July 8, 20159 yr ^I can never predict what UOers want to discuss, but I am surprised that the possible elimination of several Downtown Trolleys hasn't merited a comment -- I guess everyone's obsessed with the Suburban Sprawl discussion. I think it would be a bigger deal if the B and E lines were involved.
July 8, 20159 yr ^I can never predict what UOers want to discuss, but I am surprised that the possible elimination of several Downtown Trolleys hasn't merited a comment -- I guess everyone's obsessed with the Suburban Sprawl discussion. Well, they aren't eliminated yet. It sounds like they are making headway finding funding from local sources. Fingers crossed.
July 11, 20159 yr Author Many folks don't appreciate how serious a situation has gotten until you take (or threaten to take) something away from them. BTW, we have all our speakers lined up for the fun rail tour next month.... http://allaboardohio.org/2015/07/06/summer-mtg-family-outing-cleveland-rail-tour/ Thanks again to GCRTA for sponsoring! "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 12, 20159 yr There's good reading in today's PD about the sorry state of transit funding in Ohio. http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/07/to_boost_ohio_transit_think_ou.html#incart_river
July 12, 20159 yr Author Thanks. I'll also post it in the Ohio transit funding thread so that forumers from other parts of Ohio nay find it. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 12, 20159 yr BTW, we have all our speakers lined up for the fun rail tour next month.... http://allaboardohio.org/2015/07/06/summer-mtg-family-outing-cleveland-rail-tour/ Thanks again to GCRTA for sponsoring! This sounds like it will be a great outing.... Hopefully at Hopkins the tour will pause and check out the nice photo/video exhibit and tribute just outside the RTA station to our late U.S. Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs-Jones, who was a champion of mass transit.
July 13, 20159 yr Author This sounds like it will be a great outing.... Hopefully at Hopkins the tour will pause and check out the nice photo/video exhibit and tribute just outside the RTA station to our late U.S. Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs-Jones, who was a champion of mass transit. It will be. Are you coming? It's open to the public! If you're not a member, you should join. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 13, 20159 yr This sounds like it will be a great outing.... Hopefully at Hopkins the tour will pause and check out the nice photo/video exhibit and tribute just outside the RTA station to our late U.S. Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs-Jones, who was a champion of mass transit. It will be. Are you coming? It's open to the public! If you're not a member, you should join. Thanks for the invite... I wish I could (I really hope to meet you, someday)... Unfortunately, I'll be about 420 miles away during the tour. But when/if available for the next meeting or function, I'm there!
July 13, 20159 yr Author We put this note on our registration page: NOTE: the above agenda after 9 a.m. could change without notice. Aug. 15 was chosen because it is the only Saturday this summer that no track, station or bridge construction project was scheduled to disrupt rail service. However, this could change and our itinerary may have to be adjusted accordingly. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 13, 20159 yr We put this note on our registration page: NOTE: the above agenda after 9 a.m. could change without notice. Aug. 15 was chosen because it is the only Saturday this summer that no track, station or bridge construction project was scheduled to disrupt rail service. However, this could change and our itinerary may have to be adjusted accordingly. I believe that is the weekend of the Feast of the Assumption.
July 13, 20159 yr We put this note on our registration page: NOTE: the above agenda after 9 a.m. could change without notice. Aug. 15 was chosen because it is the only Saturday this summer that no track, station or bridge construction project was scheduled to disrupt rail service. However, this could change and our itinerary may have to be adjusted accordingly. I believe that is the weekend of the Feast of the Assumption. I also thought that was the date someone (KJP?) mentioned that RTA wanted to have the UC-Little Italy station completed by ... specifically for visitors to the Feast.
July 13, 20159 yr Author I also thought that was the date someone (KJP?) mentioned that RTA wanted to have the UC-Little Italy station completed by ... specifically for visitors to the Feast. Yes, that's what RTA's service planning staff told me. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 14, 20159 yr ^That would be great if they could finish it by the Feast. It would immediately demonstrate to the public how more useful a shiny/pleasant, better-located new Red Line station will be.
July 14, 20159 yr Yes, RTA plans to have the new Little Italy-University Circle Station open by the time the festival begins. According to Google Maps, it is a 4-minute walk from the Station to Holy Rosary Church -- the epicenter of it all. Four minutes? Gee, that's hardly enough exercise to work off all those calories from the rich food there. As soon as all the details of the opening ceremony for the station are confirmed, I will post them here.
