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

 

I just saw the 'trolley' for the first time this morning letting people (students?) off on East 22nd at CSU.

I am very pleased with this. Another step in the right direction.

I know there are other cities who have similar service - Portland for one. I can only hope this becomes so successful that RTA continues it year long instead of seasonal.

i saw them driving by E9th and Euclid today, they look great

Man, I saw 3 of these during a 15-minute period while walking and running into friends on Euclid in front of CSU.  They're running 'em frequently, that's for sure!  And that really will be part of the recipe for success.  If people see these unique buses running frequently, they'll know that they can depend on them.

 

One little complaint, though, is that they're both green.  I ran to catch one this morning during my transfer at Public Square and only realized after hopping on that I'd gotten on the wrong one!  The ticker on the front does say which one is which, but my eyes ain't so great and the color thing just seems like it would've been a simple factor to make riding that much easier.

I rode the E-line today to check it out.  I think it's pretty good, although a bit slow when going down Euclid and picking people up and hitting the traffic lights.  In good weather, some of the trips would be just as efficient by walking.

 

I was happy to see that there are 4 cameras in each bus, er, trolly.  Although I don't think this route needs any security cameras, I think RTA should be incorporating new technologies / best practices into all new purchases - including their long bus fleet and train rehabs. 

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.

 

Yes, an early plan proposed 6-day service running up to midnight.

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

 

I rode the trolleys yesterday, their first day running.  Even with Euclid Ave. deconstruction the "E-Line" pretty much kept to the 10 min headway.  I especially like that they are free and that both routes servce RTA's HQ.  Makes it easier for the transit dependent to come in for their pass certification which now takes place there.

 

NOACA has been asked to spend clean-air funds it controls to keep the service at no extra charge to riders, some of whom are taxpayers and consumers who already contribute to RTA's countywide 1% sales and use tax revenues.  Let's see what happens.

 

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

 

And even tho' they run frequently enough a timetable isn't needed all that much, but just in case:

 

Route 61 E-Line http://www.riderta.com/schedules/rt61wk.html

Route 62 B-Line http://www.riderta.com/schedules/rt62wk.html

 

And the 147 has changed to be the 47 and runs on Prospect, so downtown has much better loop coverage http://www.riderta.com/schedules/rt47wk.html

 

 

Welcome aboard archer!  Good to see another fellow cleve.com-er cross the urbanohio Rubicon ... Thanks for the info, too.  I'm anxious to try out the new trolleys, although business hasn't allowed me into town the last few weeks and promises, unfortunately, to keep me away for at least a few more.  But from all I'm hearing so far from urbanoho posters, everything is coming up roses for this new feature.  Hopefully from the funky look of these trolleys and their frequency, it'll stimulate more interest in downtown than the old Loop buses which, no doubt, was the plan. 

Just a thought.  I know a decade or so ago, RTA pulled the plug on Loops connecting with the E.34th station -- which Rapid driver's still, deceptively, call out as "Campus Station."  Low ridership no doubt motivated this, but it seems kind of strange, given the expansion in the Quadrangle in addition to the main post office a few blocks away... I know that a nearby small prison the county stuck in the area in the last decade doesn't do much for feelings of safety in the area, but I always thought bus connection (aside from the #15s and #19s) circulating between the Rapids and the Quadrangle, the 2 college campuses as well as Lower Euclid made sense. 

 

We know that Tower City's reconfiguration of it's Rapid station hub making for easy, indoor and, seemingly safer, transfer for Shaker riders to the airport and vice versa, cut down sharply the use of E.34, but to me, this still should not negate the station's use as a bus transfer point to the colleges and Quadrangle (I know of people who walk from the Rapid to Tri-C).

 

Any thoughts to RTA expanding back to E.34, or does it make no sense, now?

Interesting question.  That seems like one of the easiest ways to actually make 34th Street station useful.

 

At one of the Innerbelt meetings last month, Hunter Morrison even mentioned the potential of moving that station, in line with Innerbelt road realignment proposals for the Quadrangle/Tri-C neighborhood.  He said something about how it is currently the most worthless/poorly located transit station in the city (and perhaps, the country!).

Rode the trolleys today. They are cool. Love the wood seats, they are hard, but cool. The green buses are unique and add something else to look at downtown. I do agree with some of you as  I can walk the distance of the routes and have done so on numerous occasions.

Here's some possibilities with the East 34th Street station (if it were moved to what would be roughly the East 14th area)....

