I believe a park is successful on its own merits without the necessitated need to program.  The splash fountain, meandering paths, lawns, cafe, and The Soldiers and Sailors Monument are there for those purposes.

Will the kids on the way to the dirtbike track have to go around the square, or just cut through?    :roll: :roll: :roll:

How popular (or not) has the rink been?

 

Depends who you ask. I see people using it most times that I go by there. Other people say it's "always" empty, which just isn't true.

 

It isn't always empty -- there are frequently between one and five skaters during normal operating hours (and more on weekends during favorable weather conditions.) I wonder if Public Square will release their ticket sales numbers for the season because it would be interesting to compare to the number of daily bus riders being impacted by the city's decision to close Superior for the safety of ice skaters and "large crowds of people"  :roll:

This video of a marriage proposal from @aerialagents really shows PS close up and in detail in case you have never been there.

 

 

Is the YouTube thingy not working?

How popular (or not) has the rink been?

 

Depends who you ask. I see people using it most times that I go by there. Other people say it's "always" empty, which just isn't true.

 

It isn't always empty -- there are frequently between one and five skaters during normal operating hours (and more on weekends during favorable weather conditions.) I wonder if Public Square will release their ticket sales numbers for the season because it would be interesting to compare to the number of daily bus riders being impacted by the city's decision to close Superior for the safety of ice skaters and "large crowds of people"  :roll:

 

I'll add my anecdotal evidence that it's consistently (lightly) used during the day on work weeks. I would hope that increases during the evenings / weekends.

 

On an aside, I was watching some episodes of the Simpsons on the FXX on demand app on my phone and was inundated with ads for skating on the square (i.e. it was the only ad that they showed for each episode, played 4x per episode), so they were promoting it pretty heavily online

Cleveland's Mayor is Keeping Buses Out of Public Square

Against most wishes, Frank Jackson is refusing to open the dedicated bus lanes that run through the celebrated space.

BENNO MARTENS @wbennomartens Feb 1, 2017

 

A fight over public transportation access on a roughly 0.1-mile stretch of road in downtown Cleveland is raising questions as to whether the city has a problem in the mayor’s office.

 

Frank Jackson, now in the final year of his third term as Cleveland’s mayor, has refused to open the dedicated bus lanes on Superior Avenue that run through the city’s newly-redesigned Public Square.

 

While Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) buses were supposed to begin utilizing the lanes on Superior—which runs through the square on an east-west route—on August 1st, Jackson has worked to make sure that doesn’t happen. The opening of the lanes was first delayed, then the permanent closure was made official on November 15th. The decision was made unilaterally, and has prompted outcry and protests from city council, transit riders, and transit advocates.

 

MORE:

http://www.citylab.com/politics/2017/02/clevelands-mayor-is-keeping-buses-out-of-public-square/515124/

After the above article appeared in the nationwide publication CityLab, one of the nation's most prominent transit consultants responded:

 

How (Not) to Wreck Your Transit System: Downtown Business Edition

Posted on February 3, 2017 in General

 

Downtown business leaders! I know how much many of you support transit, and I love working with you folks, but here’s a hazard you need to think about.

 

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson has announced that new bus lanes that were designed into city’s main square will be closed to buses, thus choking the bus system’s circulation at its very heart.  Citylab has the story.  The local newspaper of record, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, has an editorial in favor of keeping buses out, citing three points:

 

MORE:

http://humantransit.org/2017/02/how-not-to-wreck-your-transit-system-downtown-business-edition.html

Cleveland's Public Square debate enters the national spotlight https://t.co/owHm02RcmY via @clevelanddotcom

 

Oh, and by the way....

 

Chief of Staff to @CleMayorJackson claims "Portland is gospel" with regard to plans for downtown CLE: https://t.co/er6QMt1mmn https://t.co/sylHb0Tyur

An article from 2011. In it, he clearly states:

 

"“I want to see one big square,” Jackson said in a lengthy recent interview.

 

But that’s not all. The mayor sees a unified Public Square as the centerpiece of an effort to connect all of downtown’s disparate districts with continuous green paths and streetscapes friendly to pedestrians and bicyclists."

 

--

 

From all accounts, the Square of the most recent iteration wasn't used but for events all but a few days a year and was in unserviceable condition. As I stressed earlier, programming makes a park come alive and the new Public Square event organizers have understood that. Unified or not, the park's success depends upon its programming and utilization to ensure it doesn't become yet another homeless encampment or just-another-place-to-stage-protests.

