We were saddened to hear the news this morning that a pedestrian had been struck by a GCRTA bus going around Public Square. An RTA spokesperson reported that the #39F bus was traveling northbound on East Roadway, and made a left-hand turn on Rockwell (right in front of Key Tower), and that the injured pedestrian was transported to Metro Hospital.
If Superior was open to GCRTA the 39F bus would have continued straight on Superior without having to make any turns.
The Square needs to reopen immediately. Bus drivers, including Ron Jackson, head of ATU Local 238, have said the additional 1.1 million turns every year are a huge safety hazard for a pedestrian heavy area. This was a collision waiting to happen unfortunately.
Just yesterday we were sent video from a RTA rider that was concerned about this intersection. If a RTA rider can see the concern, why can’t the mayor and his staff?
The Mayor has cited safety concerns such as terrorism as a reason to close the Square. This is bogus. The fact is that motor vehicle collisions are responsible for 33,700 deaths in the United States each year. That is a much bigger concern.
Buses going straight down Superior at a slow speed, say 10-15 MPH, are much safer than creating a wall of steel of buses that pedestrians have to cross around Public Square. This was already studied by Nelson\Nygaard and stakeholders agreed that it was best to keep Superior Avenue open for transit and bicycles. There are many reasons why this decision was made.
Clevelanders for Public Transit sent the Mayor a petition with hundreds of signatures in support of reopening Superior Avenue. He did not acknowledge it. We tried multiple times to set up a meeting with the city to voice our concerns with the closure of Public Square to transit but they refused to meet with us. Ron Jackson testified on this issue to City Council but most of the city administration had already walked out. The mayor is in the wrong here.
Photo: Ginger Christ, Plain Dealer
The road closed signs need to be removed immediately and Superior Avenue needs to be reopened before another pedestrian is struck. Transit belongs in Public Square.
Take a minute to call Mayor Jackson at 216-664-2900. Let him know you’d like to see Public Square reopened as it was designed. #TransitBelongs