RTA: What's good, bad, and improvable (Cleveland, Lorain: transfer to, gated, closing)

[Kamms]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

Surveillance video shows man attacked on RTA bus, police search for suspect
https://fox8.com/2018/08/15/surveill...h-for-suspect/

Not ok. An old man with a walking boot jacked in the face 2 seconds after accidentally stepping on this dude's shoes (in his walking boot).

Believe me, if the roles were reversed in this video, it would have gone viral and been on all the national newscasts.

Wonder if ABC Nightly Racial Video News will play this?

The 22 bus has been a rough ride for decades.

Another idiot with earbuds in; guy with foot boot may have asked to pass etc.

[Kamms]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

Faster to bike. This is how I function at least (and most people I know in my current location). Any trip under 5 miles, I'm definitely biking. Just suggesting one possible factor of many. There is a reason Uber, bike shares, Bird scooters etc are popular nationwide. They are faster than existing options.

I bike Philly all the time; current mode of local transport. Ride down to the stadiums, Old City etc, it's pretty easy and Philly is getting more and more bike friendly, something Cleveland needs to get really moving on.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by october2007

Well, I had a fun experience on one of the buses today. A woman passenger was playing music on her phone so I went over and asked her to use earbuds. She said she didn't have any so I asked if she'd turn it down. She gave me a bit of an argument and asked if it REALLY bothered me. I said yes and so she sort of turned it down but then a few minutes later it was back up loud again. I went over to her again to complain and she started SCREAMING at me at the top of her lungs for at least 5 minutes, no exaggeration. Even her little daughter had to cover her ears it was so loud and went on for so long. She ranted about it being racist (?), that I was old and didn't like young people enjoying themselves etc. etc. Pretty crazy sounding.

The driver didn't say ONE word. If this is what passes for normal then I understand why people prefer their cars to public transportation. The buses can be so uncivilized and even though there are posted "rules" of behavior they are rarely if ever enforced.

And, as if unwanted music weren't enough, I've noticed that RTA has taken to running ads on the buses' sound systems now. I've been on a couple of buses where those ads were really, really loud. Good grief.

[october2007]

Originally Posted by andrew61

And, as if unwanted music weren't enough, I've noticed that RTA has taken to running ads on the buses' sound systems now. I've been on a couple of buses where those ads were really, really loud. Good grief.

I've heard those before...love the ones about venereal disease.

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by october2007

I've heard those before...love the ones about venereal disease.

Wait really??

[october2007]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

Wait really??

Yup. Some kind of public service announcement.

[TheProf]

Seems like every day, or every other day, for the past week (including yesterday), RTA has announced that the Waterfront Line has been replaced by buses "... until further notice." The PD has not reported on this and RTA has given no explanation for it (typical communications skills by RTA). This comes just as there's been a noticeable uptick in WFL rush hour riding. Does anybody know what's going on?

[andrew61]

Here's one thing that drives me crazy on the RTA buses: The way that computerized voice (that sounds like a woman with a speech impediment) calls out "Next stop: Such-and-such" when you're already at or even past that stop. If you're on a route where you know your way around, no big deal... but if you're on a route where you're not completely sure where your stop is, it's not helpful. They need to coordinate those better.

I find myself amused at some of the pronunciations: Nicholson becomes "Nickel Zone"... Cove becomes "Coof"... etc., etc. And why spell out O-L-D-E for Olde York Road? Or Maple H-T-S Boulevard? Who programs these things?

How do you all pronounce Trowbridge? (A street near Metro Hospital.) Is it ow as in "low", or ow as in "cow"? I grew up always using the first pronunciation, which is what my parents and everyone else used... but now the bus "announcer" is using the second one. I'm confused.

[TheProf]

Originally Posted by andrew61

Here's one thing that drives me crazy on the RTA buses: The way that computerized voice (that sounds like a woman with a speech impediment) calls out "Next stop: Such-and-such" when you're already at or even past that stop. If you're on a route where you know your way around, no big deal... but if you're on a route where you're not completely sure where your stop is, it's not helpful. They need to coordinate those better.

I find myself amused at some of the pronunciations: Nicholson becomes "Nickel Zone"... Cove becomes "Coof"... etc., etc. And why spell out O-L-D-E for Olde York Road? Or Maple H-T-S Boulevard? Who programs these things?

How do you all pronounce Trowbridge? (A street near Metro Hospital.) Is it ow as in "low", or ow as in "cow"? I grew up always using the first pronunciation, which is what my parents and everyone else used... but now the bus "announcer" is using the second one. I'm confused.

I've heard GPS/computerized station calls on several transit systems, and RTA's is the worst. On the Blue and Green lines, either it doesn't work for many/most stations or the driver's disable them, probably because of ego (see low self esteem) issues. And it's stupid because, when these driver's announce, half the time you can barely understand them, often because the sound system sucks, ... or the opposite extreme, they pot it up so loud the announcements blow your eardrums out...

And 'that guy' voice they use on the Red and Health Lines, is beyond annoying with his cutesy, small-talk comments after his station calls (ie, at West 25th ... re the West Side Market... "... mmm, mmm, (as in the food there is so good)." Just give us the station and bus connections.... and shut the hel- up, thank you...

[TheProf]

Originally Posted by TheProf

Seems like every day, or every other day, for the past week (including yesterday), RTA has announced that the Waterfront Line has been replaced by buses "... until further notice." The PD has not reported on this and RTA has given no explanation for it (typical communications skills by RTA). This comes just as there's been a noticeable uptick in WFL rush hour riding. Does anybody know what's going on?

The Waterfront Line, again today, is closed "...until further notice." Yesterday for the Browns game, the WFL was conveniently up and running with no problems ... of course. I think there is nothing wrong with the WFL other than a tawdry, back-door way to try and save a few bucks on an unpopular service -- even though, as noted by several services, WFL ridership has been picking up a bit, esp at rush hours... I wish someone had some answers because no-one is reporting...