After the above article appeared in the nationwide publication CityLab, one of the nation's most prominent transit consultants responded:

 

How (Not) to Wreck Your Transit System: Downtown Business Edition

Posted on February 3, 2017 in General

 

Downtown business leaders! I know how much many of you support transit, and I love working with you folks, but here’s a hazard you need to think about.

 

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson has announced that new bus lanes that were designed into city’s main square will be closed to buses, thus choking the bus system’s circulation at its very heart.  Citylab has the story.  The local newspaper of record, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, has an editorial in favor of keeping buses out, citing three points:

 

MORE:

http://humantransit.org/2017/02/how-not-to-wreck-your-transit-system-downtown-business-edition.html

 

 

"one of the nation's most prominent transit consultants"  ?? really? never heard of him.

 

He's fundamentally wrong. Cleveland as a city is wholly-pro-transit. Mayor Jackson is as well. He's not some state legislator. Closing Public Square is not about undervaluing transit--its about creating a nice public space in the center of Downtown---something that every successful city has---but Cleveland didn't.

 

"one of the nation's most prominent transit consultants"  ?? really? never heard of him.

 

Name two nationally prominent transit consultants.

 

Sorry, but there are so many things wrongs with your assertion that Cleveland is a pro-transit city I don’t know where to begin....

"one of the nation's most prominent transit consultants"  ?? really? never heard of him.

 

He's fundamentally wrong. Cleveland as a city is wholly-pro-transit. Mayor Jackson is as well. He's not some state legislator. Closing Public Square is not about undervaluing transit--its about creating a nice public space in the center of Downtown---something that every successful city has---but Cleveland didn't.

 

Yes, he is quite well known. And as far as pro-transit cities, it's really hard to view Cleveland as being "pro-transit" after having lived elsewhere. It's clear by the blatant bus lane violations and non-enforcement in the supposedly dedicated transit lanes downtown that nobody cares. Similarly, what is Cleveland doing locally to support fixing the transit funding situation? Other cities have nice public spaces that are traversed by transit like Seattle's Westlake Park, including a plaza-like design on the street that King County Metro buses use: https://www.downtownseattle.com/2015/12/westlake-parks-winter-village/

 

There isn't any reason that it wouldn't work in Cleveland.

I think that the Human Transit article hits on some true, unspoken thoughts. In Columbus we're about to realign some of the bus routes to get them off High Street at Broad Street, and I can't help but feel that there is a desire to get the bus riders off High Street. It may be good to spread out the actual buses to avoid congestion, but at the same time I feel that it has ulterior motives as well.

"one of the nation's most prominent transit consultants"  ?? really? never heard of him.

 

He's fundamentally wrong. Cleveland as a city is wholly-pro-transit. Mayor Jackson is as well. He's not some state legislator. Closing Public Square is not about undervaluing transit--its about creating a nice public space in the center of Downtown---something that every successful city has---but Cleveland didn't.

 

Yes, he is quite well known. And as far as pro-transit cities, it's really hard to view Cleveland as being "pro-transit" after having lived elsewhere. It's clear by the blatant bus lane violations and non-enforcement in the supposedly dedicated transit lanes downtown that nobody cares. Similarly, what is Cleveland doing locally to support fixing the transit funding situation? Other cities have nice public spaces that are traversed by transit like Seattle's Westlake Park, including a plaza-like design on the street that King County Metro buses use: https://www.downtownseattle.com/2015/12/westlake-parks-winter-village/

 

There isn't any reason that it wouldn't work in Cleveland.

 

Our crown jewel, the Healthline can not even get traffic light priority.

 

 

I think that the Human Transit article hits on some true, unspoken thoughts. In Columbus we're about to realign some of the bus routes to get them off High Street at Broad Street, and I can't help but feel that there is a desire to get the bus riders off High Street. It may be good to spread out the actual buses to avoid congestion, but at the same time I feel that it has ulterior motives as well.

 

Jarrett Walker (the writer of Human Transit) is in fact the consultant who designed COTA's new bus network - including the shuffling of some downtown routes that you mentioned.

 

Now, it's JMHO, but I'd say in that case you're feeling desires that don't exist, and seeing ulterior motives where there really are none. We may be living in the age of Trump, but not everything is some unspoken conspiracy.

 

The continued closure of the Public Square bus lanes however does seem much more explicit in its motivations...

<b><i>RTA traffic and safety studies support reopening Public Square to buses</i></b>

 

Both studies debunk Mayor Jackson's reasons for keeping Superior closed. I wonder if he'll concede or not...

