Transit to work

So, I decided to actually try to take transit (the Cleveland RTA system) to work instead of driving as I have every day since I started working 25 years ago, and it worked out pretty well. I've done it several times now, and I see no particular reason not to keep going with it, although I haven't waited for a late bus in the snow yet, either.

I live in the Ohio City neighborhood of Cleveland, and it's a reasonable walk from my house to the W. 25th St. Rapid station. (If you're not familiar with Cleveland, the Rapid is the heavy/light rail rapid transit system) . I work in Landerhaven, which is a large office park (formerly a golf course -- many people here still remember it as a golf course) in Mayfield Heights, out in the eastern suburbs. As it turns out, there's actually a bus that goes right to Landerhaven, starting at the University Circle Rapid station at the bottom of Cedar Hill, and then proceeding all the way up Cedar, through Cleveland Heights, University Heights, Beachwood, etc. to Landerhaven. So, for me, the trip is fairly simple, red line Rapid from W. 25th to University Circle, and then the #32 bus to Landerhaven.

Initially, I bought a couple of all-day farecards at Dave's Supermarket in Ohio City for $5 apiece, and these are good for both the Rapid and all buses. These can also be purchased from machines at all Rapid stations, and I've done that a couple of times now too. The user interface for the machines is ... clunky, but it works. It's a nice change to be able to buy these (and use credit cards!) at the Rapid stations; that wasn't possible (for the most part) the last time I rode the system. I don't think you can buy them on the buses though.

The $5 all day farecard is the best deal I've found so far, because there are no free transfers in the system at all and the individual fare is $2.25 per ride, which means my W. 25/Landerhaven roundtrip would cost me $9 in cash fares. There are probably better deals available if you ride every day, but I haven't really investigated that yet.

The Rapid now uses a "Proof of Payment" system. The basic concept is that there's no regular checking of tickets/farecards by anyone in the stations or the trains, but you may run into wandering ticket checkers who can ask you at any time for proof that you have a valid ticket. If you show up with a farecard already in hand, like I did, you're supposed to run it through the ticket vending machine and get it activated. The only exception to this is Tower City (in downtown Cleveland) where they actually have fare gates that won't let you through unless you insert your farecard. As I mentioned above, you can now purchase farecards from automated ticket machines at all the Rapid stations.

On the buses, you can either insert your farecard into a little reader or you can pay cash, including folding money, which is also inserted into the machine. Cash fare is $2.25 per ride, no change is available, no transfers apart from the farecard system. My all day farecard worked on all the buses. I will note that people paying cash seem to slow the whole system down tremendously.

So, what's it actually like? Keep in mind that I've only ridden a few times so far, and the weather hasn't been too bad, but here's what I've noticed.

The Rapid has been on time within a couple of minutes, especially in the morning. The train is a lot more crowded from W. 25th to Tower City than it is from Tower City to University Circle, just like you'd expect, but even from W. 25th St. I haven't seen a train yet that was full to the point that all the seats were taken, although people stand anyway.

Coming in from the west side, the trains alternate between through trains to Windermere (aka Stokes Transit Center, in East Cleveland) and trains that turn around at Tower City, so if you want to go past Tower City, be careful about which train you get on, or be prepared to get off at Tower City. I've already gotten this wrong once ... In the morning when I'm riding (7-8am), the through trains to Windermere are about 15 minutes apart, with the Tower City trains in between.

My favored AM schedule allows practically zero time to catch the #32 bus at University Circle, but it's always worked out so far. The short slack time is really nice when it works... Because this is the official starting point for the #32, it tends to leave on schedule, so knowing the schedule is useful in this particular case. Between 7 and 9 am, the eastbound #32 runs basically every half hour, so missing your chosen bus can be pretty costly timewise. I did have to wait for the bus for 10 minutes or so once so far (actually, in the afternoon, not the morning), and I found out there is an enclosed (heated!) bus waiting area at the UC Rapid station, on the eastbound (uphill) side of Cedar , but it's not all that big.

I've always gotten a seat on both the eastbound and westbound buses so far, which is partially because I get on at more or less the starting point in both directions, and partially because they're not all that crowded. I don't think I've seen any of the buses crowded enough that people had to stand, although sometimes they do anyway, especially if they're not going far.

The whole trip is slow, a lot slower than the equivalent drive for me. I can drive to work in 35-40 minutes, and I take a longer route than I have to because there's a much lower chance of stop and go traffic, but the bus/train takes maybe 65 minutes at best. Because the the buses (and, really, the trains too, but especially the buses) run relatively infrequently, the penalty for missing the conveyance you were counting on can be pretty high.

The bus makes a lot of stops, as buses tend to do.

