Many good issues have been raised this morning. My workload has taken my away from UrbanOhio to preparing for the rollout of a new state-of-the-art fare collection system, and helping plan a major announcement on another matter. Your questions and comments are greatly appreciated...so is your patience. I will be back as soon as I can, probably after 5 p.m.

^I posted a similar comment/question earlier.  This is a big problem in my eyes.  For the most part, the RTA isn't going to hear from people who are pleased with their ride. 

 

I think every customer service shop from hot dogs to mercedes benz realize that 90% of all of their customer calls are going to be complaints.

There are some gems on our Web site which you may not be aware of...perhaps I am speaking to the choir, perhaps not.

 

To sign up for RTA's twice-a-month e-newsletter:

http://www.riderta.com/important_info.asp

 

To view RTA's quarterly report and see how we are doing:

http://www.riderta.com/nu_newsroom_reportcard.asp

 

To view the logic behind RTA's long-range plan, which may address some of your comments, such as "lack of commitment to rail," etc.

http://www.riderta.com/ar_transit2025.asp

 

Our goal is to make our home in cyberspace informative to all who visit. Your comments are welcome, and will be passed along immediately to our Webmaster.

 

Also, from 8:30-11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 13, the Citizens Advisory Board meets at RTA's Main Office. This is open to the public. Joe Calabrese will give the Board an update on current issues. Danielle Willis, who handles public info for the Euclid Corridor Project, will also give a presentation.

 

I hope you find some of these items useful.

Can you pass along a suggestion regarding the traffic light timing on Euclid? 

 

I just did. Thanks for your input. In a $200 million project, there are sure to be some glitches.

...don't take this as an excuse to vent all your RTA-related complaints or use this guy as a punching bag for whatever grievance you might have. His participation as a "resource person" is far more valuable than his participation as an online complaint center or suggestion box- there are other ways to get those messages through, perhaps JMasek could elaborate on those. 

 

For example, instead of just complaining about what we perceive to be inadequacies in RTA's TOD initiatives, we could ask him for information on RTA policy or what is currently being planned and developed or what challenges and opportunities RTA perceives for the future of TOD initiatives. And even better, how we can get involved. I'd hate to see an opportunity burned up because of negativity.

 

(taking off RTA hat)

Thanks for your words. I have had formal training in the practice of positive thinking, and I would never let naysayers -- especially those who I have never even met -- drag me down. I think the bigger issue is...what do you want this Forum to become? If it is filled with BS, then after a while, people will walk away and find more constructive uses of their time. If it can be used to make positive changes, or to accurately spread useful info, then it a good use of time -- one of the few non-renewable resources we have.

 

(put RTA hat back on)

I have no trouble with people venting, or pointing out things that could be improved. I know that probably 99 percent of you have cars, and then you do not HAVE to ride RTA...you do so because you choose to. So if we do not serve you properly, you can walk away. I am obligated to listen and let you vent. I respond when I can, and some posts will be ignored ("come on, step out in the street...I dare you"). Also, there are many transit topics that are best answered by others. I plan to ship some of these questions to others, ask them to respond, and then post the answers here. You may not like what you read, but at least you will know how we are spending your tax dollars. Have a great evening.

Well put... with either hat on ... Jerry.

I think the fact that Jerry is coming here and offering feedback is very impressive. Personally, I think conversations here are the most informed and educational I've ever encountered on the topic of all things Cleveland, Ohio, transit and urban issues. I never even would have known what TOD means if it weren't for UrbanOhio.

 

It's probably pretty safe to say that UrbanOhioans are rail obsessed. I will admit it. I don't like buses. I use them when I've gotta, but I'd take a train ALWAYS if it were available. However, I think it's also pretty safe to say the people who frequent this board are frequent users of their city's public transportation services, no matter what the option. I'm not car free, but I do take the Rapid and buses around downtown and Lakewood frequently.

