Dec. 9: Rail frequency increases & 29 RTA schedules adjusted

CLEVELAND -- On Sunday, Dec. 9, the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) will change the schedules of 31 bus and rail routes.

 

Rail service

 

Damage from the 2011 lightning strikes is repaired!

 

Frequency on the Red Line will improve to 15 minutes off-peak, and 7-8 minute service – between the Brookpark and Tower City stations -- during rush hours.

 

When the Airport tunnel is closed for repairs for six months starting on Nov. 27, all westbound Red Line trains will stop at the Brookpark Station, where riders can transfer to a bus for the trip to Hopkins International Airport.

 

During rush hour, the Blue and Green Lines will each provide 10-minute service, with 5-minute service in the common area between Shaker Square and Tower City.

 

http://www.riderta.com/newsroom/releases/?listingid=1812

 

Good to hear.

 

Also does anyone know if the waterfront line has been back up running during the week? I didn't think it was but i have passed the station all last week and the East 9th street entrance doors were unlocked and wide open. Usually they are closed and locked.

Also does anyone know if the waterfront line has been back up running during the week? I didn't think it was but i have passed the station all last week and the East 9th street entrance doors were unlocked and wide open. Usually they are closed and locked.

 

No sure why they were unlocked. The WFL won't open seven days a week until after FEB opens in the spring.

 

BTW, I wonder if GCRTA would consider running a WFL shuttle 24 hours? The reason? Ridership at Amtrak is booming, with about 50,000 persons getting on/off the trains between the hours of 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. That's an average of 137 people getting on/off trains down there.

 

And now there's a 24-hour activity at the Tower City end -- the casino with its restaurants, games, etc. So even when people drive down to the station, if their train is running a couple of hours late, they could hop the Waterfront Line to Tower City/Casino to get something to eat or otherwise kill some time. Perhaps the casino could underwrite it.

 

Other Clevelanders may prefer to park at the more secure parking area at Tower City and take the WFL over to Amtrak. Employees at the Amtrak station frequently get inquires from arriving passengers how to get to Public Square or Greyhound or to various transit routes, but the location of the Amtrak station prevents them from easily getting up into the city. The only options are to walk or use one of the taxis waiting out front of the Amtrak station.

 

I suspect RTA's market is 10-40 percent of the Amtrak Cleveland ridership -- more toward the high end if parking at Tower City is promoted. That's 14 to 41 people per night using the WFL. But that's 5,000 to 20,000 more people per year using the WFL.

 

An hourly service would probably suffice. That would be seven round trips between midnight-6 a.m. inclusive. But a train operator would be paid whether the train is moving or not, so half-hourly service might make more sense. If this is done, Amtrak is willing to accept an All Aboard Ohio information kiosk inside the Amtrak station to provide info on transit connections, maps and other local info.

I've worked downtown on E. 9 th for almost 6 months and don't think I've ever seen the doors locked.

No sure why they were unlocked. The WFL won't open seven days a week until after FEB opens in the spring.

 

BTW, I wonder if GCRTA would consider running a WFL shuttle 24 hours? The reason? Ridership at Amtrak is booming, with about 50,000 persons getting on/off the trains between the hours of 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. That's an average of 137 people getting on/off trains down there.

 

And now there's a 24-hour activity at the Tower City end -- the casino with its restaurants, games, etc. So even when people drive down to the station, if their train is running a couple of hours late, they could hop the Waterfront Line to Tower City/Casino to get something to eat or otherwise kill some time. Perhaps the casino could underwrite it.

 

Other Clevelanders may prefer to park at the more secure parking area at Tower City and take the WFL over to Amtrak. Employees at the Amtrak station frequently get inquires from arriving passengers how to get to Public Square or Greyhound or to various transit routes, but the location of the Amtrak station prevents them from easily getting up into the city. The only options are to walk or use one of the taxis waiting out front of the Amtrak station.

 

I suspect RTA's market is 10-40 percent of the Amtrak Cleveland ridership -- more toward the high end if parking at Tower City is promoted. That's 14 to 41 people per night using the WFL. But that's 5,000 to 20,000 more people per year using the WFL.

