RTA news
Aug. 6, 2009
RTA Releases additional
information about the low ridership “Big Bus” Routes which will be Modified or
Eliminated on September 20, 2009.
CLEVELAND - Officials of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit
Authority released the list of the low ridership “Big Bus” routes that will be
modified or eliminated effective September 20, 2009. These routes are in addition to the Community Circulators routes,
which have received significant media and public attention.
These modifications were fully discussed at several public
hearings in 2008, but official action on these services was deferred until
September 2009. Although modification
of these routes was included in the 2009 budget that was adopted by the Board
of Trustees in December of 2008, it was hoped that action could be avoided if
additional revenues were made available. Unfortunately, this was not the case as the national recession has
resulted in much fewer revenues for RTA. Revenues to RTA from the Sales Tax alone are projected to be over $18
million less in 2009 than in 2008.
The following service modifications and eliminations will
take place effective Sunday, September 20, 2009:
- #5 Chagrin - Service between Lander Road and Chagrin Falls will be discontinued
- #18 W. 11th - Hinckley –Discontinue route due to
low ridership
- #33 Central – Discontinue route due to low ridership. #8 Cedar and #11 Quincy are alternative
routes.
- #43 Lake-Wolf- Discontinue route except for two early
morning westbound and two early evening eastbound trips
- #46 Rocky River-Westlake (Detroit Rd.) Discontinue evening
and weekend service. Operate throughout
the business day Mon-Fri, and end route at the Westgate Transit Center, for
transfer to other services, instead of the Triskett Red Line Station.
- #49 Center Ridge – Serve Crocker Park and end route at the
Westgate Transit Center, for transfer to other services, instead of the
Triskett Red Line Station
- #68 Bagley – Discontinue route except weekday service
between Tri-C West and Southwest General Hospital
- #70 Bunts - W. 150th – On weekends, operate only
the part of the route between the Triskett and Puritas Red Line
Stations. Weekend service hours will be
7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- #76 Broadway-Turney – Weekend service hours will be 6:00
a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- #83 W. 130th – Weekend service hours will be 7:00
a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Weekday evening alignment will be used all day on weekends
- #86 Warren-Berea – Weekend service hours will be 6:30 a.m.
to 6:30 p.m.
- #87 Westwood- Discontinue route due to very low ridership
- #88 Broadway-Northfield – Discontinue weekend service due to
low weekend ridership and the availability of other weekend service in the same
general area
- #90F Broadway-Libby – Discontinue service beyond Oakwood
Loop
- #96 Butternut – Discontinue route due to very low ridership.
“We have run out of options and time” said CEO and General
Manager Joe Calabrese. “ We were able to hold on to these services for 12
months longer than we originally thought, but now we are left with no
choice. We simply can’t spend money we
don’t have.”
RTA is urging customers to attend one of 12 Community
Meetings being held to assist customers to identify alternative RTA
services:
| Date | Location | Time |
| Aug. 10 | Southgate Transit Center | 10 am - 6 pm |
| Aug. 11 | W. 25th St. Rapid Station | 10 am - 6 pm |
| Aug. 12 | Westgate Transit Center | 10 am - 6 pm |
| Aug. 13 | West Park Rapid Station | 10 am - 6 pm |
| Aug. 14 | W. 117th Rapid Station | 10 am - 6 pm |
| Aug. 17 | Lakewood Public Library
15425 Detroit Ave. | 10 am - 6 pm |
| Aug. 18 | Cleveland Public Library - Addison Branch
6901 Superior Ave. | 10 am - 6 pm |
| Aug. 19 | Cleveland Public Library - Fleet Branch
7224 Broadway Ave. | 10 am - 5:30 pm |
| Aug. 20 | Euclid Library
631 E. 222nd St. | 10 am - 6 pm |
| Aug. 20 | Cleveland Hts. City Hall
40 Severance Circle | 10 am - 2 pm |
| Aug. 21 | Cleveland Public Library - Collinwood Branch
856 E. 152nd St. | 10 am - 5:30 pm |
| Aug. 24 | Harvard-Lee Library
16918 Harvard Ave. | 10 am - 6 pm |
For more
details and updates or to leave comments:
FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES:
Pat Kearney 216-566-5147
Jerry Masek 216-566-5211
