Hotel Bruce

Welcome to the Bruce blog—a weekly update on news, events and issues affecting life in Cleveland. Reporting as it happens on transit, development, planning, environment and arts & culture.

Basically, we write about creative ideas forming, talk to the people who have an inside track on the issues, and sometimes offer a commentary of our own. (For disclosure purposes, Bruce blog is a local, independent writer who also works part-time with nonprofit organization EcoCity Cleveland. The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of EcoCity or any other organization).

Could it be that the edifice of ODOT’s bureaucracy is starting to crack? After local cycling advocates made a stink about its recommendation to pull bike lanes from Euclid Avenue, ODOT District 12 (our local office) is in apparent retreat. The district office is punting to ODOT Central in Columbus the question of whether ODOT’s current guidelines are an unjustified impediment to bike lanes in Euclid Corridor (and on urban streets in general).

Cycling advocates are feeling a bit more more confident this week that bike lanes will be reinstated on Euclid. In fact, they are looking beyond the immediate concern with Euclid and are now pressing ODOT to formalize their bike lane design for urban streets.

Advocates argue that when local municipalities want a bike lane, they should get the support from ODOT. Currently, ODOT is not showing leadership, the same advocates argue, because they haven't illustrated that they understand urban street design issues.

To learn more about current best practices in urban bike lane design.

To weigh in on the issue and send ODOT Central an email requesting a clear statement about their policy for urban bike lanes.

Speaking of ODOT, the agency recently indicated that it opposes non-motorized traffic as a component for further study on the Central Viaduct Bridge—which is part of the Innerbelt Project's final phase. The state authorities seem to be putting the kibosh on any bike/pedestrian element on the bridge. Basically, this design for a separated path is being promoted by transit advocates as a direct link from downtown to Tremont and points west.

Although, the city of Cleveland could have some influence over this decision, it has not indicated whether it will take ODOT to the mat for this bike/ped enhancement. While other state DOTs have implemented bike paths on the outside of bridges—from the progressive Seattle, Washington to the conservative Idaho—if Clevelanders want access to bridges other than by car, they will have to speak up. To email a letter of support for a bike/ped path on the outside of the bridge from downtown to Tremont and neighborhoods west.

“In Oregon, the Department of Transportation returns 60 percent of (transportation) funds back to the locals, who can exert local control. It starts by asking, ‘Who are these (ODOT) people anyway, and who are they working for?”

—Robert Liberty, former director of 1000 Friends of Oregon, speaking at a lunch at the Cleveland Environmental Center

The following item came over the transom from a planner working with a Federal employer looking to expand its back office operations. The planner says he stumbled across a Federal regulation, Section 601 of the Rural Development Act (RDA) of 1972, as amended, 7 U.S.C. 2204b-1, that requires Federal agencies to give first priority to the location of new offices and other facilities in rural areas. Federal investment defaults to rural areas, he observed, but strangely enough, there are Executive Orders that mitigate this.

Executive Order 12072 requires that “Federal facilities and federal use of space in urban areas shall serve to strengthen the nation's cities and to make them attractive places to live and work. Such Federal space shall conserve existing urban resources and encourage the development and redevelopment of cities...Federal space needs in urban areas shall give first consideration to a centralized community business area and adjacent areas of similar character, including other specific areas which may be recommended by local officials”

The exasperated planner added that, since laws trump Executive Orders, this may be an issue worth a second look...

Here's a real eye opener: A new report about why Northeast Ohio faces serious health risks from air quality—and serious fines and penalties from US EPA if things don't change...

From Business 2.0’s hilarious and chilling feature article, “101 Dumbest Moments in Business” 2004, Number 5 is the bike bashing WMJI Lanigan & Malone (and their national cohorts). Bruce blog particularly liked the headline "If we accuse them of backpedaling, does that make them a target?" which neatly summarizes the way Clear Channel was able to make the controversy disappear with $10,000 and a mea culpa.

To read the whole article.

February 26-29
A U.S. Olympic Trial Speedskating event will be held at the Cleveland Heights Community Center from 2/26 through 2/29. Organizers are anticipating having 900 people per day.

Existing infrastructure is smarter investment in economy
The following activist alert was sent by Surface Transportation Policy Project, a national nonprofit transit advocacy org and think tank.
"Tell Congress That Transit and 'Fixing it First' Offer Greatest Job Gains."
With the Senate starting floor debate on TEA-21 renewal early next week, STPP is releasing a new analysis that shows the greatest job gains for each transportation dollar result from investments in public transportation, safety and road repairs.

This brief report responds to the recurring public debate that TEA-21 renewal is a jobs bill. It shows that road and bridge repair creates 9 percent more jobs per dollar than building new roads or bridges, and public transportation spending creates 19 percent more jobs.

Further, the analysis reveals that the oft-cited figure that an investment of $1billion creates 47,500 jobs fails to account for a mandatory 20 percent state match, meaning that a public investment of $1.25 billion would be required to create those jobs. For more details.