at the raw data we supply to Google, the latest data set is always available at http://www.riderta.com/gtfs/latest/google_transit.zip and a list of other available feeds can be found at http://code.google.com/p/googletransitdatafeed/wiki/PublicFeeds. There's currently no "license" associated with OUR feed, but if you're going to use our data to build something, please don't infringe on RTA's trademarks, or represent anything you do as being an official or endorsed RTA product, and please respect the license agreements presented by other agencies if you use their data.

 

Thanks JetDog.  I think we can do it!!

For more information on the Lee-Van Aken station and other projects, I direct you to this release, which summarizes Board action on Oct. 11. It includes a link to a PDF on the proposed 2012 capital budget.

 

http://www.riderta.com/newsroom/releases/index.asp?listingid=1660

For more information on the Lee-Van Aken station and other projects, I direct you to this release, which summarizes Board action on Oct. 11. It includes a link to a PDF on the proposed 2012 capital budget.

 

http://www.riderta.com/newsroom/releases/index.asp?listingid=1660

 

Thanks.

Cleveland's RTA head wants to cut monthly fares for college students

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- RTA wants to expand efforts to cut the cost of bus-and-rail fares for college students.

General Manager Joe Calabrese asked his board Tuesday to consider a program that would have RTA joining local colleges and institutes in subsidizing the cost of monthly fares.

 

"Most importantly, it's a way to make college more affordable," said Calabrese, noting last week's launch of a compact between local governments and colleges to lift the county's education levels.

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/10/rta_heads_wants_to_cut_monthly.html

I like this idea.  The U-pass program at CSU was a godsend for me and many others.  Not only does it help student budgets, it gets young people to try out the transit-oriented lifestyle, creating a generation of new supporters. 

 

WOW sweet! Well my main question was just how much would it take to input the exact route into Google so that it is highlighted when a stop is clicked on.

I found the "highlighting of the route" aspect on Google to be a nice tool when looking at the transit system in SF. (and many comparable cities)

 

http://g.co/maps/fp9fz

 

 

Thanks for the additional detail, Scav. I took a little closer look at things, both in San Francisco and in Paris, and I see what you mean about the route highlighting.

 

The GTFS spec does offer the ability to include a file called shapes.txt that is a referenced set of geolocations for route traces, and that, combined with the route_color field in routes.txt, appears to be what's used to make this happen. It seems that San Fran's bus lines all use the default light blue color, as they do not specify a route color in their routes.txt file, while the BART rail lines DO specify route colors.

 

Cleveland currently includes a shapes.txt file in the feed that is supplied to Google, so it looks like we're giving them everything we need to. I've put the ask in to Google to see if there's anything we're missing, or if perhaps this route display is a limited-release feature only implemented for certain cities. Much as we'd all like Cleveland to be a top-tier testbed for Google, I suspect Paris and San Francisco might yield them more useful results, simply on volume alone (though I think they underestimate the enthusiasm of certain Clevelanders!).

 

I have noticed that this feature isn't present in all other cities, so Cleveland definitely isn't the only city that's missing it. Buffalo, my old stomping grounds, doesn't have the feature at all, and Boston seems to have it only for rail, as does Sacramento, CA (a system with a comparable level of service miles to Cleveland). So, this may be more "cutting edge" of a feature than we all realize, useful though it may be.

 

I'll keep you all apprised of anything additional I find out from Google. In the meantime, if any of you would like to get a look at the raw data we supply to Google, the latest data set is always available at http://www.riderta.com/gtfs/latest/google_transit.zip and a list of other available feeds can be found at http://code.google.com/p/googletransitdatafeed/wiki/PublicFeeds. There's currently no "license" associated with OUR feed, but if you're going to use our data to build something, please don't infringe on RTA's trademarks, or represent anything you do as being an official or endorsed RTA product, and please respect the license agreements presented by other agencies if you use their data.

 

Thank you! Thats really interesting stuff. I looked up pittsburgh and baltimore and neither city had the "line" showing up.

 

Appreciate your time! :D

Can anyone tell me why I saw a healthline vehicle drive over the eddy road free way and get on the highway?

 

http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Eddy+Rd&daddr=I-90+W&hl=en&ll=41.550607,-81.604514&spn=0.004167,0.009645&sll=41.550872,-81.603398&sspn=0.004167,0.009645&geocode=FX8CegIdXdgi-w%3BFVD_eQId2cci-w&vpsrc=6&mra=mift&mrsp=1&sz=17&t=h&z=17

Can anyone tell me why I saw a healthline vehicle drive over the eddy road free way and get on the highway?

 

Most likely a deadhead from the Hayden garage, where those vehicles are stored, to the starting point at Public Square. Deadheads can take a variety of routes to reach their destinations, many of which don't even come close to revenue service routes, depending on circumstances. This is quite ordinary.

Thank you! Thats really interesting stuff. I looked up pittsburgh and baltimore and neither city had the "line" showing up.

 

Appreciate your time! :D

 

My pleasure, it's why I hang out here :-).

 

I got an official reply from Google:

 

It is called Transit Layer. The Transit Layer is a part of Google Transit.

