CLEVELAND – Here are highlights from today’s
meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit
Authority (RTA).
Finance Committee
Michael
J. Schipper, Deputy General Manager, Engineering and Project Management, updated
the Board on RTA’s progress in spending federal stimulus funds from the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 for major capital
improvements.
Planning and Development Committee
Planner
Beth Long presented a plan to upgrade the plaza area in front of the West
65th Street Rapid Station at EcoVillage.
The Board approved this plan during the regular meeting that followed.
Some of the enhancements may be jointly funded by RTA and Cleveland Councilman
Matt Zone.
During the regular meeting, the
Board approved these resolutions:
2009-74 is the first of five related
resolutions. RTA will rehab expand and rehab the existing Paratransit Garage,
4601
Euclid Ave., for $1.68 million. This includes building two additions,
renovating most interior spaces, and installing new fences, gates and
heating/air-conditioning structures. The general trades bid of $1.0
million went to Town Center Construction LLC of Twinsburg. The electric
bid was awarded to Gateway Electric
of Cleveland for $345,000. Plumbing and HVAC work will be done by ABC Piping of Cleveland for
$291,000, and fire protection work will be done by P.M. Riggle of Columbia
Station for $33,700. A total of 11 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises
(DBEs) will share $639,000. About 80 percent of the work is federally
funded.
2009-79, RTA will pay $77,000 to KBJ
Inc. of Orange Village to landscape and upgrade the plaza area in
front of the West 65th Street Rapid Station on Lorain Avenue.
Ward 17 Councilman Matt Zone may allow some city funds to be used.
2009-81, RTA will buy four parcels of land for
$4,900 to expand the parking lot at the Buckeye-Woodhill Rapid Transit
Station. The land and the station are bordered by Holton Avenue and Woodhill
Buckeye and McCurdy roads.
2009-82,
RTA will spend $350,000 of federal stimulus money from the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 to rebuild the outbound chute
on the Waterfront Line. This is a safety upgrade on the section of track
from Tower City to Robert Lockwood Drive. Delta
Railroad Construction of Ashtabula will do the work. Four
Disadvantaged Business Enterprises will share 11 percent of the project,
or $40,500. Work will be scheduled so as not to interfere with Browns’
games.
General Manager Joe Calabrese
told the Board that:
Because of high unemployment, ridership
continues to fall systemwide. However, HealthLine ridership was up 39
percent in August 2009, over August 2008.
A
total of 17 articulated vehicles are now being used on high-ridership
routes #22 and #26, allowing RTA to reduce frequency from 12 minutes to 15
minutes.
The State of Ohio continues to reduce funding
for transit, and it may be difficult for RTA to meet its last payroll of
the year.
RTA continues to respond to public records
requests from the City of Lakewood. To date, RTA has provided Lakewood with
more than 3,000 pages, and more than 8,000 electronic documents.
As a result of service changes that take effect
Sept. 20, a total of 86 positions will be eliminated and 53 employees will
be laid off.
RTA has filed an unfair labor practice complaint
against ATU Local 268. RTA is seeking concessions to help balance the 2010
budget. The ATU “refuses to negotiate in good faith: and there has been “no
meaningful progress.” The three-year contract expired July 31.
NEXT BOARD MEETINGS: 9
am. Tuesday, Oct. 13 & 20, RTA's Main Office, 1240
W. Sixth St.
