Though my Conrail track does not go all the way to University Circle, it intersects track that does and I'm thinking of it as a connector that trains would switch onto and back off of.

It's true that anyone who wants to ride RTA from Shaker to Case already can by connecting to the 48s or the Circulators. But I've met a lot of people who say they are much more inclined to use transit when they can use an all-rail trip, preferably without getting out of their seat to change vehicles, rather than connecting with buses. This might be unjustified, but it's common and it is true that buses get off schedule a lot more than trains do. I think that my proposal is premised on a belief that providing better transit is the best way to get Cleveland commuters out of their cars, whereas your message above is premised on the idea that safer biking routes are the most effective way to reduce the local "modal share" of the solo auto. Of course, we need both in an ideal world. Perhaps since we already arguably have adequate/tolerable transit but lack tolerable bike facilities, we need to bring the bikability up to snuff to be *balanced*?

I don't have any hard data on the Circulator routes. Do you? I would bet you a cup of coffee that you'd find that the Euclid Heights-Egdehill-Cornell leg is a LOT healthier than the Shaker-Coventry route - the good news being that the Circle leg is clearly quite healthy.