I wondered where that came from. From my condo, I could hear the NS locomotive engineers using their horns in short toots, the kind they make when rolling through a work site at walking speed.

Come on people. Get over it. Rail lines are closed and updated all over the place all the time. It happens.

musky[/member]

What you posted is completely different from the MTA NYC

 

clvlndr[/member] I think you're taking this to serious.  It appears to me that because we have a small number of rail lines any adjustment/shut down is considered major.  If we had lines under Detrot and Lorain this wouldn't see like a big deal.  However, the Cleveland Rapid is a major part of our transit system, so any closure affects the whole system.

 

 

Update on three-unit bike racks:

Continuing to install 127 bike racks on buses at CBM and Triskett. RTA should receive another 100 bike racks in two weeks. They will be installed at buses at Hayden, starting on Sept. 16.  The last shipment of bike racks is expected to arrive in late September. They will be installed by the end of October.

 

just got back from vacation...missed all the severe weather...

 

Update on three-unit bike racks:

Continuing to install 127 bike racks on buses at CBM and Triskett. RTA should receive another 100 bike racks in two weeks. They will be installed at buses at Hayden, starting on Sept. 16.  The last shipment of bike racks is expected to arrive in late September. They will be installed by the end of October.

 

just got back from vacation...missed all the severe weather...

 

 

Thanks Jerry, welcome back. ... Can you tell us what's going on with the Little Italy station rebuild + Red Line east (UC-to-Windermere) closure?  A UO poster mentioned it appeared no work was going on at the station site in addition to the facts that the closure has been extended from July and now RTA's website is listing the closure as being in effect "until further notice."  What's the deal?

RTA will open the station as soon as possible, probably later this month. Here is a story from the August Riders Digest, which is now available on-line, http://www.riderta.com/publications/ridersdigest/2014/august#toc-3

One poster said that permanent stop signs for replacement buses at the Rapid Stations are "pretty disturbing". Another poster took RTA to task for not communicating more with our customers. Well, the signs ARE part of the on-going effort to keep customers informed. Some of our rail stations are large. At Puritas, for instance, there are several places where one might stand. Rather than have customers guess, we told them "stand here." It's an improvement. Any time regular service is interrupted on ANY mode, we try to make things as smooth as possble.

RTA will open the station as soon as possible, probably later this month. Here is a story from the August Riders Digest, which is now available on-line, http://www.riderta.com/publications/ridersdigest/2014/august#toc-3

 

Thanks for the update, Jerry. Welcome back!

... yes, thanks Jerry. 

RTA board OKs signoff on transportation role with Republican National Convention

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The RTA board on Tuesday cleared the way for the agency to sign off on transportation plans for the Republican National Convention in Cleveland two years from now.

 

Except that board members didn't have any plans to look at.

 

"Unfortunately, I don't have details yet," RTA General Manager Joe Calabrese said, before the board voted to give him and Board Chairman George Dixon authority to approve a transit agreement in advance of the Republican National Committee meeting Friday in Chicago.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/08/rta_board_oks_signoff_on_trans.html#incart_river

The Rider's Digest noted this for the August 17th Red Line schedule change:

 

After 8 p.m., trains will operate every 30 minutes to allow for single tracking around track work.

The Rider's Digest noted this for the August 17th Red Line schedule change:

 

After 8 p.m., trains will operate every 30 minutes to allow for single tracking around track work.

I hope that doesn't last too long.

The Rider's Digest noted this for the August 17th Red Line schedule change:

 

After 8 p.m., trains will operate every 30 minutes to allow for single tracking around track work.

I hope that doesn't last too long.

 

You and me both... I guess we should be grateful it won't a a total shutdown.  It sucks though because, if I stay in Ohio City past 8p, I'll have to start carrying Red Line schedules again. It was bad enough when it was every 20 minutes.  Trains every 30 minutes will really be tough to deal with.

You and me both... I guess we should be grateful it won't a a total shutdown.  It sucks though because, if I stay in Ohio City past 8p, I'll have to start carrying Red Line schedules again. It was bad enough when it was every 20 minutes.  Trains every 30 minutes will really be tough to deal with.

 

Yes, for me it's the same thing. On days when I have to stay late in Ohio City for one reason or another, it's good to be able to go to the train and know that 15 minutes is the longest I'll have to wait. Maybe it's a small thing to complain about, but having to be vigilant about a schedule makes the system less attractive.

 

Since the Red Line has been closed on the far east side, I've been taking the Green Line to work, and I am impressed at how frequent and well used the rush-hour service is. At night, rather than make a connection at Tower City via the Red Line, I usually walk through the Flats to the Settler's Landing station and am glad to see that the FEB project has really generated some traffic on the Waterfront portion of the Green and Blue. There are no crowds until the trains get to Tower City, but there are usually a dozen or so people already on board when I get on, which is more than there ever used to be.

 

I will be glad when it reopens, but I don't think I will switch back to being exclusively a Red Line rider after it does.

