Cleveland Development Discussions (Columbus, Dublin, Brecksville: stereotypes, acceptance, nonstop)

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by ferraris

The RTA station? I stopped there earlier this summer and wasn't impressed. The stop's signage was falling apart, and the eastern exit's stairs up to Madison were kind of a mess. Also only one bench for the entire stop at rail level, if I remember right.

Granted I didn't go into the station building itself.

I did notice a good bit of residential construction work going on and around W58th. Mostly closer to the RTA stop than to Gordon Square, to my surprise.

The RTA station there feels incredibly shady. Too many RTA stations feel this way- too quiet, unsafe, neglected. Wonder what a difference it would make if such stations were just touched up and staffed?

[216facts]

I said this probably 5 years ago, and it has yet to happen, but I'll state it again. I think the W. Blvd - Cudell Rapid Station is prime for TOD. Its so close to the Edgewater neighborhood, Detroit Ave, Madison Ave. Much of the real estate is still very reasonable and it has a decent amount of crime. That last point is a bit facetious, but the point is if you could clean up the crime, paint the perception of safety, I think it would be worthy of high rise development with its Lake access, highway access (well, Shoreway), rapid access, and overall entertainment options.

Its definitely not there yet, but someday...

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

The RTA station there feels incredibly shady. Too many RTA stations feel this way- too quiet, unsafe, neglected.

I'd personally use the stop again, but I would have trouble recommending it to say my mom.

There is definitely room for improvement, but the layout means there is only so much that can be done. It's a narrow center platform, so there's not really much of an escape path and you can't tell people are coming until they are there. The stairs and pedestrian bridge are pretty narrow as well.

I was the only person there the whole time and it definitely has an isolated and desolate vibe, so it's easy to imagine being a victim of wrong place, wrong time.

Even the turn from the sidewalk of W65th to get access to the stairs on Madison is an uncomfortable blind corner due to all of the overgrowth. A city crew could improve that in a couple of hours.

Wonder what a difference it would make if such stations were just touched up and staffed?

It would be huge. One thing about rust belt living, it gets tiring always wondering why we can't have nice things.

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by ferraris

I'd personally use the stop again, but I would have trouble recommending it to say my mom.

There is definitely room for improvement, but the layout means there is only so much that can be done. It's a narrow center platform, so there's not really much of an escape path and you can't tell people are coming until they are there. The stairs and pedestrian bridge are pretty narrow as well.

I was the only person there the whole time and it definitely has an isolated and desolate vibe, so it's easy to imagine being a victim of wrong place, wrong time.

Even the turn from the sidewalk of W65th to get access to the stairs on Madison is an uncomfortable blind corner due to all of the overgrowth. A city crew could improve that in a couple of hours.

It would be huge. One thing about rust belt living, it gets tiring always wondering why we can't have nice things.

Hard to watch our sports teams get all kinds of money to build shiny new toys while every day people have to put up with post apocalyptic public transit stations, among many other less than adequate things.

I remember I was at the E 105-Quincy Station last year on the red line. It was just me, at like 9 pm, until osme guy came down and sat at the bench next to mine and pulled out a knife... and started using it to remove dirt from his finger nails. Dude was generally very dirty. I mean nothing happened. But I'm not telling my girlfriend to take public transit except during the day and to well populated areas.

[kpl1228]

Originally Posted by 216facts

I said this probably 5 years ago, and it has yet to happen, but I'll state it again. I think the W. Blvd - Cudell Rapid Station is prime for TOD. Its so close to the Edgewater neighborhood, Detroit Ave, Madison Ave. Much of the real estate is still very reasonable and it has a decent amount of crime. That last point is a bit facetious, but the point is if you could clean up the crime, paint the perception of safety, I think it would be worthy of high rise development with its Lake access, highway access (well, Shoreway), rapid access, and overall entertainment options.

Its definitely not there yet, but someday...

I think it's coming too, but man it's been slow. Those apartment buildings a block east on West Blvd at the Detroit intersection are just too rough right now and have been for decades now, despite the beautiful homes north of them.

[TheProf]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

Hard to watch our sports teams get all kinds of money to build shiny new toys while every day people have to put up with post apocalyptic public transit stations, among many other less than adequate things.

I remember I was at the E 105-Quincy Station last year on the red line. It was just me, at like 9 pm, until osme guy came down and sat at the bench next to mine and pulled out a knife... and started using it to remove dirt from his finger nails. Dude was generally very dirty. I mean nothing happened. But I'm not telling my girlfriend to take public transit except during the day and to well populated areas.

All these comments should really be in the Transit thread, but so be it...

It is really time that everybody who regularly uses RTA, or is at least interested in it, like me, speak out about RTA's near total lack of sensible security (email, in person (or on the phone) at the monthly RTA meetings, etc.)... As I've long noted, RTA's deployment of its transit police is completely nonsensical. Outer stations, even those in popular and questionable areas, are usually totally unmanned. Transit cops never ride the trains, ... except to get to 55th street and their cars. Meanwhile, RTA stations a bunch of cops in ... Tower City! Which is the busiest and safest rail station in the network, aided by the fact it is manned during the rail network's working hours and is the system's only station with swipe-in, swipe-out turnstiles. Often transit cops can be seen helping riders properly swipe their farecards... This is what RTA security is there for??

If we don't address this kind of stupidity while instead merely griping about it to friends and on online forums like C-D, it will continue to be ignored by RTA brass.

[216facts]

Nice article in Forbes:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/chaddsc...ZCHFafV7jOQTbI

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by 216facts

Nice article in Forbes:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/chaddsc...ZCHFafV7jOQTbI

Nope just ask the city vs city forum; arts only count unless it’s the Midwest, in which case you’re cherry picking.

[SlideRules99]

Originally Posted by 216facts

Nice article in Forbes:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/chaddsc...ZCHFafV7jOQTbI

The FRONT arts initiative looks compelling. Hope it really takes off!

Do you guys get tired of the passively condescending tone toward Cleveland from writers like this? No fewer than four utterances of “don’t scoff…” or “who’s scoffing now…” etc. Really detracts from the content of the article.

No person who knows even the very basics of Cleveland’s art scene would scoff at an initiative like this.

[TheProf]

Originally Posted by SlideRules99

The FRONT arts initiative looks compelling. Hope it really takes off!

Do you guys get tired of the passively condescending tone toward Cleveland from writers like this? No fewer than four utterances of “don’t scoff…” or “who’s scoffing now…” etc. Really detracts from the content of the article.

No person who knows even the very basics of Cleveland’s art scene would scoff at an initiative like this.

Most definitely. And we often get it in our local media. The PD has a certain architecture/development writer who does this all the time. Even when he has a positive article, it starts off and is filled with left-handed, condescending comments. And, oh btw, this writer is originally from the East Coast IIRC. This bugs me to no end.