RTA Riders Applaud RTA for Delaying Fare Increase and Engaging Riders
Local Funding Still Needed to Stop Death Spiral
Clevelanders for Public Transit applauds RTA’s decisions to delay the fare increase scheduled for 2018 in order to study RTA’s fare structure to ensure affordability for all riders, as well as RTA’s implementation of quarterly meetings to engage and inform riders prior to service changes. The high cost of fares was cited as the leading concern for over 550 daily riders surveyed by Clevelanders for Public Transit, and rider engagement can only improve as a result of quarterly service change meetings.
While these are positive steps, RTA’s Board of Trustees must act by putting a local levy on the ballot this year to escape the death spiral by addressing the funding crisis. Since 2007, fares have nearly doubled while service has decreased by nearly 25 percent.
Clevelanders for Public Transit looks forward to working with RTA’s Board of Trustees and RTA staff over the next year to find and implement solutions to the current death spiral, including the Fair Fares platform which includes recommendations for improving RTA.