^The Green/Blue lines really offer a nice ride and a more enjoyable experience than the Red Line IMO so I can see why you enjoy taking it. The biggest thing I miss about other cities is trains coming every 5 minutes or even less. Missing the train by a second didn't seem so bad. Here waiting 15 to 30 minutes seems like forever if you miss your train! The only place you can get that similar service is Shaker Square! Im hoping that the Larchmere streetscape helps things really take off over there and help increase ridership as well.

 

Different topic, but the new Little Italy should be HUGE for the system. Especially once Uptown and Intesa is built out, along with all of the smaller projects happening in Little Italy and University Circle. And in Shaker Heights, if the Van Aken/Warrensville district turns out to be the urban neighborhood it could be, and Lee Road gets redeveloped like the city plans, you could see another large boost in ridership. I could imagine downtown residents taking the blue line out to Van Aken/Warrensville if it attracts good retailers.

A friend of mine who's a bigtime transit advocate lives in Shaker Heights and works in the North Point Tower. He has been taking the Blue Line to Tower City and the trolley to his office. He's a creature of habit so when the Waterfront Line started running again, he was still taking the trolley from Tower City! Only recently has he been staying on the Blue Line trains all the way to East 9th. Increasingly, he's being joined by more and more passengers. The last time I spoke with him while he was getting on at East 9th after work, he said 20 people were getting on the train with him. Another half-dozen got on at Flats East Bank.

KJP[/member]  Thats good to hear. I feel like people forget about that East 9th Station. It could use some new signage to change things up a bit and get people to notice it.

A friend of mine who's a bigtime transit advocate lives in Shaker Heights and works in the North Point Tower. He has been taking the Blue Line to Tower City and the trolley to his office. He's a creature of habit so when the Waterfront Line started running again, he was still taking the trolley from Tower City! Only recently has he been staying on the Blue Line trains all the way to East 9th. Increasingly, he's being joined by more and more passengers. The last time I spoke with him while he was getting on at East 9th after work, he said 20 people were getting on the train with him. Another half-dozen got on at Flats East Bank.

 

Wow, that's impressive.

KJP[/member]  Thats good to hear. I feel like people forget about that East 9th Station. It could use some new signage to change things up a bit and get people to notice it.

 

Yes, new signage would be nice; a lot of people don’t seem to know about the Waterfront Line at all.  Also, it sure would be nice if the North Coast station was extended underneath E. 9th so North Point riders didn’t have to cross the busy street… But it’s not an insurmountable…  I also notice that the directional sign at North Coast has been altered from just Tower City, to Tower City and the Flats… Once Flats East Bank gets built out, the Rapid will be an excellent, quick jaunt from E. 9th/North Coast.  At last, we may finally have some semblance of downtown rail distribution.

The waterfront line should be free. Introduce people to the rail system and it's such a short distance that it isn't worth the full fare. Make it like the trolleys or pittsburghs fare free zone. It would be good for connecting tourists to the lakefront.

The waterfront line should be free. Introduce people to the rail system and it's such a short distance that it isn't worth the full fare. Make it like the trolleys or pittsburghs fare free zone. It would be good for connecting tourists to the lakefront.

 

I don’t think making the WFL free is going to make much of a difference, but if it was, it would likely have to be underwritten by downtown businesses.  Although I guess I’m contradicting myself, I think the most WFL users are riders who have already ridden transit into downtown and not drivers and/or tourist who are either already downtown, or who have arrived by private auto or taxi (from the airport).  People either believe in transit or they don’t; making it free downtown probably won’t sway the non-users onto the trains.  On top of that, given the wacky, confusing fare system on the Blue and Green Lines already, can you imagine what a mess a free system for WFL-only riders will be?

On top of that, given the wacky, confusing fare system on the Blue and Green Lines already, can you imagine what a mess a free system for WFL-only riders will be?

 

Not if GCRTA installed fare machines on the trains and at selected busy stations on the Blue/Green lines. Then they could implement a fare-free zone on the Waterfront Line by not inspecting for valid fare cards on that segment. They should still have fare machines at a couple of Waterfront Line stations (oe: North Coast, West Third, Flats East Bank) but with signs saying something like "Pay fare only for GCRTA travel beyond Tower City station."

Another positive about a free waterfront line, it would make the muni lot more practical for Indians and Cavs games which would get people on the rails and help devalue the lots near the stadium.

 

People either believe in transit or they don’t; making it free downtown probably won’t sway the non-users onto the trains.

 

I don't think it's that black and white. Plenty of people who only drive go on vacations and prefer to not use their car until they leave. Although there are some crazy people, I really believe there are far less people strongly opposed to rail then we like to believe. Those who are a just a loud minority, like Manziel fans... ;)

 

People either believe in transit or they don’t; making it free downtown probably won’t sway the non-users onto the trains.

