Reductions to service are moving forward for Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, pending approval from the agency鈥檚 CEO.
Director of Service Management Joel Freilich recommended moving forward with all cost-saving service adjustments to help GCRTA contend with its remaining budget deficit of more than $7 million.
Weekday frequency reductions would affect routes No. 78 West 117th 鈥� Puritas (from every 15 minutes to every 30 minutes) and No. 86 Rocky River Dr. 鈥� Bagley (from every 30 minutes to every 60 minutes).
Frequency reductions for weekends would affect No. 3 Superior and No. 10 East 105 鈥� Lakeshore, moving from every 15 minutes to every 30 minutes each.
The Waterfront line will run only during special events, but the will be discontinued if the recommended adjustments are approved.
Any approved changes take effect in August.
Public commentors demand service increase
Public comment revealed a desire to increase service and maintain the free B-Line Trolley, serving downtown, Freilich said.
Weekend and weekday frequency reductions received a total of 29% of online public comments, Freilich said, in addition to comments received at in-person public hearings.
But, maintaining the free B-Line Trolley was a clear priority for GCRTA riders.
"There were line-specific comments, and among the line-specific comments, the B-Line Trolley did stand out as receiving more line- specific comments than any other of them," Freilich said.
The B-line costs more than $423 thousand annually and doesn't generate revenue from fare, Freilich said. So, the B-Line remains at risk of being discontinued in August if General Manager and CEO India Birdsong Terry approves the cuts as recommended.
"If we had heard something that perhaps was very significant that we had not thought of in advance, and that was that change the balance of the analysis, and sometimes that does happen, then that might lead to saying, you know what? This particular one we're going to take off the table, and we'll have to find another one later to remove some other route instead," Freilich said. "That did not happen."
However, if GCRTA can find a sponsor to cover the operation cost they could resume service.
"We make quarterly schedule changes." Freilich said. "They take about three months lead time to make them happen. But if any time somebody came through or a coalition came through with the funding and said funding is here, then ... we could make it come back."
The public comment period did lead to a revision to the service adjustment proposed for the No. 19B: Broadway bus that currently runs along Fargo Avenue in Bedford.
A conversation with a bus operator revealed the possibility of maintaining this service and running it directly to Tri-C Eastern Campus, after stopping at Fargo Avenue, to maintain the service and better serving riders getting to campus.
"So, our recommendation to the CEO, as of right now, will be to implement the proposals that save the funds, to continue vigorously to consider new funding options that could help change the direction .... to growing instead of shrinking," Freilich said, "[and] we're going to modify that 19B for operator suggestion."
If approved, the service adjustments take effect August 16th.