July 14, 20159 yr Author I'd be surprised if it was as long as four minutes. Besides, the station is downhill from Holy Rosary and all the street vendors, many of whom will be even closer. So if your stomach is too full for you to walk, one can always roll down the hill and into the station, then into its elevator up to track level. Look forward to the opening ceremony for GCRTA's first all-new station since the Waterfront Line opened in June 1996. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 15, 20159 yr Second weekend in a row... West Side Red Line Service Replaced By Buses On Saturday, July 18, and Sunday, July 19, 2015, Red Line rail service between Tower City and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport will be replaced with 66R buses due to track work. http://riderta.com/service-alerts/west-side-red-line-service-replaced-buses-2
July 15, 20159 yr Second weekend in a row... West Side Red Line Service Replaced By Buses On Saturday, July 18, and Sunday, July 19, 2015, Red Line rail service between Tower City and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport will be replaced with 66R buses due to track work. http://riderta.com/service-alerts/west-side-red-line-service-replaced-buses-2 A real kick in the teeth to any (potential) Rapid rider wanting to check out downtown, Ohio City or Univ. Circle/Little Italy.
July 15, 20159 yr I know that track work needs to be done, and I know a lot of the issues with funding repairs are out of RTA's control, but it's just so frustrating to have one half of the rail line shut down the whole weekend for track work (and it's not like this is an isolated incident). It's even more frustrating that there is no end goal in sight with track repairs (again, I know some of this is out of RTA's control), but it's helpful to at least have an idea of when these huge inconveniences will end. When a road is cut down to one lane, or closed, because of resurfacing, at least you know you just have to suck it up for a short period of time and then you won't have to worry about it again for years down the road. Edit: And to clvlndr[/member]'s point, we at least know the details troubling the rail system in terms of equipment maintenance and repair, but I'm guessing the average rail rider (or potential rail rider) does not have this context. To them it just seems that the Rapid has become an inconvenient way to travel, especially on the weekends, and may stop regularly using it, or may not start using it.
July 15, 20159 yr Author A real kick in the teeth to any (potential) Rapid rider wanting to check out downtown, Ohio City or Univ. Circle/Little Italy. Follow these twitter accounts.... https://twitter.com/TTCnotices https://twitter.com/MetroNorth https://twitter.com/RTA_Chicago And others... You may be surprised how often rail lines or stations are shut down for major repairs, or are simply replaced with buses because of breakdowns, police activity, etc. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 23, 20159 yr FYI: July 28: RTA Board will consider a resolution to hire a firm to demolish the rail station at Euclid - East 120th. The agenda is very full and can be seen at http://www.riderta.com/news/july-28-2015-board-meeting-agenda-set Aug. 11: 6:30 p.m., A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at the Little Italy-University Circle Station at East 119 and Mayfield Road. If you attend, please say hello. I will be wearing a suit, tie and a Nikon SLR.
July 24, 20159 yr Author That is a very full agenda! Is the TOD project at Van Aken and Warrensville different than the Van Aken District? "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 24, 20159 yr Author Greater Cleve RTA @GCRTA 48s48 seconds ago Sat 7/25-Sun 7/26 Red Line rail btwn Tower City & Windermere replaced w/ 66R buses due to track and station work. http://ow.ly/PXzxj Sat 7/25-Sun 7/26 Blue Line trains replaced w/ 67R buses btwn Tower City & Warrensville-Van Aken due to track work. http://ow.ly/PXzKm "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 24, 20159 yr Sat 7/25-Sun 7/26 Blue Line trains replaced w/ 67R buses btwn Tower City & Warrensville-Van Aken due to track work. http://ow.ly/PXzKm As well as the Green Line. Not sure why they wouldn't include that in the same tweet. Edit: http://riderta.com/service-alerts/east-side-rail-service-replaced-buses
July 24, 20159 yr Author You are a successful advocate! Greater Cleve RTA @GCRTA 2m2 minutes ago Sat 7/25-Sun 7/26, Green Line rail replaced w/ 67R buses btwn Tower City & Green Rd due to track work. http://ow.ly/PXzZh So no east-side rail service this weekend... "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 24, 20159 yr KJP, yes the July 28 agenda is very full. There are a number of projects that have been discussed for this area, and I do not know precisely what the Mayor will present. Check your tweets.
