Clevelanders for Public Transit “Heal the HealthLine” Ride-Along a Success; City Council and RTA Board to Discuss Bus Rapid Transit Issues

Forty people attended, including Cleveland City Council members Matt Zone and Kerry McCormack, as well as RTA Board member Justin Bibb. Cleveland City Council Members Zone and McCormack agreed to focus on improving the HealthLine and will review the city’s fare evasion policies, while RTA Board member Bibb has agreed to look into restoring proof-of-payment on the HealthLine. Restoring proof-of-payment will improve delays, reduce RTA’s operating costs and start to reverse the HealthLine’s ridership decline.

“This is a win-win situation,” said CPT member Chris Stocking. “Improving the HealthLine will make a huge impact to riders and cutting delays will save RTA money. It also is great to see City Council members working on transit issues. We look forward to working together.”

Riders have raised concerns about the long travel times on the HealthLine since 2010. Delays have worsened after a 2017 Cleveland Municipal Court ruling that found RTA’s fare enforcement by armed police to be unconstitutional, after which RTA switched to onboard validation at the farebox. Ridership on the HealthLine dropped over 25 percent as a result.

The HealthLine is potentially a valuable catalyst for economic development along Euclid Avenue and was designed to take 28 minutes between Public Square and Stokes Windermere Station. Features like wider stop spacing, dedicated transit lanes throughout most of the route, transit signal priority, proof-of-payment and all-door boarding should save time over the route 6 bus, which took 40 minutes. Today, HealthLine trips are scheduled for up to 40 minutes to travel the same distance. The delays have resulted in over 40 extra service hours that we’re hoping can be returned to productive service, saving RTA money and getting riders where they need to go on time.