 

While I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE to see rail extended and a subway and this and that, I think it's most logical now to focus on TOD around the stations. This to me is an issue that RTA can't promote by itself. Lets take the W. 117th station. RTA installs a brand new, nice station and then across the street a bank branch and ALDI sets up shop, totally disregarding the new transit opportunities. Then there is the Home Depot and Target but they're so far from the station, it's ridiculous. That Target has to be a quarter mile from the sidewalk! Whoever developed these projects totally ignored the Rapid line that cuts right by it and developed these properties like they were in Medina. That gets me mad because its wasteful and inefficient. Then people complain because the Rapid doesn't go to anything they want to go to like Beachwood Place. Hello! It's way cheaper to build the stores near the Rapid than it is to move the Rapid.

Well said. Every time I go past the West 117th station, I shake my head at the anti-transit, anti-pedestrian use of land there. At a meeting earlier this year between stakeholders along the West 117th corridor to look at transit-supportive land uses, the stakeholders didn't seem to have any idea what RTA planners were talking about. They might as well have been talking Mongolian with a Gobi dialect. Tells me a tutorial should have been held first on how to maximize land uses, taxbase, and accessibility by pedestrian, transit and cars in an already developed setting.

I think the fact that Jerry is coming here and offering feedback is very impressive. Personally, I think conversations here are the most informed and educational I've ever encountered on the topic of all things Cleveland, Ohio, transit and urban issues. I never even would have known what TOD means if it weren't for UrbanOhio.

 

It's probably pretty safe to say that UrbanOhioans are rail obsessed. I will admit it. I don't like buses. I use them when I've gotta, but I'd take a train ALWAYS if it were available. However, I think it's also pretty safe to say the people who frequent this board are frequent users of their city's public transportation services, no matter what the option. I'm not car free, but I do take the Rapid and buses around downtown and Lakewood frequently.

 

While I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE to see rail extended and a subway and this and that, I think it's most logical now to focus on TOD around the stations. This to me is an issue that RTA can't promote by itself. Lets take the W. 117th station. RTA installs a brand new, nice station and then across the street a bank branch and ALDI sets up shop, totally disregarding the new transit opportunities. Then there is the Home Depot and Target but they're so far from the station, it's ridiculous. That Target has to be a quarter mile from the sidewalk! Whoever developed these projects totally ignored the Rapid line that cuts right by it and developed these properties like they were in Medina. That gets me mad because its wasteful and inefficient. Then people complain because the Rapid doesn't go to anything they want to go to like Beachwood Place. Hello! It's way cheaper to build the stores near the Rapid than it is to move the Rapid.

 

Very true. Cleveland is doggedly auto-centric despite the existence of the Midwest's 2nd best transit system.  And yes, RTA can't carry the TOD ball by itself, but it can teach and lead the way in public-private partnerships.  Look at the exciting TOD planned at the 2 Univ. Circle stations... I do think the City of Cleveland should get more active in partnering with RTA in TOD... but lest we forget, it was Cleveland (Mayor Jane and Council Pres Frank) who pushed for the very big-box Target you mentioned on W. 117th which, also, uprooted over 100 residents and destroyed several blocks of homes where the same target, and its asphalt sea, now sit.  And don't forget the City-led, big box Steelyards Commons as well...  1 step forward, 2 steps back.

Did Cleveland push for it?  My understanding is that a private developer wanted to do it, and that was the impetus.

Someone noted that the new traffic lights were not in sync at East 21st and Euclid Avenue...thanks...I have been told that this issue has been corrected. If anyone else sees something out of whack (a technical term) along the Corridor, let me know at [email protected], unless you think your note has broad appeal.

 

On another note: RTA "may" open the stretch of Euclid Avenue, from East 19 to East 55, in late October. That date may be moved, but it will be soon. I promise to keep you informed. Have a good evening.

Actually, I've been car obsessed since it was my first word as a child  ("car", not "obsessed"  :) ) but even I prefer rail to buses. 

^^Thanks

One needs to make 20 round trips on a bus in a month or RTA has made money on the deal, and alas: there are typically 20 working days in a month.

