http://www.riderta.com/nu_newsroom_releases.asp?listingid=1314

 

June 24, 2009

 

IngenuityFest returns July 10-12

 

CLEVELAND --- The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) offers easy transportation to IngenuityFest at Playhouse Square and Star Plaza in downtown Cleveland.

 

The event, for all ages to enjoy, is fast becoming downtown Cleveland’s signature summer event. Festivital Festival hours are:

 

* 4 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday, July 10

* Noon-1 a.m. Saturday, July 11

* Noon-8 p.m. on Sunday, July 12

 

IngenuityFfest highlights important international masters’ original works alongside Northeast Ohio’s performing and visual artists. Major colleges and universities, NASA and research firms, and acclaimed artists collaborate to create new and exciting works that merge art and technology.

 

Admission is $10 a day, or $15 for the weekend. Children 12 and younger are free, as are all Cleveland Municipal School District students.

 

Look for a special RTA farecard with the IngenuityFest logo. The discount is good for a 2-for-1 admission to the event.

 

 

Some big news here...especially a new E. 55th station.

Does anyone know whether the 32 Westbound still goes all the way downtown? The online maps, schedule and trip planner all suggest that it does, but when I hopped on the bus this morning, it appeared to terminate at University Circle / Cedar. Sorry, I know this question is pretty specific, but maybe it has applicability to some of the other routes that run on Euclid?

 

Some go downtown and some don't.  During the morning rush hour, all 32X busses go downtown except for 2.  I know that is probably confusing, but it is how the flow works out so that the busses will be heading back in all the way to downtown every 15 minutes between 8 am and 9 am.  That is why it is important to see on the schedule exactly which bus it is you're getting on, or at least checking the front of the bus for the destination when boarding.  It's unfortunately not as simple as "all busses go downtown between 6:30 am and 9 am".

Some big news here...especially a new E. 55th station.

 

All the station projects are big news. But the project I'm most interested in is the Blue Line extension as part of the Warrensville TOD.

 

Bad news about ridership and sale tax revenues going down. Scary stuff.

KJP....what are all the stations projected to be redone?

A couple threads back, but I noticed one of the things being discussed at the RTA meeting was the Bombardier Mass Transit Corp light rail stuff.  Is RTA getting new light rail vehicles, or just "fixing" the ones they have now?

I can see why the stations are getting redone.  A lot of the eastern ones are crumbling, especially 55th, so I'm glad it's seeing action.  I'm also very excited about the blue line extension and I wish it could move faster. 

 

My quibble is with the continued absense of any meaningful expansion plans.  The blue line project makes it clear that we can't set this stuff up overnight.  So let's get some preliminary work underway.  Most notably, the waterfront line needs to go somewhere and Collinwood needs rail service.  I would put this on a equal priority with the west shore line, perhaps higher due to greater need.  Maybe we can or can't get some federal funds to help with this, but if we don't even begin talks about it here, the federal answer is a guaranteed NO.

I would think an East Shore commuter line would attract more riders than a West Shore one.  There is quite a fair amount of density surrounding the rail lines pretty much all the way from downtown to Painesville.

A couple threads back, but I noticed one of the things being discussed at the RTA meeting was the Bombardier Mass Transit Corp light rail stuff. Is RTA getting new light rail vehicles, or just "fixing" the ones they have now?

 

The release, as posted, answers your questions.

KJP....what are all the stationed projected to be redone?

 

In addition to the East 55th station construction bid award, an architectural services contract for the new, permanent Brookpark Station was approved by the board. And, Puritas/West 150th is underway.

 

Pending station renovation/relocation projects include:

 

> Mayfield-Little Italy

> University Circle

> Lee Road-Blue Line

> Warrensville-Blue Line (as part of larger project)

I would think an East Shore commuter line would attract more riders than a West Shore one.  There is quite a fair amount of density surrounding the rail lines pretty much all the way from downtown to Painesville.

