Should The RTA Extend Their Tram/Subway Tracks To The East Suburbs? (Cleveland: 2015, lease)

[reretarff]

There has been some talk about the RTA and how if their train/tram/subway/whatever tracks to serve people further in the east suburbs is a good idea or not. I think that it would be a great idea because there are so many abandoned train tracks in the east suburbs that can be easily turned into public transportation.

Back in the 1900's up until the 1940's, street cars were the way to get around in Cleveland. Street cars were everywhere. Downtown, Glenville, Hough, Central, Fairfax, Ohio City, Parma and even out to Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights. Those street cars were a success. They caused less traffic, they were efficient, they were good looking and most importantly, they were useful. People used them for everything such as getting to work, school, downtown, the store and anywhere else that isn't walking distance. Street cars were one reason that people lived in the inner city. Some people didn't even own a car because they quite frankly didn't need to. Because street cars were available, people lived in the inner city. It was pretty much a normal daily commute for people. But unfortunately when they got rid of street cars in the late 1940's and early 1950's, people started to move to the suburbs. I think that getting rid of the street cars is partially what caused people to move to the suburbs.

For some reason, those street cars were replaced with buses and to this day still have buses doing the same routes as the street cars once did. Now, it's probably impossible to rebuild the street cars in their original spots due to traffic and the fact that not as many people live in the Cleveland neighborhoods anymore. But, trams/trains/monorails are a good modern version of the street car.

The RTA has built many of these trains and has many lines going through downtown and end in the east suburbs. (I say east suburbs because there are 3 lines that go in the east suburbs but only one on the west side that runs through the city of Cleveland) These lines are very efficient and are a good way to get downtown. But unfortunately, most people in the suburbs can't get to the trains without driving first because of where the nearest station is. From Solon, it takes a good 15-20 minutes minimum to get to the nearest station. This is why I think the RTA should expand their tracks.

Running through the center of Solon there is an abandoned train track that hasn't been used for about 10 years. This train track runs through Solon's large business and factory district, goes through downtown Solon, goes through the center of Solon, then goes east to Aurora and so on. (It goes right through where Geauga Lake used to be, which can turn into another project.) On top of that, this abandoned railroad track goes through residential and retail areas in Solon which can attract many people in Solon to downtown. This track also runs through Bedford, Warrensville Heights, the southeast Cleveland neighborhoods and runs up parallel to the tracks around E.55th Street and E.79th Street. This track can easily be connected to the existing RTA tracks and with a little bit of renovation can be turned into a new train line that goes all the way into the suburbs.

Solon already has RTA buses, but those are mostly used by factory workers who live in Bedford and Warrensville Heights. The buses are almost never used by Solon residents. If we have smelly buses that nobody uses, why not get rid of them and build a train instead?

I think extending the RTA Rapid lines to Solon would be a great idea and would make going to downtown easier. I hope this one day gets built.

[bjimmy24]

Not so much about what RTA should do, but what taxpayers are willing to spend and what suburban governments want to do.

But ideally, suburbs would be connected via transport, mixing seamlessly with the city. This is one of the things I like about Boston. Everything's connected. Not so in Cleveland as of now, at least in public transit terms.

[Cleverfield]

Send your idea to the RTA offices. Maybe it will move somewhere. It's not going to do any good to talk to people on this board, when most likely no one here knows how easy or difficult it will actually be to convert this line to an RTA rapid line.

[L2DB]

I think that vey few Solon-ites would use the rapid to get downtown. It would take longer, (potentially) cost more, and I'm fairly sure they wouldn't want to give up the comfort of their leased Mercedes.

[ehfp]

I'm all for transit-focused development (and that's part of the reason I chose to live in an inner-ring suburb), but part of what I like about it is not having to use the car or walk along major streets to get to the rapid. I don't know a ton about the residential areas in Solon - is most of the city set up in a way in which it would be easy for people to walk to the stations along the tracks?

Personally, my transit wish list is a rapid line connecting Shaker Square and University Circle.

[TheProf]

Originally Posted by L2DB

I think that vey few Solon-ites would use the rapid to get downtown. It would take longer, (potentially) cost more, and I'm fairly sure they wouldn't want to give up the comfort of their leased Mercedes.

I disagree on all levels. You can't generally say trains would take longer, esp during rush hour, esp during snowy weather and esp looking for a place to park downtown once you get there. As for costing more, that's absurd, esp when you figure in gas, parking and car wear 'n tear. The Federal Govt, through the EPA, has (smartly) been granting businesses tax breaks for subsidizing their transit costs, so that makes the case even more strongly. ... I hope your post was tongue-n'-cheek, which I suspect.

[SquareBetterThanAll]

Originally Posted by Cleverfield

It's not going to do any good to talk to people on this board, when most likely no one here knows how easy or difficult it will actually be to convert this line to an RTA rapid line.

I thought that was the foundation to half the posts on here? Nobody actually knowing what they're talking about?

[SquareBetterThanAll]

Originally Posted by TheProf

I disagree on all levels. You can't generally say trains would take longer, esp during rush hour, esp during snowy weather and esp looking for a place to park downtown once you get there. As for costing more, that's absurd, esp when you figure in gas, parking and car wear 'n tear. The Federal Govt, through the EPA, has (smartly) been granting businesses tax breaks for subsidizing their transit costs, so that makes the case even more strongly. ... I hope your post was tongue-n'-cheek, which I suspect.

I don't know about that. What's the max speed of the Rapid? If it's light rail, isn't it fairly low speed (35mph or so)? I know freight in urban areas have a very low speed cap, something like 25mph.

By comparison the Metro in DC which is a true subway much of the way and heavy rail tops out in the 70s.

If you could at least match the speed and monetary cost then it might be feasible for people who are only responsible for themselves. It's out the window for most people who have kids if they are responsible for any of their transportation.

Financial if one is paying the daily rate it would probably make sense. For those that pay monthly or through a corporate agreement with a deck I think one would really have to do the math.

[Kamms]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

Not so much about what RTA should do, but what taxpayers are willing to spend and what suburban governments want to do.

But ideally, suburbs would be connected via transport, mixing seamlessly with the city. This is one of the things I like about Boston. Everything's connected. Not so in Cleveland as of now, at least in public transit terms.

The taxpayers were in favor of a real subway in Clevland; nixed by politicians. The taxpayers voted to create RTA some 40 years ago with the intent, among other things, of an expanding rail network throughout the county; didn't happen.

The taxpayers obviously were pro-transit then, not so sure now, but the taxpayers voted for what they wanted but didn't get it. What a shame.

[reretarff]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

Not so much about what RTA should do, but what taxpayers are willing to spend and what suburban governments want to do.

But ideally, suburbs would be connected via transport, mixing seamlessly with the city. This is one of the things I like about Boston. Everything's connected. Not so in Cleveland as of now, at least in public transit terms.

The only place where the rapid goes to in Cleveland to a suburb is Shaker Heights. And unless you live within a few blocks of that end of the track station, then you might as well drive to downtown. I really think that extending the rapid would be easily profitable and would make people's lives easier. Thousands of people in the suburbs work downtown, and I know that a lot of them would rather take the rapid to work rather than drive in traffic, especially in the winter.