 

True, unless you are riding the rapid.  In that case, the $58 monthly pass pays for itself after 17 trips (20 round trips would cost $70).  I agree, however, that there should be more of a savings for buying a monthly pass, since you are then locked in for the whole month.  For someone who may ride to work quite often, but may need to have the use of their car once every week or every other week, it makes more sense to just buy the tickets individually (especially if they use bus service rather than rapid).  You would think RTA would rather encourage people to buy the monthly passes a little more and get the guaranteed money.  Instead, people who buy the individual tickets are more likely to use their car a few more times each month than if they had bought the monthly pass.

Here are some links on things I have promised you, and more.

 

Background and renderings on the new Puritas station.

www.riderta.com/majorprojects/puritas.asp

 

Background and renderings on the new East 120 station.

www.riderta.com/majorprojects/e120.asp

 

RTA and the League of Women Voters push voter registration

www.riderta.com/nu_newsroom_releases.asp?listingid=1090

 

New e-mail address for RTA's Commuter Advantage program...

[email protected]

 

11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16, right after the Board meeting...

Formal dedication of the new station at West 117th St.

 

Here are some things GM Joe Calabrese told the Citizens Advisory Board yesterday:

* What's next for BRT? The cities of Cleveland and Lakewood are planning on rebuilding Clifton Avenue, and RTA hopes to include at least some of the BRT principles as they progress.

* New fareboxes should be all buses later this fall.

* The Silver Line may be completely WiFi when it begins operation in fall 2008.

* RTA and Laketran are looking at what COTA is doing -- allowing buses to use shoulders of freeways in certain areas, when traffic slows. It is one answer in a state that has no HOV lanes. Buses would stay at 35 mph. Nothing is certain yet.

* Money raised from Corridor naming rights will stay in the Corridor to pay for maintenance, and to replace money lost from transit ad revenue. There will be no advertising on Silver Line vehicles.

 

^Thanks, again - this is terrific communication.

 

I presume the jpeg of the masterplan for the E. 120th station was done in collaboration with the Uptown project in terms of building footprints and street redesign? 

 

If so, very very cool.

JMasek,

 

1) What is the progress on the naming rights for the Silver Line? You don't have to give out specifics, but is there bona fide general interest?

 

2) Your Wi-fi comment got me thinking, has anyone ever voiced concern over some mobile providers networks along certain routes? I'm a daily Green Liner, and Verizon is only good for certain pockets. I'm thinking back to my days in DC, where the Metro there worked with Verizon to literally have towers placed in tunnels (or here: tower city) and improved call quality along the routes.

Video:

 

http://www.wkyc.com/video/player.aspx?aid=42993&bw=

 

Demonstration: Train crashes into cars, RTA bus

 

Reported by  Jef Maynor 

Created: 9/13/2007 6:49:58 PM

Updated:9/13/2007 7:24:25 PM

 

 

NEWBURGH HEIGHTS -- Two dozen police officers and company safety personnel spent Wednesday witnessing the awesome impact of a freight train crashing into cars and an RTA bus.

 

.......

1. Naming rights: Yes, there is real interest.

 

2. WiFi: At this time, there is not much more I can say on the topic. We have experienced people looking at the issue.

I'm still intrigued by RTA pulling off being the first to release an image of the Uptown & CIA plans, even at bird's eye!

 

I'm a little curious as well about the public release of these plans, which are ambitious and idealistic and have serious potential, but are still a long way from being realized and are in so many ways out of RTA's hands.  I just don't want to set the bar so high that we'll end up disappointed in the real result.  Or for people to set their expectations based on one agency's plans for the area, when there are many players to consider.

^What a downer.

cue the YouTube video!

 

I took out the extra "o"s in "loooong" to make my post seem less dramatic.

* Money raised from Corridor naming rights will stay in the Corridor to pay for maintenance, and to replace money lost from transit ad revenue. There will be no advertising on Silver Line vehicles.

 

I'm curious why there won't be advertising on Silver Line vehicles.  This seems like an obvious way to raise funds, especially for mass transit which is almost always state-subsidized.  Is there a law that prevents it?  Given that taxpayers subsidize the system it almost seems irresponsible not to put ads in/on the vehicles...

I know MANY people who would rather use street cars and/or (especially) trains, compared to buses.  Many reasons being: The routes are obvious, they don't wait in traffic, weather is not an issue, run cleaner, etc etc.

