Leaves

Blog › Transit

Blog

Talking transit crisis, solutions with Joe Calabrese GCRTA CEO

Marc Lefkowitz  |  12/08/17 @ 9:00am  |  Posted in Transit

This week, we reported on a transit crisis unfolding in the State of Ohio. We end the week asking, what can state and local leaders do to prevent the transit crises brought on by the long-expected end of a medical care organization (MCO) sales taxes which will punch a $20 million hole in the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA)...

That familiar feeling<br />GCRTA CEO and GM Joe Calabrese discusses cuts during a 2016 funding shortfall with labor leaders. A capital idea<br />Funding for transit capital projects, like the Little Italy Rapid Station, is separate and usually more available than operating funds. (although the federal TIGER grant program that paid for this station is on the Trump chopping block). On the line<br />The GCRTA Green and Blue light rail line runs to the suburbs where many riders have options such as driving. The line lost its evening service to downtown after the 2016 transit funding crisis.How Ohio funds transit<br />Image: Policy Matters Ohio

Ohio is watching a "transit death spiral" unfold

Marc Lefkowitz  |  12/04/17 @ 12:00pm  |  Posted in Transit, Vibrant cities

2017 saw Cleveland transit advocates clash with Mayor Jackson over his decision to close Public Square (then re-open it) to buses. But that tempest played out in a teapot compared to what the State of Ohio is preparing to (not) do this month when a long-awaited medical service sales tax cut is expected to blow a hole in the budgets...

<br />RTA cut service to its suburban trains in 2016<br />Many Clevelanders will be stranded in economic islands of lost opportunity if RTA is forced to shut down 10 percent of its system in 2018<br />Ohio lavishes tens of millions of dollars on highways, like this empty highway which is being decommissioned in Akron, instead of flexing those highway funds to be used on transit.<br />The Public Square closure to buses was a distraction from the real issue facing transit - a state that has historically undervalued and underfunded it.

Everybody's for equity, but who wants to walk the talk?

Marc Lefkowitz  |  04/10/17 @ 11:00am  |  Posted in Biking, Transit, Walking, Driving, Transportation

Over the last decade, complete streets have been firmly established with urban planners, biking, transit and health advocates as a central tenet to improved access and safety on roads largely built for the convenience of cars.

<br /><br />With its MemFix plan, the City of Memphis has given its blessing to groups of volunteers helping pilot complete streets. <br /><br />Road diet with buffered bike lane proposed for Noble Road in Cleveland Heights.<br /><br />
Previous
Next

Big #transit gathering in #CLE raises prospects

Marc Lefkowitz  |  04/06/17 @ 2:00pm  |  Posted in Transit

More than 100 people showed up on a Wednesday evening in Cleveland to participate in a discussion about the future of transit in Northeast Ohio.

<br />Transit supporter fill the room at Cleveland Market Garden to discuss the future of transit with TransitCenter Jon Orcutt and Clevelanders for Public Transit advocacy group.

The long distance affair for transit

Marc Lefkowitz  |  03/10/17 @ 12:00pm  |  Posted in Transit, Vibrant cities

A healthy debate is swirling around Northeast Ohio's “spatial mismatch” between people seeking work and the employment centers where jobs are moving. The debate centers on the role of transit to connect households in Cleveland’s urban core—up to 40% of which are car free—to jobs that are increasingly moving out to the periphery of the metropolitan area.

Rail runs through it<br />Solon, Ohio has gained manufacturers like Stouffers. Transit is limited from Cleveland. A freight line (seen here) was studied for its commuter rail feasibility in 2002.Little there<br />A low density suburban development in Northeast Ohio typifies the challenge of increasing transit.

Filter by RSS

Social media feed

Recent news

The best bike trails

The best bike trails >

Find out where are the most interesting bike rides in Northeast Ohio

Ten water saving tips

Ten water saving tips >

We're at the shore of Lake Erie, but we still have good reasons to conserve

Your location can cost or save

Your location can cost or save >

See if your neighborhood is costing or saving you more than the average