July 27, 20159 yr Statement from RTA about the incident at East 24th and Euclid this afternoon: "At 4:40 p.m. today, July 26, Transit Police officers on routine patrol peacefully removed a intoxicated 14-year old male from a bus. Police said the juvenile was intoxicated to the point where he was unable to care for himself. Police escorted the youth from the bus to a bus shelter on Euclid Avenue at East 24th Street. Transit Police followed normal procedure, which is -- after police collect pertinent information, juveniles are transported to police headquarters to await release to a parent or legal guardian. Within minutes, a large crowd had gathered. For the safety of the juvenile, Transit Police moved him from the open shelter area into a police cruiser. The crowd then surrounded the car, and attempted to remove the juvenile from the car. By this time, several other law enforcement agencies had also responded. The crowd kept the police car from leaving the area. A Transit Police officer used a general burst of pepper spray in an attempt to push back the crowd, to no avail. The juvenile was escorted from the police cruiser to a waiting EMS unit to be examined at the scene. He was then released to the custody of his mother at 5:47 p.m. The incident is under investigation. RTA will update this statement as more facts become available." http://www.riderta.com/news/july-26-2015-rta-statement-euclid-avenue-incident
July 27, 20159 yr Author That posting might go in the Cleveland Safety thread. To me, it's more a safety issue than a transit service issue. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 27, 20159 yr ^ Yeah, but I put it here because in the past, issues involving GCRTA Police have been in this thread.
July 30, 20159 yr Author The map shows it's in Maple Heights.... PD: Several injuries after Garfield Hts. RTA crash. http://t.co/ISDdWnBnlv Traffic Map: http://t.co/GIhFsTUIyK http://t.co/KsjmCwIm4X "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 31, 20159 yr The map shows it's in Maple Heights.... PD: Several injuries after Garfield Hts. RTA crash. http://t.co/ISDdWnBnlv Traffic Map: http://t.co/GIhFsTUIyK http://t.co/KsjmCwIm4X It's strange over there. IIRC, the northern edge (not the center) of Rockside is the border for a brief stretch that includes the Warrensville Center Road intersection, but as it bears south on each side the north side properties are again in Bedford.
August 1, 20159 yr RTA reports nearly 20 percent increase in western suburb riders since Cleveland State Line debuted By Chanda Neely, Northeast Ohio Media Group Email the author | Follow on Twitter on July 31, 2015 at 4:36 PM, updated July 31, 2015 at 5:10 PM CLEVELAND, Ohio — Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority reported a 19 percent increase in riders from the western suburbs since buses began driving the Cleveland State Line in December. More than 132,000 people rode the Cleveland State Line on Clifton Boulevard during the first quarter, compared to 115,000 who rode the now defunct Legacy No. 55 route there during the same time last year. RTA reported a 23 percent increase in the second quarter, with nearly 119,000 riders in 2014 and more than 146,000 this year. See the RTA report below. RTA's newest route travels from Westlake, Fairview Park, Rocky River and Bay Village to downtown Cleveland via Clifton Boulevard. After passing through Lakewood, the route ends on the Cleveland State University campus. http://www.cleveland.com/rocky-river/index.ssf/2015/07/rta_reports_19_percent_increas.html#incart_river
August 1, 20159 yr Author Even the half-hourly off-peak service makes it possible for me to use it. It was unusable before with the hourly off-peak trips. It's a pretty smooth ride -- except for that expansion joint in the eastbound lanes as you approach the Shoreway! That has to be doing damage to the buses!! "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 1, 20159 yr ^These new lines has definitely created a strong identity, from the new stretchy buses plastered with CSU logos to the very handsome brick 'n glass shelters along Clifton (I'm jealous; why can't the Blue and Green Lines replace those ugly bus-like shelters with these!?) and the fact that the routes are very well identified connecting the far west suburbs through downtown directly to CSU. The 55s were popular, but this new system has taken things to a higher level without the crazy costs of the HL... This project was done right.
August 1, 20159 yr Even the half-hourly off-peak service makes it possible for me to use it. It was unusable before with the hourly off-peak trips. It's a pretty smooth ride -- except for that expansion joint in the eastbound lanes as you approach the Shoreway! That has to be doing damage to the buses!! That bump you are talking about is jarring! I always make sure to brace myself whenever the bus approaches it.
