http://www.riderta.com/pressreleaselist.asp?listingid=790

 

RTA News

 

Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2005

 

RTA adds 11 trolleys to downtown loop bus fleet

 

CLEVELAND – Remember the phrase, “Everything old is new again.”

 

By this time next year, vehicles that resemble historic-looking trolleys will be a familiar site on downtown loop routes of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA).

 

Today, the RTA Board of Trustees voted to purchase 11 low-floor trolleys to replace 1991 loop buses that have exceeded their useful life.

 

The trolleys, which operate on ultra-low-sulfur “clean” diesel fuel, will be purchased from the Optima Bus Corp. for a total price of $3.5 million, with an option to purchase 6 more trolleys later. Board members said they found the trolley “wonderful and exciting.”

 

RTA operates 23 loop buses, so the trolleys will make up about half the fleet, and operate on the downtown portion. Loop buses are 30-feet long -- about 10 feet shorter than traditional buses. Each trolley will have 30 seats and two spaces for wheelchairs

 

The trolleys are part of an overall plan to beef up downtown service – something that RTA has discussed for several years with the Downtown Cleveland Partnership: A proposed plan includes:

 

+ Two new loop routes to connect entertainment and restaurant venues with parking.

+ A service frequency of 10 minutes.

+ Service until midnight six days a week

+ Specially trained “ambassadors” to serve as operators

 

Community leaders welcomed the news.

 

"The RTA continues to make transportation to and from downtown better every day," says Mayor Campbell. "With the changes in bus routes and new trolleys being introduced downtown, tourists and residents alike will get to where they need to go and have some fun along the way."

 

"We want people downtown staying at our hotels, visiting our tourist attractions, and patronizing our businesses,” Mayor Campbell says. “These changes by RTA will allow our residents and visitors to get to where they need to go so that can enjoy our vibrant downtown."

 

“We’re really excited,” says Joe Marinucci, President and CEO of the Downtown Cleveland Partnership. “This is a great step forward for RTA and the downtown stakeholders. RTA’s investment in trolleys provides us with a unique opportunity to improve the downtown community for employees, visitors, shoppers and residents, with a highly identifiable vehicle.”

 

Joe Calabrese, RTA CEO & General Manager, agreed.

 

“This service will also be invaluable for service to the new convention center, no matter which site is chosen,” he says. “They are expected to be a distinctive green, and give RTA a whole new look downtown.”

 

The proposed loop routes would be:

 

+ Warehouse District to Cleveland State University, 7 a.m.-midnight on weekdays and 11 a.m.-midnight on Saturdays.

+ Gateway to the Lakefront, 11 a.m.- 6 p.m., six days, Monday-Saturday.

 

Current loop buses end service by 7 p.m., five days a week.

 

Calabrese says RTA is willing to purchase the vehicles and pay $1.3 million of the expected $2 million annual operating tab for the expanded service hours.

 

Marinucci says the Downtown Cleveland Partnership will work with RTA to develop private sponsorships from property owners and business owners to pay for the additional $700,000 a year in increased costs, and will assist with marketing efforts.

 

END

I believe these are the trolley-buses in question...

 

http://www.optimabus.com/streetcar.php

I don't mean to be a curmudgeon (well, maybe), but in the name of accurate terminology (this topic has been commented upon at length in an earlier thread, or maybe it was on SSP):

 

It ain't a trolley unless it gets its power from an overhead wire or two. "Trolley," in the strictest sense, refers to the pickup device at the end of the pole that follows the wire. Trolley buses are ones like Dayton has, electric-powered from a pair of overhead wires.

 

I usually refer to these as faux trolleys. Their style is derived from vintage streetcars, but they're diesel-powered.

 

I'm not putting them down. Anything that gets people used to the idea of riding transit is a good idea.

compared to the loop buses they have now this is an upgrade

They used these as a loop in downtown Akron a few years ago; however, ridership was very low so they now use them as a loop between Summit Mall and the Motrose shopping area in Fairlawn.

