That’s what I kept saying over and over to myself as I read a PD post about how Governor Strickland seems to want to revive the stalled roadway work between I-490 and University Circle. All through the discussion of the Corridor is talk about how rail lines need to be bought and moved, etc. If rail becomes a key component to it, doesn’t that help our economy? Imagine a light rail for example that extends the entire way from I-490 to University Circle. Or does this interfere with ‘their’ ideals of the Euclid Avenue Corridor being the be all end all for transportation?
I found this blog post by Green City Blue Lake from 2007 (I had to go browsing for more information to see if rail had been proposed). The entire post is creative thinking and analysis at it’s best. Here is a highlight:
“….We question why a $100 million investment shouldn’t include passenger rail. Certainly, the answer will be influenced by current land-use factors, including the industrial uses of the land where the OC road alignment is being proposed. Toxic contamination fills 49 ‘super fund’ sites along the road’s proposed path as it hugs the Norfolk Southern line right of way and the remnants of residential areas of Cleveland’s Wards 5 and 6 near Grand Avenue.
We’d have questions if this doesn’t leverage the RTA Red Line which also runs in NS’ right of way. Opportunity Corridor offers a more direct commute from the West side heading to the Circle whether by car or train. It can also help with the acquisition and clean up of contaminated industrial land that has clogged up the Forgotten Triangle for decades. Clean land for new industrial parks and a new connection to the Interstate highway will raise opportunity for new business and local residents. The road will add value to land and, if more funds were available, could help direct aid from state and federal brownfield remediation programs. …”
In May of 2005 there were Opportunity Corridor brainstorming or planning meetings held with all sorts of people and you can read the meeting notes here. They do a bulleted overview of various plans throughout the decades for this corridor and I found this excerpt telling:
“…I-490 was supposed to continue on through Shaker Heights and Beachwood but neighborhood antagonism killed this proposal in the 1960′s….”
REALNEO has had a lot to say about the Opportunity Corridor but I particularly liked this November 2007 post.
I had to go to the Urban Ohio Forum (if you don’t read it, it could be one of the best places for information sharing, idea sharing on the web). KJP brings up a point about not examining alternative ideas (besides just a roadway) for the O Corridor: (read the entire thread here)
“….What alternatives analysis was done? Unfortunately, none — at least for the UCAB. Such an objective analysis, under federal regulations, is supposed to include transit alternatives as well as a consideration of land use changes. To my knowledge, the only alternatives associated with the UCAB were two different alignments the road could take to reach UC (via the Norfolk Southern/Red Line railroad corridor or via the Blue-Green Lines/CSX railroad corridor). …”
Can’t you just see light rail extending from I-490 to Shaker Boulevard? Or at least start out with examining how much it would cost to do light rail to University Circle from there. Does anyone know of actual discussions on transit or hooking the Oppty Corridor to The Ohio Hub plan? Just asking!
Peace Out – 3C
10 responses so far ↓
1 Sharon McMillan // Jun 26, 2008 at 10:20 pm
What a beautiful vision this is Carole! So many employable, workable, culturally interested people around Cleveland/Ohio that just need ways to be more easily connected to key centers in the city. Light rail from I-490 to Shaker…that would be ideal.
2 Carole Cohen // Jun 26, 2008 at 10:24 pm
Hi Sharon it’s good to see you, how are the college plans coming? Yes I think it’s worth spending the money, and it will cost a lot of money, but then so do new highways. This makes more sense. We need you to move here so we can get a coalition going to change direction from highway to railway.
3 Sharon McMillan // Jun 26, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Well she’s in! We’re glad about that getting ready for orientation soon.
I ended up calling some old building industry associates and I’m doing some freelance work from Toronto for them and that’s been fun. I’m working on the connections Carole
If I could just move my current job to Cleveland then everything would be peachy!
4 Carole Cohen // Jun 26, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Fantastic news about college yeay! And I will just be patient about the move lol. In the meantime you can have the best of both worlds, visiting on the way to college visits.
5 Shaheen Samavati // Jul 8, 2008 at 4:24 pm
I’d be happy with a higher capacity road. Maybe then I wouldn’t avoid the east side so much, with it’s terrible traffic and baffling intersections.
I’d be in favor of more train lines, but it’d only be worth it if there were more trains running on them more often! I’m not a fan of waiting half an hour to travel a few blocks (I’m referring to the Waterfront Line.)
The current 15 minute intervals on the Red Line aren’t bad, but with the impending RTA cutbacks I can see why maybe now isn’t a good time to put in a new railway.
6 Carole Cohen // Jul 8, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Hi Shaheen, thanks for commenting. It’s a catch 22 I think; first, as Tim mentioned, the water front line is really underutilized. Although it sounds like you do? I’m thinking it needs to be a big part of our future but as usual how to pay for it….without it, I don’t see how we get to the next level as a city. It’s what, a conundrum.
7 Carole Cohen // Jul 8, 2008 at 4:32 pm
And btw Shaheen I like your PD blog! I’ve been trying to comment but there are a few glitches, still deciding if it’s me or the PD lol.
8 Shaheen Samavati // Jul 8, 2008 at 4:48 pm
I WOULD use the Waterfront Line when riding from the west side to the E 9th area, but because it comes so infrequently, I just get off at Public Square and walk. It’s really a short walk anyway, so it doesn’t at all make sense to wait.
Yes, it is sort of a downward spiral; fewer customers leads to less revenue; less revenue leads to fewer trains and higher prices, and THAT leads to even fewer custumers..
I have a solution, though! Start charging all those people who I’m sure are riding the Rapid for free! But then I guess the RTA would have to hire people to actually man the ticket swiping areas. And apparently there’s no money. Ah well.
About the blog; I have new respect for what you bloggers do. It’s tough to constantly come up with (somewhat) interesting posts and updating the thing every single day. But it’s fun too.
That’s too bad about the comment issue; I like comments! I’ll ask the online people about it. What exactly is going wrong?
9 Carole Cohen // Jul 8, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Well walking is good but come December that wind whips around the buildings lol.
I’ve started trying to not post everyday and so far that is hard so not sure how long I can keep it up!
I’m on your blog now – I had trouble a yr ago and so just about a week ago signed up with a new user name (3C) and now it is telling me it doesn’t recognize it. Help! lol The PD needs to have a little box that says ‘having trouble?’ lol If I have to I will call the PD tomorrow and get someone on the phone.
10 Cleveland’s Opportunity Corridor Take Two: A St. Paul Perspective | Cleveland Real Estate News // Jul 15, 2008 at 12:05 am
[...] post on The Opportunity Corridor being discussed for Cleveland’s east side can be seen here - I did a link and then a lament about why there is not a rail component. I still lament that point [...]
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