https://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2018/08/rta_makes_flounsay_doc_caver_acting_general_manager.html

 

"RTA makes Floun'say 'Doc' Caver acting general manager"

 

"The Regional Transit Authority board voted 6 to 3 Tuesday to make 15-year employee Floun'say "Doc" Caver acting general manager, effective Sept. 1.

 

Though praising Caver, the dissenting trustees said they would have liked to interview all three applicants for the job before picking one. But President Dennis Clough said he and other trustees felt ready to move forward."

 

Thoughts?

Does anyone know where RTA is on replacing the existing light rail cars? All the good discussion about new routes and transit oriented development, or tax plans for operating revenue, seem to assume that there will be new reliable transit cars coming from somewhere to replace the 1980-vintage ones now being used.

All active discussions about RTA replacing rail cars have faded publicly but may still be occurring privately, especially with the FTA. Last I heard, RTA planned to set aside about $5 million per year starting in 2021 to retire a bond issue to pay the non-federal share of replacing the Breda light-rail cars for the Blue/Green lines and do a structural/mechanical rebuild of the Tokyu cars for the Red Line.

https://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2018/08/rta_makes_flounsay_doc_caver_acting_general_manager.html

 

"RTA makes Floun'say 'Doc' Caver acting general manager"

 

"The Regional Transit Authority board voted 6 to 3 Tuesday to make 15-year employee Floun'say "Doc" Caver acting general manager, effective Sept. 1.

 

Though praising Caver, the dissenting trustees said they would have liked to interview all three applicants for the job before picking one. But President Dennis Clough said he and other trustees felt ready to move forward."

 

Thoughts?

 

I don't know if Floun'say Caver would, in the long run, be the visionary leader I would like to see at RTA, but I think he is a great choice to lead RTA in other ways. His approach is serious and systematic.

Though praising Caver, the dissenting trustees said they would have liked to interview all three applicants for the job before picking one. But President Dennis Clough said he and other trustees felt ready to move forward."

 

For all I know he's great.  But this process is filthy, a terrible start for RTA's plan to move past corruption.  Interview all your applicants before you hire the insider.  It's not that difficult and it looks soooooooooooooooo much better.

That process will happen. They wanted Joe out now.

Yeah, I don't understand why people have a problem with this.  He's *acting* general manager.  They will still do the proper search for the next general manager.

That process will happen. They wanted Joe out now.

 

I've admittedly not paid very close attention to this issue, but is there any particular reason why the board wanted him out?

Yeah, I don't understand why people have a problem with this.  He's *acting* general manager.  They will still do the proper search for the next general manager.

 

I realize it's a temp job but it's an important one at an important time.  Considering only one person for it looks terrible.  It gives off a stink of corruption and cronyism even if they really did select the best available candidate.  This community has got to commit itself to doing things the right way.  We have been crippled by petty corruption and it needs to end.

That process will happen. They wanted Joe out now.

 

I've admittedly not paid very close attention to this issue, but is there any particular reason why the board wanted him out?

 

The board came to realize that Joe was lying to them about many things, from the health care scandal to the physical and financial condition of the system. To Joe, he thought it was more important to project leadership through strength. He considered anything else to be a demonstration of weakness. To the board, they became lazy and too trustworthy of staff and felt betrayed when they learned that they were not being told the truth.

@evidentialdread

So I live in an area with reasonable transit service and have 2 buses that stop very near my house. I can still get farther in 30 minutes on my feet than on transit, and I can go orders of magnitude farther on 2 wheels. This is why RTA needs more money.

 

 

 

 

 

Here's an interesting idea....

 

@KerryMcCormack1

Also, what if we did something crazy!! Like turn meters on during the weekend, support turnover for local businesses and bond the increase in revenue to support public transit? ??????

 

I don't understand the public transit map.  The guy can't be more than 10-15 min from the W. 25th rapid station, which means he can *at least* get to downtown and W. 65th in less than 30 minutes, even with a wait for a train.

 

Not to mention the 51 or 79 buses would both get you to Public Square in much less than 30 minutes.

What if we did something crazy like, free transit?