 

I don't think it's that black and white. Plenty of people who only drive go on vacations and prefer to not use their car until they leave. Although there are some crazy people, I really believe there are far less people strongly opposed to rail then we like to believe. Those who are a just a loud minority, like Manziel fans... ;)

 

We can agree to disagree, DM4.  When I’ve gone down into the Flats to that huge, lovely new FEB Phase I, E&Y office/hotel complex at evening rush hour, I see tons of people streaming across the WFL tracks – it’s actually a shorter distance to the RTA FEB station – ignoring the trains in order to get to their cars; enough to create traffic jams along W. 10th and Old River Road… As I’ve said before, I can’t believe many if not most of these commuters aren’t reasoanbly convenient to one of RTA’s rail lines in order to take trains into the FEB stop which is literally across the street from where they work… And we’re only talking about FEB Phase I.  But once again, these folks wouldn’t be benefited by free downtown WFL service anyway  who, much like me on the “free” Trolleys because my all-day Rapid rail pass gets me a “free” ride on any RTA service whether I want to ride from Public Sq to PHS, CSU … or even Westlake.  And out of towners, say visiting the Rock Hall who happen to be staying at the Doubletree Hotel, I doubt will be any less inclined to hop the WFL to FEB because of the $2.25 (or $5.00 for the day pass).  They’re on vaca after all (staying at probably a $125/night (at least) room and scouting some of our more expensive downtown restaurants), what’s a few bucks to them?  I’ve run into some wide-eyed, obviously hotel guests from Aloft coming/going to the FEB RTA stop, just to check out and ride the trains.  They think it’s cool and often laud Cleveland for having such a service. 

 

I think you’re comparing apples and oranges when comparing Pittsburgh’s free T downtown service.  Pittsburgh’s downtown is even smaller and more compact than ours, but more congested and on a peninsula hemmed in by a mountain-like hill (to the east) and the convergence of the 3 rivers to the west.  The free T service is underwritten by various downtown-area companies, notably the 3-Rivers Casino 2 blocks from the end of that 2-station, North Shore Connector extension that goes under the River (and btw the service sucks to the casino as riders are forced to walk around or through a large parking lot and cross a busy street and plaza to reach the casino from the North Shore T terminal; and we won’t even get into the tortoise-like slowness of T trains from downtown to the 2 N. Shore stations – I’m sure a surface bus over the parallel Roberto Clemente bridge could beat T trains… but I digress).  Additionally, the free T service is a way to get Golden Triangle workers to drive in and park into those huge lots and garages on the North Shore around the 2 stadiums (for the Steelers and Pirates) when they’re empty when the teams aren’t playing home games, and ride the T under the river into the oft-congested downtown.  One thing I DO advocate Cleveland trying, is similarly presenting commuters who pay to park at the huge Muny Lot off the Shoreway with an all-day pass upon pre-paying the day’s parking fee.  It would be a win-win – keeping more cars off downtown streets and getting more butts onto the WFL.  I don’t know why RTA hasn’t explored this.

 

  I don’t know why RTA hasn’t explored this.

 

My impression of "most" RTA employees (I am sure there are exceptions) is they are not there to push forward an agenda.  They are there to collect a check until their pension starts.  And then maybe they'll collect another check somewhere else.  They are not idealistic folks--they are bureaucrats collecting checks. 

 

We (the citizens) need to push for these initiatives, via our politicians and neighborhood organizations.

Want to look into the future? Here is a presentation from yesterday's RTA Board meeting, with a preview of the capital plan, 2015-2019.

http://www.riderta.com/sites/default/files/pdf/presentations/2014-8-5_CIP.pdf

 

Want to look into the future? Here is a presentation from yesterday's RTA Board meeting, with a preview of the capital plan, 2015-2019.

http://www.riderta.com/sites/default/files/pdf/presentations/2014-8-5_CIP.pdf

 

 

There was a public hearing on the capital plan on Tuesday? So does the following portion of the presentation mean that GCRTA will not seek to close or relocate the East 34th station?

 

Design

o Light Rail Retaining Wall Rehabilitation

o Lee Shaker (Blue) Station ADA Rehabilitation

o Puritas Substation Replacement

o East 34th Street Station ADA Rehabilitation

 

Also I'm surprised to see the Lee Road Blue Line station in the list as I thought construction on the new station has already begun?

 

Glad to see consideration has begun for a railcar replacement program....

(Page 10) Identify $240 M for Replacement Rail Cars

 

Also I'm surprised to see the Lee Road Blue Line station in the list as I thought construction on the new station has already begun?

 

 

I passed by the other day and it definitely appeared to be under construction. Weird...

Construction on the Lee Road Station will carry into next year, so money for it has to be in next year's budget.

Ken

 

To my knowledge, no decision has been made on the East 34th Street Station. Every budget includes items that never get bought or built.