 

Trains (rapid transit, commuter rail), yes; streetcars?  Not necessarily.  One of the excuses used in eliminating streetcars is they clog vehicle traffic because the must board in the middle of the street and are inflexible -- that is, they can't shift lanes or go to the curb to pick up passengers... I think heritage trolleys are cute, but I'm not sure that, aside from nostalgia, they are viable alternatives to buses and cars.  Not like private right-of-way Light or heavy rail rapid transit or commuter rail.

Re: no advertising on Silver Line vehicles.

 

If a company pays X amount of dollars for naming rights, that IS the revenue.

I was wondering if RTA officials pay attention to articles such as these?  I find it interesting that other cities take such a progressive stance (even Columbus and Cincinnati are looking into this) but we still rely heavy on bus, and soon to be, BRT. 

 

RTA officials monitor local and national publications, attend state and national transit conferences (where they often make presentations), and talk daily to officials in other cities. So yes, we are aware of this and other trends. BRT is a trend, and it is already sparking  development here, such as the streetcars that are mentioned in the news story. No mode of transit is perfect, and no transit system is ever finished. It is constantly evolving. Our trolleys here have been very successful. The former loop buses attracted 700 riders a day; the trolleys are topping 4,000 a day. Many of those riders are not regular transit users, and we hope this positive introduction to transit may lead them to changing their habits.

 

Thanks for asking.

 

streetcars...run clearner....

 

RTA is one of the first transit systems in the nation to have an entire fleet that runs on environmentally friendly fuel -- electricity for rail cars, and either CNG or low-sulfur diesel fuel for buses.

Jerry,

 

I think the distinctive looks of the new trolleys and their improved routes have been great for ridership.  And of course, being free helps!

 

However, one issue I had immediately after the opening of the trolleys was that both lines were the same color.  My eyes aren't great without glasses, but even with mine on, a dot-matrix "E" and "B" look pretty similar from a distance.  What would it take to put a little color-coding into the exterior of the trolleys?  I was expecting one to be green and one to be red, like the signs, and I was puzzled why this didn't translate into the actual trolley colors.

How will bikes be accomodated on the Silver Line?  When I've been on the test bus, it seems that there isn't the kind of room that there is on a rail car for bikes inside, but I don't think you can put a bike rack on the front of the silver line bus either.

 

Is one door being considered for bike entry and exit (eg, back door)?

 

Also, is there any plan to change the rush hour ban on bikes or the rules for bikes?  With 15 minute headways, if you happen to try and get on a train that has 2 bikes already, it can be a frustrating process, with little predictability if you aren't starting out at the beginning of a line.

 

Is there a yearly review of the bike policies and can you share any information on who makes these decisions, and if there are plans to expand the bike friendly policies?

Good questions, UrbanLife.  I've posed some of them elsewhere, but haven't heard a response.

Hello Jerry,

      Question from a fellow transit advocate.  I was reading the 06 financial statement for the RTA and noticed that your ridership pretty much blows away COTA's, for obvious reason having a larger population in the Cleveland MSA but COTA covers nearly 100 more square miles of service area that the RTA.  What do you feel are some of the defining qualities that contributes to what success the RTA does have?  Also, if you know anything about COTA or Columbus please comment on any differences you feel are important contributors.

       Overall Columbus's MSA is alot less dense that Cleveland's, and I feel that this may be a main contributor to the vast differences in % of population that utilizes COTA.  Income may also play a large factor however I feel that the Rapid may draw the suburban crowds, somethign we have trouble drawing.  I noticed that the rapid's ridership actually rose about 20% from 1997 to 2006 while the overall ridership dropped. 

 

 

Also, is there any plan to change the rush hour ban on bikes or the rules for bikes?  With 15 minute headways, if you happen to try and get on a train that has 2 bikes already, it can be a frustrating process, with little predictability if you aren't starting out at the beginning of a line.

 

Is there a yearly review of the bike policies and can you share any information on who makes these decisions, and if there are plans to expand the bike friendly policies?