 

That, and the west side is much better served by our freeway layout than is the east.  Plus we already have our "underused failure of a" waterfront line pointing toward Collinwood but dead-ending in a downtown parking lot.  My dad used to live in Collinwood and was shocked to hear that it no longer has any rail service... and he's not exactly what you'd call an urbanist.  Oh yeah, and the MM/CC is now on this line as well. 

 

As much as we need new stations and light rail rehab, we should not continue to ignore the sunk cost of the waterfront line, and what it clearly implies to everyone who looks at a service map.

I would think an East Shore commuter line would attract more riders than a West Shore one.  There is quite a fair amount of density surrounding the rail lines pretty much all the way from downtown to Painesville.

 

That, and the west side is much better served by our freeway layout than is the east.  Plus we already have our "underused failure of a" waterfront line pointing toward Collinwood but dead-ending in a downtown parking lot.  My dad used to live in Collinwood and was shocked to hear that it no longer has any rail service... and he's not exactly what you'd call an urbanist.  Oh yeah, and the MM/CC is now on this line as well. 

 

As much as we need new stations and light rail rehab, we should not continue to ignore the sunk cost of the waterfront line, and what it clearly implies to everyone who looks at a service map.

Well, before someone yells to get this tread back on topic, (I better type fast) I agree that the waterfront line is a joke and should be extended.

 

From looking at a google maps, its not like there's even anything significant in the way between the current end of the line and E 55th. All it would take is a little grading, a bridge over the innerbelt, and lay some track. It could all be done pretty cheaply IMO.

 

Beyond E 55th, you've got where the port authority wants to put tracks in to get to the new port, so you'd have to coordinate with them so as not to block where they want to put in the tracks.

 

Then half a mile or so further you'd have to find a way to get past the tracks leading into the coal power plant. Sure it could be done, but it wouldn't be cheap.

 

If you figured out to get past that (and found the money to do it) then there does look like there's enough room between the NS mainline and the shoreway. (Assuming NS is willing to sell a siding that they don't seem to use much. They've been using it as a parking lot for the same old cars for a few months, and before that I don't think I ever saw it used in the couple years I've been coming down 90 into Cleveland.)

 

That would get you out as far as Coit Rd, beyond that you've got a pretty busy rail yard that would be a real pain to get around.

 

As far as commuter rail, in that direction, I'm all for it, but I'm pretty certain if I went there I'd see a bloody axe pretty quickly.

^ and ^^ It's been discussed ad nauseum on this board, but I think extending the WFL to Colinwood would be a colossal waste of money.  Even if we could extend it to E55th, or even E105th for not much $ (doubtful), I'd bet that the ridership gains would be negligable.  I'd think an East Shore commuter line that pushed deep into the East Shore 'burbs would make more sense.

 

Anyway, maybe any more talk about these things should happen here:

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,2768.90.html

 

That 8% drop in ridership Jerry mentioned above is pretty ugly, though not at all a surprise given the economy, low gas prices and continued out-migration.  Great to hear that the HL is doing so well, but as others have pointed out, it would be really interesting to see how it stacks up to 6 ridership from before the construction started.

A couple threads back, but I noticed one of the things being discussed at the RTA meeting was the Bombardier Mass Transit Corp light rail stuff. Is RTA getting new light rail vehicles, or just "fixing" the ones they have now?

 

The release, as posted, answers your questions.

 

Well let's hope it includes a new paint job!

I thought I lost my monthly bus pass...cussed myself out then bought a new one today.

 

Just found it.

 

Cussing myself out more.

 

Anyone interested in buying it? $40? I'll chalk the rest up to stupid tax.

http://www.riderta.com/nu_newsroom_releases.asp?listingid=1320

 

Budget discussion set as RTA Board Committees meet July 7

 

CLEVELAND – Lagging revenues and a depressed local economy will take the center stage when Committees of the Board of Trustees of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) meet at 9 am. on Tuesday, July 7, at RTA's Main Office, 1240 W. Sixth St.

