The Observation Deck

http://www.saveouraccess.com/index.asp

Joseph Abraham, the gentleman representing Midtown Cleveland, stopped in my office today. He informed us that ODOT wants to close the Carnegie and Prospect Innerbelt ramps. Those would be the ones many of us use every day.

ODOT claims there are a lot of accidents. When Midtown requested an accident report, there were no accidents. I asked Joseph where we would be able to get on if they, in fact, closed these ramps, and he said either Chester Ave., or Orange Ave. Not too many options. He encouraged everyone to visit the website.

If we don't want to continue to kill this city, I implore them to think twice before doing this. They are making downtown even more unfriendly to locals and visitors to the point that no one will want to bother with downtown. This will be the final nail in Cleveland's coffin. They need to reconsider this proposal for the sake of its residents, its businesses, and this city.

They wanted to close the Orange Ave. exit (at least at one point), too.

Valerie and DL---- This ODOT proposal is just a natural continuation of the Kill Cleveland Now campaign. It started with a strategic strike at the downtown core with the construction of the Euclid Corridor. The duration of that project effectively strangled most downtown business between Public Square and E.30.
That having been successfully accomplished, the next target area is Midtown.
Since there is no longer any reason for human occupation of the old downtown, there will be nothing to feed the Midtown area.
Therefore, seal it off by eliminating the exit ramps serving that area.
So far the plan seems to be working brilliantly. For once, a successfully executed plan in Cleveland.
Stan Austin

BELOW IS AN EMAIL FROM THE GROUP ORGANIZING THE FIGHT:

UPDATE. We are expecting media coverage! Try to join us. Spread the word.

Please join us for the kick-off event on July 8th (along with as many of
your employees as possible). It will be at 4:00 at the Prospect Avenue
ramp to Innerbelt eastbound (behind Central Cadillac). We expect TV and
radio to cover it so we want a good turnout.

We will be hanging a BIG sign.


Save Our Access, a grassroots initiative to stop ODOT from closing the Carnegie
and Prospect Innerbelt ramps will be launched on Wednesday
July 8th. Area stakeholders are taking the lead on this.

We will be putting up signs and banners and handing out cards
directing people to our website – http://www.SaveOurAccess.com -- where they
can get information on ODOT's plan and send an email protest message to
local, state and federal officials. The website also contains the
Cleveland Clinic's and MidTown Cleveland's joint position statement,
which Save Our Access supports.

Please join us for the kick-off event on July 8th (along with as many of
your employees as possible). It will be at 4:00 at the Prospect Avenue
ramp to Innerbelt eastbound (behind Central Cadillac). We expect TV and
radio to cover it so we want a good turnout.

In any case, could you please:

1. inform all of your employees of our website (http://www.SaveOurAccess.com),
2. post a link on your company Intranet/website,
3. further distribute this message to those who might be affected by ramp closures.

The decision on the ramps will be made in
Washington next month so all the key officials need to hear over the
next several weeks that there is strong, very strong, opposition to
ODOT's plan.

Save Our Access!

Valerie Molinski wrote:The decision on the ramps will be made in
Washington next month so all the key officials need to hear over the
next several weeks that there is strong, very strong, opposition to
ODOT's plan.

Save Our Access!

I'll go out on a limb and say that the decision has already been made and that you lose.

"The decisioin on the ramps will be made in Washington". That tells you a great deal about why this region is suffering.

Don't think for one minute that the Clinic is behind your efforts to save the ramps. I'll bet that behind the scenes they want the ramp closed. Why?

Thousands of people use the Carnegie Avenue exit to get to the Clinic facilities. It's just a few minutes from the freeway to the Clinic. How then to replace that easy access? Of Course! Build the Opportunity Corridor!

My development conspiracy theories are based on the assumption that all road projects have winners and losers, that the winners are those who are politically connected, that the public reasons given for a particular project are usually artifically created and that public meetings are just dog and pony shows to provide the illusion of public input.

The Clinic is working behind the scenes to kill lakefront and shoreway development because it needs those funds for its opportunity corridor. In that context the businesses on Carnegie are chump change.

If this is an ODOT plan, I need some help to understand why this decision is being made in Washington. Does Washington make these types of decisions for other states/cities? Is there some stimulus money specifically designated for improving highway safety? If there is, they could fund replacing the I-90 bridge rather than trumped up safety concerns about ramps. I can’t think of anything threatening the safety of downtown drivers more than this bridge.