 

BEFORE

 

 

AFTER

 

Thanks for the graphic.  Actually, I was thinking a shorter move, to the base of E. 30th which would make it a short straight walk under I-77 to CCC and an even shorter walk to the main P.O.  I think this was actually in RTA's plans a 10-15 years ago but, again, it appears the idea was abandoned when Tower City’s reconfiguration began sucking the transferring passengers away from E.34th, making the station seemingly irrelevant. 

Problem is, the development opportunities are very limited at East 30th Street. And the station couldn't be located right at the East 30th intersection since the tracks are on a curve -- creates gaps between the platforms and the trains.

Actually, I was thinking the station could be slightly east or west of the curve, but not directly on it.  Also, as I've visualized in NY and Chicago (true, shorter cars, here), depending on tightness of the radius, high platform (aka: heavy rail) cars can serve curving platforms.

Systems built before FTA station platform regulations were issued in 1991 (and refined in Sept. 2005) could be built on curves. Not anymore.

 

I'd like to see a station built southeast of downtown, but where it can attract some high-density development around it -- yet potentially link with the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad and some future regional rail service on the Norfolk Southern line.

 

How'd we get on this subject anyway?? We always seem to deviate here!

Got me?  But back to business.  In case not noted, here's RTA's press release on the trolley's.  Can you say: over the top? ... just a little?

 

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 <http://www.warehousedistrict.org/> at West Ninth Street, down Euclid Avenue past Playhouse Square <http://www.playhousesquare.com/> 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.

 

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 <http://www.travelcleveland.com/Leisure_Travelers/Things_To_Do>. 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 <http://indians.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/index.jsp?c_id=cle> 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 <http://www.travelcleveland.com/Leisure_Travelers/Things_To_Do> and the Downtown Cleveland Alliance <http://www.downtownclevelandpartnership.com/> 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, <http://www.travelcleveland.com/Leisure_Travelers/Things_To_Do> 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 <http://www.playhousesquare.com/> and the Avenue at Tower City <http://www.towercitycenter.com/>, are now just minutes away with the trolleys,” said Roche.

 

About RTA

RTA is the nation’s 13th-largest public-transit system, serving more than 45 percent of all public-transit riders in Ohio. Its 2,644 employees operate 108 rail cars on 34 miles of track and 654 buses on 89 routes. In 2005, more than 57 million passengers rode RTA’s trains, buses, Community Circulators and Paratransit vehicles.

 

FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES ONLY:

 

Jerry Masek <mailto:[email protected]>, RTA, 216.566.5211

John McCauley <mailto:[email protected]>, Brokaw, 216.685.4529

 

 

 

 

Btw, this press release answers the question raised earlier: those are, indeed, faux 'cow catchers' on the front of the cute buses, er, um, 'scuse me,... trolleys.  (just hope nobody reading the RTA press release didn't rush downtown looking for the real, electric thing.

Wow, this is some great press for the new trolleys.  I'm sure every suburbanite will now fear these trolley death traps.

 

Man stabbed on trolley

Edit:Article removed for lack of link.

^  Damn, talk about some bad press.

For RTA, it would've been much better had they caught the suspect -- like the guy who recently molested the woman waiting at the East 55th station. RTA cops were all over that one. With this trolley stabber still on the loose, that creates a bigger worry for potential riders.

Hmm, I suppose I could be a little upset if someone took a seat that I wanted to take photos from, but yeesh! I mean... they argued from Public Square to Playhouse Square? Over a seat? On a TROLLEY???

Well, it said they began arguing at Public Square.  The perp could have stabbed him there, and continued on the Trolley until his stop at Playhouse Square ;)

this is some crazy stuff. Well shit happens. i dont think this will be a regular thing, but it is bad news for RTA. Not good publicity for the trolleys.

Any publicity is good publicity .......  right?

good lord, people are f***ing stupid...

He was wearing a dark turtleneck and blazer.

 

 

 

At least he opted to dress up for the occasion.

 

On a more serious note I'm confident that a combination of the good weather (more people out and about downtown) and the fact that these trolleys are a free circulator around downtown will make this event a distant memory in a short period of time.

I was glad to see the PeeDee buried the stabbing story at the bottom of its metro briefs section on B3. We don't need to be scaring people.

I assume they have the suspect in custody. I mean the trolley's have cameras, don't they? Maybe after this guy is prosecuted it will deter things like this from happening in the future, or at least give people a better sense of security.

^I would doubt that they have cameras.

 

I was a bit nervous that the PD would make this a front page story.  I have visitors in town who are moving up from Tennessee and I didn't want that to be their introduction to the city and the PD.