 

This is such a good point, Inkaelin! A friend and I took the train from Shaker Square to Puritas and then biked the Rocky River Reservation yesterday. It was a great trip, and we very pleased to be able to take a trip that spanned the east and west borders of Cleveland without having to use a car.

 

All was great until we transferred from the Red Line to the Blue/Green Line in Tower City. We were allowed to pay our fare and wheel our bikes through, but then the conductor informed us that we couldn't board our bikes because of Browns' game traffic. The cars were only about half-full, and there were no bikes on board. Ironically, we had to wait half a half hour until 6 p.m. so that we could board, at which time the train cars were much fuller than half an hour earlier.

 

The conductor was also fairly antagonistic to us, and I've heard other stories about personnel being rather rude to people who are trying to board during prohibited times. I understand that this probably slows down their route to have to explain that you can't board, but it doesn't seem like these rules are well-posted in the station, so it's hardly the riders' faults (I knew about the rush hour rule, but not the Browns game rule). Moreover, I've never really understood why there are limitations on bike traffic but seemingly no similar regulation of strollers, carriages, etc. which seem equally if not more unwieldy than my road bike.

 

JMasek, RTA has done an incredible job of encouraging accessibility for cyclists, and I applaud this. But I would definitely welcome:

 

- Drivers who are more polite to those loading bicycles.

- Less regulations as to when and how many bikers are allowed to board. If nothing else, it seems more sensible to limit boarding when a certain level of car capacity has been hit, rather than a time period (when cars might or might not be full).

- For those regulations that are necessary/retained, clearer postings in the Rapid stations regarding what those rules are.

 

Thank you!

My eyes aren't great without glasses, but even with mine on, a dot-matrix "E" and "B" look pretty similar from a distance.  What would it take to put a little color-coding into the exterior of the trolleys?  I was expecting one to be green and one to be red, like the signs, and I was puzzled why this didn't translate into the actual trolley colors.

 

Also, on a busy city street, "E" & "B" sound very similar and lead to a lot of "what?"s between operators, passengers, bystanders and waiters.

Also, on a busy city street, "E" & "B" sound very similar and lead to a lot of "what?"s between operators, passengers, bystanders and waiters.

I am certainly not the final word on this, but I can say that I have heard nothing about changing anything on the trolleys. They are one of our most popular modes, and "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

 

However, I promise that I will pass your suggestions along to RTA's decision-makers. Even successful products need to refresh themselves from time to time.

A few RTA related updates:

 

1) RTA has updated the webiste to include a number of projects, and information about these projects.  The page now includes links to TOD presentations, TWE material, e120 station, Puritas Station, in addition to the links that had previously existed for ECTP and Eastside transit center:

http://www.riderta.com/ar_major.asp

 

as someone else also posted (in this thread or the rta says hello thread), the CAB has updated their webpage to include the agendas and meeting minutes.  The CAB has also posted a membership application and it looks like there may be some openings. 

http://www.riderta.com/CAB/

 

2) I heard that RTA is going to revamp the downtown bus shelters that are within the transit zone (basically the section that was redone 2 years ago with bus lanes - along superior, st. clair, e12, etc.).

The new shelters are supposed to be the exact make of the one that is used at Crocker Park, but it will be painted silver.  I think this is a huge upgrade.  It should also help RTA's image downtown.  Not sure on the exact installation dates, but I think they were supposed to start installing them this fall.  Hopefully they will post maps and other information in this zone as well.

 

3) RTA is working on making their website content mobile friendly for mobile phone / pda browsers.  expectation is that there may be some schedules and other information available in the next few months.

 

4) The first of some TWE type improvements should start showing up on the E and B Line Trolley signs.  The new signs are going to give days of operation and frequency. (eg: M-F, 7am-11pm, Every 10 minutes)

 

here is a photo of one of the shelters at crocker park:

 

I like those shelters. That'd be a giant improvement!

^^ Very nice.  Kudos to RTA; glad to see them getting serious about these important projects.  I just hope the other coordinating parties (ie, Little Italy viz E.120) will cooperate and not battle/road block.

