Community groups call on RTA to stop service cuts
by Tim Walters

(Plain Press, February 2010) Community groups representing low-income residents of Cuyahoga County were among the many protesters attending public hearings on the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s (RTA) proposed service cuts in early January.

Regional Transit Authority Chief Executive Officer Joe Calabrese told participants at the meetings that RTA must make $9 million in service cuts to balance its budget. Calabrese said he anticipates that the RTA Board of Trustees will make decisions on any service reductions or fare increases by the beginning of March. He anticipates that new service changes or fare increases will begin in April.

Calabrese urged those attending the meetings to petition state and federal elected officials to increase funding for public transportation. Calabrese has also publicly urged riders to join the Coalition to Save Transit Now and log onto fundohiotransitnow.org to send emails directly to state and federal public officials.

While recognizing the budget difficulties Calabrese faces, members of the Northeast Ohio Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign, United Clevelanders Against Poverty and other groups demanded that RTA stop the planned route cuts.

They suggested RTA explore alternatives to service cuts, including the use of stimulus and other federal funds for operating support. The groups believe that the route cuts as set forth disproportionately impact low-income people who use RTA the most. Examples include: the elimination of #12, the Woodland Avenue Route that includes many public and low income housing estates; the elimination of #17 East 49 Canal which would eliminate service to the jobs in the Valleyview Industrial area; and the elimination of evening and weekend service of the #2 St Clair Bus between East 129 and West 152, a central industrial and Cleveland jobs area.

The groups are calling upon RTA to halt planned route cuts and immediately take steps to identify other funding alternatives. If cuts need to be made, they should be reevaluated to ensure that low-income riders are not disproportionately impacted, and that residents have public transportation options to get to employment sites and access other quality of life needs.

Carmen Gray, a leader of the group, and regular RTA rider states, “In these difficult economic times it is more important than ever for all poor and low income people to have access to public transportation. To be cutting routes not only does a disservice to people trying to get to their shopping locations and jobs, but harms the efforts to bring back the Cuyahoga County region economically.”

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