The 8-month old LEAVE PUBLIC SQUARE campaign that started in August 2014 has demonstrated for 260 hours which is the equivalent of walking over 800 hours carrying a sign which has been seen by thousands.

 

The campaign has been virtually ignored by the media. On March 9, I was interviewed by a reporter of local WKYC TV – and all my comments critical of the Public Square Project and why I had been demonstrating were edited ou of the evening news. Fox 8 TV and NPR ignored me when I was protesting outside the downtown Global Center on March 18, 2015 – the day when President Obama visited Cleveland 

 

 

The Hunger Strike that started at 12:01 a.m. on March 9, 2015 ended at 12:01 a.m. on March 19, 2015 after 10-days.

 

While not a religious person, I did bless myself with holy water from Knock (Ireland) in keeping with a tradition in our house. My late wife made sure that I was properly doused with the holy water any time she felt I needed heavenly collaboration in my endeavors. Our cats (Wee Willie, Tess, Maddie, Heather, Kara, and Duffie) and Galena our pet golden retriever looked at me with amazement as I went through the ritual.

 

I ended the fast by drinking a glass of diluted juice – 50% vegetable juice and 50% water. After surviving on drinking lots of water for the past 10-days, the drink truly tasted heavenly.

 

The recovery to normal eating will take up to two weeks. The food intake has to be regulated – diluted vegetable juices, vegetable stock, heated frozen vegetables, and apples.

 

I cannot splurge on vegetarian pizza or vegetarian subway sandwiches – eating them can result in serious complications including food poisoning. The stomach is a very delicate part of the human body and after 10-days of slumber it has to be treated with tender loving care.

 

During the past ten days when I was drinking water only – I experienced the following symptoms in varying degrees:

Mostly a dry mouth and tiredness with negligible feelings of nausea, light headedness, cramps, pain in stomach, and reduction in mental alertness while using the computer.

 

I took frequent naps and walked around gingerly to conserve my energy. I was able to go downtown on most days to spread the message by waving my sign – even though holding the signs was very tiring:

 

 

The message was received with varying degrees of responses: no response, support, and the usual snide remarks.

 

A few Clevelanders were very critical of why I was starving myself for a cause I believed in. When asked what they were doing to fight corruption – they would either shut up or move away. 

 

This was my second Hunger Strike fighting corruption in the Administration of Mayor Frank G. Jackson of Cleveland, Ohio. The first one lasted 21-days. I am a 73-year old Sikh American.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The $32 million radical makeover of 218-year old Public Square will require the permanent closing of Ontario Street – a major artery and the narrowing of Superior Avenue – another major artery -- from the existing 77 ft. to 48 ft. and limiting the avenue to bus traffic only. However, when there are major events, the narrowed Superior Avenue will also be closed to bus traffic. 

 

However, during construction (March 9, 2015 to June 2016), both Ontario Street and Superior Avenue will be closed to traffic.

 

The renovated square is scheduled for opening in time for the Republican National Convention in July 2016.

 

So far our Foundations have contributed a total of $18 million (Cleveland - $8 million, Gund -- $5 million, Keybank - $4 million, and. Kent Hale Smith -- $1 million) and also have secured naming rights to parts of the renovated park. The Sewer District has contributed $3 million for green infrastructure to be paid over a number of years. 

Cuyahoga County is considering using bonds backed by TIF (Tax Incremental Financing) to provide $7.5 million.

 

I have been actively opposing the proposed $32 million radical makeover for the past eight months – since August 2014. So far there have been 260 hours of demonstrations. Our LEAVE PUBLIC SQUARE ALONE signs have been seen by thousands. One had to stand at the main intersection of Ontario Street and Superior Avenue – and quickly conclude that the traffic had nowhere to go except create gridlocks and delays in travel time.

 

This project is going to have so many traffic nightmares – and this is from the 2012 Traffic Study - that City Hall and the RTA have no idea what monster they have unleashed.

