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RTA News

March 21, 2006

RTA continues discussions about a possible fare increase

CLEVELAND � The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) will hold at least six public hearings in late April and early May to gather comments on a proposed fare increase.

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Today, the RTA Board of Trustees directed the staff to proceed with the hearings, and outlined possible ranges for an increase in each fare category.

RTA has not had an across-the-board fare increase since 1993 � longer than any other major transit system in the nation.

Public comments will guide the staff in framing a precise fare increase, which will go to the Board in May.� If the Board approves the fare increase at that meeting, new fares could take effect July 3.

A firm schedule of public meetings will be published in late March or early April.

RTA needs to generate at least $8 million of additional revenue annually to offset projected deficits in the operating budgets in 2007 and 2008.

Rising fuel costs are the problem, says RTA CEO and General Manager Joe Calabrese. RTA�s budget for diesel fuel has increased from $4 million in 2002, to more than $13 million in 2006.

Calabrese says RTA also wants to simplify the current fare structure, and make sure the fare increase is as equitable as possible to all customers.

Although RTA�s bus fare is $1.25, and Rapid fare is $1.50, because of unlimited ride daily, weekly and monthly passes offered by RTA, as well as discounted fares for senior citizens, the average fare paid per one-way trip in 2005 was only 69 cents.

Some points discussed today include:

Reducing discounts on passes
The establishment of a single fare, for both bus and the Rapid

� The introduction of weekly and monthly passes for senior citizens

Cost-cutting measures already implemented by RTA are saving taxpayers more than $25 million annually.

RTA Trustees, as well as members of two �blue-ribbon� panels established to review the budget situation, agree that a fare increase is warranted, and that a reduction in the level of services offered is unacceptable.

In market research conducted by RTA in 2005, the overwhelming majority of customers surveyed also favored a fare increase over a reduction in services.