August 3, 20159 yr ^These new lines has definitely created a strong identity, from the new stretchy buses plastered with CSU logos to the very handsome brick 'n glass shelters along Clifton (I'm jealous; why can't the Blue and Green Lines replace those ugly bus-like shelters with these!?) and the fact that the routes are very well identified connecting the far west suburbs through downtown directly to CSU. The 55s were popular, but this new system has taken things to a higher level without the crazy costs of the HL... This project was done right. More evidence of anti-train bias?
August 3, 20159 yr ^These new lines has definitely created a strong identity, from the new stretchy buses plastered with CSU logos to the very handsome brick 'n glass shelters along Clifton (I'm jealous; why can't the Blue and Green Lines replace those ugly bus-like shelters with these!?) and the fact that the routes are very well identified connecting the far west suburbs through downtown directly to CSU. The 55s were popular, but this new system has taken things to a higher level without the crazy costs of the HL... This project was done right. More evidence of anti-train bias? Was rail seriously considered for this route at the local level? Did the feds turn down a request for rail funding here, or did we not put the plan on the table?
August 3, 20159 yr ^These new lines has definitely created a strong identity, from the new stretchy buses plastered with CSU logos to the very handsome brick 'n glass shelters along Clifton (I'm jealous; why can't the Blue and Green Lines replace those ugly bus-like shelters with these!?) and the fact that the routes are very well identified connecting the far west suburbs through downtown directly to CSU. The 55s were popular, but this new system has taken things to a higher level without the crazy costs of the HL... This project was done right. More evidence of anti-train bias? Was rail seriously considered for this route at the local level? Did the feds turn down a request for rail funding here, or did we not put the plan on the table? I mean the quality of the shelters....
August 3, 20159 yr ^These new lines has definitely created a strong identity, from the new stretchy buses plastered with CSU logos to the very handsome brick 'n glass shelters along Clifton (I'm jealous; why can't the Blue and Green Lines replace those ugly bus-like shelters with these!?) and the fact that the routes are very well identified connecting the far west suburbs through downtown directly to CSU. The 55s were popular, but this new system has taken things to a higher level without the crazy costs of the HL... This project was done right. More evidence of anti-train bias? No, just evidence that Shaker Heights let its usually high standards guard down when RTA rebuilt the Rapid 35 years ago. City officials apparently were so enamoured of getting the (then) brand new cars and replacing the WW II-era PCC trolleys, that they didn't demand better than ugly bus shelters which were built, and unfortunately they remain to this day... I'm hoping that if RTA finally does get wise and junk Blue/Green's ancient, confusing pay-on-board fare system for POP, a more substantial, and hopefully more attractive, station building type will have to be built ... just to protect the fare vending machines, if anything else.
August 5, 20159 yr It sure would be nice if RTA promoted the Waterfront Line as a primary means of accessing the newly expanded Flats East Bank which is now coming on line. The FEB station is literally steps away from the new Boardwalk and all the new restaurants and clubs (in addition to being right across the street from FEB's excellent existing (2013-opened)hotel-office-restaurant complex)... yet I haven't seen anything on RTA's website along these lines to date... Missed opportunity?
August 6, 20159 yr So I know that the service is free, but for it to be advertised in the train station for a great way to get to the muni lot is kind of backwards to me. Since you're in the train station why not advertise the Waterfront line as a way to get to your car in the muni lot? At least advertise both, I feel like the Waterfront line doesn't get advertised as well as it should.
August 7, 20159 yr Author Here's some Waterfront Line PR.... Apparently an alcohol-induced attempt at intermodalism at Flats East Bank Waterfront Line #rail station, #Cleveland. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 7, 20159 yr So I know that the service is free, but for it to be advertised in the train station for a great way to get to the muni lot is kind of backwards to me. Since you're in the train station why not advertise the Waterfront line as a way to get to your car in the muni lot? At least advertise both, I feel like the Waterfront line doesn't get advertised as well as it should. I also like the 'Drive sober or get pulled over' signs on the Tower City station walls. Are those directed at the train operators?
August 7, 20159 yr ^^That's the kind of scene I'd have more expected during the old drunken Flats of the 90s.
August 11, 20159 yr With the new Little Italy-Univ. Circle station now open, will RTA now terminate the #9 Mayfield bus there? It seems superfluous, and gas-wasting, to continue with the current wrap-around route back-tracking to the University-Cedar station now that bus riders can now access the Rapid at the bottom of the hill in Little Italy.
August 12, 20159 yr I'll post some pictures from the ribbon cutting in the RTA construction thread, but I thought I'd put this picture here:
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