 

An hourly service would probably suffice. That would be seven round trips between midnight-6 a.m. inclusive. But a train operator would be paid whether the train is moving or not, so half-hourly service might make more sense. If this is done, Amtrak is willing to accept an All Aboard Ohio information kiosk inside the Amtrak station to provide info on transit connections, maps and other local info.

 

Great idea.  Great to hear Amtrak service is booming (sure wish, with 4 more years now secure, the Obama admin would increase Pittsburgh-Cleveland-Chicago service).... The casino is a downtown game changer.  Sure wish, at least, RTA would consider late night weekend service -- at least.  I just don't see how RTA can make a viable argument that increasing rail service beyond midnight, at least on weekends, is NOT economically feasible; not with the number of people downtown lingering around the casino...

 

... what say you, Jerry?

No sure why they were unlocked. The WFL won't open seven days a week until after FEB opens in the spring.

 

BTW, I wonder if GCRTA would consider running a WFL shuttle 24 hours? The reason? Ridership at Amtrak is booming, with about 50,000 persons getting on/off the trains between the hours of 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. That's an average of 137 people getting on/off trains down there.

 

And now there's a 24-hour activity at the Tower City end -- the casino with its restaurants, games, etc. So even when people drive down to the station, if their train is running a couple of hours late, they could hop the Waterfront Line to Tower City/Casino to get something to eat or otherwise kill some time. Perhaps the casino could underwrite it.

 

Other Clevelanders may prefer to park at the more secure parking area at Tower City and take the WFL over to Amtrak. Employees at the Amtrak station frequently get inquires from arriving passengers how to get to Public Square or Greyhound or to various transit routes, but the location of the Amtrak station prevents them from easily getting up into the city. The only options are to walk or use one of the taxis waiting out front of the Amtrak station.

 

I suspect RTA's market is 10-40 percent of the Amtrak Cleveland ridership -- more toward the high end if parking at Tower City is promoted. That's 14 to 41 people per night using the WFL. But that's 5,000 to 20,000 more people per year using the WFL.

 

An hourly service would probably suffice. That would be seven round trips between midnight-6 a.m. inclusive. But a train operator would be paid whether the train is moving or not, so half-hourly service might make more sense. If this is done, Amtrak is willing to accept an All Aboard Ohio information kiosk inside the Amtrak station to provide info on transit connections, maps and other local info.

 

Great idea.  Great to hear Amtrak service is booming (sure wish, with 4 more years now secure, the Obama admin would increase Pittsburgh-Cleveland-Chicago service).... The casino is a downtown game changer.  Sure wish, at least, RTA would consider late night weekend service -- at least.  I just don't see how RTA can make a viable argument that increasing rail service beyond midnight, at least on weekends, is NOT economically feasible; not with the number of people downtown lingering around the casino...

 

... what say you, Jerry?

 

to be fair, is it really Jerry's decision to make?  He is just the messenger.

^True enough; would never want to 'shoot the messenger.'  ... I greatly appreciate Jerry's public service here.  Am interested in RTA's stance, though.  With the casino, FEB coming on line (and the restoration of regular Waterfront Line service), the recent expansion of the Trolleys, both in hours and service area, and just all the people hanging out downtown these days, esp. on weekends and esp. late, the time is esp. ripe to add expanded, late night rapid service, at least on weekends... If anything, RTA's good faith expansion of all the aforementioned service, esp. increasing Red, Blue and Green frequencies (in addition to adding the new Brookpark Rd/Parma VA Hosp. bus), one should be hopeful that, these days, our local transit agency may have a listening ear.

... Mystery of Life: why are RTA's digital clocks (at least along the Green/Blue lines) perpetually 2 mins slow?  I thought they were GPS controlled and on Greenwich Mean Time, as is my cellphone clock... apparently not.

I do not believe the ridership numbers are there yet to speak of large service increases. RTA is certainly monitoring service demand. It is indeed an exciting time to be in Cleveland. RTA service plan for 2013 will be discussed tomorrow at the Board meeting, and the entire PowerPoint should be on-line. I will let you know when it is posted.