 

Gale Fisk, Executive Director, Office of Management and Budget, will present the 2010 tax budget – a thorough look at anticipated revenues – before the Finance Committee holds a public hearing on the issue. The budget predicts:

 

* A 2010 year-end deficit of $16.3 million, if no action is taken.

 

* A continued decline in revenues from a one percent countywide sales tax, $14 million less than what was collected in 2008.

 

* A $1.5 million reduction in the collection of fare revenues, created by a local unemployment rate of more than 10 percent, which will reduce ridership. More than 60 percent of all rides on public transit are work-related, so when unemployment goes up, ridership goes down.

 

* Replacing the variable fuel surcharge with a 25-cent across-the-board fare increase. Because RTA has already locked in fuel prices for 2010, Fisk knows that they will fall below the $3 per gallon level by April 1. That means the fuel surcharge can no longer be charged. However, because of the drop in State funding and sales tax revenue, RTA still needs that fare level to maintain operations. Staff is expected to recommend to the Board that a fare increase replace the fuel surcharge. Customers will see no change in the amount they pay for a trip.

 

Figures in the tax budget assume that fares remain steady.

 

The tax budget does not include recommendations or options for balancing the budget. More detailed budget meetings will be held in November and December, and another public hearing will be held before the 2010 budget is adopted.

 

The official agenda:

 

Finance Committee

 

Michael J. Schipper, Deputy General Manager, Engineering and Project Management, will update Board members on RTA’s progress in spending federal stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 for major capital improvements.

 

Gale Fisk, Executive Director, Office of Management and Budget, will present the Fiscal Year 2010 tax budget.

 

A public hearing on the Fiscal Year 2010 tax budget will follow the presentation.

 

Planning and Development Committee

 

Maribeth Feke, Director of Programming and Planning, will update the Board on the procurement of public art for the Stephanie Tubbs Jones East Side Transit Center at Cleveland State University. The project will use federal stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.

 

Operations Committee

 

Michael York, Deputy General Manager, Operations, will update the Board on the first six months of experience on the HealthLine, which opened Oct. 24, 2008.

 

NEXT BOARD MEETING: July 21

Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's ridership figures plunge due to job cuts, population loss

Posted by Karen Farkas / Plain Dealer Reporter July 06, 2009 21:16PM

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's easier to find a seat on an RTA bus or rapid these days.

 

Ridership dropped 14 percent in April and almost 21 percent in May because of rising unemployment and a continuous decline in Cuyahoga County's population.

 

.....

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/07/greater_cleveland_regional_tra_2.html

A public hearing on RTA's 2010 budget is today following a budget presentation that begins at 9 a.m. at the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority main office, 1240 West Sixth St., Cleveland. The agency's budget can be found in a news release on riderta.com in the Newsroom section under News & Updates

 

Well, Public hearing going on right now...I wonder if they'll address the PD's article.

 

I still think the difficulty to pay everyday is a major issue that still needs resolved, thus people are not being counted.

 

EDIT:  wait, how does the article blame population loss????

Apparently we lost 10% of our population and the unemployment number went from 0%-10% overnight, if you believe RTA's explaination. 

Personally, I find that the slow speeds and constant stopping along the red line make me reconsider taking the "rapid" these days.  The beaping buses are also a HUGE annoyance in my opinion.  I've biked or walked over the past few weeks more than I have in the past year because of delays and the obnoxious beeping.

Also, I really don't understand how the census can have a yearly estimate every year.  I have never been and know of nobody personally that has been contacted at any point between the big census counts every 10 years.  How are they getting these numbers?

Agreed with the last couple posts, RTA has policy problems which are independent of demographics.  To blame demographics is to refuse all management responsibility.  Riders have been driven away by a series of poor decisions. 

I think RTA initially benefited by high gas prices and new customers giving RTA a chance.  Unfortunately it seems they failed to meet expectations and that is why ridership is down (in part). 

