Clifton slated for RTA bus work

[c. dawson]

Crain's Cleveland Business this week has an article about how RTA is looking at Clifton Boulevard for the same-style bus rapid transit as they are currently implementing on Euclid Avenue ... special bus stations along Clifton, designated bus lanes, special transponders onboard the busses to give them green lights along the route. It doesn't mention if the bus lanes and stations will be in the middle of the road, as they are on Euclid Avenue.

Interesting story ... one that could make for major construction messes on Clifton in the future (making the current construction look like nothing), but could ultimately end up making better commuting via bus for Lakewood residents. The line would end up in Public Square, and then passengers could hop on the Health Line out to University Circle if they so desired.

I'm sure this'll warm up some conspiracy theorists and gloom-and-doom naysayers, along with some NIMBYs ... but could it ultimately benefit Lakewood? Make it more attractive as a place to move to? The BRT line on Clifton, combined with the Red Line station on West 117th would make this area VERY attractive for folks wanting to work downtown and out by University Circle, and lessen their car usage.

[Jim DeVito]

Lets face it . With current polices regarding energy, fuel is not getting any cheaper. Quality public transport will become a central issue for any city looking to move into the future. (that is if the LHC does not kill us all first. )

If in fact, these plans come to fruition, we need to utilize them to beautify the boulevard.

Let's just hope it does not take 22 and a half years like that other project. (for christ's sake people this is 2008!!!)

[Bill Call]

Crain's Cleveland Business this week has an article about how RTA is looking at Clifton Boulevard for the same-style bus rapid transit as they are currently implementing on Euclid Avenue ..

That's good news.

Lakewood's Mayor and Development Director have been working behind the scenes to get RTA to help with Clifton Boulevard street improvements. Some elected officials outside of Lakewood have been working just as hard to kill the project. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Was this story just a leak by those in favor of the project to put pressure on those opposed? We'll see.

According to the Plain Dealer, having buses run down the middle of the street led to $5 billion in new construction along Euclid Avenue. Will Clifton see similar development?

[Mike Coleman]

Maybe, but as was alluded to in an earlier post, sometimes public transportation projects should be completed for people who actually live in the area they're going to serve, not some random, possible, future resident. Hopefully public transit will move toward sustainability rather than the nebulous "growth."

[Stan Austin]

On Monday I finally drove down Euclid to personally experience the "Corridor". I had been on Euclid between Public Square and E.36 many times in the last few years and was constantly amazed at the total business devastation that that portion of the project wreaked. But, not on the other part of Euclid.

I must say that Euclid between E.36 and E.93 has to be one of the most bizarre streets I have ever driven on. It definitely took a much higher degree of concentration to negotiate the most alien lane set up ever to exist in this hemisphere and perhaps all of the right hand driving portion of the world.

There was just one lane for cars--down from the two that existed before. Since I was so busy concentrating on the unfamiliar lane patterns I had nothing left to determine if there was any easy way to park and patronize theoretical business. I say theoretical because there ain't none now.

About a mile into it I finally realized that the bus stops for people walking on their feet were in the middle of the road. I'm really glad that there were no passengers when I was there because that would have maxed out my ability to analyze and handle safety concerns. Suffice to say, I wudda hit at least six of them.

I do believe that extra driver's ed time is essential for those who will be driving on Euclid in the future.

I only speak to you as a driver. Because there would be no reason whatsoever for me to take a bus on Euclid now. Maybe in the past when I worked downtown I would take a circulator bus --they were a quarter then.But since the Corridor Project killed most of the remaining retail and made office sites untenable, I don't forsee me ever riding on a Euclid bus.

[ryan costa]

It may have been more beneficial to do the Euclid Corridor project differently.

They could have made the east bound curbside lane no-parking, put in some better bus shelters and more comprehensive signs, more lights etc. Then painted diagonal parking spaces on the west-bound curbside lane for temporary parking/delivery parking. No west-bound buses on Euclid would have lightened up traffic.

Chester runs adjacent to Euclid from Downtown to University hospitals. This could have been designated west-bound bussing. Again, more shelters, lights, and signs explaining this.

It is less drastic than making each street one-way. Most of it would only take re-proportioning the lanes.

A similar technique can be applied with Clifton and Lake roads.