^ Glad to hear we have more converts! I suspect you had just a little something to do with that?

^

^  I am fairly sure the trolleys DO have cameras on them...I hope this freakin animal gets caught and punished to the fullest!  What happened to the days of when you had a problem, you beat the shit outta one another with fists and it was over?  Not that that is good...but come on already with the knives and guns!

Ahem...

http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=50990

 

Fyi, I rode the trolley today and miraculously survived, unharmed.  :-o

Just curious, how many people were on the trolley with you?

^I would doubt that they have cameras.

I am fairly sure the trolleys DO have cameras on them...

i saw a report on Fox 8 tonight. Not only where there four different camera shots, but sound as well.

The reporters were trying to make a big deal of how all the passengers (probably six or seven) and the bus driver just left the trolley , calmly and quickly, without helping the victim. But to me it looked as if they were trying not get stabbed themselves.

So have they put out an APB on Isaac Hayes?

From the video it seemed as if the guy just said out of no where, "I am going to cut you". I think its harsh to judge the other passengers at all. When some psycho just starts randomly stabbing someone, it is a little hard to process in that short amount of time.

 

That video was very clear. I am sure some body knows that guy and hopefully will call the police. Oh  yeah, it is good to hear the victim was released.

A suspect was arrested....

 

http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=51055

 

AKRON -- Police have arrested a suspect after a stabbing on board an RTA trolley.

 

He's 45-year-old Darrell Livingston of Cleveland.

 

Channel 3 first showed you the surveillance tape of the attack yesterday involving a fight between two passengers.

 

That tape generated leads for police and late Wednesday afternoon, the tips led Akron police to an address on Rhodes Avenue, where they say they took Livingston into custody.

 

He's being held in Akron, pending a charge of felonious assault.

"The reporters were trying to make a big deal of how all the passengers (probably six or seven) and the bus driver just left the trolley , calmly and quickly, without helping the victim. But to me it looked as if they were trying not get stabbed themselves."

 

THANK YOU. I love how the talking heads sit there in the comfort and safety of their respective studios try to poo-poo the passengers for not trying to subdue an obviously unstable, violent person with weapon IN HAND. I watch Fox 8 in the morning, and their commentary is why I'm calling them out - I'd love to see either Wayne Dawson or Tracey McCool try and tackle some wacko nutjob with a knife. They acted all taken aback because the passengers got off the trolley!

 

I'm sorry - I'll be the first to call 911 and get help, I'll gladly try to administer CPR or do onsite triage, but I'll be damned if I'm going to try and take down a perp who has just demonstrated that he has no qualms about plunging a knife into a complete stranger. It's not like RTA would pay my medical bills!

fwiw, today i noticed the trolleys were coming by about every 12 minutes.  Which explains why after waiting five minutes I was able to walk from CSU down to the square yesterday without seeing one.

fwiw, today i noticed the trolleys were coming by about every 12 minutes.  Which explains why after waiting five minutes I was able to walk from CSU down to the square yesterday without seeing one.

 

Its probably due to Spider Man Filming

ok I should be finishing a huge project here for school, but I look out the window and see a trolley going over the bridge, down the red line tracks from O.city to Tower city. there are two now-right before you get into tower city. I thought I saw them out by the airport last week when I was riding the red line. they were off to the side of the tracks-lots of them. Anyone know anything? The little red and green one was going along on a nice clip, nothing like the rapid, but chugging along nevertheless. I would love to know the plans for these.

Trolleyville collection?

Yes, there's a fundraiser over at the RTA Central Rail Facility off East 55th Street and the trolleys are part of it. I will be too as soon as I get tidyed up!

Take some pix!!!!

i dunno if this is related but i swear to god i saw two of the new silver light rail cars over on the red line near e 120th for some reason the other day

I learned last night at the fundraiser that Trolleyville is trucking its streetcars and interurbans on flatbeds from Olmsted Township to the abandoned Brookpark RTA maintenance facility (off SR237). There, the rail cars are being put on RTA rails and towed down to Tower City in the very early AM hours when the Red Line isn't running (between 1 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. I believe the rail cars are being kept below Tower City, on the tracks once used by the Shaker lines prior to the new station at Tower City opening. My understanding is the historic cars will be kept there for the time being, until a permanent home can be found for them.

 

By the way, the fundraiser was held for the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. It was very nicely done. Some rather wealthy folks were there, including the honorary host, the CEO of Sherwin Williams (an intended choice by CVSR, considering they want to extend their trains north to and through their property to the old B&O Depot at Canal & Carter roads.