 

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2017/02/rta_traffic_and_safety_studies.html

Last night was a beautiful, unseasonably warm night. It would be great for skating #InTheSquare -- but it just doesn't seem that popular.

 

Also this on Twitter:

 

Public Square's ice rink will now close 5 hrs earlier between Mon-Fri

https://t.co/AjObvWR4oc

I don't fully understand the connection between allowing busses through the square and the ice rink.  People taking the bus will not be there to skate.  They will be there to get on the bus.  I agree that allowing busses will increase pedestrian activity but that is different than sightseers or people coming to skate or go to Rebol.

It's very rare that I see the ice rink totally empty (I don't often go by it during business hours on a weekday, but I assume it's often empty then). But the important thing here is that having a vibrant public square with events and ice skaters and fountain revelers is not mutually exclusive with having people waiting for buses and buses going through Superior. Unfortunately the mayor's imprudent actions have marred the narrative about our new beautiful public space.

I hope no one is routing for the Square to be empty, but showing the sparse crowds highlights the silliness of the mayor's terrorism concern.

I hope no one is routing for the Square to be empty, but showing the sparse crowds highlights the silliness of the mayor's terrorism concern.

 

Someone in the media should ask the Mayor about what he's doing to combat terrorism in other parts of downtown.

 

We definitely need more checkpoints, aerial drone surveillance, satellite photography, anti-aircraft missiles, bomb sniffing dogs, landmine detecting rats, carbon monoxide detectors, etc.

 

Think of the children!!!

I haven't heard anyone ask this question yet, so this is what I would ask at the next press conference:

 

"The city has been claiming that opening Superior to bus traffic would leave the square open to a vehicular terrorist attack, yet the entrances to Superior have been virtually unprotected since August, including during the Women's March which drew 15,000 people to the square. The only barricades have been "road closed" construction signs. So, has the city been derelict in its duty to protect its citizens during that time or do they not actually view terrorism to be a significant risk?"

 

Am I missing something here? It seems like those are the only two options.

Full statement from @GCRTA spokesperson in response to @CityofCleveland press conference https://t.co/xreO58cYCv

Nice job:

 

Here's the question I would ask the @CityofCleveland & @CLEpolice at the next press conference regarding Public Square. https://t.co/Hso3PdQ1PP

<b><i>RTA traffic and safety studies support reopening Public Square to buses</i></b>

 

Both studies debunk Mayor Jackson's reasons for keeping Superior closed. I wonder if he'll concede or not...

 

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2017/02/rta_traffic_and_safety_studies.html

 

Apparently the answer is no. I'm surprised how much Jackson sounds like Trump...soon he'll be calling it a FAKE STUDY!!

Nice job:

 

Here's the question I would ask the @CityofCleveland & @CLEpolice at the next press conference regarding Public Square. https://t.co/Hso3PdQ1PP

 

I'd also ask about the end of Ontario Ave on the southern side of the square, which would allow a semi truck to get airborne right into the rink, Rebol and anywhere in between and their has been no discussion of this.  Mayor Jackson is blowing smoke up all of our collective a$$es.

More of the same from the City of Cleveland tonight on the square: 

 

 

This is getting more and more painful to watch.  It's like presenting an equation A+2=4 and the Darnell Brown saying, "well, we haven't seen 'A' yet so I cannot comment." 

 

What a bunch of clowns. 

It is appalling how The Mayor's office and RTA have handled this.  First we have Mayor Jackson and Joe Calabrese agreeing to full closure of Superior Ave in November. Than we have Mayor Jackson stating he not only needs a new traffic report and later a safety report that RTA must conduct.  Both surveys point to the results we all expected.  Additional economic hardship to RTA, extra safety concerns to both pedestrians and RTA bus drivers,  extra time for bus riders,and no added terrorism concern than any other open space/street.

 

Now we have these reports and The Mayor acts as if he hasn't read them and cannot trust the one page summary.  Joe Calabrese acts as if he always wanted the road open.  Neither side can come together in a news conference which shows a unified front.  Mayor Jackson has no other choice but to open the road immediately and it would be great for him to apologize to the transit users of Cleveland for the inconvenience he has put them through.

 

Lastly, I would love to hear how the food truck events on Public Square will adjust since they will no longer be allowed to park on Superior Ave every tuesday . This is the same question for The Farmer's Market events.  I want these 2 events moved to The Malls and the park planners to allow transit to operate as they should.