Cleveland-area flooding halts RTA Blue and Green Lines

 

By Brandon Blackwell, Northeast Ohio Media Group

Email the author | Follow on Twitter

on August 13, 2014 at 7:45 AM, updated August 13, 2014 at 8:01 AM

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Greater Cleveland RTA Blue and Green Lines are shut down Wednesday as crews work to clear flooding caused by overnight rainstorms, a spokeswoman said.

 

 

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/08/cleveland-area_flooding_halts.html#incart_graystrip#incart_orangestrip

Storm leaves debris scattered on RTA tracks, closure continues

By Alison Grant, The Plain Dealer

Email the author | Follow on Twitter

 

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio --  Damage from overnight flooding near RTA's Buckeye Woodhill Station this morning left concrete rubble strewn on the tracks.

 

RTA has closed the station for now and is continuing to use replacement buses for all its Blue and Green Line rapid train service while it makes repairs.

 

Sections of the Green Line other than the Buckeye Woodhill Station were under water last night, and RTA is assessing the damage before it deems the tracks safe for use again.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/08/storm_leaves_debris_scattered.html#incart_m-rpt-1

Anyone know how much the signal prioritization for the Health Line cost?  I know it has never been activated, but I'm curious as to how much it cost. 

  I don’t know why RTA hasn’t explored this.

 

My impression of "most" RTA employees (I am sure there are exceptions) is they are not there to push forward an agenda.  They are there to collect a check until their pension starts.  And then maybe they'll collect another check somewhere else.  They are not idealistic folks--they are bureaucrats collecting checks. 

 

We (the citizens) need to push for these initiatives, via our politicians and neighborhood organizations.

 

Then RTA needs more inspiring leadership at the top.  We recently got a new director at the public agency I work at and he has managed to demoralize staff with both a lack of communication skills and recent dumb decisions, some of which are potentially unethical.  As a result, more people have begun "watching the clock" because they don't feel valued anymore.  I've been there 20 years and seen more and more bureaucracy and Dilbert creep in and seen innovative ideas shot down.  If an agency has this problem, top management is probably the culprit.  You can only ignore the bull***t for so long before it wears you down. 

 

I have heard complaints that RTA seems to too easily and too often find reasons why things can't be done rather than trying to find ways to at least help them happen.  This, in my opinion is a leadership problem.  I hate to say it, but although Joe Calabrese has done a good job in some key areas at RTA, I'm not convinced he has much vision-- an important thing to have as the transportation environment is changing toward greater demand for public transit.  And, I wonder how much he actually gets out of his office to see how things are going on the front lines.  Someone told me that when it has been brought up that the Health Line buses are bunching up in places, his response has been along the lines of:  "no they aren't, I can see them from my office window".  He's around until 2020, however.  I don't think the RTA board should have such long contracts for its CEO.

 

Someone told me that when it has been brought up that the Health Line buses are bunching up in places, his response has been along the lines of:  "no they aren't, I can see them from my office window". 

 

For real?!

  I don’t know why RTA hasn’t explored this.

 

My impression of "most" RTA employees (I am sure there are exceptions) is they are not there to push forward an agenda.  They are there to collect a check until their pension starts.  And then maybe they'll collect another check somewhere else.  They are not idealistic folks--they are bureaucrats collecting checks. 

 

We (the citizens) need to push for these initiatives, via our politicians and neighborhood organizations.

 

Then RTA needs more inspiring leadership at the top.  We recently got a new director at the public agency I work at and he has managed to demoralize staff with both a lack of communication skills and recent dumb decisions, some of which are potentially unethical.  As a result, more people have begun "watching the clock" because they don't feel valued anymore.  I've been there 20 years and seen more and more bureaucracy and Dilbert creep in and seen innovative ideas shot down.  If an agency has this problem, top management is probably the culprit.  You can only ignore the bull***t for so long before it wears you down. 

 

I have heard complaints that RTA seems to too easily and too often find reasons why things can't be done rather than trying to find ways to at least help them happen.  This, in my opinion is a leadership problem.  I hate to say it, but although Joe Calabrese has done a good job in some key areas at RTA, I'm not convinced he has much vision-- an important thing to have as the transportation environment is changing toward greater demand for public transit.  And, I wonder how much he actually gets out of his office to see how things are going on the front lines.  Someone told me that when it has been brought up that the Health Line buses are bunching up in places, his response has been along the lines of:  "no they aren't, I can see them from my office window".  He's around until 2020, however.  I don't think the RTA board should have such long contracts for its CEO.

 

Playing devils advocate, it's easy to say these things when you dont have a seat at the table.  For instance, you may handle your household budget one way, then we say, oh you should do x, y & z.  We may label you a bad or non caring home owner. We say this without knowing important facts about your household needs, finances, labor costs, housing infrastructure or property, etc.