 

I have tried RTA in the past to get to work since I only live 5 miles from my office.  However, here are my observations and why I chose not to use RTA on a daily basis:

 

1) Busses rarely on time for my route (79).  I would have to make sure I was at the stop at least 10 minutes prior, and sometimes bus would be 10 minutes late...for a total of 20 minutes of standing and waiting for the bus.

 

2) Many frequent stops.  Many stops there would be many other bus routes stopping as well. 

 

3) It took nearly twice as long to get to work then If i drove...45 minutes compared to 15/20mins. 

 

4)  The cost kept going up to the point that it was cheaper or the same cost just to drive.

 

I did not have to take the bus.  Once it began to take longer, cost the same, and less reliable then driving... i stopped buyinig monthly passes and have been driving since.

 

I'm not against public transit..i relied on it for 4 years while living in Chicago...until it becomes a reliable, convienient form of transportation - I won't be using it for daily transit needs.

I think RTA initially benefited by high gas prices and new customers giving RTA a chance. Unfortunately it seems they failed to meet expectations and that is why ridership is down (in part).

 

I have tried RTA in the past to get to work since I only live 5 miles from my office. However, here are my observations and why I chose not to use RTA on a daily basis:

 

1) Busses rarely on time for my route (79). I would have to make sure I was at the stop at least 10 minutes prior, and sometimes bus would be 10 minutes late...for a total of 20 minutes of standing and waiting for the bus.

 

2) Many frequent stops. Many stops there would be many other bus routes stopping as well.

 

3) It took nearly twice as long to get to work then If i drove...45 minutes compared to 15/20mins.

 

4) The cost kept going up to the point that it was cheaper or the same cost just to drive.

 

I did not have to take the bus. Once it began to take longer, cost the same, and less reliable then driving... i stopped buyinig monthly passes and have been driving since.

 

I'm not against public transit..i relied on it for 4 years while living in Chicago...until it becomes a reliable, convienient form of transportation - I won't be using it for daily transit needs.

 

Furthermore, while I realize it is bc of a lack of funding, $2 to ride the BRT, no matter where you are going is crazy.  $2 from Windermere-TC and $2 from E.30-TC (I realize there is a trolley).  For my girlfriend and I to take it from Little Italy, 8$RT + added waiting time and walking time.  You can find many parking places for less and you can certainly get downtown much faster.   

Furthermore, while I realize it is bc of a lack of funding, $2 to ride the BRT, no matter where you are going is crazy. $2 from Windermere-TC and $2 from E.30-TC (I realize there is a trolley). For my girlfriend and I to take it from Little Italy, 8$RT + added waiting time and walking time. You can find many parking places for less and you can certainly get downtown much faster.

 

Ah, the joys of convincing girlfriends to take public transit. 

I agree that with cost of fare increases and problems on routes it is getting to be close to a "wash" financially on the surface, but a lot of people only look at the cost of the fare vs. parking (downtown) and aren't factoring in the gas and increased maintenance costs for your car, plus wearing the car out quicker and requiring a new one sooner.  Insurance I don't really count because if you have a car already, you're paying insurance whether or not you drive to work every day or not, but it's still not a "wash" if you factor in gas and wear and tear.  However, it IS getting close. 

 

With my particular commute (up/down 71), I still find the rapid to be preferable to driving because 71s traffic is so awful, especially whenever there is inclement weather, which is 80% of the time, it seems.  But if we move back to the W side like I would like to, which would force me into taking the bus instead of the rapid, OR if they increase fares again soon (which is likely), I will likely start driving to work again as it's not worth it. 

 

I know it's a vicious circle where RTA doesn't have the $ to keep fares low or trains/routes clean or completely up to date and not breaking down or whatever, but people cannot be expected to ride when there are problems every week that cause them to be late or very inconvenienced by going out of their way to take public transit, or they're not going to take it unless they have no other alternative.  I haven't ridden since I left for maternity leave 6 weeks ago, but too am sick to death of walking across public square with all the beeping and honking and am sick of all the start/stop problems on the red line, along with various other problems like the crazy man I had to sit next to when I was 9 months pregnant because there was nowhere else to sit who SMELLED and was so dangerously crazy everyone on the car was nervous as to what he might do, the absolutely depressing views of trash, trash and more trash along the whole route, etc. 