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2017/02/mayor_questions_rta_traffic_an.html#incart_2box

 

Mayor questions RTA traffic and safety studies that support reopening Public Square to buses

 

 

http://www.cleveland.com/naymik/index.ssf/2017/02/public_square_planners_envisio.html

 

Public Square planners envisioned children near bus lane, renderings show: Mark Naymik

 

 

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- One of City Hall's key arguments for keeping Public Square closed to bus traffic is the popularity of the square's new splash pool, which city officials say has attracted unanticipated large numbers of children who could run into the bus lane that resembles the park's pedestrian walkways.

 

One problem with that position is that the people who redesigned the square did in fact anticipate lots of children playing in the splash pool, or enjoying the park.

 

Early renderings of the square's re-design - released before construction began in March 2015 -- depict children playing everywhere in the park, including in the splash pool, in the open spaces and near the bus lane.

 

Another problem is that the planners intentionally designed the bus lane to resemble walkways to give the square a unified look.

 

So, why did our civic leaders fail to consider these safety issues before approving a design that allowed bus traffic through the square? And before committing $50 million to the project, including millions of tax dollars?

 

 

 

This is the oddest article that tries to debunk Mayor Jackson's claim that the splash fountain is more popular than imagined since renderings show its popularity and walkways already were safety concerns.  All this article shows me is that Land Studio, Field Operations, and The City Planning Commission rushed this design to meet its RNC deadline.  Renderings are not the finished product nor an indicator of actual numbers of pedestrians using an area.  You design with the idea that it would be extremely popular and how to deal with those safety concerns prior to build.  This entire process is backwards. 

The Bollards of Ctown is now a Twitter account. Yes, it has come to this....

The Bollards of Ctown is now a Twitter account. Yes, it has come to this....

 

Oh I love this.....sadly I don't think Frank Jackson would get the joke.

Why can't there be some kind of compromise that would re-route RTA at minimal cost to the agency and inconvenience to riders, keep Public Square completely off-limits to traffic, and in general, make everyone happy? This seems to be the most sensible thing to do. (But of course, this is Cleveland...  :roll:)

 

I honestly see both sides, though I'll admit I'm a bit partial to seeing the square remain closed. It just seems like this is something that should have been done from the get-go, rather than now as an afterthought in the wake of the successful RNC hosting, once the city realized just how much it could do with a traffic-free square.

 

I also think it's too bad someone didn't have the foresight to built a subway tunnel under Public Square decades ago, much like the one Seattle has that serves both buses and trains. Between moving utilities and absurdly high cost though, I understand it would be a non-starter today.

Why can't there be some kind of compromise that would re-route RTA at minimal cost to the agency and inconvenience to riders, keep Public Square completely off-limits to traffic, and in general, make everyone happy? This seems to be the most sensible thing to do. (But of course, this is Cleveland...  :roll:)

 

 

Because you can't re-route RTA at minimal cost, as the recent study demonstrated. Even if you spend the money to put in a bunch of technology and bus lanes and signal priority, RTA would still lose hundreds of thousands of dollars per year by having to go around th square.

 

I agree that we should aim to compromise, but running buses through Superior was the compromise. The mayor wanted it closed from the start, but he agreed to this arrangement years ago.

I agree that we should aim to compromise, but running buses through Superior was the compromise. The mayor wanted it closed from the start, but he agreed to this arrangement years ago.

 

Running buses through the square while closing it for special events is the full compromise.  I see nothing wrong with this.

When a horse-drawn carriage can enter the bus-only lanes but a bus can't, there's something really wrong with this. So how is the CPD supposed to stop a speeding cement truck?? This photo is by Matt Kuhns @mjkuhns on Feb. 6.

 

More......

 

 

Somebody mentioned upthread the FTA wouldn't financially hurt a large city transit system like they are attempting to with the RTA and the closure of Superior.

 

That's not true:

 

FTA to withhold 5% of FY2017 funding from D.C., Maryland and Virginia

 

http://www.metro-magazine.com/government-issues/news/719991/fta-to-withhold-5-of-fy2017-funding-from-d-c-maryland-and-virginia

 

While 5% may not sound like all that much ridership is down 20% across the system from last year. METRO is in a financial death spiral that would put even RTA's to shame. The FTA is not just picking on Cleveland.

And since the federal government is an investor, the FTA will cast a wary eye on future federal transportation funding applications coming out of Cleveland (including GCRTA and NOACA). That includes state-of-good-repair work on RTA rail stations/bridges/substations/etc, RTA's new rail car fleet, Cleveland's multimodal hub, Cleveland's 93/105 corridor, and anything else transportation related that is in pursuit of federal funds.

