Jan 7: Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Board of Trustees and Committees
Covered by Documenter Regina Samuels (notes)
RTA board and committees discuss new vehicles and a phone app for scheduling and tracking rides
Greater Cleveland Rapid Transit Authority paratransit users will be able to schedule, cancel and track rides from a smart phone.
RTA plans to launch the PASS mobile app late in 2025 with the goal of improving paratransit riders’ experience. The app will allows users to add notes for a trip and track a vehicle’s location.
RTA’s district director of Paratransit, Nick Davidson, said Paratransit riders currently have to call to speak with dispatch to find out where their ride is. The app will free up dispatchers to take other calls. Customers will still have the option of calling in to speak with a dispatcher.
Davidson also said the app will help increase the perception of safety. “No longer will they have to wonder, ‘Is my bus coming, do I have to wait outside or by a window and watch for the vehicle coming?’ … They can wait inside the home or warmer environments while they wait on that vehicle,” he said.
RTA’s Paratransit service currently serves more than 4,000 active customers, Davidson said.
The full RTA board is expected to vote on approval for the app at a meeting on Jan. 21.
$2.5 million upgrades to Paratransit’s vehicle fleet
RTA also plans to purchase 17 new Paratransit vehicles from American Bus & Accessories Inc. Each vehicle would cost $150,208. Thirteen of the 17 new vehicles would replace aging ones currently in use. The State of Ohio would fund the purchase. The agency expects delivery of the new buses in September.
Fleet Engineering Manager Dan Kerg said RTA wants to increase its Paratransit fleet to 100 vehicles. Committee Chair Anthony Biasotta said he supported the purchase in the wake of the growing need for Paratransit services. The full board is expected to vote on the contract at its Jan. 21 meeting.
Proposed changes to Community Advisory Committee
The Board of Trustees also reviewed proposed policy changes to RTA’s Community Advisory Committee (CAC), which advises the board on issues related to its disability services.
Proposed changes include consecutive-term limits for members. If approved, the chair, vice chair, and secretary of the CAC would be permitted to serve up to four one-year consecutive terms in a position, down from the current six years. Additional changes would establish a quorum from “at least 50% plus one” to “a majority of the appointed members.” This change would apply to both CAC and subcommittee meetings.