I wrote to RTA several times about the trash along the routs. This is something they need to focus on. But rail lines seem to be a magnet for trash. Here again, I think if the more people we get calling RTA, writing, etc...they would be moved to pay attention to the subject. I wrote about the vending machine being unnecessary at the 25th street station (near where I live) because it just encouraged litter at the station and nearby. I have seen it numerous times. Anyway, when you have valid concerns like this.. Please write to them. Call... Tell them how you feel and they need to be doing a better job on basics...such as something as simple as cleaning windows! If they cannot even do this...then how can they manage something bigger!

Well, RTA doesn't have the $ or manpower to even properly clean up and fix a lot of the buses, trains and stations, I doubt they have any resources to devote to the miles and miles of cleanup that's needed on the rapid routes.  Writing to them won't make manpower or money materialize by magic.  Plus it wouldn't prevent the residents and/or businesses along the tracks from continuing to do it.  I wonder if there could be a one time clean up through a series of volunteer efforts, something coordinated by the sierra club perhaps, and then businesses or individuals would be fined after that when trash is reported behind their property?

Some of the lines, I'm thinking of the east side, run next to junkyards and dumps.  I'm not sure how clean they're ever really going to be.

^Well put.  Jerry is fond of putting it this way more or less: every time someone says RTA should do this or that, they should also mention what they propose be cut to free up resources for their suggestion.

 

The organization "Parkworks" was founded as a volunteer group to clean up the rapid rights of way many years ago, though it's mission has certainly evolved since then.  But a volunteer group getting into the act is not unprecedented.  It would have been great on those weekends when the blue/green lines weren't running...

I convinced a buddy of mine who was flying out of Hopkins to take the "Rapid" from Tower City to the airport.  I told him it would take about 25 minutes to get to the airport, because I've taken it and it seems to take that long.  It was his FIRST experience riding RTA and it was a total embarrassment.  He told me the train kept stopping for no apparent reason along the tracks... he said the train would be going pretty good, then a beeping would sound from the driver's cab and the train would slow and come to a stop, then resume motion.  He said this happened about a dozen times and it took him 45 minutes to get from Tower City to the airport.  I hope this kind of thing doesn't happen too often on the Red Line, because it would certainly explain why it isn't nearly as popular as it should be.  He said the driver would get on the speaker at each stop and mumble some incoherent announcement.  No good... no good.  He has yet to return from his trip, but I doubt he'll be taking the Red Line back downtown -- I'm sorry to say.

I convinced a buddy of mine who was flying out of Hopkins to take the "Rapid" from Tower City to the airport. I told him it would take about 25 minutes to get to the airport, because I've taken it and it seems to take that long. It was his FIRST experience riding RTA and it was a total embarrassment. He told me the train kept stopping for no apparent reason along the tracks... he said the train would be going pretty good, then a beeping would sound from the driver's cab and the train would slow and come to a stop, then resume motion. He said this happened about a dozen times and it took him 45 minutes to get from Tower City to the airport. I hope this kind of thing doesn't happen too often on the Red Line, because it would certainly explain why it isn't nearly as popular as it should be. He said the driver would get on the speaker at each stop and mumble some incoherent announcement. No good... no good. He has yet to return from his trip, but I doubt he'll be taking the Red Line back downtown -- I'm sorry to say.

 

The beeping and slow-downs are the automatic "anti-problem" system on the trains.  It's essentially the automatic mode of the trains.  45 minutes from TC to the airport is rather extreme, though.

the beeping and slow down thing always happens; it's to keep the trains from getting too close to each other as I understand it, and to make sure you are showing up at the next stop at the scheduled time instead of too soon.  But it is really annoying.  As I understand it, when a driver is driving too fast it happens more than if they keep it going at a slower and steadier rate of speed.  If you are trying to make the trip by driving at 50 but you need to maintain a 35 or 40 speed instead, you will keep getting the beeping and stopping, beeping and stopping.

