The Observer, September 14, 2007
Volume XL, Issue 3
Make Cleveland Yours: Euclid construction will prove worthwhile
The city of Cleveland is known to have four seasons: winter, winter, winter, and construction. Construction in Cleveland can be one of the greatest annoyances known to man. I, for one, take comfort in knowing that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
The ongoing construction on Euclid Avenue has become a particular pain now that part of the sidewalk in front of Severance Hall is fenced off. Learning more about exactly what this construction will do for Cleveland may relieve some anger caused by the constant bottleneck at the intersection of Euclid and Adelbert.
The 6.7-mile stretch of Euclid currently under construction is known as the Euclid Corridor Transportation Project (ECTP), or the Silver Line Project. Construction began in late 2004 after several years of planning dating back to 1998.
The ECTP has several main goals, the first of which is to provide efficient, quick, and safe travel from Public Square all the way to the Windermere station in East Cleveland. The Greater Cleveland Rapid Transit Authority (GCRTA) hopes the project will connect downtown Cleveland and University Circle, the two largest employment centers in the city. GCRTA also believes the project will reduce congestion along parallel roads.
When the ECTP is completed, there will exist a dedicated east-west bus lane, with one lane of traffic in each direction as well. Buses will be environment-friendly diesel-electric hybrids 62 feet in length (current buses are only 40 feet), which will provide better boarding and fare collecting ability. There will be 61 stops at 36 stations along the ECTP; each station will include an emergency phone, closed-circuit TV to the central RTA office, and personal information devices.
The ECTP also includes smaller projects, including a bike lane on Euclid between CWRU and Cleveland State University, landscaping improvements, new lighting, and sidewalks. Art is being incorporated into the project, as is the creation of a downtown transit zone that has created reserved bus lanes along Superior and St. Clair.
With a project as grand as the ECTP, hopes of reviving Euclid – which was once known as "Millionaire's Row" – are being fulfilled. There are currently several expansion projects occurring on Euclid, including the Cleveland Clinic Foundation's new heart center, the University Hospitals Case Medical Center expansion, the expansion of Cleveland State University's campus, and the opening of several new establishments on East 4th Street. Once the project is completed, people will hopefully use the ECTP and discover what this great city has to offer.
The project is currently on schedule and within its $197 million projected budget. Parts of the completed project can be seen at East 40th and Euclid, and the entire project is expected to be completed by late 2008.
Recently, the GCRTA announced plans to change the location of the East 120th rapid stop to East 117th and Mayfield, and there is another plan in the works to renovate the Cedar Hill bus transfer station. It is hard to imagine what these projects will become and what they will do for our city, but the possibilities are endless.
John Jervinsky is a senior biochemistry major and a brother of Phi Kappa Tau.