 

Personally, I don't think leadership is the main problem, it's a problem but not the main problem.  When you work for a public agency you have to be a visionary, a publicist and financial controller.  We have a financial controller.  We need someone who will hire people to change the mindset of the city and region in regard to public transportation.  People who can make taking and using public transportation the norm and not just a way to and from work.  Example, every business in downtown should have transit directions associated with company.  (ie.  We're located on the X bus/X train line at X station/stop).  Also, there are small steps we can take to change the perception that the system is falling apart. 

Anyone know how much the signal prioritization for the Health Line cost?  I know it has never been activated, but I'm curious as to how much it cost. 

 

No, but I can certainly find out.

 

I see two, oversimplified schools of thought regarding visionary leadership:

 

1. One type sees his/her budget and the impact which the external world (ie: county sale tax revenue trends, state funding, federal funding) has on that budget. This leader seeks to operate within those confines as a reality defined by others.

 

2. The other type seeks to define the reality as it should be, such as providing the type of service his/her agency should be offering to meet the needs of the community and then makes the case for funding to achieve that goal.

 

GCRTA is led by the first type of leader, including its board of trustees. Joe may be surprised to hear this coming from me, but I like him and the job he has done. He is easily the most fiscally competent leader GCRTA has ever had. He has given GCRTA a great deal of respectability after two decades of concerns about corruption, political patronage and general incompetence. While Ron Tober made it fun to be a transit advocate in Cleveland again, Joe made GCRTA a disciplined public service and made some very tough choices that pissed off a lot of people, including me. I'm still mad he axed the Waterfront Line Extension/Downtown Loop -- one of the few rail extensions that would have passed FTA muster and which GCRTA could afford to do. The service cuts during the Great Recession were certainly the low point for him, but I completely understand why he did it. And to say Joe wasn't innovative is wrong. Typing labor contracts to agency revenue was a stroke of brilliance. Its reason why labor costs have gone from an untenable 72% of GCRTA's operating budget to the low 60s. If he can get it into the 50ish-percentile, he will have worked magic. Our rail system still costs too much per service-hour compared to rail systems in other medium-sized cities, so there's much work left to do. And TOD is an incredible emerging opportunity for GCRTA as our nation's population demographics continue to shift.

 

Then there's the other kind of leader. At the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, they have a huge rail system which is need of replacement of critical systems, infrastructure and trains which are breaking down. And yet there is discussion of a Second Generation rail system overlapping the existing one, which is already the nation's second-busiest. There isn't even enough money to fund repairs to and replacement of equipment along the existing system, much less adding a major expansion. So the vision for repairs and expansion is being set, and the price tag estimated, the tax and other funding increases being considered to pay for it. This is an example of how a budget reality is being redefined to afford the major expansion. However it is rooted in a reality different from Cleveland's. Washington DC is a growing area -- but it wasn't always this way. In fact, its return-to-the-city story started not long after the Metro rail system was built in the 1970s-80s. Transit can be the tool to spark economic growth.

 

Can it be that way in Cleveland? I think that spark is already happening. Most of the development in the city is occurring withing 2,000 feet of rail and BRT stations.

 

So imagine what the next GCRTA CEO could take on as his/her vision....  Establish a fundamental goal such as having 90% of jobs in Greater Cleveland accessible to 90% of the population within a 90-minute transit trip. According to the Brookings Institute, only 27 percent of jobs are within a 90-minute transit trip (SOURCE: http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/reports/2011/5/12%20jobs%20and%20transit/0512_jobs_transit.pdf). To accomplish this not only means extending transit outward, but providing seamless connections between GCRTA and collar-county systems like Laketran, Akron Metro, PARTA and LCT, and it also means working cooperatively with the private sector on locating jobs where transit already exists or to help fund route/service extensions to their sites. This also means probably means a revamp of the whole route network using grids and faster services (commuter rail, transit on highways stopping for transit services on major arterials, etc) across longer routes with stations as primary nodes of employment and lighter-density circulator transit to more scattered employers.

 

But a simple goal of "The 90's" -- 90% of jobs in Greater Cleveland accessible to 90% of the population within a 90-minute transit trip -- is something anyone can understand and hopefully recognize the benefits of achieving. I hope something like this will be the goal if this community soon.

Anyone know how much the signal prioritization for the Health Line cost?  I know it has never been activated, but I'm curious as to how much it cost. 

 

No, but I can certainly find out.

 

I see two, oversimplified schools of thought regarding visionary leadership:

 

1. One type sees his/her budget and the impact which the external world (ie: county sale tax revenue trends, state funding, federal funding) has on that budget. This leader seeks to operate within those confines as a reality defined by others.

 

2. The other type seeks to define the reality as it should be, such as providing the type of service his/her agency should be offering to meet the needs of the community and then makes the case for funding to achieve that goal.

