Press Release: Fare Enforcement by RTA Police is Unconstitutional, Yet RTA Police Budget Grows.
Online town hall to focus on equitable, rider-focused alternatives.
CLEVELAND, OH
In October, 2017, fare enforcement by RTA transit police was ruled unconstitutional. This has caused delays and ridership to plunge on RTA’s HealthLine, once viewed as the best Bus Rapid Transit system in the nation. Tonight at 6 p.m. Clevelanders for Public Transit and Black Spring CLE will commemorate the 3 year anniversary of the decision by hosting a virtual town hall.
RSVP and join the event via zoom here.
This event will include a discussion about the alternatives to police by transit agencies around the country, including the use of transit ambassadors. Riders will also share experiences with transit police showing that increased policing does not lead to improved safety. RTA staff and board members have been invited to attend.
“While fares have doubled the past 15 years, the RTA transit police budget has also doubled to over $14 million each year,” said Dana Beveridge, lead organizer with Clevelanders for Public Transit. “That money should be used to reduce fares and start a transit ambassador program. A transit agency of this size does not need over 125 officers and the largest K-9 fleet in Cuyahoga County.”
Following the court ruling, RTA transit police stopped checking fares onboard buses and trains, resulting in fare evasion citations dropping from over 3,300 cases in 2012 to 259 cases in 2018. And yet, RTA’s budget for transit police has continued to grow.
Before the ruling, the proof-of-payment system allowed the $197 million dollar HealthLine Bus Rapid Transit to move quickly through University Circle to downtown. Significant delays caused by the removal of proof-of-payment has caused longer trips for riders leading to a disproportionately large decline in ridership.
The court ruling offered a solution that would honor the rights of riders, while preserving time savings: transit ambassadors to act as a buffer between passengers and police. CPT began calling for RTA to implement transit ambassadors with the release of the Fair Fares Platform in 2018.
Last year, RTA Board Member Justin Bibb agreed to explore RTA transit ambassadors while Cleveland City Councilman Kerry McCormack committed to passing legislation to decriminalize fare evasion. McCormack has drafted legislation but has yet to be introduced to City Council.
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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
Black Spring CLE is a Black led abolitionist organization seeking to re-imagine the definition of public health and safety in Cleveland. For more information, visit blackspringcle.com