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Cleveland Breaks Ground on Hybrid Bus Rapid Transit System October 2004A project that has been talked about for 50 years is finally becoming reality. Euclid Avenue -- Cleveland's historic main thoroughfare -- is getting a $200-million facelift. In the late 1800s, prominent travel writer Bayard Taylor called Euclid Avenue, "one of the most beautiful streets in the world," with many homes built by millionaires. Today, Euclid Avenue connects downtown with a prosperous entertainment district, two major universities, world-class medical centers and museums, and cultural institutions in the University Circle area.Officials have long sought a method to tie improved public transportation to the revitalization of this important Corridor. That idea was the key focus Oct. 19, as elected officials from every level of government gathered to break ground for the Euclid Corridor Transportation Project. The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) is the lead agency in the Project, which will transform Euclid Avenue from storefront-to- storefront for more than seven miles. With the help of more than $80 million in New Starts money from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the Project will use a pioneering mode of travel called "Bus Rapid Transit" (BRT) to move more than 20,000 people a day along Euclid Avenue. BRT combines the best features of bus and rail, and is more cost-effective than light rail. The new service will be called the Silver Line. Keynote speaker, Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta, signed a Full Funding Grant Agreement with RTA CEO Joe Calabrese and RTA Board President George F. Dixon III. The Cleveland project is historic because: It is the first BRT project in the nation to be funded from the federal New Starts pot -- a much sought-after pool of money that usually goes to fund rail construction. It is the first project in the nation to utilize all the features of BRT. Other cities have built transit improvements with only partial BRT features, and even then, ridership increases have exceeded expectations. Project description By 2008, Euclid Avenue will be rebuilt from storefront-to-storefront for 7.07 miles. The new streetscape will be totally ADA accessible and pedestrian- friendly with wider sidewalks, a dedicated transit lane in each direction, and a median strip where 36 bus stations will be located. About 2.31 miles of adjoining streets will also be improved. Hybrid-electric, articulated 60-foot Rapid Transit Vehicles will serve the stations every five minutes. Customers waiting at uniquely-designed stations will enjoy state-of-the-art signage with real-time service information. Because of off-board fare collection, larger vehicles, fewer stops, dedicated lanes and signal preemption, trip times will be reduced by an estimated 26 percent. This will increase RTA's efficiency and lower operating costs Economic benefits More than $400 million in new projects have already been completed along the Corridor, and many more buildings are under construction or in the planning stages. Officials expect to see an eventual capital investment of $1.3 billion, with 7.9 million square feet of commercial development, more than 5,400 residential units, and $62 million annually in new local taxes. Officials expect a 9.6 percent increase in population along the Corridor. About 4,000 construction jobs will be created, with 9,000 more jobs created later. Officials project significant ridership increases along Euclid Avenue, which already sees more than 20,000 riders each day. SOURCE: EV World | ||
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