Photographed on a very hot & humid afternoon and evening of August 3, 2016 in Jimmy Dimora Public Square.

 

 

 

The signs were displayed while riding the RTA #22 bus on my way downtown and also on the way back.

 

The recently completed $50 Million Public Square has been nicknamed the Jimmy Dimora Public Square because of corruption involved in the process.

The renovated Square officially opened on June 30, 2016. However, while Ontario Street has been completely blocked to north-south vehicular traffic, a narrowed Superior Avenue was supposed to open on August 1 to four lanes of east-west RTA traffic.

However, Mayor Jackson has held up the opening of Superior Avenue.

We don’t know when, if at all, Superior Avenue will open to RTA traffic.

The renovated Public Square reflects the flawed vision of Mayor Jackson who in a 2011 interview said: “I want to see one big square”. According to the Traffic Consultant, the Mayor’s vision was not workable and his honor – instead of one big square had to settle for two rectangles – little knowing that the revised vision was not a workable one either.

 

According to the 2012 Traffic Consultant’s Study (Public Square traffic study by Nelson Nygaard a strong first step toward a greener downtown by Cleveland's Group Plan Commission), the Additional Annual Operating Costs to the RTA for delays caused by total closure of Ontario Street and Superior Avenue during the 16-month construction period – was estimated at $3.5 million -- prorated from an annual cost of $2.6 million.

 

And, that was not all. After the construction was over with a narrowed Superior Avenue open to 4 lanes of RTA bus traffic – the Additional Annual Operating Costs to the RTA for delays caused by total closure of Ontario Street was estimated at $1 million annually.

If Mayor Jackson decides not to open Superior Avenue to RTA traffic – then the Additional Annual Operating Costs to the RTA for delays caused by total closure of Ontario Street and Superior Avenue is estimated at $2.6 million annually. Over a 30-year design life of the renovated Square – this cost to the RTA – not accounting for inflation -- will amount to $78 million (30 x 2.6).

And if Superior Avenue were to stay open – over a 30-year design life of the renovated Square – this cost to the RTA – not accounting for inflation -- will amount to $30 million. (30 x 1).

RTA already has absorbed the estimated $3.5 million construction cost.

Either way, Mayor Jackson with his flawed vision for a full square or two rectangles will have thrown RTA riders who include poor people, students, senior citizens, handicapped people, and people without cars – under the bus. Cash-strapped RTA will continue to cut services and raise fares to absorb the sustained losses.

The 4-hour demonstration to chants of Welcome Jimmy Dimora Public Square – also carried the Mayor Jackson, Open Superior Avenue, and Thank Mayor Jackson for Traffic Mess signs.

 

 

So far, since August 2014, there have been 725 hours of demonstrations – first with the LEAVE PUBLIC SQUARE ALONE signs and now with WELCOME JIMMY DIMORA PUBLIC SQUARE signs. This is the equivalent of walking over 2,100 miles carrying a sign.

The demonstrations continue unabated with the goal of educating the public about corruption in Cuyahoga county.

Details of the campaign can be found on my blog at REALNEO:http://realneo.us/blogs/satinder-p-s-puri