 

It ain't a trolley unless it gets its power from an overhead wire or two. "Trolley," in the strictest sense, refers to the pickup device at the end of the pole that follows the wire. Trolley buses are ones like Dayton has, electric-powered from a pair of overhead wires.

 

I usually refer to these as faux trolleys. Their style is derived from vintage streetcars, but they're diesel-powered.

 

^Agreed.  They don't even fool my 3 year old son; whenever we see one I tell him "there's a trolley" and he promptly replies "that's a bus daddy".  I do like them though, I always thought they looked pretty cool.

 

compared to the loop buses they have now this is an upgrade

 

^Agree as well.

Good news. And isn't April way ahead of when they were initially planning to have these running? Could it be -- RTA ahead of schedule?!  :-o

if it's described as a 'trolley' in quotes like in that article then we aint the only doubting thomas's. heh.

 

i think they are fine, although of course i wish $$ resources were used elsewhere. they are part of the mix. who doesnt like lolly?

 

My only problem with this is that it feeds the perception that rail transit is a quaint throwback for tourists, not serious transportation.  The uniforms especially.

I agree, X. The idea of the uniforms is just silly.

 

The routes themselves sound useful to businesspeople and tourists alike -- why not let that be what attracts riders?

I wish the service ran on weekends as well. Not having service on weekends feeds the perception that downtown is only alive during the week. It doesnt make sense to have a tourist trolly that stops at 7 PM on weekdays and doesnt even run on the weekends. I thought the original plan called for service until midnight.

A saw an RTA press release that said the buses will run on Saturdays, unless some things have changed. I guess we'll find out at the public hearing tomorrow (2-15).

they were initially looking for funding late night during the week and weekend service from city of cleveland and downtown cleveland partnership type organizations. 

Yep, I recall. Sounds like no one was biting. I was worried about that. I would have loved to have heard RTA's sales pitch.

anyone hear the feature on WCPN this morning?  Joe Calabrese and some national transit guy were talking about these "trolleys," the Euclid Corridor and other issues that people brought up through phone calls.  It seemed like everyone that called in was talking about service issues..."why don't you train bus drivers to accelerate and brake smoothly?" "the signs at rapid stations are either missing or poorly lit...I never know what stop I'm at!" "the system needs to operate better outside of rush hour periods."  Basically, every response came back to the lack of funds that are a result of changing residential patterns, lower sales tax revenues and higher fuel costs.  Joe C did seem to be listening, though!  But maybe he's good at giving people that impression!  And on a positive note, the Transit Waiting Environments seem to be on the top of the list for upcoming upgrades.  Let's hope so!

I posted a link on this thread to the audio file from WCPN:

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=4504.60

Not sure if this has been posted already, but I didn't see it anywhere.

 

 

 

March 29, 2006

 

Ding, Ding, Ding

 

Downtown trolleys are back…and free

 

CLEVELAND - After a nearly 60-year absence, trolleys will roll once again on downtown streets, offering a way to experience Cleveland’s past and future at the same time.

 

Beginning April 10, office workers and tourists will be able to hop on one of two trolley lines developed by RTA to replace Loop bus service.

The E-Line trolley will link entertainment venues, from the Warehouse District at West Ninth Street, down Euclid Avenue past Playhouse Square to East 21st Street.

The B-Line trolley will connect business, circling Superior and Lakeside Avenues between West Sixth and East 12th Streets.

 

Both lines will operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with 10-minute frequency.

 

If the nostalgic green-and- gold vehicles, complete with cow catchers, wooden rails, and brass bells, don’t put a smile on the face of downtown travelers, the price of riding will.

 

The trolleys are free now through Labor Day for -- a smile.

 

This was accomplished through a partnership between RTA and the Cleveland Convention & Visitors Bureau. RTA is studying the feasibility of maintaining the appealing “smile” fare indefinitely.

 

Characters from the past will help reintroduce trolleys to Clevelanders.  Radio commercials feature the voice of a 20’s vaudeville promoter, describing the trolleys as the “Cat’s Pajamas.” Trolley jingles accompany the spots, sung by a chorus line of bathing beauties.

