GCRTA Board President Westlake Mayor Clough, GCRTA Board Members, CEO India Birdsong, Cleveland City Council, Greater Cleveland Partnership, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, County Executive Armond Budish:
The fight for equitable and accessible transit is intrinsically connected to the fight for Black lives. In Cleveland and beyond, transit is heavily policed. Evading a $2.50 fare is considered a criminal misdemeanor which pulls disproportionality Black riders into the criminal justice system. Clevelanders for Public Transit stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement to enact real change.
Today, the GCRTA transit police force has exploded from 25 officers in 1977 to over 125 full-time officers today. While ridership has been slashed in half due to service cuts and fare increases, the police force has ballooned over 500% with a budget of over $14,000,000 for 2020. As calls for defunding police departments grow, GCRTA must reallocate these limited resources.
In 2018, CPT’s Fair Fares platform demanded that GCRTA reallocate transit police funds for equitable safety and cease enforcement of criminal penalties for fare evasion. CPT demands leaders support the Fair Fares platform by taking action:
- GCRTA Board President Westlake Mayor Clough and CEO India Birdsong must commit to defunding transit police by 50% and create a Civilian Transit Ambassador program. Create a transit ambassador program composed of civilians tasked with assisting riders, conducting fare inspection, and acting as the public face of GCRTA on vehicles and in and around stations and stops. Reallocating transit police resources from fare enforcement would improve equity and allow funds to be reallocated for more transit service and affordable fares.
- Cleveland City Council must decriminalize fare evasion. Kerry McCormack must introduce legislation immediately. Automobile drivers are protected from being arrested for parking violations, but fare evasion is considered a fourth degree criminal misdemeanor in Cleveland. San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle have all decided to decriminalize fare evasion, making penalties commensurate with a parking ticket. Cleveland City Council must pass legislation which treats fare evasion as equivalent to parking violations. While riders are serving jail time for $2.50 fare, McCormack has had legislation drafted for months that has not yet been introduced. No one should be in jail for $2.50 fare, legislation must be brought to Council immediately.
- The Greater Cleveland Partnership must unequivocally support local transit funding. In the last 15 years, RTA fares have doubled while service has been cut by over 25%. GCRTA has not gone to the ballot for funding since 1975. Over 20 organizations signed GCP’s racism as a public health crisis statement committing that their actions will speak louder than words. These organizations must act now by vocally advocating for a transit levy to support immediate fare relief and service restoration.
- Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson must support safety and accessibility in downtown by ceasing 24/7 curfews and allowing transit downtown. Highly restrictive curfews and poor communication has left riders stranded and downtown residents confused and at worst jailed simply for being in their own neighborhood. Beginning the afternoon of Saturday, May 30, RTA cut service to and from downtown amidst protests surrounding the County Justice Center. The City responded with an 8 p.m. curfew which was not communicated out to residents until a mere five minutes before the curfew was to begin. Residents only received emergency phone alerts after the curfew was already in effect. Many feared being stranded with essential supplies, unable to travel to work, or arrested. Mayor Jackson must cease the use of overly restrictive curfews that do not promote public safety. The City must ensure clear and timely communication among Cleveland residents and workers.
- County Executive Armond Budish and Mayor Jackson need to lead on local transit funding and appoint members to the GCRTA board that represent the race and class make-up of its riders. We need leaders and board members that understand the urgency that is needed to reverse the death spiral of endless service cuts and fare increases over the last 15 years. The final report from the County’s Transportation Advisory Committee concluded that there must be a much greater and broader recognition of how vitally important public transportation is to our economic and social well-being. All over Ohio, from Lake County, to Toledo, to Cincinnati, transit agencies are going to the ballot box for more funding. County Executive Budish, Mayor Jackson and Cuyahoga County Council members must be vocal in their support for increased RTA funding.
We are looking to GCRTA and local leadership to take action. For too long, resources have been poured into policing our communities instead of our well-being. It’s time to see well-funded transit that supports a better quality of life for all Clevelanders.
Thank you for your time, consideration.
Signed,
Clevelanders for Public Transit
Cleveland Catholic Worker Movement
Cleveland Lead Advocates for Safe Housing
Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus
Democratic Socialists of America Cleveland Steering Committee
Jobs with Justice Cleveland
InterReligious Task Force on Central America and Colombia (IRTF Cleveland)
National Lawyers Guild of Ohio
Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition
Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless
Northeast Ohio Sierra Club
Northern Ohioans for Budget Legislation Equality (NOBLE)
Our Revolution Cuyahoga
Sunrise Movement Cleveland