The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) partnered with the community to develop a new Strategic Plan to shape the “Framework for the Future”, and guide the agency to the year 2030. RTA’s customer focus is demonstrated by continual infrastructure upgrades and several ongoing planning initiatives. However, several challenges create uncertainty on the path ahead: decreasing ridership in line with national trends; limited and reduced funding; aging infrastructure; and emerging technology and mobility disruptions.
The Strategic Plan reflects RTA’s internal strategic vision, changing conditions, and community input. The Plan includes analyses of existing conditions, priority corridors, capital projects, infrastructure repair, transit technology, and new mobility. A transit needs assessment highlights strengths, weaknesses, trends, opportunities, and other key issues. The Pillar Study analyses and conclusions, including the System Redesign Study, the Economic Impact Analysis, the Fare Equity Study, the Rail Car Replacement Study, and the Financial Analysis and Economic Forecast, are incorporated into a cohesive plan. The planning team has also created prioritized strategies to achieve key recommended objectives. These include considerations of equity, sustainability, funding scenarios, infrastructure needs, public-private partnerships, transit network, fare policies, and costs.
While there are many technical aspects to this project, this effort relied on successful communication and collaboration among stakeholders to collectively identify the appropriate path forward. Stakeholder and public engagement included multifaceted outreach and input among diverse constituencies. The final Strategic Plan outlines RTA's key strategies to the year 2030. The "Framework for the Future" guides RTA’s community impact and innovative plan for the years ahead.