Riders Call on Mayor Bibb to Appoint Riders to GCRTA Board
Rider’s Perspectives Would Provide Vision for Improving Transit
Next month, the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Board of Trustees elect a new president and new terms begin for members of the board. Clevelanders for Public Transit calls on Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb to appoint transit riders to GCRTA’s Board of Trustees. CPT has repeatedly called for riders to be appointed since 2018.
Transit agencies across the country, from San Francisco to Dallas to Syracuse, include transit riders on their governing boards. Regular riders serving as trustees provide an essential perspective for improving service for the people who actually use it.
As Mayor Bibb said during his mayoral campaign, “Riders understand the pain points of our transit system better than anyone. As mayor, I will appoint trustees to the GCRTA Board that reflect the real, lived experience that riders see day in and day out.” The editorial board of The Plain Dealer, too, has recognized the dangerous lack of action from the GCRTA Board of Trustees and called for an entirely clean slate of new appointees.
GCRTA faces unprecedented challenges that require greater rider representation. The agency had no way to tell riders without smartphones that their bus or train would never arrive when all bus and Rapid service shut down during the January 17th storm. Rapid service has been a lifeline in storms of the past, but GCRTA stopped service and has not come forward with solutions to prevent future shutdowns or improve rider communication. On the contrary, the agency faces staff shortages with no end in sight. Add to this that service has been slashed 30% in the past 15 years, and GCRTA is an agency in crisis.
GCRTA’s Board of Trustees would benefit from greater diversity, and is in dire need of members with expertise in transit policy and advocacy and with lived experience riding GCRTA fixed-route service regularly. We request better representation of the diversity of people who use transit in Cleveland.
CPT is pleased to recommend the following candidates for Mayor Bibb’s consideration for the GCRTA Board:
Bishop Chui
- Glenville resident
- President on the Board of Directors of the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless
- Previously Community Engagement Coordinator for Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Cleveland
- Community and political organizer focused on equity
- Devoted, lifelong rider of public transit
Yvonka Hall
- Lee-Harvard resident
- Executive Director of the Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition
- Graduate of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Ladder to Leadership program, Neighborhood Leadership Institute, and Neighborhood Leadership Development Program
- 2021 Community Member of the Year for Cleveland by the National Association of Social Workers
Jeffrey Sleasman
- Downtown resident
- Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Boussole, a consumer goods startup
- Previously Director of Strategic Partnerships at Compass Biomedical
- Dedicated, car-free transit rider for 30 years in four cities on two continents.
Jonathan Steirer
- Cudell resident
- Operations Manager at the Great Lakes Energy Institute at Case Western Reserve University
- Co-Vice President on the Board of Directors of Northwest Neighborhoods CDC
- Climate change advocate with Global Shapers Cleveland hub
- Active user of transit and bicycling for commuting and recreation
Lauren Welch
- Edgewater resident
- Assistant Director of Communications at Say Yes Cleveland and founder of Laurel Cadence, a marketing and advocacy firm
- Over 15 years of expertise in high-profile marketing, communications, and advocacy
- GCRTA fixed-route rider since high school and through to today
CPT looks forward to Mayor Bibb’s appointment of new board members to bring diversity of thought, lived experience riding transit, new energy, and a more representative perspective to GCRTA’s board.
Resumes are available upon request.