Clevelanders for Public Transit Statement on HealthLine Fare Enforcement
Reference:
- Better boarding, better buses: streamlining boarding & fares from the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)
Removing proof-of-payment from the HealthLine delays buses resulting in “bus bunching.”
GCRTA HealthLine riders are being impacted by RTA’s response to a court order requiring changes to fare enforcement policy on the HealthLine. Although the HealthLine was designed for a proof-of-payment system with fares purchased primarily at ticket vending machines rather than at fareboxes, the method of spot-checking fares has been ruled unconstitutional by a recent court decision.
RTA’s response has been to shift fare enforcement to bus operators, resulting in a much slower ride and effectively eliminating the benefit of increased speed due to all-door boarding.
Operating expenses account for over 85 percent of RTA’s operating costs, while fares account for only 18.5 percent of revenue. Requiring drivers to inspect HealthLine fares significantly delays riders and reduces the appeal of using transit in Cleveland.
Fares can be inspected without unnecessarily inconveniencing passengers and increasing operating costs by implementing equitable and convenient fare enforcement.
Clevelanders for Public Transit is calling on RTA to immediately take the following actions in order to implement convenient and equitable fare enforcement:
- Commit to establishing a system-wide proof-of-payment system:
- To be enforced by unarmed fare inspectors
- With consistent inspection across routes and time of day
- Decriminalize fare evasion by reducing fare evasion to a civil penalty as opposed to a criminal offense.
- Reinstate a 2.5 hour period for a single-trip fares.
- Expand all-door boarding to include other heavily used routes in order to reduce trip time and operating costs.
All-door boarding should eventually expand to all routes. With this approach, RTA would shift to a pro-rider approach that improves transit for all, especially riders who may not have complete information.
Riders are encouraged to attend RTA’s next board meeting to provide public comments on Tuesday, November 21 at 9:00 AM at RTA Headquarters, 1240 W. Sixth St.