ClevelandDesignCity

Yeah. I read this and was totally unconvinced that a monorail solution is really the way to go. The whole purpose of the BRT is that it just isn’t ‘another bus line’ but instead a surface line similar to a light rail just lacking the infrastructure that a light rail system necessitates. Regardless, creating a “nice” route that connects University Circle to Public Square is wagering on a growth of businesses that will relocate to along the route to take advantage of the commuter line (pedestrian level commuter line – meaning storefronts are still a viable typology) and will hopefully expand out into the surrounding community, much like the brachiating of a tree’s root structure.

I understand Feagler’s hesitation. It is a large project which is receiving federal, state and possibly local funding and so far there is nothing to prove that our governmental body has our best interest at heart. Something with this large a budget is ripe for kickbacks and nepotism. However, I want to hold off judgment until we see how the system works (as opposed to how it is supposed to work). I actually see the merit in the project and won’t fall for the classic “If I am correct in that it fails it will be seen as insightful, if it doesn’t fail I can fall back on the excuse that I am a depression baby and curmudgeonly old man.” I want to see how it comes out before I start lambasting it. It is way too late in the project to get our money back.

Dick Feagler is an idiot. I’m sure that will doom me politically in the city of Cleveland for the rest of my life, but seriously. This thing puts a whole new spin on the term ‘opinion’.

Why in the heck would he even write that now, when the project is 3/4 of the way down? Just because he knows public opinion for the project is low because everyone is tired of dealing with the construction?

Does he have no idea that:

a) Most of the thing is funded by federal money that if it was not getting spent here in Cleveland it would be getting spend in another city that does have some foresight?

b) Does he have any idea how much a monorail would cost and that light rail/street cars where investigated but it was found that the buses would perform the same service at a fraction of the cost?

Therefore, you know, spending less money?

I also enjoyed the veiled racial undertone of that those that do take public transportation in Cleveland do not take it from U.C. to downtown, which to me is implying that you know, if you’re black, you have no business being in either place.

Never mind the fact that the corridor actually runs all the way out through East Cleveland.

Or the implied assumption that white business people do not take public transit.

Riiight. He obviously has never taken RTA (bus or train) at anytime of the day, much less during the rush hours…

And then…

he does not miss a chance to play into the archaic stereotype in Cleveland that west siders do not go to the east side and vice versa. (which we are all aware is another deep rooted racial stereotype of west side = white; east side = black)

Riiiight.

I guess the fact that my girlfriend lives on the west side and I live on the east and that we each spend a lot of time on each side of town, sort of disproves that theory.

Dick Feagler is a sad, bitter out of touch man who’s understanding of the world has stayed in the stereotypes of 20/30 years ago, while around him everything else has changed.

Sadly, while there are many people here who still do play into his line of thinking, he is still allowed multiple public forums for his misguided opinions, which in turn only reinforces those who feel like him, as they feel there opinions must be correct because;

‘this man in the paper is saying what I feel’.

Fox News and most radio talk show hosts have made a career out of this game of psychological verification.

It is much too early to pass judgement on the E.C. It could end up being failure. It might be a smashing success. Chances are its going to be in the middle, like most things are.

And if it means anything, if do stay around right after grad school, I’m very interested in trying to get a place somewhere adjacent/along the Corridor.

If that means anything, you know, probably being in the target demographic for any residential development along the thing.

Which I’m pretty sure, Dick Feagler is not.

In the meantime, to play into veiled deep rooted racial and class undertones as the reason that the project is going to fail is disturbingly ignorant.

If you’re going to lambast it do us all a favor and at least do it intelligently.

People such as Dick Feagler are Cleveland’s (and any area’s, not just here) real problem.