My Rapid Experience:

Yesterday (7/6) I rode the rapid for the first time in a long time.  I feel everything went well in terms of service and schedule, but a month ago I read this article(http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/06/riders_on_rtas_red_line_rapid.html) and based on my observations yesterday I can see why/how people are not paying and I have one major question: why have the turnstiles have been eliminated?

 

I rode the Red Line from Windermere to downtown and then later from downtown to the airport to meet someone then finally back to Windermere.  At Windermere I had to show my pass to the booth attendant, but I could easily see how during busy periods (rush hour/downtown events) some people could get by without paying.

 

When reboarding at Tower City I did swipe my pass at the turnstile, but I could easily have boarded without doing so since there was an opening/gap (no turnstiles) between the two sets of turnstiles.  I noticed the same was true at the blue/green line entrances.  The employees were only half paying attention to me.

 

When returning from the airport the booth and turnstiles were both closed with a sign saying to pay on the train.  When the train pulled up people entered (there were a surprisingly large number of people boarding here) but initially the fare collection box was not turned on.  So people could not swipe their passes or insert dollar bills.  Some people did insert coins but since it wasn't on, it caused a temporary problem once the driver did turn it on.  Also, it is very awkward that the fare box faces away from the door so as people come in they need to do a 180 in order pay/swipe their pass.  I'm 95% certain that everyone did pay, but still it would have been very easy not to.

 

With the fact that RTA is installing all these new ticket vending machines at the rapid stations (like the ones currently on the HealthLine), I don't understand why a system like the kind used in New York were people pay their fare at the machine and then swipe a pass at a turnstile could not be used.  This seems to be alot better than a proof of payment system.

^ Agreed, the proof of payment system seems to make work for itself.  There has to be a better use of RTA cops' time.

Welcome, nickkrol!  I think everyone agrees that RTA's rapid fare collection has always looked bush league, even at Tower City.  But unlike you, I like RTA's decision to switch to proof of payment on the red line.  Many of the Red Line stations don't have regular ridership to justify paying a unionized station agent to sit there and monitor turn styles for 19 hours a day.  Most of them, actually.  Which means paying on the vehicle...which, as you point out, looks ridiculous and doesn't work very well for rail.  Think of it this way: the money for station agents can now be used for visible on-board police presence, which I think is great.

 

Also, I'm hopeful that completing the conversion to proof of payment will at least make things look more organized, assuming RTA follows through with clear signage.  I'm sure the unfamiliarity of such a system will really confuse a lot of people, however, and I expect there will be lots of folks screaming about people not paying (i.e., rolling the dice with enforcement), even though many of these supposed criminals will actually be pass-holders, and the RTA police fines levied against the unlucky may very well make up for the lost revenue from those who do get away with fare jumping.

the ground breaking for the East Side Transit Center is Sept 10, 2009, which happens to be the birthday of Stephanie Tubbs Jones.

It's as if RTA is trying to reinvent wheels that don't need to be reinvented.  I mean, they're trying to jump ahead with this beeping bus thing, and honestly it makes me not even want to ride the bus let alone live in an apartment that's anywhere near these damn things.

My parents bought a unit at the Park Building and actually have trouble sleeping because of the constant beeping of multiple buses on Public Square.  That's unfortunate.

And now this proof of payment thing comes along, and it seems to be a disaster.  RTA can not say that the ridership count is accurate without a machine doing the counting.  How can they trust or even expect every driver or station operator to count every single person?  I think this may also have an impact on the low ridership count over the last few months.

I use RTA everyday (monthly pass), but I'm really losing faith in this agency and they're really hurting the customer, the city, and themselves.

