RTA proposing multiple changes in Westshore area
By Jeff Gallatin
Westshore
Published April 27, 2005

Regional Transit Authority officials want to get in the fast lane for finding the fastest ways to get Westshore residents to downtown and other heavily-visited locations.

A series of community meetings and a public hearing have been set up in the next 15 days for people to voice their opinions on several proposed service changes in the Westshore. RTA General Manager Joe Calabrese said the proposed changes include:

• More extensive use of I-90 by RTA drivers in an attempt to get riders downtown faster;

• More extensive use of Crocker Park by the transit agency; and

• Setting up a community circulator between the Westgate Transit Center and Crocker Park via Westfield ShoppingTown at Great Northern Mall.

Calabrese said the proposed changes are part of a systematic review by RTA.

"Over the past few years, RTA has been systematically looking at travel corridors within Cuyahoga County," Calabrese said. "We review existing services in each corridor, and then develop service change proposals that are designed to better meet the current travel needs of residents and businesses. After a thorough public involvement process, new and or modified bus services are implemented in the corridor."

In the last few years, RTA studied its South service corridor, (Parma area) and the Southeast corridor (Maple Heights area.) Next in line is the Northwest corridor, which includes the Westshore area.

"We are currently in the midst of studying our existing services in Northwest Cuyahoga County and want to seek public comments on our preliminary proposals," Calabrese said.

He said using I-90 more is logical.

RTA officials want to use I-90 whenever possible to make service better, he said, citing one example where a proposed change using the interstate highway could cut travel time from 41 to 23 minutes.

"The proposals are designed to help commuters take advantage of high-speed transportation facilities, such as the Red Line and I-90," Calabrese said. "This will reduce the time it takes to travel from these western suburbs to downtown, making RTA a much more viable option for many.

He said the community circulator would go on the 53 route.

"It's very similar to what a lot of North Olmsted officials have been seeking," Calabrese said.

Referring to services which might be discontinued, reduced or altered, he said RTA employees have worked to make sure that alternative means of service are available.

Mayors in the affected communities said they look forward to positive changes.

Westlake Mayor Dennis Clough, who also currently serves on the RTA Board, said he knows RTA officials are proposing the changes with the overall region in mind.

"They want to make changes which will provide positive changes for the most riders," Clough said.

He said the additional use of Crocker Park is a compliment for the center.

"The developers of Crocker Park should be praised for having it designed to be transportation friendly," Clough said. "Not every development is designed that way. This is one of the reasons why it will be a major part of this area."

North Olmsted Mayor Thomas O'Grady said he was pleased to hear about the community circulator.

"Its' something that's been discussed in our city for some time," O'Grady said. "I look forward to discussing and working on potential improvements with RTA."

Both mayors said they are encouraged by plans to expand the park-n-rides in their respective communities. O'Grady added that his city wanted to resolve the Kennedy Ridge Road improvements situation during work on expanding North Olmsted's Park-n-Ride.

For people interested in attending the community meetings, the sessions are set for:

• 5 and 7 p.m., May 3, Westgate Transit Center, 21159 Center Ridge Road, Fairview Park. The site is served by bus routes, 22, 25, 46, 53, 55NX, 55SX, 326 and 808 community circulator.

• 7 p.m., May 4, Westlake Porter Library, 27333 Center Ridge Road at Dover Center Road. The site is served by the 55 SX.

• 7 p.m., May 11, North Olmsted branch of Cuyahoga County Public Library, 27403 Lorain Road. The site is served by the 75X.

• 7 p.m., May 12, Bay Village branch of Cuyahoga County Public Library, 502 Cahoon Road.

And, finally, a public hearing is set for 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., May 18 at the RTA's main office, in the board room, at 1240 W. Sixth St., Cleveland. It is served by the 147 loop.

RTA officials noted that the facilities are handicapped accessible and interpretive services will be available at the public hearing.

Proposed service modifications include:

• 31X, Avon Lake; restructure the route into an extension of selected trips on the 246 Westlake park-n-ride route. These 246 trips are to serve the portion of the 31X route west of Columbia Road.

• 53 Great Northern Center Ridge; restructure route into a community circulator operating between the Westgate Transit Center and Crocker Park via Great Northern Mall.

• 46F Westlake; modify route to operate to/from downtown via I-90 rather than Clifton Boulevard.

• 55X, 55CX, 55NX, 55SX; restructure Clifton Boulevard service to a single route to be called the 55X Clifton operating between the Westgate Transit Center and downtown via Wagar, Detroit, Sloane, West Clifton, Clifton and the West Shoreway. Some weekday trips will continue to operate via Nicholson, Cove and Edgewater.

• Service to Bay Village and Rocky River (currently done by 55CX) to be done by new proposed Center Ridge Route.

• Center Ridge service (currently done by 55SX) to be done by proposed Center Ridge route.

• The existing peak period 55SX trips on Hilliard, east of Columbia, would be discontinued in the proposal.

• New Center Ridge route would be a new seven-day route operating between St. John West Shore Hospital and the Triskett Rapid Transit Station via Center Ridge, Wooster, and I-90.

• During high ridership times, the new route will operate to/from downtown via I-90.

• New Bay Village-Rocky River route; weekday route operating between Crocker Park and the Triskett Rapid Transit Station via Basset, Osborn, Wolf, Lake, Wooster and I-90.

• During high-ridership times, the new route will operate to and from downtown via I-90. Alternatively, trips to/from downtown may operate via Clifton and the West Shoreway.

This route will serve the Westlake Park-n-ride lot in off-peak periods.

• On the following streets, all service would be discontinued in the proposal: Columbia Road, from Brookpark Road to Center Ridge Road; Wagar Road, from Detroit Road to Lake Road; Lakeview Road from Hilliard Boulevard to Detroit Road; Clifton Boulevard from Lake Road to West Clifton Boulevard; Lake Road from Columbia Road to Clague Road(now limited service; Bradley Road from Wolf Road to Lake Road(now limited service); Wolf Road from Bradley Road to Bassett Road(now limited service); Hilliard Boulevard, from Columbia Road to Clague Road; and River Oaks Drive to Wagar Road( now limited service); weekend service on Lake Road between Wagar Road and the Clifton Boulevard bridge.