In the Landerhaven office park, the #32 runs on a flag stop basis -- you can get on and off anywhere you want, you just have to tell the driver/stand on the side of the road and look hopeful. (One of the drivers told me that they assume anyone standing by the side of the road in Landerhaven is waiting for the bus.) The downside of this flexibility is that there are no bus shelters. Also, a peculiarity of this particular route is that the eastbound and westbound buses take the same route through Landerhaven, so you have to make sure you get on the one that's actually going the direction that you want. One assumes, though, that there are very few people getting on the eastbound bus in Landerhaven and getting off at Ursuline College. My experience has been that the #32 is almost empty in both directions as it goes through Landerhaven.

I like being able to read or listen to my ipod. I really like being able to get somewhere without having to pay attention, even if the whole journey takes a long time. I like looking out the window, although I suppose that might pale after a while.

My least favorite part of the experience so far is waiting for the bus in Landerhaven in the afternoon. There are no shelters (and no sidewalks!), and I don't feel really comfortable cutting the timing close, so I'm inevitably waiting for at least 5 minutes and sometimes more. I have to assume that this aspect is going to be even more unpleasant during the winter. The westbound buses do come more or less on schedule as far as I can tell, so this is another case where knowing the schedule is helpful. An extra bonus: my co-workers driving past me on their way home.

It can be noisy sometimes. The ipod helps with that, of course. I haven't had any really unpleasant interactions with my fellow riders yet. This is something that people who aren't used to riding transit worry about quite a bit, but it's been okay so far. That probably won't last forever, but I think it's safe to say that, at least on these routes I take, real unpleasantness is the exception and not the rule.

At $5/day for transit and, say, 50 miles/day of driving with my 20mpg vehicle, it costs a little less out of pocket than driving.

Labels: Cleveland, Cleveland RTA, transit

 

¶ 10/14/2009 08:39:00 PM 2 comments

 
Great Lakes Brewing is closed on Sundays.

Mrs. Beckley and I were over at the coffee shop on Market on Sunday afternoon, and in the half hour we were there, there must have been six or seven groups of people that came by wanting to get into Great Lakes Brewing, which they can't do because it isn't open on Sundays. It breaks my Ohio City heart to see it.

So, because I want people to be happy, not aggravated, when they come to Ohio City, I offer this list of restaurants that are open Sunday in the Ohio City neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. The directions in each entry are essentially walking directions from Great Lakes Brewing, which is on Market Ave., that one block long brick street that is just west of W. 25th St., one block north of Lorain Ave., and across W. 25th from the West Side Market. There's a (mostly) pay parking lot on W. 26th at the end of Market St., and street parking everywhere else.

• The Flying Fig -- This is literally across Market Ave. from the brewery restaurant main entrance. Kitchen open 5-10pm on Sundays. More of an upscale restaurant than the brewery, but very nice. Nice sidewalk terrace in the warm weather. Update 12/7/2009: Christine informs me that the Fig has a Sunday brunch that is really good and not that expensive. We'll have to check that one out...
• Market Avenue Wine Bar -- Also across Market Ave. from the brewery. (They used to be right next to the brewery restaurant at the corner of W. 26th and Market Ave., but they have moved.) Right next to the coffee shop -- the two businesses actually connect inside, they may share management. Focus on wine, as you might expect from the name, but they have some very nice accompanying food, like a cheese plate, pate, bruschetta, etc. Open 4pm-1am on Sundays (and every other day except Saturday, which is 2:30pm-1am). Nice sidewalk terrace in the warm weather.
• Koffie Cafe -- this is the coffee shop in which we were sitting when I conceived this list. Nice independent coffee shop, connected to the wine bar next door. Open Sunday afternoons, definitely, I don't know how late. Lovely sidewalk cafe in the warm weather. (Added 12/07/2009).
  