 

I don't understand the public transit map.  The guy can't be more than 10-15 min from the W. 25th rapid station, which means he can *at least* get to downtown and W. 65th in less than 30 minutes, even with a wait for a train.

 

Not to mention the 51 or 79 buses would both get you to Public Square in much less than 30 minutes.

 

What was the app that he used?

 

I don't understand the public transit map.  The guy can't be more than 10-15 min from the W. 25th rapid station, which means he can *at least* get to downtown and W. 65th in less than 30 minutes, even with a wait for a train.

 

Not to mention the 51 or 79 buses would both get you to Public Square in much less than 30 minutes.

 

What was the app that he used?

 

I was trying to figure that out, but I'm not sure.  Apparently, it's not a very good one. :P

 

I tried another site which I've used before and it gave drastically different results:

 

https://www.mapnificent.net/cleveland/#13/41.4585/-81.7417/1800/41.4778/-81.7089

 

(I estimated his location as being near Fulton and Monroe.)

He says the app he used was: app.traveltimeplatform.com/#

What if we did something crazy like, free transit?

 

There would certainly be savings in fare-box operations/maintenance, payment kiosks, etc. which aren't cheap. (KJP:) How much $ does RTA take in the farebox? And how much is their operating budget?

What if we did something crazy like, free transit?

 

I'd be all for it. Even if it's for a trial period it could drastically increase ridership; create more stakeholders who realize the ongoing health of RTA is important.

^^In 2017, there was $46.4M in fare revenue vs. $292.3 in total operating expenses (excluding depreciation): http://www.riderta.com/sites/default/files/cafr/2017_CAFR.pdf

He says the app he used was: app.traveltimeplatform.com/#

 

That app seems broken.  I upped the time to 90 minutes and it showed the reach to be exactly the same.

 

There would certainly be savings in fare-box operations/maintenance, payment kiosks, etc. which aren't cheap. (KJP:) How much $ does RTA take in the farebox? And how much is their operating budget?

 

I seem to recall a direct figure of about $5 million per year as to what GCRTA pays to collect and count fares. But don't quote me on that. What's also not calculated in collecting fares is the time that the vehicle is stopped waiting for passengers to board and pay their their fares. This delay is highest downtown and University Circle where traffic congestion is arguably the most severe. GCRTA, like all transit agencies, calculates its cost structure and analysis based on several metrics, one of the most prominent of which is "Vehicle Revenue Hours." All Aboard Ohio in the early 2010s rode RTA's ten busiest bus routes plus the Blue/Green lines to see how much trip time was lost to traffic signal and fare collection. We went into this analysis expecting to count only the signal delays, seeking to advocate for signal preemption for buses and light-rail trains. But the time lost due to fare collection was much higher. It constituted something like 10 percent of each bus and light-rail train trip. The signal delay was less than half that, IIRC.

 

One could argue that RTA might make up a substantial portion of its loss from fares if it:

 

+ No longer had to maintain/repair/replace fare machines and retrieve/account for fare revenues.

+ Was able to cut nearly 10 percent of its bus/light-rail Vehicle Revenue Hours by no longer collecting fares.

+ Tapped federal Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality (CMAQ-- called see mack) funds to install emergency vehicle-compatible traffic signal preemption technology on buses and light-rail trains.

+ More aggressively pursued advertising revenue, which would presumably grow with more passengers riding free buses and trains that traveled faster.

 

How's that sound?

Did I miss something?  What's this all about?

 

http://www.riderta.com/service-alerts/waterfront-line-replacement

Did I miss something?  What's this all about?

 

http://www.riderta.com/service-alerts/waterfront-line-replacement

 

GCRTA media relations used to monitor this site and respond to questions/concerns. I don't think they so so anymore. I will inquire.

Thanks.  The wording sounds suspiciously like it's a permanent elimination of the waterfront line.  I hope I'm wrong.

Thanks.  The wording sounds suspiciously like it's a permanent elimination of the waterfront line.  I hope I'm wrong.

