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).

The pedestrian promenade/bike lane/public art project slated to be built this summer on the Detroit-Superior Bridge hit another snag recently. Last year, Federal Highway Administration officials tried to kill the plan because of low truck clearance through the trusses. Project planners, led by Cleveland Public Art, found a suitable compromise by removing the promenade from the south side of the bridge.

Last week, however, planners were surprised when bids came in $140,000 higher than anticipated, according to a source at the city, once again threatening the project. Project managers are now scrambling to find gap financing. A rumor circulated that the city might pull funds from the City Racks program, but that's unlikely since the racks program has been pushed back and most likely will not make it into the 2005 fiscal year budget.

With transportation enhancement funds all expended and not expected to be renewed until at least November (perhaps even May) when the next federal transportation budget (TEA-21) is passed, a wealthy patron or perhaps another project that did not expend all of its transportation enhancement funds are needed.

Bike lanes in Euclid Corridor are not dead, they’re just in limbo, waiting for ODOT Central to make a design decision.

It has been three weeks since the local ODOT office retreated from its position that there should not be bike lanes in the corridor, followed by a public outcry to keep them in place. Sources placed close to the situation say that ODOT’s stuck on the width of the road at the intersections.

After creating the lanes for cars, the dedicated bus lane, and wide sidewalks, the road is down to 3 feet wide, which is two feet less than the minimum required for bike lanes on urban streets (those that don’t have right-turn-only lanes), according to ODOT. Cycling advocates are confident that a solution exists in the ODOT design manual, which follows national standards and calls for an interruption of the bike lane through the intersection.

If ODOT doesn’t interpret the situation this way, the city, which has stated unswerving support for bike lanes in the Euclid Corridor, will have no choice but to apply for a design exception. That will delay the process and create a situation pitting planners and bike advocates against the state.

For a sample letter of support for bike lanes on Euclid, see Activist Alerts below.

Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's first major artist commission since the Waterfront line station will be at the W. 65th Street Red line station. Local artist Greg Aliberti has been hired to create a 14 ft. tall mural of ceramic tile as well as benches clad in ceramic tiles in the lobby of the newly built "EcoVillage" station.

Aliberti’s environmental friendly theme depicts the Near West side neighborhoods of Ohio City and Detroit Shoreway and illustrates all different forms of transportation, local gardeners, the EcoVillage Town homes, St. Coleman’s Church, the architecture of the area, all the way to the bridges, the river, and even the Hulett ore unloaders. Based on the color ink studies, this promises to be a magnificent addition to an already impressive station design.

Merchants and the city of Cleveland Heights are working on a plan to install bike racks on Coventry when the $1.2 million streetscape is completed this spring. When the weather breaks, the city will install street trees, benches, and 16 wrought iron planters created by local artist Brinsley Terrell (similar to the one currently in front of Tommy’s Restaurant).

The Coventry SID did not originally plan for bike parking, and was actually discouraged by some members and from the city’s service department from considering bike facilities such as bike lanes, according to a source familiar with the project. But, the SID is working to rectify the situation, engaging in a planning process with a citizen’s group, Friends of the Circle-Heights Bike Network, to help identify type and locations of racks and, possibly, bike lockers to encourage shoppers and more of the district’s 250 employees to park their bikes securely all day.

In a letter to Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones dated March 4, Fello requests that the congresswoman vote to keep in provisions that support the Bicycle Commuter Act in the current TEA-21 bill before the House of Representatives. The act calls for tax incentives for bike commuters similar to the standard deduction that people receive on car mileage. Fello said that the SID set aside $20,000 for benches and racks from the Transportation Enhancement funds it received for the project.

Regarding Dike 14 and its PCB contamination, do you have any idea of the depth of fill there? According to the city of Cleveland's Department of Urban Forestry, tree roots are not likely to reach down far enough to collect any PCBs. There is a misconception that tree roots reach as far down as the tree reaches upward. In reality, tree roots spread shallow and outward.

—John McGovern

Regarding "Gym tries to wrestle Co-op from its place," the Co-op cafe is pretty crummy, overall. I would be happy to see someone else take charge of the space.

—Stephen Gross

March 14
You can hear the original jazz inspired by classical on Kassaba's CD Zones, but in performance you can see the local quartet's virtual high-wire act as they dance around each other and take turns on different instruments. Those include some very funky percussion and African drums. All the while, the interplay between bass, keyboards and saxophone keep it deeply rooted in the realm of jazz. See Kassaba @ 8:00 p.m. at the Beachland Ballroom, 15711 Waterloo Rd., Cleveland.

March 24
For the past two years, the city of Cleveland has held community meetings to create a new vision for our lakefront as part of Connecting Cleveland: The Lakefront Plan. Small area plans are being developed from Edgewater Park to Collinwood to identify near-term opportunities and a detailed framework to promote the long-term redevelopment of our Lakefront. See a presentation of the draft small area plan for Cleveland's Harborfront-
Downtown Cleveland's lakefront from the Cuyahoga River to Burke Lakefront Airport, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Cleveland Convention Center, 500 Lakeside Ave. (enter through the arch.) Free and Open to the Public. Call 216-664-2210.

Through April 16
"Big Fish, No Menu" an exhibit of recent prints by Jennifer Haack and Helen Lardner at Zygote Press, 72nd and St. Clair. Two long time friends, Cleveland's Lardner and Chicagoan Haack, explore fish to platelets in this sharp but humorous body of work. Opening reception from 6-9 p.m. Exhibition continues through April 16. Call 216-881-4000 for information.

Share your opinion of bike lanes in Euclid Corridor with ODOT
In February, ODOT District 12 staff objected to the Euclid Corridor's proposed design for bike lanes. More specifically, local ODOT officials didn't like a detail which ends the stripe for bike lane markings well back from each intersection whenever a "choice lane" exists (straight or right turn allowed). It was the reason stated for pulling the lanes from the project.

Cycling advocates responded by pointing to an option in the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials guide which was absent from ODOT's manual. The advocates’ move was seen as instrumental in getting ODOT to retreat from its position, even though the lanes are not yet back in the design.

If you want to see bike lanes included in the Euclid Corridor project, the set of upcoming public meetings are an excellent place for you to get on the record and strengthen the City's resolve. Your participation will make a difference.

If you cannot attend a meeting but want to take action, consider writing a letter to the director of ODOT District 12 and copying Mayor Campbell (addresses below).

Cycling advocates note that the City of Cleveland is actively defending the bike lanes, and that RTA is at least neutral (simply want to keep the project moving forward). ODOT officials are the only ones who have advocated the removal of bike lanes from the Euclid Corridor.

Send letters to:

David J. Coyle
Director,ODOT District 12
5500 Transportation Blvd
Garfield Hts, OH 44125