30-04-2025
Should parking spots be removed from West 25th Street near West Side Market?
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WJW) — Cleveland's bustling West 25th Street is known for great breweries, restaurants and congestion.
But that could be a good or bad thing, depending on who you ask.
'There's not a problem right now with buses going down this street. So this is a solution, in search of a problem,' said owner of Mitchell's Ice Cream, Mike Mitchell.
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Clevelanders for Public Transit member Chris Martin responded by saying, 'Has Mike Mitchell taken a bus? Has Pete taken a bus down 25th? I'd be curios to know the answer to that.'
Clevelanders in favor of more efficient public transit and area business owners are in a heated debate over a Greater Cleveland RTA project called 25 Connects, a federally-funded program created several years ago to break down barriers along the West 25th Street corridor and replace them with transit-oriented development.
The latest phase would remove roughly 70 parking spaces just outside the West Side Market and other main attractions to make room for bus rapid transit lanes.
Perhaps the busiest and most congested section of this entire W. 25th street project Is here between Detroit Road and Lorain Avenue, where 24 buses travel this very section, every hour, throughout the day.
Martin said the removal of parking spaces will make existing transit issues even worse.
'The #51 bus here is consistently delayed and is consistently running behind schedule because it is weaving in and out of traffic all of the time, because it does not have a dedicated lane,' he explaines.
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The two dedicated bus lanes, would stretch between Hingetown and Old Brooklyn, where bike lanes have already been installed as part of the project.
Michell's Ice Cream was founded by Mike and his brother Pete 26 years ago and they've called West 25th Street home for more than 10 years.
Mike said he believes the removal of parking lanes will disrupt deliveries and keep patrons away. He's urging city leaders to kick the idea to the curb.
The bus line that would benefit from these bus lanes is the RTA MetroHealth Line, with a goal to increase ridership, mitigate congestion, reduce travel time and increase availability.
A decision on those two dedicated bus lines expected to take place at city hall.
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