I do not believe the ridership numbers are there yet to speak of large service increases. RTA is certainly monitoring service demand. It is indeed an exciting time to be in Cleveland. RTA service plan for 2013 will be discussed tomorrow at the Board meeting, and the entire PowerPoint should be on-line. I will let you know when it is posted.

 

Just curious, but how do you monitor service demand for a service which does not exist?  When my wife and I last came back to Cleveland from Chicago on Amtrak, we waited over an hour for the first Waterfront Line train to come to take us home.  We were the only ones that took the rapid from the train station, but it's tough to say how many others would have if the next train had come after only a 10-15 minute wait and was advertised.

I'm not sure if that's what Jerry was referring to.

 

BTW, I just thought of another potential user of overnight Waterfront Line service -- the Flats East Bank's Aloft hotel and associated restaurants/nightspots. I'll bet they'll want 24-hour access to/from the casino too. And when there are riverside concerts, having that overnight rail service to Public Square and to Tower City's vast parking will be as valuable to them as it would be to Amtrak customers.

Just curious, but how do you monitor service demand for a service which does not exist? 

 

DING! DING! DING! DING!

RTA's proposed Service Management Plan for 2013 was outlined today at a Board of Trustees Committee meeting.

 

FYI, in spring 2013, when part of the Flats East Bank development opens, the Waterfront Line will begin operating 7 days a week. At the same time, the NineTwelve trolley will extend its evening hours to  8 p.m. to accommodate new employers along E. Ninth St. There will then be two RTA services for people who park in the Municipal Lot along the Shoreway, and the #47 loop will be discontinued.

 

I bring that up because #47 was discussed here earlier.

 

One other piece of new info: During 2013, RTA hopes to open a Park-N-Ride lot near I-77 and Rockside in Independence. No other details were given.

 

The Board will vote in December on the 2013 Budget, which include the Service Management Plan.

One other piece of new info: During 2013, RTA hopes to open a Park-N-Ride lot near I-77 and Rockside in Independence. No other details were given.

 

Could RTA buy the Day's Inn on Brecksville Road, demolish it, then put in a park-n-ride there? Not only does that give RTA a park-n-ride at the last existing stop before the 77F gets on I-77, but it is also the northernmost section of National Park System-owned track. The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic RR terminates 1.5 miles south of there, but could extend its services northward to Brecksville Road without having to acquire anymore right of way from CSX. And it would also allow CVSR to expand its parking capacity at the Cleveland end, which is already overstretched despite expanding its Rockside Station for $1 million in 2011.

 

I encourage GCRTA to dialogue with the National Park Service, CVSR and City of Independence.

One other piece of new info: During 2013, RTA hopes to open a Park-N-Ride lot near I-77 and Rockside in Independence. No other details were given.

 

Could RTA buy the Day's Inn on Brecksville Road, demolish it, then put in a park-n-ride there? Not only does that give RTA a park-n-ride at the last existing stop before the 77F gets on I-77, but it is also the northernmost section of National Park System-owned track. The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic RR terminates 1.5 miles south of there, but could extend its services northward to Brecksville Road without having to acquire anymore right of way from CSX. And it would also allow CVSR to expand its parking capacity at the Cleveland end, which is already overstretched despite expanding its Rockside Station for $1 million in 2011.

 

I encourage GCRTA to dialogue with the National Park Service, CVSR and City of Independence.

:clap: :clap: :clap:

Cleveland's RTA will boost its rail, bus service starting next month, thanks to healthy budget

By Tom Breckenridge, The Plain Dealer

on November 20, 2012 at 10:00 PM

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio — RTA will offer more frequent stops on its Red Line rail next month and restore weekday service on the Waterfront Line next spring.

 

But with the service boost comes a challenge – reconstruction of a Red Line tunnel near Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport starts Tuesday, so rail riders must take a bus shuttle between the airport and Brookpark Road stations for the next six months.

 

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority will expand its bus and rail service by 5 percent in 2013, under a $261 million budget the board reviewed Tuesday.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2012/11/rta_will_boost_its_rail_bus_se.html#incart_m-rpt-2

:clap: :clap: :clap:

 

Thanks! Here's a presentation All Aboard Ohio developed about this idea last year.....