 

They can't. They just used federal funds to rebuild tracks and crossings at two locations in the Flats, as well as upgrading the platforms at North Coast station. Any proposed closure of a rail line or even just a station has to be approved by the FTA, and therefore subject to an alternatives analysis with public input to measure it against a range options. Remember how convoluted the process was for RTA to justify closing the East 79th Red Line station and the East 34th/Campus station? Ultimately, RTA was forced by the community to back down, despite these stations being so lightly used. So RTA found a few million dollars to rebuild the East 34th/Campus station (now nearly done) and has completed the engineering for the rebuilding of the East 79th station, as well as a TOD-plan for the East 79th corridor.

 

My suspicion is that a bridge or track inspector found a faulty structure or section of track and had to shut the line down. Since Joe Calabrese believes that such admissions are a sign of personal and/or organizational weakness, he'd rather not have to admit that such a deficiency occurred on the transit system on his watch.

 

There would certainly be savings in fare-box operations/maintenance, payment kiosks, etc. which aren't cheap. (KJP:) How much $ does RTA take in the farebox? And how much is their operating budget?

 

I seem to recall a direct figure of about $5 million per year as to what GCRTA pays to collect and count fares. But don't quote me on that. What's also not calculated in collecting fares is the time that the vehicle is stopped waiting for passengers to board and pay their their fares. This delay is highest downtown and University Circle where traffic congestion is arguably the most severe. GCRTA, like all transit agencies, calculates its cost structure and analysis based on several metrics, one of the most prominent of which is "Vehicle Revenue Hours." All Aboard Ohio in the early 2010s rode RTA's ten busiest bus routes plus the Blue/Green lines to see how much trip time was lost to traffic signal and fare collection. We went into this analysis expecting to count only the signal delays, seeking to advocate for signal preemption for buses and light-rail trains. But the time lost due to fare collection was much higher. It constituted something like 10 percent of each bus and light-rail train trip. The signal delay was less than half that, IIRC.

 

One could argue that RTA might make up a substantial portion of its loss from fares if it:

 

+ No longer had to maintain/repair/replace fare machines and retrieve/account for fare revenues.

+ Was able to cut nearly 10 percent of its bus/light-rail Vehicle Revenue Hours by no longer collecting fares.

+ Tapped federal Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality (CMAQ-- called see mack) funds to install emergency vehicle-compatible traffic signal preemption technology on buses and light-rail trains.

+ More aggressively pursued advertising revenue, which would presumably grow with more passengers riding free buses and trains that traveled faster.

 

How's that sound?

 

Why don't American buses follow the European proof of payment model? Makes so much more sense. Driver's don't have to deal with cash or fare payment at all, just have inspectors hop on occasionally and check everybody's ticket. (Obviously in Cleveland we have a legal issue with it for the time being but ignore that for the sake of discussion.)

Why don't American buses follow the European proof of payment model? Makes so much more sense. Driver's don't have to deal with cash or fare payment at all, just have inspectors hop on occasionally and check everybody's ticket. (Obviously in Cleveland we have a legal issue with it for the time being but ignore that for the sake of discussion.)

 

The legal issue and RTA's unwillingness to implement a rational solution to it (ie: non-criminalized enforcement of proof-of-payment) is the issue. Until RTA cares enough to resolve it, there will be no fare collection alternatives considered.

Did I miss something?  What's this all about?

 

http://www.riderta.com/service-alerts/waterfront-line-replacement

 

jam40jeff[/member] Reports are that the Waterfront portion of GCRTA's Blue/Green rail lines will return to service before the end of the day Wednesday, Thursday at the latest, so it will be fully operational for this weekend's air show.

 

Poor track Flats East Bank station to the end of line caused two minor derailments so RTA shut down the line. Emergency crews from Delta Railroad Construction are reportedly on site replacing track. Specifically, I'm told GCRTA had a problem with an interlocking where a switch (Turnout #125) wasn't locking at the end of the line, preventing trains from crossing over to the track inbound to Tower City. The two derailments were because of bad track on one of the curves near turnout 121 which appears to be be near the Port of Cleveland.

RTA gives six-figure payout to official it planned to fire in connection with health-care scam

 

A trustee of the Regional Transit Authority accuses General Manager Joe Calabrese of failing to tell the board that he authorized a six-figure payout for an official that RTA investigators had accused of contributing to a scam that cost the agency hundreds of thousands of dollars.

