Cleveland plans service‑cut hearings

Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority has started public hearings on a proposed 3% service cut, with changes that could begin Aug. 16. (riderta.com) The agency scheduled three hearings at its main office at 1240 West Sixth Street: April 13 from 5:30 to 7 p.m., April 15 from noon to 1:30 p.m., and April 16 from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Riders can also comment online, by phone at 216-621-9500, or by mail through 7 p.m. on April 27. (riderta.com) The proposal would cut weekday frequency on Route 78 from every 15 minutes to every 30 minutes and on Route 86 from every 30 minutes to every 60 minutes. Weekend service on Route 3 and Route 10 would also drop from every 15 minutes to every 30 minutes. (riderta.com) Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority also proposed ending the B-Line Trolley, discontinuing the 19B Broadway Fargo branch, shifting the 77 Brecksville route west of Interstate 77 to Columbia Road, and running the Waterfront Line only for special events. (riderta.com) Transit staff told board members on April 7 that the smaller 3% cut replaced a 12% reduction discussed in December. Joel Freilich, the agency’s director of service management, said the revised package would save about $2.5 million a year. (riderta.com) That April 7 presentation tied the cuts to rising healthcare costs, repeated transfers from savings, and a projected $48.2 million deficit by 2028. Staff said board policy requires about a $30 million one-month operating reserve, putting the total gap at $78.2 million over time. (riderta.com) The board packet says staff also reduced or eliminated transfers to the rolling stock reserve fund, suspended non-bargaining merit increases, cut customer Wi-Fi, and began hiring part-time operators to limit deeper service reductions. Staff also said they were evaluating a $35 million debt issuance and a lower required capital transfer from 10% of sales tax revenue to 5%. (riderta.com) At the first hearing on April 13, riders packed the board room and argued that longer waits would break connections and make trips to work and appointments harder. Several speakers urged the agency to seek a tax levy before cutting routes. (ideastream.org) Chief executive officer India Birdsong Terry told Ideastream in December that Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority was researching levy options but wanted stronger customer satisfaction first. Freilich said public feedback will shape the final proposal, but “we don't have the ability to cut nothing.” (ideastream.org) The next formal steps are already on the calendar: staff told trustees they would return with an update on May 5 and seek a final decision on May 7. For riders, this week’s hearings are the last public stop before those votes. (riderta.com)