 

http://freepdfhosting.com/15dceae754.pdf

That's the first I had read about the W117-West Blvd construction shuttle next year.  That's a real bummer.

That's the first I had read about the W117-West Blvd construction shuttle next year.  That's a real bummer.

 

It won't last as long as the airport shuttle.

That's the first I had read about the W117-West Blvd construction shuttle next year.  That's a real bummer.

 

Ouch.  My thought exactly.

 

Next spring, another multimillion-dollar project to reconstruct a curving section of the Red Line will force rail riders to take a bus shuttle between the West 117th and the West Boulevard stations.

 

Is there going to be an overlap of construction projects causing the use of shuttle buses?  It seems like there might be as the Airport closure begins in 2 weeks (or so) and lasts six months, so should finish around May or the end of spring.  With the S curve reconstruction beginning in "Spring" there seems to be the chance that there would be a double shuttle bus time period on a trip from the Airport to Downtown.

 

Sounds terrible, but the reduced speed that has been imposed on the S curve is really frustrating. 

Is there going to be an overlap of construction projects causing the use of shuttle buses?  It seems like there might be as the Airport closure begins in 2 weeks (or so) and lasts six months, so should finish around May or the end of spring.  With the S curve reconstruction beginning in "Spring" there seems to be the chance that there would be a double shuttle bus time period on a trip from the Airport to Downtown.

 

Sounds terrible, but the reduced speed that has been imposed on the S curve is really frustrating. 

 

Yes, the intent is to perform the S-curve reconstruction within the time period of the Airport Tunnel rehab. As mentioned earlier, the S-curve project is of a much shorter duration (weeks vs. months). Once both projects are done, quality of service on the Red Line should be vastly improved.

Could RTA work with the city of Cleveland to have workers and visitors of Downtown Cleveland park in the Muni Lot and take the Waterfront Line in. They could charge $6 and that would include parking and an all day RTA pass. Being cheaper than many of the lots/garages downtown, I think people would be interested in doing that. You could also come up with a plan where residents would pay $100 a month and receive a monthly RTA pass as well as a monthly parking pass for the Muni Lot. I think some residents would take advantage of that as well, having a cheaper option to store their car, being only $15 a month.

 

Workers/Visitors

$6, includes one day parking and an all day RTA pass

 

Residents

$100/month, includes monthly parking and a monthly RTA pass.

Highlights from November 20 Board and Committee Meetings, including 2013 Service Plan

 

http://www.riderta.com/newsroom/releases/?listingid=1820

Could RTA work with the city of Cleveland to have workers and visitors of Downtown Cleveland park in the Muni Lot and take the Waterfront Line in. They could charge $6 and that would include parking and an all day RTA pass. Being cheaper than many of the lots/garages downtown, I think people would be interested in doing that. You could also come up with a plan where residents would pay $100 a month and receive a monthly RTA pass as well as a monthly parking pass for the Muni Lot. I think some residents would take advantage of that as well, having a cheaper option to store their car, being only $15 a month.

 

Workers/Visitors

$6, includes one day parking and an all day RTA pass

 

Residents

$100/month, includes monthly parking and a monthly RTA pass.

 

Must... stuff... thoughts... back into the box...

 

(But seriously, I like that idea.)  A lot of people like the all-day passes for getting around the city, so I think that has the potential to be very popular.  I wonder if the city and RTA willing to split the small hit in revenues (since parking at the Muni Lot is currently $3 a day, and an all-day pass is $5.)  Maybe the city could get $2 of the 6 and RTA could get $4, so they're each only "losing" $1.

Even $1 per pass towards the city is better than nothing. Those spaces would be sitting empty otherwise.

 

Lets say if 200 people took advantage of this service a day. At $1 the city would still be making $200 a day, for about $52,000 a year.

 

RTA would be making about $260,000 a year at 200 people per day(5 days a week).

 

 

And with an all day pass in hand, people might be more willing to take the train/bus over to University Circle/Little Italy, Ohio City, etc, improving business in those neighborhoods as well.

Even $1 per pass towards the city is better than nothing. Those spaces would be sitting empty otherwise.

 

Lets say if 200 people took advantage of this service a day. At $1 the city would still be making $200 a day, for about $52,000 a year.