 

During Construction: When construction started on March 9, both Ontario Street (6 lanes) and Superior Avenue (4 lanes) – two major arteries were closed and the traffic from 10 lanes was routed around the 3-lane perimeter roads – creating a ring of steel -- where the inner lane is already dedicated to the 63-foot long articulated buses of the HealthLine. According to the 2012 Traffic Study, this condition will create traffic gridlocks resulting in delays in travel time and up to $3.5 million in additional operating cost to the RTA.

 

So two lanes of the perimeter roadway will have to accommodate cars and buses from ten lanes.

 

In addition, the traffic will be further constricted in the southwest quadrant (opposite the casino and Renaissance Hotel) where the outer roadway has two RTA stops – one for four trolleys and two bus routes, and the other for six bus routes. 

 

In addition to causing gridlocks and delays in travel time, this constriction poses a safety hazard.

 

How will ambulances or firetrucks reach a vehicle that needs attention and is stuck in the middle?

 

RTA cannot explain how other 60-foot long articulated buses (Cleveland State Line, #22, and #26) will make turns at almost right-angled corners without encroaching in to the adjoining lanes and cause accidents?

 

After Completion: When the renovated Public Square opens, Ontario Street will still remain closed while Superior Avenue will open to four lanes of bus traffic only. The remaining traffic will flow on the perimeter roads. The traffic gridlocks will continue and RTA will be spending $1 million every year in additional operating costs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Hunger Strike was to protest the corruption in the Public Square Project.

 

*Corrupt Process: A corrupt process was used in the development of the radical makeover of 218-year old Public Square. The proposed renovation dubbed a masterpiece in urban park design – - based on Mayor Jackson’s vision of one big square -- was actually a defective design which his honor knew would cause delays in travel time to thousands of Clevelanders and cost the RTA $3.5 million in operating costs during construction and $1 million annually after completion.

 

*Mass Deception: Once the project is completed, Ontario Street will be completely closed while Superior Avenue will be narrowed from 77 ft. to 48 ft. -- with four lanes of bus traffic and eight bus stops within Public Square – between the East and West Roadways.

However, the rendering by world-famous Landscape Architect, James Corner Field Operations of New York City, shows only one bus – as far as the eye can see.

EIGHT BUS STOPS AND ONLY ONE BUS!

ONE BUS!

REALLY!

WHOM ARE THEY KIDDING?

Planners in City Hall say: WOW! AWESOME!

I say: MASS DECEPTION!

 

As someone who is actively involved in opposing the project for the past 8-months -- with my LEAVE PUBLIC SQUARE ALONE signs -- during rush hours I can easily count 12 to 24 buses. After all the RTA has 4,000 bus trips in to Public Square every day. With buses nowhere to turn, Superior Avenue, in my opinion, will be transformed into a virtual parking lot for buses.

 

No one has asked why the Group Plan Commission, the official promoter for the project, was engaging in mass deception by showing only one bus – as far as the eye can see.

 

I believe the full closure of Ontario Street and Superior Avenue during construction, and after construction - the full closure of Ontario Street and narrowing of Superior Avenue – and the rerouting of traffic around the perimeter roadway -- will cause traffic gridlocks, delays in travel time, and add to the operating costs for the RTA. I am not alone in this assessment. The 2012 Traffic Study (the only study made partially public so far) as reported in The Plain Dealer and on cleveland.com came to the same conclusions:

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDUQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.cleveland.com%2Farchitecture%2F2012%2F06%2Fpublic_square_traffic_study_by.html&ei=lk31VNfIMITjsATvtYDoDQ&usg=AFQjCNGNk02NK1Y3zUyOyQlqZiUXc_yY-Q

 

 

 

 

 

*Traffic Test & Public Meetings: Mayor Jackson never responded to the e-mail of December 29, 2014 and the certified mail of December 30, 2014 requesting a One-Week Long Traffic Test to verify the latest Traffic Plan and City-Wide Public Meetings to discuss the Traffic Test and the Traffic Plan.

 

The absence of the Traffic Test and the Public Meetings will be seen as a denial of due process and the imposition of the will of City Hall on 40,000 bus riders who use RTA buses in Public Square; other bus riders who use Laketran and other buses; and thousands of vehicle drivers.

 

*No Response: For the record, Mayor Jackson never responded to any of the multiple e-mails sent since August 24, 2014.