 

At Tower City, tuxedo-clad patrons were given hors douvres and champagne from Sammy's while they waited to board special LRTs (the newly rebuilt trains for the Shaker lines) that ran back and forth every 15 minutes between Tower City and RTA's Central Rail Facility at East 55th. The trains pulled inside Central Rail's maintenance building, where patrons were greeted with a cocktail area featuring carpeting, booth seating, fake trees, a huge spread put out by Sammy's and live music. It was amazing how wonderful and nightclub-like the whole place looked with the lights dimmed and some colored spot lighting set up in the rafters.

 

CVSR brought their round-end observation rail car, the St. Lucie, into the building and used it as a walk-through piece and a divider from a dining area set up on the other side of the St. Lucie. Dinner was served by Sammy's at roughly 60 tables seating about 8 people each. The tables were about 99 percent full, so do the math (yeah, almost 500 people). That's also where the live band had set up, along with a dance floor and where the auction was held (plus a huge train mural some 50-feet wide was hung up). Between the corporate sponsorships and the auction, Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad raised more than $100,000.

 

It was a first-class event! I wished I had taken my camera. I know -- bad UrbanOhioan....

Bad! Bad!  Your descriptions were very nice, though.  Ever thought about being a professional writer?

 

Any gossip from the event about progress with bringing the CVSR to DT Cleveland?

I think KJP would make an outstanding pro writer!

 

peabody99, as KJP indicated those were not apparitions! RTA agreed to store 9 trolleys from the Trolleyville collection. 2 were already on the property stemming from a trolley weekend during 2003. People came from all over the U.S. to ride and photograph cars 36 and 303 that used to run over Chicagoland interurban lines some 50+ years ago.  For the event RTA allowed them to run over its Waterfront Line for the public.  A shakedown run for pols and the media had the cars going out on the Blue and Green lines.  That was a gas!

 

Lots more info at http://www.lsery.org/  And if able, please donate to their cause.  Greater Cleveland has the chance to become THE premier venue for scenic railroad and trolleycar operations.  Toss in regional/commuter rail someday and this place will really jump.

 

Speaking of educating the public and elected officials, did anyone see these survey results?

 

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=638

 

 

Speaking of regional/commuter rail there's this bit of important news. 

 

http://www.apta.com/passenger_transport/thisweek/060501_1.cfm

 

 

 

 

Bad! Bad!  Your descriptions were very nice, though.  Ever thought about being a professional writer?

 

No. The pay is lousy.

From the RTA website:

 

RTA News

 

Dec. 15, 2006

 

Trolleys Score a Strike

Corner Alley Sponsorship Keeps Trolleys Free to Ride

 

CLEVELAND – RTA’s Downtown Trolleys will remain free to ride in 2007 thanks to a promotional sponsorship by The Corner Alley and 4th Street Bar & Grill. Owners of the new East 4th entertainment complex have agreed to sponsor both the E-Line and B-Line Trolleys now through June of 2007. This ensures a fun and functional way for office workers, residents, and tourists to get to downtown restaurants, clubs, and venues. It also delivers a solid strike towards the continued comeback of downtown entertainment.

 

Transformation continues throughout the downtown area -- from new trendy restaurants in the Warehouse District and unique shopping at the Old Arcade, to improvements at Playhouse Square and a planned makeover of the Flats. The Entertainment District at East 4th has seen the most dramatic changes of late, and The Corner Alley will make it an even hotter hot spot area.

 

The new venue has the right hook to be a big hit. Bowling and Cleveland are a natural match. But you’ll find much more than just slick wooden lanes and two-toned leather shoes at The Corner Alley. It also has a martini bar and 100-seat restaurant. The interior is as unique as the concept. Walls were removed to connect three buildings together, with architectural features of each structure maintained to create an interesting eclectic decor.

 

New late-night hours on the E-Line Trolley will make it easy to bowl a few games after work. The E-Line Trolley now operates from 7 a.m. – 11 p.m. weekdays. It arrives every 10 minutes at stops along its route along Euclid Avenue from East 21st to Public Square, connecting to the Warehouse District.

 

Ridership on the Trolleys has steadily increased since being introduced in the spring of 2006. Currently, the nostalgic green and gold vehicles, complete with cowcatchers, wooden rails, and brass bells, carry more than 2,700 daily passengers. Financial support from the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland allowed riders to hop on for free with a smile. The partnership with The Corner Alley continues the free service, which RTA hopes to offer indefinitely.

 

FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES ONLY:

Jerry Masek, 216-566-5211