 

 

Which is why I put the word "losing" in quotation marks.  But thanks for the math lesson! ;-)

I like that idea!!

Here's a fun little briefing piece I put together last month for All Aboard Ohio's 2012 Fall Meeting regarding what's going on with Cleveland transit (especially rail) these days. Surprisingly, quite a lot!....

 

http://freepdfhosting.com/a40f10ff8e.pdf

 

EDIT: you may need to right-click on the image and then select "rotate clockwise" :)

Here's a fun little briefing piece I put together last month for All Aboard Ohio's 2012 Fall Meeting regarding what's going on with Cleveland transit (especially rail) these days. Surprisingly, quite a lot!....

 

http://freepdfhosting.com/a40f10ff8e.pdf

 

EDIT: you may need to right-click on the image and then select "rotate clockwise" :)

This is a very intriguing slide that I hope happens because Euclid Avenue could use a rail line because majority of the Red Line stops are so out of the way that it holds back what ridership could actually be if they were on a street like Euclid.

I also like this but I'm not sure if I would like LRV's on the Red Line. I'm not a rail expert so can someone tell me will LRV'S hold up over time like HRV's?

I really don't see the point of LRVs of any kind on the Red Line, esp low floor.  They have much less capacity, slower, more arduous boarding (due to interior steps, narrower aisles, etc... Red Line service is larger than Blue/Green and growing at a considerably faster pace ... Red Line service, esp on the West Side is not compatible with the Blue & Green Lines.  Downgrading the Red Line to low floor LRV to save a buck would be a step backwards for RTA.

LRVs can easily handle the Red Line's low ridership. The Red Line carries only 6 million riders per year, or about 21,000 riders per weekday.

 

That's only slightly more than the New Orleans Streetcar (18.9K/weekday) and less than the Buffalo LRT (23.2K/weekday), Pittsburgh LRT (24.1K/weekday), Seattle (26.2K/weekday), Baltimore (26.7K/weekday), Minneapolis (27.1K/weekday) and many other cities having a single LRT line that have much more ridership than those, such as Houston (37.4K/weekday).

SOURCE: http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Documents/Ridership/2012-q1-ridership-APTA.pdf

 

LRVs can easily carry the Red Line ridership.

Personally speaking I think the ride on the RTA LRT vehicles is much more enjoyable than the Red Line cars. Maybe its just because they aren't as outdated.

Personally speaking I think the ride on the RTA LRT vehicles is much more enjoyable than the Red Line cars. Maybe its just because they aren't as outdated.

I feel the opposite, but to each his own.

So let me understand, if RTA employs low floor as you propose, RTA would cut down the high platforms so they could accommodate low floor LRVs just so Blue/Green cars can travel all over the system?  That seems counterproductive.  High platform rail transit is the ultimate service; it is the easiest and fastest boarding and attractive to the physically infirm because of its step-less nature.    It is expensive to build.  But if you already have it in Cleveland, why throw it away?  I don't get it. (have fun lugging airport luggage up to the low-floor cars upper level and squeezing down narrow aisles)... Seems like there's much more productive ways to enhance our transit network.  We need to live with the fact that the Blue-Green suburban, commuter rail type service is not directly compatible with the Red Line's cross-town more urban/heavy service -- they're separate, different operations.  That they share tracks, stations and maintenance facilities is great in terms of ease of use and operations, but leveling much-desired high platforms just to have uniform cars and because low-floor cars are the rage, isn't the way to go...

 

... but, of course, this is all fantasy/speculation anyway; so as somebody else on this board would say, ... just my 2 .... well, y'know.

 

^Presumably any new fleet serving low platform stations would be modern low floor vehicles, so there could still be level boarding (at least at some or most doors).

 

Per KJP it's probably not possible due to ADA, but SF Muni's light rail cars, with their retracting stairs for high and low platform flexibility seem just so perfect for Cleveland.

Would they be like the ones in Salt Lake City?

 

 

So let me understand, if RTA employs low floor as you propose, RTA would cut down the high platforms so they could accommodate low floor LRVs just so Blue/Green cars can travel all over the system?  That seems counterproductive.