 

As to Puritas, I remember KJP (I think) saying RTA's days of rapid-palace stations were over due to cost... Well, apparently, they scrounged up some cash for that thing, it's humongous.  Personally, I'm glad to see it, cause it can only make a positive impression and attract riders like the impressive stations at W.117 and Triskett, among others... Let's hope RTA can get the hotel/etc. developer back on board with the promising Brookpark proposal of a few years ago that went kaput.

Also, on a busy city street, "E" & "B" sound very similar and lead to a lot of "what?"s between operators, passengers, bystanders and waiters.

I am certainly not the final word on this, but I can say that I have heard nothing about changing anything on the trolleys. They are one of our most popular modes, and "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

 

However, I promise that I will pass your suggestions along to RTA's decision-makers. Even successful products need to refresh themselves from time to time.

 

Just to weigh in on this, I would think that one of the problems with implementing a permanent unique identifier (such as color coding) on the vehicles would be one of resource allocation, i.e., there's no guarantee that on X day there will be Y number of vehicles available for the B Line and Z number available for the E line.

 

If there's an identifier that can be unique, recognizable, and still be easily, inexpensively changed (such as in the days of manual destination signs, when you could print a destination insert with a different background color), that might have possibilities -- unfortunately, I don't believe the trolleys have multicolor LEDs on their destination signs.

 

Anyone care to brainstorm, based on the limitations I've described? This way, we can send JMasek to the appropriate decision-makers with a potential solution.

Also, on a busy city street, "E" & "B" sound very similar and lead to a lot of "what?"s between operators, passengers, bystanders and waiters.

I am certainly not the final word on this, but I can say that I have heard nothing about changing anything on the trolleys. They are one of our most popular modes, and "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

 

However, I promise that I will pass your suggestions along to RTA's decision-makers. Even successful products need to refresh themselves from time to time.

 

Oh I can certainly understand that, its just I wish someone would have thought of this before the two lines were named.

 

Is it B for business, and E for entertainment? Was there a reason? (and yes, on some level, I realize how trivial of an issue this is)

Could a colored, transparent plastic screen be slid in front of the destination sign? They could be kept aboard the trolley when not in use, or when they operate on the route doesn't require the screen to be slid in place. Just a thought.

 

Polis, I posted this data on another thread a while ago. Note that GCRTA's top FIVE busiest routes carry as many people as the entire COTA system...

 

2006 ridership per route:

 

66 Red Line                       5,450,000

326 Detroit - Superior         3,547,361

6 Euclid Ave                       3,071,548

67X/AX Blue/Green Lines     2,770,000

1 St. Clair                          2,144,667

22 Lorain                           2,070,102

15 Union                            2,069,559

14 Kinsman                       1,932,469

35 Broadview - Quincy       1,125,976

20/A W.25-Broadvw/State  1,079,360

 

But, you asked why this is. One factor that hasn't been mentioned is that 25 percent of Cleveland households have no car available, and up to 50 percent have just one car. I don't know how many of those one-car households have a reliable car or how many driving-age persons are in those households. In several east-side neighborhoods, 50-75 percent of all households have no car.

 

Several of Cleveland's inner-ring suburbs (Cleveland Heights, East Cleveland, Euclid, Lakewood) also have up to 20 percent of their households with no car. And these suburbs have population densities (at least in some areas) that equal or exceed Cleveland's. Lakewood, of course, is known for its density, having 10,000 people per square mile.

 

RTA offers very frequent service on its core bus routes, many of which follow the old streetcar routes on the main thoroughfares into downtown and some that don't (ie: the East 55th and East 105th routes, both of which have buses every 10 minutes or so and have 24-hour service). Imagine the frequency of service offered on the High Street bus route in Columbus provided on another 20 bus routes. That's the situation in Cleveland, plus the five rail "spokes" radiating from Tower City hub downtown, plus the pretty frequent freeway flyers to suburban park-and-ride lots and more. That also doesn't count the transit services provided by surrounding counties that provide, in some cases, frequent services to/from downtown Cleveland.

 

Moreover, I've never really understood why there are limitations on bike traffic but seemingly no similar regulation of strollers, carriages, etc. which seem equally if not more unwieldy than my road bike.