 

GCRTA is led by the first type of leader, including its board of trustees. Joe may be surprised to hear this coming from me, but I like him and the job he has done. He is easily the most fiscally competent leader GCRTA has ever had. He has given GCRTA a great deal of respectability after two decades of concerns about corruption, political patronage and general incompetence. While Ron Tober made it fun to be a transit advocate in Cleveland again, Joe made GCRTA a disciplined public service and made some very tough choices that pissed off a lot of people, including me. I'm still mad he axed the Waterfront Line Extension/Downtown Loop -- one of the few rail extensions that would have passed FTA muster and which GCRTA could afford to do. The service cuts during the Great Recession were certainly the low point for him, but I completely understand why he did it. And to say Joe wasn't innovative is wrong. Typing labor contracts to agency revenue was a stroke of brilliance. Its reason why labor costs have gone from an untenable 72% of GCRTA's operating budget to the low 60s. If he can get it into the 50ish-percentile, he will have worked magic. Our rail system still costs too much per service-hour compared to rail systems in other medium-sized cities, so there's much work left to do. And TOD is an incredible emerging opportunity for GCRTA as our nation's population demographics continue to shift.

 

Then there's the other kind of leader. At the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, they have a huge rail system which is need of replacement of critical systems, infrastructure and trains which are breaking down. And yet there is discussion of a Second Generation rail system overlapping the existing one, which is already the nation's second-busiest. There isn't even enough money to fund repairs to and replacement of equipment along the existing system, much less adding a major expansion. So the vision for repairs and expansion is being set, and the price tag estimated, the tax and other funding increases being considered to pay for it. This is an example of how a budget reality is being redefined to afford the major expansion. However it is rooted in a reality different from Cleveland's. Washington DC is a growing area -- but it wasn't always this way. In fact, its return-to-the-city story started not long after the Metro rail system was built in the 1970s-80s. Transit can be the tool to spark economic growth.

 

Can it be that way in Cleveland? I think that spark is already happening. Most of the development in the city is occurring withing 2,000 feet of rail and BRT stations.

 

So imagine what the next GCRTA CEO could take on as his/her vision....  Establish a fundamental goal such as having 90% of jobs in Greater Cleveland accessible to 90% of the population within a 90-minute transit trip. According to the Brookings Institute, only 27 percent of jobs are within a 90-minute transit trip (SOURCE: http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/reports/2011/5/12%20jobs%20and%20transit/0512_jobs_transit.pdf). To accomplish this not only means extending transit outward, but providing seamless connections between GCRTA and collar-county systems like Laketran, Akron Metro, PARTA and LCT, and it also means working cooperatively with the private sector on locating jobs where transit already exists or to help fund route/service extensions to their sites. This also means probably means a revamp of the whole route network using grids and faster services (commuter rail, transit on highways stopping for transit services on major arterials, etc) across longer routes with stations as primary nodes of employment and lighter-density circulator transit to more scattered employers.

 

But a simple goal of "The 90's" -- 90% of jobs in Greater Cleveland accessible to 90% of the population within a 90-minute transit trip -- is something anyone can understand and hopefully recognize the benefits of achieving. I hope something like this will be the goal if this community soon.

 

That makes a certain degree of sense, though I doubt that "sprawl" is going to be significantly reversed in this area anytime soon.

 

What the agency undoubtedly needs is a mission statement supported by measurable goals and objectives.  You can't thrive, or sometimes even survive, in the private sector these days without that.

 

Without these, at best you have stagnation and bureaucratic timeserving.  At worst, different areas of the agency working at cross purposes.

That makes a certain degree of sense, though I doubt that "sprawl" is going to be significantly reversed in this area anytime soon.

 

 

This just in: the population of downtown and surrounding neighborhoods is rising faster than any other political jurisdictions (municipalities, villages and a couple of a townships) in Cuyahoga County.

 

OK, not fair because everyone knows this. But what you probably didn't know is that downtown has more population than 32 political jurisdictions in the county. And of the 57 political jurisdictions in the county, only six haven't declined in population since 2010 and two of those were unchanged. The other four grew less than 3%. The population of downtown and surrounding neighborhoods is growing at double-digit rates over a much longer and sustained period -- since 2000. And the Millennials (largest generation in U.S. history) have just started moving out of their parents' homes.

 

If Cleveland doesn't offer the low-mileage lifestyles young people want, we will lose them to cities that do. It's that simple.

Some pics of one of Greater Cleveland's best assets......

 

West 117th Red Line station:

 

Trains in @GCRTA station at Cleveland Hopkins Intl Airport.

 

Something every major city in Ohio and the Midwest should have!

I certainly haven’t been one of Joe C’s biggest fans, but I will give him credit for a few things.