It's far less than what we could have been fined, but Jackson isn't showing himself to be a competent leader or negotiator. He moves the field goals and when those goals are reached (e.g. the study that the RTA recently completed), he balks and complains.

 

I'm a fan of keeping the Square closed to all vehicles but see the need of a compromise - such as having it closed to all vehicles during special events or during off-peak. But with Jackson shoving his fists into his ears, the rationale for any compromise is dwindling. It's now forced an "all or nothing" approach that the RTA will lose.

It's now forced an "all or nothing" approach that the RTA will lose.

 

RTA has an agreement with the city to build and operate transit-only lanes through Public Square that the city closed without due process. RTA or those who have taken legal action on its behalf will win a federal court order against the city.

It's far less than what we could have been fined, but Jackson isn't showing himself to be a competent leader or negotiator. He moves the field goals and when those goals are reached (e.g. the study that the RTA recently completed), he balks and complains.

 

I'm a fan of keeping the Square closed to all vehicles but see the need of a compromise - such as having it closed to all vehicles during special events or during off-peak. But with Jackson shoving his fists into his ears, the rationale for any compromise is dwindling. It's now forced an "all or nothing" approach that the RTA will lose.

 

It's less because it's not the same issue. METRO is not complying with a safety requirement they promised the FTA they would meet. Therefore, the fine structure is different.

 

If METRO had a similar arrangement with the FTA as RTA/Cleveland did I'm pretty sure the same action would have been taken.

This was what I was referring to: http://www.cleveland19.com/story/34477519/federal-agency-says-rta-to-pay-the-12m

 

"The federal agency told the GCRTA since buses can’t go through Public Square, GCRTA is in breach of the grant agreement for the entire Euclid Corridor project. GCRTA received more than $140 million in federal funds for that project. The FTA said because public transportation can’t go through Public Square the federal agency could demand repayment of the entire grant but instead chose to fine the agency $12 million."

 

Is that entirely accurate?

This was what I was referring to: http://www.cleveland19.com/story/34477519/federal-agency-says-rta-to-pay-the-12m

 

"The federal agency told the GCRTA since buses can’t go through Public Square, GCRTA is in breach of the grant agreement for the entire Euclid Corridor project. GCRTA received more than $140 million in federal funds for that project. The FTA said because public transportation can’t go through Public Square the federal agency could demand repayment of the entire grant but instead chose to fine the agency $12 million."

 

Is that entirely accurate?

 

Yes, that is accurate. GCRTA was the FTA grant applicant. Since Joe Calabrese didn't ignore the city's order and tell the RTA police to take down the barricades, they are now on the hook  for the $12 million. But since bravery is starting to becoming more than a rumor at 1240 West 6th Street, I'm expecting RTA to take legal action against the city to pay some or all of the FTA fine. If they don't, others will. And this doesn't include a number of Title VI complaints being submitted to the FTA and FHWA regarding the city's actions that will affect both the city and RTA.

Seven days...

 

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2017/02/rta_riders_rally_for_reopening.html

 

RTA riders rally for reopening of Public Square to buses

By: Ginger Christ

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Only eight days remain before the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority will be forced to pay the federal government $12 million for not running buses through Public Square.

 

Local transit advocates want to see city government take action to reopen Superior Avenue through Public Square to buses before it's too late.

 

In a rally at City Hall before tonight's Cleveland City Council meeting, Clevelanders for Public Transit, a local riders' organization, called for members of council to force Mayor Frank Jackson to reopen Public Square to buses. Roughly 25 people attended.

 

"We're trying to make sure they still know we're here," Akshai Singh, a member of Clevelanders for Public Transit, said during the rally. "If they don't decide to move on the Mayor, they're really abdicating their power."

 

 

From the Plain Dealer:

 

"A letter from RTA to the federal government indicates that Public Square eventually will reopen to buses, but the city of Cleveland has not yet agreed to the return.

 

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority is asking the federal government for more time to reopen the square while it works with the city on lingering safety and security issues."

 

Link to article.

 

Edited to correct URL.

From the Plain Dealer:

 

"A letter from RTA to the federal government indicates that Public Square eventually will reopen to buses, but the city of Cleveland has not yet agreed to the return.

 

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority is asking the federal government for more time to reopen the square while it works with the city on lingering safety and security issues."

 

Link to article.

 

Link is not working for me.  Just like the excuse of "lingering safety and security issues."

Link is not working for me.  Just like the excuse of "lingering safety and security issues."

 

Apparently I failed at copy and paste, should be working now.