 

And on the Indians home opener April 7, nearly 100 newsboys with capy hats and cotton news bags will descend on downtown, spreading the word in building lobbies, street corners, and at the Jake, “the trolleys are back.” The newsboys will descend on downtown, spreading the word in building lobbies, street corners, and at the Jake, “the trolleys are back.”

 

Combining fun with functionality was the impetus for the downtown trolley lines. RTA worked with Cleveland Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Downtown Cleveland Alliance to develop the concept. Public meetings were also held to understand the changing transportation needs of office workers, college students, and a growing downtown group of residents.

 

“We hope the trolleys will cause office workers to break away for lunch to meet friends on the other side of downtown,” said RTA General Manager Joe Calabrese. “By making the trip free and creating a 10-minute frequency, we removed any barriers for hopping on and exploring. The “smile” fare should come naturally, but it also says, ‘let’s enjoy our downtown again.’”

 

Along with canvassing office workers and residents with flyers and advertisements, RTA is working with the hotel concierges to communicate the benefits of the new trolley lines to out-of-town guests. Operators with a gift for gab and knowledge of Cleveland’s history were also selected to drive the trolleys – serving as ambassadors for the city. They will dress in vintage uniforms, with motorman hats and vests.

 

Dennis Roche, President of the Cleveland Convention & Visitors Bureau, sees the trolleys as a great way for people to experience all that downtown has to offer.

 

“Great restaurants, unique music and comedy venues, and outdoor reading gardens – places that, along with well-known attractions like Playhouse Square and the Avenue at Tower City, are now just minutes away with the trolleys,” said Roche.

 

http://www.riderta.com/nu_newsroom_releases.asp?listingid=865

 

 

Kind of cheesy, but if it gets people downtown, and using transit to get around, I'm ok with it.  BTW, I caught a sneak preview of the "trolley", as one was parked in front of Pickwick and Frolic the other day as I was leaving for work.  They look nice looking, but they still look like busses, not trolleys (leaving aside the fact that they aren't trolleys).

I think this is awesome...now what do we have to do to get the thing to extend the circle down into the flats, up 25th street, to the market area and over Hope Memorial to the Jake? It will be great for locals and out of towners. negotiating public transport for tourists isn't always easy on the RTA site-  also the hours should expand...if only on Friday and Saturday.

<  :speech: >Technically, the trolley is the device at the end of the pole, that follows the overhead wire to pick up power. The vehicle may be a streetcar (rails) or a bus (rubber tires), but the overhead catenary power pickup is mandatory.</  :speech: >

 

That said, I'll go along with X. Anything that gets people moving around downtown without their cars is a step in the right direction.

Getting people on transit is a good idea, but overemphasizing the nostalgic aspects of trolleys only cement the idea that transit is about nostalgia, and not economics.

^Good point.

Joe Calabrese says that in other cities which have offered a free downtown circulator bus, it more the doubled the ridership over the "paid" circulator/loop buses that had previously operated. And, the other cities transit agencies' noted that ridership growth spilled over to other transit services. The free service proved to be a good way to introduce people to transit.

 

Also, one thing I didn't include in my article (which borrowed heavily from RTA's press release anyway) was that RTA is hiring drivers for the "trolley" based on demonstrated customer service skills, not seniority.

... RTA is hiring drivers for the "trolley" based on demonstrated customer service skills, not seniority.

 

Radical concept!

 

Most of Fort Wayne's drivers are pretty friendly, but recently I was snapped at by a personification of road-rage-driving-a-bus for standing up from my seat before the bus came to a complete stop. I've never had the misfortune of riding with that driver before, so I don't know if he was just having a bad day, or if he's a bad-ass control freak.

Greater Cleveland Transit and Optima Bus Corporation Work Together to Bring Nostalgia and Accessibility to the Streets of Downtown Cleveland

MASS TRANSIT MAGAZINE

April 3rd, 2006 11:13 AM EDT

 

 

Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, located in Cleveland, Ohio, envisioned trolleys operating on the streets of downtown Cleveland. In this vision, the trolleys combined the nostalgic appeal of turn-of-the-century trolleys with the accessibility of a low-floor transit vehicle.