I like the POP idea, and think it should be used more widely. Like on the regular buses; If you have a pass you can get on at the back door, if you have to pay, get on at the front door and pay then. Maybe I just feel that way because I've seen POP used really well (I lived in Vienna for a few months in '98.)

 

Since everyone else is complaining about RTA, and I do go by Grumpy, I think I should chime in. The problems I have with RTA are that they cut back the schedules too much, the beeping is insulting, and they don't keep the inside of the buses clean.

 

I understand why so many of the bus schedules were cut back over the last couple years, but if a route I was taking every day was already standing room most days during rush hour, and it operated every 10 minutes, what did you expect would happen when you cut it to every 20 minutes? If a bus passes me up once (because they have no room) and I have to wait an extra 20 minutes, fine, but when it happens more than once in the same afternoon, I get pissed off. (On a related note, I also get upset when I get kicked off just because I can't fit behind the white line. If I can't get behind the line, its not my fault, you need to get a bigger bus)

 

Now the beeping. I understand that RTA felt they had to try something to prevent accidents. In fact I applaud them for their creativity at trying this. The thing is, now that they've tried it, they need to realize that they're annoying most everyone that comes downtown. Why don't you just instruct your drivers to start flipping the bird to everyone that lives or works near a bus route. The beeping is showing them that you think nothing of them or their ability to enjoy being outside. Its disrespect at an obscene level. By refusing to acknowledge that this experiment is a failure, they're irritating their customers, and giving an even worse perception of bus riding than it already was. "Your beeping bus is worse than a short bus because at least the drivers on the short bus know how to avoid running people over".

 

Finally cleanliness. I've never in my life been considered a neat freak. I don't mind a little bit of dirt, the occasional candy wrapper or whatnot in the bus. I do mind though, if I'm standing on the bus, when I grab the grab bars and my hands turn black because its obvious no one has wiped them in months. If that happened once, I could care less, but it happens all the time. I also have a problem with getting on the bus at the beginning of the route, when the driver has obviously had time to do something (he sat and read the paper for 15 minutes) and yet there's still garbage sitting on the bus. All that would take is 30 seconds to walk through the bus, pick up some garbage and throw it in the can at the stop where he took his break. 

...But unlike you, I like RTA's decision to switch to proof of payment on the red line.  Many of the Red Line stations don't have regular ridership to justify paying a unionized station agent to sit there and monitor turn styles for 19 hours a day....

 

Also, I'm hopeful that completing the conversion to proof of payment will at least make things look more organized, assuming RTA follows through with clear signage.  I'm sure the unfamiliarity of such a system will really confuse a lot of people...

 

Maybe this would be kinda odd, but what if they combined the turnstile system with proof of payment.  Stations would not necessarily need agents to monitor the turnstiles especially with the new automated machines if people swiped their passes to gain access to the platform, but would still be subject to show proof of payment if asked by transit police.  Not even all (more heavily used) stations in bigger cities have an agent present all the time the station is open.  This would at the very least allow the "honest" passengers, such as those who were interviewed in/commented on the article in my last post, to pay - even if the on board collector is down.

 

And yes, yesterday I did notice clear signage at all the stations explaining POP.  It did however confuse one passenger, who I assume was from out of town, at the airport because as I said there were signs on the booth, turnstile, and new ticketing machine which said to pay on the train, but also another just beyond that area which said that in order to enter "that area" you must have already paid.  I helped him and told him that the system is "transitioning" and to pay on board.

Hahahaha .. cleveland1979, your avatar cracks me up.

Watch out, you'll be slapped for bringing up the beeping buses.  I don't think we're suppose to bring that up anymore...

 

I promise I am not trying to beat a dead horse, but I have one question/observation about the beeping....

 

The incident where the guy got run over was because the driver was making a left/right(?) turn and did not see the guy.  Ever since this incident, RTA instituted the beepers.  But, the guy got run over on account of the carelessness/blind-spot of the driver.  Thus, how do the beepers correct the problem? 