 

Board member Karen Moss complained in an email to board members that she was left to learn from a report last week by Cleveland Channel 8 News that Bruce Hampton Sr., former RTA human resources chief, will receive more than $125,000.

 

"Basically, Joe and [the RTA legal department] settled with Bruce Hampton on July 25 and forgot to tell us," Moss scoffed in the email obtained by cleveland.com. "Isn't this exactly the type of issue we asked to know about? We specifically told Joe we did not want to hear about what was going on at RTA in the news."

 

Hampton, who resigned in July after he was suspended without pay, will receive the payout in exchange for not suing the transit authority.

 

https://www.cleveland.com/naymik/index.ssf/2018/08/rta_gives_six-figure_payout_to.html

Did I miss something?  What's this all about?

 

http://www.riderta.com/service-alerts/waterfront-line-replacement

 

jam40jeff[/member] Reports are that the Waterfront portion of GCRTA's Blue/Green rail lines will return to service before the end of the day Wednesday, Thursday at the latest, so it will be fully operational for this weekend's air show.

 

Poor track Flats East Bank station to the end of line caused two minor derailments so RTA shut down the line. Emergency crews from Delta Railroad Construction are reportedly on site replacing track. Specifically, I'm told GCRTA had a problem with an interlocking where a switch (Turnout #125) wasn't locking at the end of the line, preventing trains from crossing over to the track inbound to Tower City. The two derailments were because of bad track on one of the curves near turnout 121 which appears to be be near the Port of Cleveland.

 

Thanks!  Good news that it's temporary.  RTA really ought to communicate these things better.

 

EDIT: Just read your previous reply.  That makes sense that Joe C. would rather leave the public in the dark completely than have to admit a deficiency.

Former RTA manager says his boss, Joe Calabrese, knew three years ago about then-board president's unpaid health-care premiums

https://articles.cleveland.com/naymik/index.ssf/2018/08/former_rta_manager_says_his_bo.amp

Streetcar, bus, and metro systems have been ignoring one lesson for 100 years:  Service drives demand.

 

https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2018/08/how-america-killed-transit/568825/

 

Excellent article that outlines some mass transit history in the US.

 

Another great quote accompanying some maps (including Columbus):

 

Below is a set of maps that show the present-day network rail and bus lines operating at least every 30 minutes, all day to midnight, seven days a week, for five urban areas in the U.S. and one in Canada for comparison. That could be considered the bare-minimum service level required for people to be able to live adequately car free. In fact, research says that frequencies of 15 minutes or better—good enough for people to turn up and go without consulting a schedule—are where the biggest jumps in ridership happen. But that is so far off from service levels in most American cities that a 30-minute standard is more appropriate.[/unquote]

RTA trustee resigns in frustration at management problems

https://articles.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2018/08/rta_trustee_resigns_in_frustra.amp

 

Addition by subtraction. Sonny hosted a fundraiser for Trump. And Google "Nardi, Cleveland" to learn about this family's illustrious history here.

^I followed your advice to google.  Why would the PD do this?:

 

I see the date of Feb 28, 2011 and the headline:  "Union boss Nardi dies in bombing"

 

WTF--we had a bombing in 2011, like back in the 70s?!?  I was taken aback. Really. Then I see this:  "(Originally published in The Plain Dealer on May 18, 1977.)"

 

I haven't even read the article yet I'm so distracted by this. Why would the PD do this?  Is this to sell papers/get clicks?  Just rehash old stories?  I now the PD has been going downhill lately, but this? There's no paragraph even adding 'new information' even though that should be a separate--and newly dated--article. Any idea what they're doing? Will we see "AMERICAN AIRLINES HITS TOWER" at some point and then later see (originally printed sept 2001.)?

 

 

This op-ed piece claims professional management of NYC transit agency real estate could fund the maintenance backlog. The proposal probably wouldn't have the same payoff in Cleveland because of real estate values, but it's still an approach worth considering.