 

http://www.masstransitmag.com/article/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=539

I think these buses sound great. The fact they look different than other buses will help people identify them, and their frequency and free fare should make it easier and less intimidating to take a chance and try the buses out. I hope these buses could run a little later.

 

The marketing efforts sound terrific. I think they will be a big hit this summer for tourists and visitors with the marketing efforts planned.

 

The trolleys are free now through Labor Day for -- a smile.

 

Does anyone know if this means they are running now?

The buses start running April 10.

I have seen these buses on a test run and they look great. I cant wait to ride one. Come on April 10th.

i found a picture of the "trolley" on the new ecocity clev blog. is it accurate?

 

Yes, but forest green

I saw one today - they look good and as a downtown worker, I love the idea that I'll be able to hop on one during lunch and expanding my dining options. That and taking a longer lunch to get photos will be much easier with these.

will either of the two existing loops be maintained?  this questions came up this morning with a couple people in City Hall who said the new routes don't serve them as well as the old ones...

Yes, the 247 loop will be maintained as the 47 loop, with its routing (which runs past City Hall) shown below in relation to the other two "trolley" bus routes.

 

That's good to know...between these three, they should have Downtown pretty well-served.

I wonder what will happen with the trolley when the ECP gets built? Run them in the same lanes as the ECP?

Probably. Sames as some of the rush-hour express buses from the heights, including the #9 (Mayfield) and #32 (Cedar/Fairmount), which are proposed to run on the EC bus-only lanes.

photos, we got photos, getchr photos here!:

 

 

 

 

they look nice and classy. i like the wood interior seating and the straphanger straps. its like an nba throwback jersey bus.

 

 

Probably. Sames as some of the rush-hour express buses from the heights, including the #9 (Mayfield) and #32 (Cedar/Fairmount), which are proposed to run on the EC bus-only lanes.

 

I'm just wondering how, with all these buses, in addition to ECP's proposed high frequency, there won't be clogging along ECP's route with the frequent #9s and #32s?

I'm just one of those crazy people that don't think the Muny Lot to Square leg of Route 47 (or 247) needs to be there.  If the 47, as Mister Good Day suggests, doesn't serve the folks at City Hall, I'm wonder where they have to go?  If they're talking about commuting trips coming from an outlying areas, I don't see why they can't use the Waterfront Line which stops 2 minutes from their door.  If they're talking about moving about downtown, they can take the proposed #62, or one of the many #39s (from Lakeshore drive/Northeast) or walk a few block or blocks to the numerous line-haul lines along St. Clair, Superior or Public Sq. 

 

I just think the Muny Lot 47 is wasteful and duplicate of the Waterfront line.  Taking any rapid to Tower City and making the indoors, level transfer to the WL (or simply staying on your train for a thru ride, if you're a Blue/Green rider) is much easier than disembarking trains, riding up an escalator to Public Sq, braving the elements while waiting for a 47 bus.  I think RTA has long erred on this since the WL, and have only pitched the WL for tourist spots along the lakefront and not for the many workers at City Hall and the Erieview complex nearby.  I know many of you say it's the "front door" aspect that riders want, but I tend to think this is a purely Cleveland thing which gives riders an excuse not to use rail.  Other cities would have latched on to a facility like the WL and run buses to feed and supplement it, only, and not compete with (and destroy) it.

Because far more people use the current 247 bus than use the Waterfront Line from the Muny Parking lot. While you can count on one hand the number of people who use the Waterfront Line's South Harbor station each day, literally hundreds ride the 247 to/from the Muny Lot. Of all the cars you see parked down there each workday, all but a handful of people who arrived in those cars took the 247 to their final destinations downtown. Very few of them walk, and even fewer use the Waterfront Line.

I'm not one to park n ride from the Muni Lot, but I know that that allure of the 247 is the convenience (as KJP said) of riding the bus from the lot to roughly the front door of your office.  A City Hall worker who doesn't want to walk from their Muni Lot space can hop on the 247 and be up at the front door of their building in a matter of moments.