 

The error was on the driver, yet the beeping does nothing to protect pedestrians from this very error.  The driver already knows she's making a left hand turn, so how does the beep help them? 

 

I am not trying to attack RTA, I just think this beeping is doing nothing to correct the root of the actual cause of the problem = driver error

I think the beeping is an effort to place more responsibility on the pedestrian rather than the driver.  If an RTA collides with another pedestrian, which will inevitably happen, RTA can say, "Well, the bus was beeping and honking, so the pedestrian should have noticed!"  Training the drivers to be more aware of their surroundings should be the priority and more investment money and training should be put towards that, rather than a "beeping invention" that activates after a certain percentage turn of the steering wheel.

^^It just doesn't work that way though.  For example, in public square, which is rife with near constant beeping and honking, nobody is paying any attention to it in terms of traffic/yielding any longer because it's no longer an unusual sound, just an annoying one, plus you can't tell where it's coming from when you're amongst all that traffic.

I can usually tell there's a bus coming when I look left and right before crossing the street.  Oh, and the roar of that diesel engine usually is a clue, too.

^And I can usually tell if its turning by the little blinking lights on the front of the bus. I understand the blind can't see these, but with all the echoing beeping, I still don't think a blind person can tell if a bus is coming any easier.

I'm bummed I couldn't take RTA downtown today. I live on the 55 route in Lakewood, but since the service after 9 a.m. has been chopped to hourly, I couldn't use it. So I drove and paid $7.50 to park rather than ride the 55, relax both ways and pay just $4.

 

Thanks alot, Ohio's elected officials, for skimping on transit and forcing me to drive.

Reminder: passenger rail and transit advocacy meetings are coming up in a number of cities, some as early as this weekend. All are public meetings and most are free of charge.

 

For details, see:

http://www.allaboardohio.org/cms/index.php

 

Volunteer to help locally in getting business owners, chambers of commerce, young professionals groups, student organizations and others to contact their state legislators to tell them you want passenger trains and more funding for public transit. Develop and coordinate messages and advocacy tools that will work in your community.

 

A little volunteerism can and does go a long way!

With the Healthline running up and down Euclid, and all CSU students having passes included in their student fees, would it make sense to reroute the E-Line trolly as it serves the same general area of the Healthline.  I would think that a routing of PS->south on Ontario->west on Lorain->North on w 25th->east on Detroit/Superior->back to PS (could have the current routing N on W 9th and S on W 6th before going back to PS).  Anyway I am wondering what other pepole think about this.

 

P.S.  I think this question belongs here, but if mods feel it should be moved let me know and I will do so.  Or move it with your God powers :)

I have been wondering this same thing for eons (or at least since the healthline opened :)).  Having the healthline and the trolley run parallel is extremely inefficient.  All you have to do is not check POP from 22nd in to public square on the HL and reroute the trolley...  I mean really... is anyone going to pay $2 to ride from e.14th to PS?

 

never thought of running the trolley into ohio city, but i like it.  It still serves a valuable loop into the WHD and i think it should still connect to PS since the healthline terminates there.

Yes and the rapid terminates there.  I actually thought of this yesterday while watching a trolly and a healthline bus run next to each other.  Looking at a map this seems like the logical leap when considering where the B-line runs as well.

With the Healthline running up and down Euclid, and all CSU students having passes included in their student fees, would it make sense to reroute the E-Line trolly as it serves the same general area of the Healthline.  I would think that a routing of PS->south on Ontario->west on Lorain->North on w 25th->east on Detroit/Superior->back to PS (could have the current routing N on W 9th and S on W 6th before going back to PS).  Anyway I am wondering what other pepole think about this.

 

P.S.  I think this question belongs here, but if mods feel it should be moved let me know and I will do so.  Or move it with your God powers :)

 

I'm not sure how useful that'd be during the week outside of rush hours, but it would be great on a Saturday morning to get to the WSM!

 

EDIT:  Theoretically you could just extend the B-line trolley and create one big loop with 2x as many trolleys......