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A team studying transit improvements in Cleveland’s Chagrin Highlands area — including possible extensions to Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s (RTA) Blue Line — June 5 presented mixed results to RTA’s board.



RTA officials and teammate Parsons Brinckerhoff, which performed the Major Investment Study (MIS), believe the Blue Line should be extended from its current Shaker Heights terminus 3.3 miles to Highland Hills, and include six stations and a Park-N-Ride at the eastern end. Ideally, the phased implementation should be integrated with commercial development over the next 20 years, according to MIS recommendations.



However, stakeholders would need to commit themselves to the project now, while the area primarily is undeveloped. Continuing ahead with preliminary engineering and an environmental impact statement "could be critical to obtaining the financial and right of way commitments needed for a rail extension," according to an RTA-prepared statement.



"This is an exciting project, and we are looking forward to widespread community support," said RTA Chief Executive Officer and General Manager Joe Calabrese. "This is a community project."



When the MIS began, the firm developing the Chagrin Heights area planned to build offices and industry sites that would create an estimated 25,000 jobs; now the firm is leaning toward building commercial sites and shopping malls, says Jerry Masek, RTA spokesman. Board members are hesitant to include a rail line in a development they suspect would take business from existing shopping centers rather than create better-quality jobs.



Pending preferred alternative adoption, the next step would be to complete $3.5 million preliminary engineering, coordinating major improvements with ongoing development, which also would help ensure that near-term planning decisions wouldn’t later adversely affect any potential Blue Line extension.



But RTA can’t foot the bill alone. It may not have the financial capability to begin improvements for the next 15 years, according to the statement.



In 25 years, the Chagrin Heights area could experience 50 percent job growth if current trends continue.



The total package would cost about $106 million to build and $5.5 million annually to operate (in 2000 dollars). The preferred extension, including right of ways, stations and equipment, would cost $90 million, consuming 77 percent of the total. Although the extension would be eligible for New Starts funding, fund availability is questionable.



"We need the total support of all stakeholders, public and private," said Calabrese. "This bus will not pull out unless everyone is on board."



— Kathi Kube