Calls for a Regional Transit System in Northeast Ohio

The Cleveland Plain Dealer lays out the complicated path toward a regional transit system similar to Chicago's in the Cleveland area. The call for reform comes as existing transit is cutting service and raising fares.

1 minute read

October 12, 2016, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Cleveland

Kenneth Sponsler / Shutterstock

"Public transit in Ohio is stalling," according to an article by Ginger Christ. "From cuts to state funding to budget shortfalls to looming revenue stream problems, transit agencies like the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority have been forced to cut service and raise fares."

In response, some transit officials have proposed a regional public transit system, similar to the example in Chicago. "In Chicago, there are three agencies – Chicago Transit Authority, providing mass transit in the city; Pace, a suburban bus service; and Metra, the commuter rail service – that operate under one umbrella and serve the six counties in the area," explains Christ.

The article also details Northeast Ohio's past brush with regional transit—in the 1970s. The contemporary situation shares similarity with that example. Also included in the article is a description of the necessary political and planning steps. For the record, the Vibrant NEO 2020 Vision, awarded the APA's Daniel Burnham Award in 2015, also called for a regional transit system.

Monday, October 10, 2016 in The Cleveland Plain Dealer

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