Clevelanders for Public Transit to Ask RTA Board to Implement System Redesign
Consultant to present the findings of year-long study at RTA Board Meeting.
CLEVELAND, OH, December 17, 2019
Riders from Clevelanders for Public Transit will provide public comments asking the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Board of Trustees to implement the full redesign of RTA’s transit system in 2020 at today’s RTA board meeting.
Internationally recognized transit consultant Jarrett Walker will present the findings of a year-long transit system redesign study at today’s board meeting, 9 a.m. at RTA headquarters,1240 W. 6th St.
A transit system redesign is a collaborative planning effort to decide where transit service should go, starting from a clean slate. Many of RTA’s bus routes mirror streetcar routes from 100 years ago and don’t effectively serve the needs of today’s riders. This is an opportunity to bring RTA’s service into the 21st century.
“From Columbus to Houston to Richmond, Virginia, transit agencies around the country are updating their transit networks and growing ridership,” said Dana Beveridge, Lead Organizer of CPT. “With RTA ridership hitting an all-time low, RTA must take action to get riders back on the bus.”
In 2016, members of CPT first recommended that RTA implement a system redesign to reverse RTA’s continuing ridership decline. In early 2018, CPT released the Fair Fares platform which recommended improving the transit network to increase the number of jobs accessible via transit within reasonable travel times. Cuyahoga County Council’s Regional Transportation Advisory Subcommittee also released a report recommending that RTA explore a system redesign in order to improve operating efficiency.
In February, RTA began a system redesign study as part of its Five Pillar Studies with three rounds of surveys and public engagement. The latest concepts presented to the public would result in 167,000 more people and 50,000 more jobs being within a half mile of 15 minute or better transit service.
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Clevelanders for Public Transit is a riders’ organization that builds power for affordable, accessible and equitable public transit in Northeast Ohio. For more information, visit clefortransit.org or find us on Facebook or Twitter.