If Washington is involved, then our congressional reps should be looking at the plan and examining the details.

I find it hard to believe the Clinic is behind this plan as it would cost money, lots of money, to close these ramps. This would go against the theory the Clinic is diverting funds from other projects to fund the Opportunity Corridor.

Thinking about this further, if Washington is making these decisions then ODOT can do without some administrative people. This will help balance the budget.

Bill Call wrote:

Valerie Molinski wrote:The decision on the ramps will be made in
Washington next month so all the key officials need to hear over the
next several weeks that there is strong, very strong, opposition to
ODOT's plan.

Save Our Access!

I'll go out on a limb and say that the decision has already been made and that you lose.

"The decisioin on the ramps will be made in Washington". That tells you a great deal about why this region is suffering.

Don't think for one minute that the Clinic is behind your efforts to save the ramps. I'll bet that behind the scenes they want the ramp closed. Why?

Thousands of people use the Carnegie Avenue exit to get to the Clinic facilities. It's just a few minutes from the freeway to the Clinic. How then to replace that easy access? Of Course! Build the Opportunity Corridor!

My development conspiracy theories are based on the assumption that all road projects have winners and losers, that the winners are those who are politically connected, that the public reasons given for a particular project are usually artifically created and that public meetings are just dog and pony shows to provide the illusion of public input.

The Clinic is working behind the scenes to kill lakefront and shoreway development because it needs those funds for its opportunity corridor. In that context the businesses on Carnegie are chump change.

Not sure if I agree with you about the Clinic being complicit in this scheme, but I do agree with you that the decision has probably already been made and this is a losing proposition.

I was just at the Clinic yesterday for an appt and man, if they close those, what a pain in the ass it would be to access the campus. It's already pretty bad at this point, but to put even more of a stranglehold on getting to it? Bad bad bad.

Charlie Page wrote:If this is an ODOT plan, I need some help to understand why this decision is being made in Washington. Does Washington make these types of decisions for other states/cities? Is there some stimulus money specifically designated for improving highway safety? If there is, they could fund replacing the I-90 bridge rather than trumped up safety concerns about ramps. I can’t think of anything threatening the safety of downtown drivers more than this bridge.

.

Agreed. Between the I 90 bridge and the Main Avenue bridge, we have bigger fish to fry here. It is unbelievable how this problem continues to get bandaided with gusset plates and hearings.

As far as the 'decision is being made in Washington,' I too was confused by that. Not sure what that means. The text was a copy/paste from the email I received.

Cleveland City Club this week had a guest speaker from ODOT about this project.

I did not catch the entire snake oil speech by did listen to questions and they were
a little disconcerting and familiar.

When asked how they could start building a bridge that has not even finished discussion
or design, and how could they promise it would last longer than the last one. The answer
was to paraphrase, "No problem starting early, and all current levels inspection would
make sure it would last. The contractor(bid? and how if no plans exist) has a record for
bringing in jobs on time and in the financial ballpark."

Question: At every meeting ever held on this the majority if not all participants wanted both ramps put back into the design. The only person ever to be found for the closing of the ramps was a plant from one of the design companies.

Answer: "It was decided to close the ramps, and even though SOME people think it should
be included. This is something we can revisit down the road, perhaps after the bridge is
done.

Now I might be wrong, but it has to be safe, cheaper and more practical to build ramps
off a bridge when it is being designed and built, than after. Seems like a "shut up" answer
to me.

What I believe we are watching is the next phase of the Euclid Corridor project that will
see all business and traffic pushed onto Euclid for $$$$$ and go out of business.

Don't go through life blind, at least understand the game, Read "Slaughter of Cities"
We do not need to be total sheep in this process.

http://www.amazon.com/Slaughter-Cities-Renewal-Ethnic-Cleansing/dp/1587317753
Read the review, you might find it interesting.


.

The construction at Cleveland State is also part of this plan. See:

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/08/_cleveland_state_university_to.html

Especially:

But there could be a glitch in those plans because university officials have to wait for the Inner Belt ramp at Prospect Avenue to close before the second phase of the dorm construction can be completed.

The Ohio Department of Transportation doesn't even have a date yet for when that ramp will close, said ODOT spokesman Scott Varner.