 

*Public Safety: Mayor Jackson never responded to issues dealing with public safety – requested via e-mail on February 16, 2015 and via certified mail on March 2, 2015.

 

Where will fire trucks & ambulances go when Public Square is closed during construction for 16 months & afterwards when Ontario Street will be closed and Superior Avenue narrowed from 77 ft. to 48 ft. And limited to buses only?

 

*EIS (Environmental Impact Statement): Mayor Jackson never responded to the request for an EIS– requested via e-mail on February 25, 2015 and via certified mail on March 2, 2015.

 

“Please provide an EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) to demonstrate that the noise, vibrations, dust, etc. from the construction of the proposed renovation of Public Square and the relocation of underground public and private utilities which may contain hazardous materials (asbestos, lead, mercury, etc.) will not adversely impact the safety, health, and well being of thousands of Clevelanders who visit Public Square every day and also live and work in the neighborhood.

 

Please allow sufficient time for the public review and comment process on the EIS before start of construction.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

03-18-15: DOWNTOWN CLEVELAND ROCKS WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA’S VISIT & PROTESTERS ON THE TENTH DAY OF HUNGER STRIKE! 

 

03-17-15: DOWNTOWN CLEVELAND ROCKS WITH ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE ON THE NINTH DAY OF HUNGER STRIKE! 

 

03-12-15: FOURTH DAY (March 12, 2015) OF HUNGER STRIKE: VIEWS FROM PUBLIC SQUARE

 

03-09-15: 3-HR. DEMONSTRATION ROCKS CLOSED PUBLIC SQUARE ON THE FIRST DAY OF HUNGER STRIKE.

 

03-07-15: CALL FOR HUNGER STRIKE: FIGHTING CORRUPTION IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE PROJECT! 

 

02-20-15: GREATER CLEVELAND RTA THROWS 40,000 CUSTOMERS UNDER THE BUS ON THE PUBLIC SQUARE PROJECT! 

 

02-14-15: IS CITY HALL COMPROMISING WITH SAFETY BY CHOKING PUBLIC SQUARE’S MAJOR ARTERIES?

 

12-27-14: A 3-HOUR DEMONSTRATION IN PUBLIC SQUARE ON A PLEASANT FRIDAY, 12-26-14, AFTERNOON!

 

12-21-14: CAVS vs. GRIZZLIES! FANS SUPPORT THE LEAVE PUBLIC SQUARE ALONE CAMPAIGN IN CLEVELAND, OHIO!

 

12-14-14: BROWNS vs. BENGALS! FANS AGAIN SUPPORT THE LEAVE PUBLIC SQUARE ALONE CAMPAIGN IN CLEVELAND, OHIO!

 

12-07-14: BROWNS’ FANS SUPPORT THE LEAVE PUBLIC SQUARE ALONE CAMPAIGN IN CLEVELAND, OHIO!

 

12-04-14: PUBLIC SQUARE ROCKS WITH TWO DEMONSTRATIONS ON A COLD THURSDAY, 12-04-14, AFTERNOON!

 

11-27-14: CONFLUENCE OF TWO DEMONSTRATIONS IN PUBLIC SQUARE IN CLEVELAND, OHIO!

 

10-31-14: BEATING THE RAIN IN PUBLIC SQUARE ON A DRIZZLY HALLOWEEN AFTERNOON!

 

10-30-14: PUBLIC SQUARE IN DOWNTOWN CLEVELAND ROCKS WITH CAVS’ FANS DURING A COOL BUT PLEASANT THURSDAY 10-30-14 AFTERNOON/EVENING!

 

10-26-14: TALK OF THE TOWN – I: The LEAVE PUBLIC SQUARE ALONE Campaign Rocks Cleveland, Ohio!

 

09-06-14: TRANSIT POLICE QUESTION ACTIVIST WAVING “LEAVE PUBLIC SQUARE ALONE” SIGN IN DOWNTOWN CLEVELAND, OHIO 

 

08-17-14: LEAVE PUBLIC SQUARE ALONE: DON’T CLOSE ONTARIO STREET, DON’T NARROW SUPERIOR AVENUE, & DON’T MESS UP THE TRAFFIC