Rustbelt Revived

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View of Train station near dusk with double tracked rail to the right and abandoned right of way on left.

Marketing and Transit: Uniquely Intertwined

The value of proximity is rooted in convenience. The large retailers have this in spades and you must consider the ease of access to these big box stores. Now do not go building a huge parking lot in a downtown, that is not the takeaway here.

Cleveland's Detroit bridge as seen from W. 25th.

Cleveland's Detroit Bridge: Return the Tram

If Ohio City and Downtown are serious about becoming economic hubs then we need to allow people to live in either of these areas without car dependency.

ARCGIS Historical map of Cleveland 1951. Three years prior to the closing of the subway.

Cleveland's Detroit Bridge: Returning access to a rising economic area.

We do not need to continue using cars as a pre-requisite for who may live in certain neighborhoods. We know that a lot of people need to travel to and from these high density areas and the most efficient way to do so is with a rail line.

Google Maps Street View of East End heading West on SR-18.

Goodyear East End: The Akron Terminal of the Future.

The East End has seen some strong improvement over the last decade. A few eateries, some small shops, a theater, and some additional retail space available. We are more interested about what lies behind it:

Google Maps image of Coal Power Plant in Eastlake Ohio.

Coal to Nuclear: Eastlake Power Plant

Cities carry the obligation to provide services to their citizens at cost. Here is the thing about electricity production: it is a "public utility". We do realize that profit is the extraction of value from an economic process.

ArcGIS aerial map showing Cleveland Municipal Stadium and Lake Erie Shores.

Waterfront Line: Re-open and Expand

Square it on the owners to re-lay the track or confiscate the Right-of-Ways. We gave these lands to literal robber barons for pennies on the dollar. The city can get aggressive with their demands, it is not like the rail company will come and rip up anymore track.

Cleveland Metro Bus enroute to University Circle.

Problem with Research: Nobody Cares

Why do we care about people who benefit from people benefiting from the works of literal rail barons?