First and foremost, the evidence exists that he’s a people person; very charming and personable.  Folks whose opinion I respect tell me this -- I’ve never met him.  That’s important because he is the face of the agency.  Second, you can’t deny he’s been very strong on the budget end of things.  He gutted RTA in many ways.  The very popular Community Circulators were cut, many bus lines disappeared, esp on the East Side, and the ones that survived had their service absurdly reduced.  I believe that most crosstown bus routes now operate at no greater than once an hour during weekdays and, at best, half-hourly during rush hour…  Yikes!  Many heavy-population routes, like the 32s up Cedar Rd through the heart of the Heights, has been greatly reduced; I believe the core 32 trunk-line only runs every 30 minutes during the day – hard to call that a true “feeder” bus line anymore with that level of infrequency.  And of course (as KJP frustratingly can attribute) the heavily-used 55s have disappeared on weekends… These moves hurt, but RTA was kept fiscally sound in a clearly backwards state on transit and transit-funding matters.  And, as we see with the Trolleys, the reinstatement of weekday, daytime Waterfront Line service as well as the new VA route along Brookpark, service has actually grown in the last few years.

 

Third, some of Joe’s innovations have been hits.  With the downtown trolleys, he essentially rebranded the old CTS-era Loop bus system; expanded the routes and their hours, added interesting and popular new/funky trolley-type coaches replete with old-time wooden seats, … and most importantly, made them free.  This was one of his rare true vision moves (and area I see him lacking in) that made the Trolleys work by getting downtown companies to buy-in to underwriting this service.  The other great move was the Red Line POP.  The old pay-on-board system was a joke, a bottleneck and a nightmare.  The Red Line during off-peak hours found it only viable to run single cars because of it, which often became overcrowded along with their slow one-by-one, front door boarding.  POP has allowed for 2-car trains (or more) with 1-man operations and trains no longer dwell at stations because of fare payment --- the Red Line truly became a “rapid transit” as a result. 

 

But the vision issue is most damning  for Joe and something that is critical for a metro area’s key  service, infrastructure such as a major transit agency.  It’s true and very positive that Cleveland is experiencing its greatest growth at or near transit stations on the rail and HL lines, but Joe has been leading from behind on this issue.  RTA has not taken the lead in TOD and restructured parking (as I noted Atlanta’s MARTA has).  The TOD that has happened has been as a result of developers, like MRN Ltd, seeking out rail stations for development.  I’m not sure what motivated Fairmount to construct high-density development at the Flats East Bank Rapid station, but it works as solid TOD and, I’m hoping, will really pump some life into the historically moribund Waterfront Line (which should have spawned this type of development from the beginning).  It took Ohio City to explode into Cleveland’s hottest neighborhood before Joe’s RTA got around to discussing TOD at W. 25.  And then look at the many under-potential Rapid stops where there is either little or no development or, worse, bad development around them.  It’s obvious that such stations as W. 117 and West Blvd. should be doing much better in terms of TOD growth, because they lie in or near stable (and even upscale, in West Blvd’s case) high-population areas at prominent intersections – both of these stops already have significant walk-up ridership which would be much greater if there was better TOD development.  Then look at the mess at the E. 116 Blue/Green line station, which has been a disaster and has negatively developed within the last 10 years: it’s surrounded by 2 gas stations though, nearby, you had some older 50s, 60s suburban-style offices to the east along Shaker Blvd (some of which are empty).  When the South Pointe development in and around the formerly closed St. Luke’s Hospital was built (hampered by the 2008 recession bigtime), there was no high-density multi-unit structure built there.  Instead, we get a relocated Harvey Rice elementary school and CP Library branch.  Across the street, the Social Security Admin. built a small, 1-story box.  While there are some struggling areas, some crime and residential foreclosures near this station, it has some stability and even growth potential.  There are a number of businesses in this area, and a solid old frontage of mix-use development 2 blocks away at at/around the Buckeye-E. 116 intersection.  Some of these buildings are vacant and in disrepair – like the old Buckeye theatre nearby, but they could be restored … just the kind of transformation that happened along W. 25 at Ohio City or, at the very least, like nearby Larchmere.

 

All these are terrible developments for an off-street, high-speed rapid transit station like E. 116, and it happened under Joe’s watch.  Yeah I know the transit agency is but one aspect of TOD, but transit can, and should take the role of leadership in this area – we see it in other cities -- and, under Joe Calabrese, it has not been.  As KJP notes, greater Cleveland is not growing like Washington, DC.  But that should be all the more reason a city like Cleveland should utilize a valuable asset like rapid transit as a growth tool, not ignore it.  As MyTwoSense noted, a transit chief can, and should be a positive leader; one who could change the conversation about transit – we know Cleveland has sorely needed, and is gradually experiencing, a paradigm shift in the way locals view mass transit.  Only a small bit of that I attribute to Joe C.  And as for the very valuable, and long-awaited Mayfield/Little Italy Red Line station relocation, I attribute this more to forces engineered by UCI’s Chris Ronayne – a guy who I consider a true visionary and a do-er. 