Google Transit has the goal to provide full schedule information and

routing, the objective of the Transit Layer is to overlay lines visually

on Google Maps. It is based off the shapes provided in the GTFS feed.

Think of a virtual metro map on top of Google Maps.

 

At this point in time we are taking launch requests very slowly at the

moment. We will remember your request and come back to you as soon as we

can.

 

Regards,

The Google Transit Team

Jerry, this question was raised in the Red Line/HealthLine extension thread. Any thing you can share with us?

 

 

I know the construction between W. 25th and Tower City has slowed things down, but lately the trains seem very erratic.  I was meeting a friend at the University Circle stop on Saturday.  He called me at 11:57 to tell me he had caught the train which was scheduled to leave W. 25th at around 11:55 and I could hear the train moving in the background, so it was close to being on time.  It didn't arrive at the UC stop until 12:22, so it took over 25 minutes to cover what used to be 15 minutes, and arrived 12 minutes behind schedule after being pretty much on time just a few stops before.

 

Over 25 min to cover 6.5 miles is an average of about 15 mph.  That's awfully slow for trains that can and do reach 55-60 mph at times.  What is going on?  It's not like the train was ahead and had to wait.  It seems like the schedules are getting harder and harder to rely on being remotely accurate.

Because FTA money hasn't been forthcoming (yet) for the Red Line's E. 120-to-Mayfield/Little Italy station relocation, and because phase 1 of the excellent Uptown mixed use project (plus MOCA) will be online within the year, I think RTA and/or Cleveland needs to fix up the E. 120 station as best they can.  A lot of downtown & West Side riders are going to be using this station, and conditions there currently are, ... well, not good.  I haven't been past there in several months, but the last time I looked, the Rapid/railroad bridge leading from the station westbound toward the Uptown development was a dark tunnel and was rather dirty.  Brooms + paint brushes, etc. along w/ increased lighting would be a big start.  Also (even though, yes, it'll cost), I'd post an RTA cop (or cops) in/around the station all day/night during Red Line hours.  Perhaps this could be worked out/divided up btw RTA and the City, for both entities have a huge stake in Uptown's success and UC's continued growth.

jam40jeff had a question about slow times on the Red Line on Saturday, Oct. 15. I offer 2 comments.

 

1. The Viaduct shutdown was Oct. 8-12. It's over, and no other Red Line traffic is being affected.

 

2. There is often rail work being done on weekends, as the usage is much lower than weekends. This often creates a need for single tracking. I suspect that is what happened.

 

We apologize for the inconvenience.

 

Because FTA money hasn't been forthcoming (yet) for the Red Line's E. 120-to-Mayfield/Little Italy station relocation, and because phase 1 of the excellent Uptown mixed use project (plus MOCA) will be online within the year, I think RTA and/or Cleveland needs to fix up the E. 120 station as best they can.  A lot of downtown & West Side riders are going to be using this station.

 

Thanks for your insight. I have forwarded your message along.

The September ridership report is filled with great news.

 

Ridership is up in virtually every category, both for the month and year-to-date.

 

The leader was the Red Line -- up 9.6 percent for the month, and 14.6 percent year-to-date.

Only 9.6 percent for the Red Line? I guess I've gotten spoiled by the double-digit increases of the past year.

On Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 29-30, all East Side Rapid transit service will be replaced with buses.  Buses will remain in service until regular Rapid transit service is restored at start of service Monday morning, October 31.

 

Red Line East Side replacement buses will serve all stations between Tower City and the Louis Stokes Station at Windermere. The HealthLine is an alternative for some riders.

 

Blue and Green Line replacement buses will serve all stations between Tower City and Green Road, and between Tower City and Van Aken/Warrensville.

 

Waterfront and West Side Red Line rapid service will operate as usual.

 

The Tower City Bus Stop is on Public Square at the trolley stop in front of the former Higbee department store.

 

Bus departure times will be similar to the schedule for regular rapid transit service, but travel will be slower.  Please allow extra time for your trip.

 

This temporary replacement of Rapid transit service is needed for the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Innerbelt construction project.  RTA apologizes for the inconvenience.

 

Gee, just in time for the All Aboard Ohio-Midwest High Speed Rail Asssociation's Fall Meeting downtown at the City Club on Saturday!

 

jam40jeff had a question about slow times on the Red Line on Saturday, Oct. 15. I offer 2 comments.

 

1. The Viaduct shutdown was Oct. 8-12. It's over, and no other Red Line traffic is being affected.

 

2. There is often rail work being done on weekends, as the usage is much lower than weekends. This often creates a need for single tracking. I suspect that is what happened.

 

We apologize for the inconvenience.

 

To follow up, I actually had to meet the same friend at the same station this past Saturday.  He got on the train following the one he was on last week, which was on time leaving W. 25th (12:15), and this time it arrived at the UC station almost exactly at the scheduled time (12:30).

Gee, just in time for the All Aboard Ohio-Midwest High Speed Rail Asssociation's Fall Meeting downtown at the City Club on Saturday!

 

The Innerbelt construction project affects everyone.

Yes, except I was hoping it would be a justification for using transit more -- at least for this Saturday.

 

Don't worry, I'm being half tongue-in-cheek and the other half totally selfish.