 

 

Do you really not see a difference between your bike and someone's baby carriage?  Maybe you'd also like them to kick off the old lady with a walker?

I think he's taking the opposite view. Why exclude bikes for reasons of space availability? If it's because of a person's physical needs, then RTA should say that. But don't say it's because of space availability when a bike takes up no more room than a stroller. And that's how RTA can be more flexible to passengers' needs. If a train is carrying standees, then a bike shouldn't be allowed on board. Period. Strollers and walkers should because of the physical needs of these riders.

"Do you really not see a difference between your bike and someone's baby carriage?  Maybe you'd also like them to kick off the old lady with a walker?"

 

Most old ladies with walkers I've encountered have sense enough to yank their walker out of the aisle as best they can. I wish I could say the same for some of the stroller set.

Current ridership numbers were released at today's Board meeting.

 

OVERALL: Up 1.8 percent in August (89,000 rides). Down 0.9 percent year-to-date (360,000 rides)

 

BUS: Down 0.4 percent in August. Down 2.6 percent year-to-date.

 

RAPID: Up 13.8 percent in August. Up 8.8 percent year-to-date (481,000 rides). This is the highest year-to-date rail ridership since 2001.

 

PARATRANSIT: Set two ridership records. Up 11.1 percent in August (4,200 rides). Up 3.9 percent year-to-date (12,000 rides). Both are highest totals since 1988.

 

TROLLEYS: Total ridership and average daily ridership up by 45 percent. Carried more than 59,000 riders in August.

 

BIKE USAGE: UP 3.6 percent in August (5,402 rides). Up 45 percent, year-to-date.

 

WEEKDAY AVERAGE RIDERSHIP: 193,528

About the trolleys, yes, "B" is for business. "E" is for Euclid, Entertainment and/or Education.

 

JetDog (I wonder what kind of breed that is) is correct. RTA owns 11 trolleys. On most days, there are two trolleys on "B" Line, and four trolleys on the "E", thus providing frequent service. The other five trolleys are used when we increase service during special events, and to help swap out vehicles for maintenance. Because the trolleys are such unique vehicles, we do not ever have to replace them with a standard bus. If we used two different color schemes, it would severely limit our flexibility.

About bikes on the Silver Line...This is from Deputy General Manager Michael Schipper, who is in charge of the Silver Line project.

 

Rapid Transit Vehicles (RTVs) have two interior bike racks near the rear door. Cyclists should enter via the rear door. These vehicles should begin service sometime in 2008.

^Thanks for the response there Jerry.  I'm interested to see the interiors, or even a "floor plan" for one of these BRTs.  Bikes make transit so much more viable and as I said before, RTA has made great strides, but still has room for improvement.  Being able to take my bike on the bus/rapid cuts down my trip time by about 50%. 

 

On the room for bikes issue on the Red Line, this is a real pain in the butt issue.  I know the trains weren't designed to accommodate bikes and bikes can be more problematic, since most don't fold down like a stroller can, but making a cyclist board the train in the front and then roll his bike to the rear of the car, through all the passengers who have no interest in moving their legs... well, that's just preposterous.

They can change the look of the shelters all the want, but they've still got to function better.  Lights, information, shelter... these are the big factors.  A fresh design can certainly be a sign to riders and passers-by that there is an investment being made.  It can even wake someone up to a transit option that they didn't know about.  However, the TWE study and long-awaited implementation should be about so much more.  Can anyone speak to this in respect to the Crocker Park facilities?

...making a cyclist board the train in the front and then roll his bike to the rear of the car, through all the passengers who have no interest in moving their legs... well, that's just preposterous.

 

Agreed, this a problem that will be alleviated by RTA's forthcoming move to a proof-of-payment based system -- once that is in place, boarding and alighting will be accomplished by all doors, with no need to interact with the operator for fare payment purposes.

And now we have a definitive answer to the trolley issue from Mike York, Deputy General Manager, Operations:

 

"RTA wanted the trolleys to be a distinct color, and that is green. If we had different colors for each route, we would need a larger fleet to cover spares for each color, and we simply cannot afford to that do."

 

On to the next issue...