 

The people I was talking to were coming from Tower City, where they likely transferred from one of the rails.  In that case, I'd prefer to transfer underground at the station and hop off at E.9th on the WFL.  It's possible, though, that they were transferring from a bus, which means you're already on the surface and not likely to go all the way down to the rail level of TC to catch the WFL. 

 

It's all about the convenience of the pickup, dropoff and transfer locations.

That's funny, when I worked over in, what was then the Ameritech building, I always watched empty 247 buses go by.  In those heady days, RTA ran Waterfront Line trains every 12 mins (which is as it should be).  There were small numbers on WL trains, to be sure, but substantially more on 247 buses.  But then, you're speaking of a particular traveling demographic, drivers who park at Muny lot and take the bus.  I find it interesting, even strange, that we're running a public transit system to accommodate daily commuting drivers to downtown.  I don't mind ferrying Muny Light park-ers who come down for really big events in the Flats or Public Square or the like, but for commuters!?  If they don't take the WL, at the very least why can't they either walk up to 9th Street and to their destinations or grab a #39, if they can't handle the walk (or park somewhere else).  Hundreds of people park in pay lots in the Flats every work day and make the daily uphill hike (even in inclement weather) to downtown with no public trans whatsoever save the WL which, generally ignore.  What makes Muny Lot drivers so special that we have to provide fuel burning buses to them every 10 minutes (while WL trains are every 25-30 mins during rush hour)?

 

 

Mister Good Day, points well taken.  You reminded me of one more thing on this thread:  the Waterfront Line was designed to, hopefully someday, attract TOD on the Muny Lot anyway.  That this open land, as well as other spots on the WL, has sat untouched by development for 10 years speaks to our preference, even our catering to, the driver and not the transit-user/pedestrian.

I find it interesting, even strange, that we're running a public transit system to accommodate daily commuting drivers to downtown. 

 

I certainly agree with that.

 

And if the city wants to boost revenues, put those damn parking lots on the market and consolidate the remaining spaces in a deck somewhere down there. The Muny Parking lots aren't quite a greenfield, but are about as close as you can get to one downtown. They're a relatively clean, developable property with few legal or other regulatory strings attached.

 

EDIT: Clvlndr - ya beat me to it with your last post!

"If they don't take the WL, at the very least why can't they either walk up to 9th Street"

 

They do. I work in the Penton Media Building and several of my friends work in Erieview, City Hall, North Point, Key Tower, etc. and I can assure you that plenty of them walk from the Muny Lot to their workplaces. Being able to cut through the North Point building and its garage make it easy during inclement weather.

 

 

You guys are right on...the City needs to take a big leap with the Muni Lot.  It's unfair to criticize the WFL for being a huge bust in spurring development when the City itself is sitting on one of the biggest prospects...

Don't know if this old news or not, but the trolley bus routes made their printable brochures available on the RTA website. Check it out!

 

http://www.gcrta.org/pdf/ELine.pdf

I just realized that for me personally the trolley is practically useless because I consider everything within its range to be walking distance.

^ That's because you've become a seasoned city dweller. For many suburbanites, anything more than walking from the front door of a building to the first row of cars in a surface parking is considered a cross-country hike!  :cry:

The WHD to CSU loop will accommodate some of my peeps quite nicely.

I just realized that for me personally the trolley is practically useless because I consider everything within its range to be walking distance.

 

Yeah, I kind of agree with you. Everything downtown is relatively compact and within walking distance. The frequency is great though when you think about it. If it was any longer than ten minutes it wouldn't be worth it at all. It will also maybe nice in colder weather. But yeah, for a lot of people intimidated about walking around or simply unaware where all these things are located, hopefully they will be encouraged to explore downtown. We can be skeptic of these bus trolleys for our own purposes, but I think it will be a nice way to expose more people to downtown and through whatever marketing they do with this, and make it a factor in coming downtown at all. I'm not aware of too many other cities that offer such a service (even if it is for all practical purposes superfluous). Any positive visitor-geared publicity for downtown Cleveland and using public transit is a good thing in my book.

 

It might be a nice experiment of improved visitor-friendly transit or preview of what the Euclid Corridor transportation project will yield in terms of pedestrian traffic and private development.