 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-york-can-earn-the-money-to-pay-for-better-subways-1535747410

^I followed your advice to google.  Why would the PD do this?:

 

I see the date of Feb 28, 2011 and the headline:  "Union boss Nardi dies in bombing"

 

WTF--we had a bombing in 2011, like back in the 70s?!?  I was taken aback. Really. Then I see this:  "(Originally published in The Plain Dealer on May 18, 1977.)"

 

I haven't even read the article yet I'm so distracted by this. Why would the PD do this?  Is this to sell papers/get clicks?  Just rehash old stories?  I now the PD has been going downhill lately, but this? There's no paragraph even adding 'new information' even though that should be a separate--and newly dated--article. Any idea what they're doing? Will we see "AMERICAN AIRLINES HITS TOWER" at some point and then later see (originally printed sept 2001.)?

 

 

 

Why does everything have to be so dramatic? The sky is not falling.

 

Do you really think the PD is trying to sell papers by putting a story from 1977 on their website? That they are trying for clicks?  The article says“updated on March 4, 2011” which is not, as you say, “lately”.

 

The article was probably digitized for the website on March 4,2011, hence the update, with the very clear indication that the article is from 1977. Please take a breath and use common sense before you post. This overreaction is almost as unnecessary as your all caps shouting in the Cleveland Hopkins thread. 

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/articles.cleveland.com/pdextra/2011/02/union_boss_nardi_dies_in_bombi.amp

Getting old and cranky I guess, and less tolerant of shoddy work....

 

Interestingly, on Chrome, the website says, "Posted Feb 28, 2011" but on Firefox it says "Updated March 4, 2011 PM; Posted February 28, 2011". But in either case it should say in the date line "Posted/Updated whatever' Originally published:......1977" Its a 1977 article, not from 2011.

Hearing some interesting rumors from RTA's union people. Apparently their union contracts say that if any management person gets buyout (which the union is contending the human resources director got a buyout) that pays for PERS credits, then union workers have to be offered the same deal. Could open a can of worms and, if so, could cost RTA millions.

 

Hearing some interesting rumors from RTA's union people. Apparently their union contracts say that if any management person gets buyout (which the union is contending the human resources director got a buyout) that pays for PERS credits, then union workers have to be offered the same deal. Could open a can of worms and, if so, could cost RTA millions.

 

 

Whoever negotiated the union contract should be fired.

 

A city with this degree of poverty and this level of brokenness in terms of transport in general, and transit in particular, cannot afford to pay union workers not to work.

 

Hearing some interesting rumors from RTA's union people. Apparently their union contracts say that if any management person gets buyout (which the union is contending the human resources director got a buyout) that pays for PERS credits, then union workers have to be offered the same deal. Could open a can of worms and, if so, could cost RTA millions.

 

 

Whoever negotiated the union contract should be fired.

 

A city with this degree of poverty and this level of brokenness in terms of transport in general, and transit in particular, cannot afford to pay union workers not to work.

 

Perhaps the same thinking holds true for giving people golden parachutes. 

Hearing some interesting rumors from RTA's union people. Apparently their union contracts say that if any management person gets buyout (which the union is contending the human resources director got a buyout) that pays for PERS credits, then union workers have to be offered the same deal. Could open a can of worms and, if so, could cost RTA millions.

 

 

Whoever negotiated the union contract should be fired.

 

A city with this degree of poverty and this level of brokenness in terms of transport in general, and transit in particular, cannot afford to pay union workers not to work.

 

Perhaps the same thinking holds true for giving people golden parachutes. 

 

For sure.  At a very minimum, there needs to be some level of accountability.  Sometimes, paying someone to shut up and go away is better than the alternatives.  Sometimes it is not.  As a public agency, I believe taxpayers are entitled to understand GCRTA's decisionmaking process and the data that fed into it, and then to take appropriate action if it was clearly unwarranted.

@GCRTA

#CuyahogaGreenways public meeting #4. This maps displays one of the key challenges this region must tackle: getting people to jobs.

@GCRTA

#CuyahogaGreenways public meeting #4. This maps displays one of the key challenges this region must tackle: getting people to jobs.

 

In general:  yes.

 

But especially transit-dependent people to and from those jobs for which they are most likely to be qualified.  Meaning, in many cases, reverse commutes.

