Art of the Day: Silver Line RTA Bus Stations and Green Spaces on Euclid Avenue

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Thu, 08/14/2008 - 22:37.

Public Art is site specific, so designing public art for a five-mile site - a bus line - must be quite a challenge. Now, as the "Euclid Corridor" "Silver Line" "HealthLine" street improvements, light fixtures, bus stops, signage, green spaces, trees, grass and technologies are becoming apparent, I think much of what has been assembled works for most of the sites I've seen... despite basically wiping out the city, and costing over a $billion, retooling of an existing bus line. Whether the infrastructure and facilities will prove very functional, I have my doubts... we'll know after the first winter of full service. But the form of the bus station, designed by Robert P. Madison International, and light fixture shown in this picture of the East 9th Street and Euclid Avenue "Breuer Stop" works astoundingly well for this important site... one of the most important on the line. In this case, it appears the art was well conceived for the surroundings.

Other strengths I've noticed is there are more than the usual green space inserts in this massive expanse of concrete (and it is a massive expanse), and they are planting good sized, healthy looking trees.

But, as a retooled and pretty low tech public transportation improvement it is hard to say much about this project is green - the carbon footprint has been huge. Will it get use, beyond what would be expected for the Euclid Corridor, had it not been "reinvented" and rebranded?

The entire line was clearly designed to the "Silver Line" theme... the bus stations and lights are all very silvery. So I find it strange that our leadership suddenly dropped the "Silver Line" name in favor of the Health Line... until I found this odd explanation at Wikipedia... where did this money go?

HealthLine or Silver (Bus rapid transit)

RTA is currently installing a bus rapid transit line, originally referred to as "Silver Line", which will run along Euclid Avenue, providing a direct route between Cleveland's primary tourist attractions from Downtown Cleveland through Midtown Cleveland and University Circle to East Cleveland. Naming rights for the BRT were bought by The Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals, and the line was named the HealthLine

 

Mainline

So when are the druggies going to unite and buy some naming rights, too?

 

Rough rider

 Tim, I hope that your/my cynicism is dispelled once this major public project is finally rolled out.  Gould versus Madison?  I wonder what stories these two architects-- who at different times have been on the receiving end of public project contract awards --would have to say about working under Cleveland's political machine?  If my memory serves me right, Gould designed this Redline station.

(Photo credit: me...and, yes, that is Andrew Klimek on the bench)