 

As for rail extensions, I realize it’s a difficult proposition in a shrinking metro area like Cleveland.  Still, I find Joe C sorely lacking here to the extend he comes off as anti-rail—and I’m far from the only one who sees this.  Yes, I applaud the east Red Line extension study, but I feel (as many do) that it’s going to end up as expanded BRT (to Joe’s tastes) and not rail.  What bothers me is why the so-called Enhance Clifton BRT project was seemingly rammed through with little study whereby you have a potential rail corridor, a Red Line station at the edge of the corridor and the highest density population in Ohio –the 2nd densest between Philly and Chicago through the very area served by the new Clifton BRT.  And yet, the most Joe talks about is running more BRT along the Opportunity Corridor – a bad road that he strongly advocated. 

 

I’ll reserve comments on Health Line issues for another time… this post is long enough, don’t you think?

 

 

 

 

Here's a day made for mass transit:

 

With all 3 pro sports venues in play, downtown CLE expects a massive throng on Saturday http://www.cleveland.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/08/downtown_cleveland_more_than_1.html#incart_m-rpt-1

Thanks KJP and others for chiming in.  Believe it or not, I give Joe credit for all of the things you all have mentioned.  I just can't help but get the sense that RTA is getting a bit stale around the edges as far as vision, and Clvlndr seems to have confirmed it by saying that RTA has been leading from behind on the TOD thing. 

 

KJP summed it up best:  "If Cleveland doesn't offer the low-mileage lifestyles young people want, we will lose them to cities that do. It's that simple."

 

 

To make the East 34th Street station ADA-compliant, GCRTA is thinking of using the Shaker Interurban ramp as a ADA ramp with a pedestrian grade crossing for East 34th Street. I would prefer that station be moved west to East 30th or to the new East 9th Extension combined with an extension of the E-Line trolley extended south from STJ Transit Center, resurrecting part of the old Loop route.

Super cool!

 

rta introduces ohio city connector, making it easier to travel between downtown and ohio city

 

More than 200 buses run between downtown Cleveland and Ohio City every day. At the same time, both areas have become increasingly popular places to work, live, shop, eat and play. So why not better market, brand and highlight the connections that exist between the two neighborhoods as part of a larger effort to encourage more people to use transit when traveling in and around downtown?

 

http://www.freshwatercleveland.com/devnews/ohiocityconnector082114.aspx

100 trains a day + 200 buses a day and people wonder how to get between Downtown and Ohio City?

 

RTA links between downtown Cleveland and Ohio City fast and frequent, neighborhood advocates say

By Alison Grant, The Plain Dealer

on August 20, 2014 at 5:38 PM, updated August 20, 2014 at 6:13 PM

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Downtown Cleveland and Ohio City residents and community leaders shared a brief round-trip bus ride Wednesday -- seven minutes each way -- to spotlight the convenient public transit between their neighborhoods.

 

Convenient and frequent: On weekdays, buses leave Public Square 200 times for the thriving West Side community just across the Veterans Memorial Bridge, and rapid trains make the trip 100 times a day.

 

But somehow, the ease of using public transit from downtown to reach the West Side Market, the nano-breweries and restaurants spilling onto sidewalks along West 25th Street has escaped widespread notice.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/08/rta_links_between_downtown_cle.html#incart_river

^Very good to see.

Ironically, we were just having this discussion of "do you build transit in response to growth or to encourage it?"

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,17135.msg722882.html#msg722882

100 trains a day + 200 buses a day and people wonder how to get between Downtown and Ohio City?

 

RTA links between downtown Cleveland and Ohio City fast and frequent, neighborhood advocates say

By Alison Grant, The Plain Dealer

on August 20, 2014 at 5:38 PM, updated August 20, 2014 at 6:13 PM

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Downtown Cleveland and Ohio City residents and community leaders shared a brief round-trip bus ride Wednesday -- seven minutes each way -- to spotlight the convenient public transit between their neighborhoods.

 

Convenient and frequent: On weekdays, buses leave Public Square 200 times for the thriving West Side community just across the Veterans Memorial Bridge, and rapid trains make the trip 100 times a day.

 

But somehow, the ease of using public transit from downtown to reach the West Side Market, the nano-breweries and restaurants spilling onto sidewalks along West 25th Street has escaped widespread notice.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/08/rta_links_between_downtown_cle.html#incart_river

 

In looking at this and some of the TV news stories, yesterday, on RTA's big roll-out of this initiative, as good as it is (and it is good, because Ohio City is so transit friendly and people need to know about it), I'd like to see more promoting the available rail as well.  It would be nice if, for example, in or near these bus shelters like the one at the WSM there could be signs saying, for example "Rapid Transit, one block" with an arrow.  And while the news stories tout how these frequent/numerous buses get you to Public Square in 7 or 8 minutes, Red Line trains get you there in 3 minutes (sometimes 2.5 or less minutes).

 

Washington D.C.'s Metro rail has, for years, had the "Metro 2, 3 blocks" etc., signs on street corners.  It would really help to have this in Cleveland where the Rapid often is invisible to people, esp in around Public Square and prospect where there is no rapid transit signage whatsoever.

^ Is there any actual signs outside of Tower City anywhere which acknowledges that their is a rapid station inside? Is there anything that shows there is a mall inside?