• Bar Cento/Bier Markt -- If you start at the Great Lakes parking lot (on W. 26th St.) and walk past Great Lakes (can't drive it, one way!), and turn left onto W. 25th, you very soon get to this establishment (or establishments). Bar Cento is the restaurant, Bier Markt is more of a bar. Good food, a little more ambitious/edgy than Great Lakes. Good pizzas. Great pomme frites. Many many unusual beers are available, and I bet they don't have Dortmunder Gold on tap. "Serving food until 2am daily, 365 days a year."
• Phnom Penh -- Across W. 25th St. from the Bier Markt (east side of W. 25th), in the block north of the West Side Market. There is parking behind the building, associated with the West Side Market. It's conceivable that Phnom Penh has a door opening on that parking lot. Cambodian restaurant, inexpensive. Asian, distinctive, but not Chinese, Thai, or Vietnamese. Even if you order something that sounds Chinese, Thai, or Vietnamese, it comes out a little bit different. Their other store, which has been there for years, is on Lorain at W. 130th or so. Open 3:00pm-9:00pm on Sundays.
• West Side Market Cafe -- Open Sunday 9:00 am - 3:00 pm. In the West Side Market building at W. 25th St. and Lorain, separate entrance on the Lorain Avenue side of the building. Big neon sign. From Great Lakes Brewing, you would walk up Market toward W. 25th, cross W. 25th, turn right to pass in front of the West Side Market, go around the corner to the left and then walk down Lorain a short distance. I would call it nice diner food. Beer and wine available and possibly hard liquor available. Kind of bar like on Friday and Saturday nights, but probably not on Sundays during the day. Nice brunch. Note that the West Side Market itself is not open on Sundays.
  
• Touch Supper Club -- "Sunday Brunch 10:30am - 5:00 pm". This is on the north side of Lorain Ave., almost at the corner of W. 28th St. From Great Lakes Brewing, the easiest way to get there is to walk back toward the parking lot on W. 26th, turn left on W. 26th, go one block to Lorain, turn right on Lorain, and then Touch is almost at the W. 28th St. corner. We've had the brunch, which was quite nice, but aren't otherwise too familiar with the place. It does seem to have nightclub ambitions. Touch gets extra points from me for painting a giant sign on the side of their building, in good Ohio City style.
  
• The Old Angle Tavern -- aka the corner for Mrs. Beckley and me. If you are walking north on W. 25th (away from the West Side Market and Lorain Ave.) , continue past the Bier Markt, you'll cross Carroll and then get to Bridge, and the Old Angle is on that corner. Their website doesn't actually give their hours, but I know they're open on Sundays, because we tend to be there then... They're not open at lunchtime, I think, maybe open at 4. Anyway, a comfortable place, pretty good food that's beyond normal bar food. They just brought the roasted brussel sprouts back for the fall, yum.
• The Garage Bar -- "Open Sundays for Cleveland Browns games." On the opposite corner from the Old Angle, at W. 25th and Bridge. Really more of a bar, limited bar-ish menu. The main food I remember them having is hot dogs, although those are pretty good hot dogs.
• Heck's Cafe -- Corner of W. 30th and Bridge. If you turn left (west, away from downtown) from W. 25th onto Bridge (at the Old Angle) and continue past Dave's Supermarket and Light Bistro (which is closed on Sundays), you'll get to Heck's. It's an easy walk from the brewery, really. Heck's is an institution, it's been there roughly forever. "Open Sunday 10:30am-9:00pm". Known for their Sunday Brunch, as you might guess from the hours. Fern bar ambiance, a lot of good salads, etc. Nice sidewalk terrace in the warm weather.
  
• Johnny Mango -- If you continue west along Bridge, this is a strange orange brick triangular building where Bridge meets Fulton Rd. and W. 32nd St. It's basically one long block past Heck's. It's easily walkable from W. 25th, really, but a little further than "just up the street and around the corner". Johnny Mango is a sort of cheap world fusion food restaurant. Vaguely hippieish, some good meatless options, "Happy bean of the day" is available. Loud and much frequented by young people. (I'm 42, can you tell?) Open Sunday 9am-10pm with a nice Sunday brunch.
• Momocho -- From Bridge, with your back to W. 25th, downtown, and the West Side Market, turn right (north) on Fulton, and Momocho is on your right in the same block as Johnny Mango (which is on the corner). Open Sunday 4pm-9:30pm. "Mod Mex cuisine". We haven't actually eaten there, so I have no real report, but they're pretty ambitious foodwise. This is the old location of the Fulton Grill.
• Le Petit Triangle Cafe -- Across Bridge Ave. from Johnny Mango, a couple of storefronts from the corner along Fulton, across from the Carnegie Library. Tiny place, French cafe food, including Sunday brunch. Open Sunday 10:00 am - 9:00 pm. We've always enjoyed our meals, a great feeling place. I don't recommend trying to get brunch on Mother's Day without a reservation.
  

Other local restaurants that either aren't open on Sundays or haven't opened for business yet:
Souper Market, Le Lo Lai, Nate's Deli and Restaurant, Light Bistro, Dragonfly, ABC Tavern, Great Lakes Brewing.

[Additions/modifications made at 8:52pm on 10/11/2009.]
[Additions/modifications made at 10:26am on 10/12/2009.]

Labels: Cleveland, Great Lakes Brewing, Ohio City, restaurants

 

¶ 10/11/2009 04:37:00 PM 1 comments