 

No, they would raise the tracks at high-level platforms. The new cars would be low-floor cars. No stairs. They're much faster loading. RTA is starting to put away a little bit of money each year for the next decade or so, so they can afford to provide the non-federal funding share. The equipment choice is far from a done deal, so if you still hate the idea of a single rail transit fleet and think other cities that carry larger crowds on light-rail aren't doing it right, tell RTA now so they can even put away even more money to continue having at least two rail fleets.

^I most certainly will give RTA input on this issue.  Dual-height LRTs, the middle ground between the current separate fleets or low-floor LRT throughout, would not be bad -- in fact, it was the idea I initially felt made the most sense, since it would allow 1 set of cars to utilize the current rail infrastructure as-is with no modification.  However, as I've seen both the city develop along the current system fueling, in part, the rapid increase along the Red Line both West and, steadily, East, (esp with the relocating UC/Little Italy station coming on Line the the growing Uptown TOD), I see a more unified East-West Red Line service developing. The Red Line has 3 primary TODs that are flourishing and/or ripe near-term growth: Downtown/Public Sq, Ohio City and University Circle.  The areas around the Blue and Green Lines are pretty much built out, with the exception with the Warrensville-Chagrin-Van Aken TOD redevelopment at the Blue-Line's end.  FEB and the Med. Mart construction does portend Waterfront Line growth, but probably not as much as that along the Red Line.  Bottom Line: Red Line is and should be it's own service, which is more "heavy rail" in nature --yes, even in Cleveland's lower hurdle interpretation of heavy rail -- and the very well established (nearly century old) Blue-Green service stands on its own as light rail.

Cross-posted from the Cleveland bike developments thread. This is a non-copyrighted piece......

 

http://bikecleveland.org/2012/11/26/rta-3-cool-things-for-bikes/

 

RTA: 3 cool things for bikes

by BIKE CLEVELAND on NOVEMBER 26, 2012

 

Thanks to a Twitter post from Bike Cleveland member Krissie Wells, and the initiative of Councilman Joe Cimperman, Bike Cleveland had the opportunity to meet with a few staff leaders at RTA this past week to talk about ways RTA and the biking community can work together. During our meeting we learned of some awesome bike-related things RTA is doing to make it easier for bikes to use transit:

 

1. RTA has purchased and will be installing bike racks on the buses that can accommodate 3 bikes, like this one. These will replace the two bike racks that we currently have increasing the capacity.

 

2. RTA will be installing a “bike gutter” on the steps of the rebuilt Mayfield Road Rapid Station, which will allow bikes to roll up the stairs, as opposed to be carried.

 

3. After January 1st RTA will be redesigning the interior of all the trains. Within this redesign they will be removing a few seats to better accommodate bikes. They will also install better signage telling cyclists where to park their bikes on the train. We will also be following up with RTA on ways to secure bikes on the trains, so cyclists do not have to hold them up while riding.

 

We were also informed that when you are biking if you have an experience with RTA, good or bad, that you would like to share, then e-mail RTA with the details (bus number, time, location, etc.) and it will be handled directly. The people to e-mail  are Michael York, Joseph Shaffer, and Joseph Calabrese. Be sure to copy [email protected] as well, so we can keep a record.

 

We are excited to see some improvements for cyclists who are interacting with RTA and look forward to continuing the conversation with RTA in the coming year.

Speaking of cool, can RTA do a cool commercial like this? I'll buy! ;)

 

 

(press the "cc" button for English captions on this Danish ad)

^I most certainly will give RTA input on this issue.  Dual-height LRTs, the middle ground between the current separate fleets or low-floor LRT throughout, would not be bad -- in fact, it was the idea I initially felt made the most sense, since it would allow 1 set of cars to utilize the current rail infrastructure as-is with no modification.  However, as I've seen both the city develop along the current system fueling, in part, the rapid increase along the Red Line both West and, steadily, East, (esp with the relocating UC/Little Italy station coming on Line the the growing Uptown TOD), I see a more unified East-West Red Line service developing. The Red Line has 3 primary TODs that are flourishing and/or ripe near-term growth: Downtown/Public Sq, Ohio City and University Circle.  The areas around the Blue and Green Lines are pretty much built out, with the exception with the Warrensville-Chagrin-Van Aken TOD redevelopment at the Blue-Line's end.  FEB and the Med. Mart construction does portend Waterfront Line growth, but probably not as much as that along the Red Line.  Bottom Line: Red Line is and should be it's own service, which is more "heavy rail" in nature --yes, even in Cleveland's lower hurdle interpretation of heavy rail -- and the very well established (nearly century old) Blue-Green service stands on its own as light rail.