 

Given that we are broke and that no one seems to know how to fix that, we need to concentrate, IMO, on serving those who have no alternative.  I've long advocated extending service in middle-class suburbs for a lot of reasons.  I still do.  But middle-class and wealthier riders can't be the priority.  Not now.  They have other choices.  The transit-dependent, by definition, do not.

Engage surveyed 650 young professionals. 60 percent said they planned to continue living in Cleveland for 10 years.

 

Asked to identify top 3 challenges in Cleveland, number 1 response was PUBLIC TRANSIT.

 

Are Northeast Ohio's business & elected officials listening??

 

Engage surveyed 650 young professionals. 60 percent said they planned to continue living in Cleveland for 10 years.

 

Asked to identify top 3 challenges in Cleveland, number 1 response was PUBLIC TRANSIT.

 

Are Northeast Ohio's business & elected officials listening??

 

 

No ??‍♂️

I attended the annual NOACA conference today. While the main topic of discussion was Hyperloop (including a pretty cool VR demonstration), the general importance of public transit was continually discussed by all speakers. Armond Budish devoted the entirety of his time speaking about RTA - particularly the ridiculously low funding from the state compared to other states, and the necessity of connecting workers to outlying job hubs. Grace Gallucci focused on the importance of transit in attracting and retaining millennials to the region, and NOACA even has a rail expansion plan, the map of which was probably the most beautiful slide of the day. This compares to almost no mention of highways, and not a single word about the Opportunity Corridor. There seems to be alot of hope riding on a new governor and changed up legislature come November to be the answer to the problems though. They are certainly talking about it.

Thats totally crazy that we will have a new governor in Ohio that actually might respect the cities and transit funding.

I watched the Frontline special on Dayton and it was obvious that Dayton is suffering from getting funding from the state as are all the cities.  Its great that there is a rainy day fund but do we need to have it at $2.8 billion this year.  Maybe it could be $2.2 and $600 million could be given out to the cities that need it.

If the state invested the rainy day fund in treasuries, it could produce about $120 million per year for public transportation in Ohio, and leverage at least as much in federal transportation funds, some of which Ohio cannot tap because it lacks the nonfederal match. That $240 million per year is almost 10 times what Ohio is budgeting for public transportation now.

Hopkins Airport service turns 50yrs old in November. 1st airport-to-downtown service in America.

 

https://www.progressiverailroading.com/passenger_rail/news/Cleveland-RTA-to-mark-50th-anniversary-of-airport-service--55641

If the state invested the rainy day fund in treasuries, it could produce about $120 million per year for public transportation in Ohio, and leverage at least as much in federal transportation funds, some of which Ohio cannot tap because it lacks the nonfederal match. That $240 million per year is almost 10 times what Ohio is budgeting for public transportation now.

 

OK.  Time for some fun (maybe?).  Image we did have 10x the current level of funding.  For simplicity's sake, let's pretend all that funding could be used for our choice of either capital or operating costs.  What could we do with that? 

 

My first thoughts, in no particular order.  Note that the intention is not spend money willy-nilly, but to improve expand the system to the point where, when factoring in all measurable externalities, it begins to operate at a profit rather than a loss for the region as a whole and especially the city of Cleveland.

 

(a) Catch up on all the deferred maintenance issues, since that maximizes the revenue minus costs going forward.

 

(b) Offer frequent, rapid, and reliable service on a well-known set of corridors, with the goal of making a carless lifestyle possible on those corridors.  (N.B.: Also work with local and transit police to reduce both the reality and the perception of violent crime at stops and stations to near-zero.)

 

© Work with state, local municipalities, etc. to allow traffic signal prioritization and therefore *true* BRT on various appropriate corridors, starting with the three we already have (Euclid, Clifton and W. 25) and expanding as needed.

 

(d) Start whittling down the numbers of major employment and residential centers in the county that are greatly undeserved by transit.

 

(e) Build the Red Line extensions to Euclid.

 

(f) Build some sort of true rail loop in and around downtown.

 

(g) Look into working with adjacent counties, NOACA, etc. to re-establish commuter rail in places where it makes sense.

 

 

Other folks' thoughts??