 

thus I feel it is imperative that RTA find a way to connect both the Blue and green line to a major interstate. 

 

the best location to do this is not Blue line to Chagrin highlands but the green line to Beachwood place, and even further out to SOM center and Mayfield roads.  Both areas have tremendous amounts of the density 21st century transit needs density of jobs and people

 

We seem to be caught in a time warp where the only trips people make are to work and back and ignoring the opportunity to capture more trips for shopping and playing, and those trip can include residents of the high rises surrounding beachwood place and East-gate, to downtown and Shaker Square, as well as the residents of shaker square and buckeye for shopping at golden gate and East gate, while providing a substantial reduction in reverse commute times.

 

The key to future light rail expansion is choosing right car to replace the Bredas, that car is a one suitable for Mixed Traffic, AKA and streetcar (again) this reduces the cost of ROW and overall is less traumatic on the community. 

Cross-posted from the Cleveland bike developments thread. This is a non-copyrighted piece......

 

http://bikecleveland.org/2012/11/26/rta-3-cool-things-for-bikes/

 

RTA: 3 cool things for bikes

by BIKE CLEVELAND on NOVEMBER 26, 2012

 

Thanks to a Twitter post from Bike Cleveland member Krissie Wells, and the initiative of Councilman Joe Cimperman, Bike Cleveland had the opportunity to meet with a few staff leaders at RTA this past week to talk about ways RTA and the biking community can work together. During our meeting we learned of some awesome bike-related things RTA is doing to make it easier for bikes to use transit:

 

1. RTA has purchased and will be installing bike racks on the buses that can accommodate 3 bikes, like this one. These will replace the two bike racks that we currently have increasing the capacity.

 

2. RTA will be installing a “bike gutter” on the steps of the rebuilt Mayfield Road Rapid Station, which will allow bikes to roll up the stairs, as opposed to be carried.

 

3. After January 1st RTA will be redesigning the interior of all the trains. Within this redesign they will be removing a few seats to better accommodate bikes. They will also install better signage telling cyclists where to park their bikes on the train. We will also be following up with RTA on ways to secure bikes on the trains, so cyclists do not have to hold them up while riding.

 

We were also informed that when you are biking if you have an experience with RTA, good or bad, that you would like to share, then e-mail RTA with the details (bus number, time, location, etc.) and it will be handled directly. The people to e-mail  are Michael York, Joseph Shaffer, and Joseph Calabrese. Be sure to copy [email protected] as well, so we can keep a record.

 

We are excited to see some improvements for cyclists who are interacting with RTA and look forward to continuing the conversation with RTA in the coming year.

 

no word on the bike racks? 

 

I talked with someone familiar with the Toyku trains an he say RTA's excuses are invalid.  the trains are stainless steel they don't rust, and surely wont rust any ffaste rfrom a bike than they would from 21,000 passengers tracking salt into the trains.

 

He has no idea where they put the plans for the Trains because they are there, all they have to do is look.

3. After January 1st RTA will be redesigning the interior of all the trains. Within this redesign they will be removing a few seats to better accommodate bikes. They will also install better signage telling cyclists where to park their bikes on the train. We will also be following up with RTA on ways to secure bikes on the trains, so cyclists do not have to hold them up while riding.

 

no word on the bike racks? 

 

 

See above.

Yikes, sorry to hear about the shootings:(

Yikes, sorry to hear about the shootings:(

 

What?

I can't link to Cleveland.com on my phone, but some "teens" on Ashbury/105th shot into an RTA bus last night and hit a few people.

^ http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2012/11/rta_bus_riders_injured_in_shoo.html#incart_river

WTF??

WTF??

 

I agree!