RTA may postpone service cuts until after levy vote
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Photo: Sam Allard/Axios
RTA riders may get an eight-month reprieve from service cuts previously scheduled to begin in December.
Why it matters: The proposed delay would push reductions until August 2027, after Cuyahoga County voters decide in May whether to increase the sales tax funding the transit system.
- RTA CEO India Birdsong-Terry warns postponement could mean deeper, more abrupt cuts if the levy fails.
Driving the news: RTA staff recommended the delay at a board committee meeting this week, citing better-than-expected finances and public opposition to the planned reductions.
By the numbers: RTA has saved nearly $1 million through administrative cuts this year, while health care expenses are running below budget and sales tax collections are up from 2025.
What they're saying: At community meetings last month, riders lamented what's often called the "transit death spiral," RTA service planning manager Jeff Macko said — service cuts leading to fewer riders, leading to more cuts, etc.
- Residents also questioned the wisdom of reducing service immediately before asking voters for a tax increase.
Reality check: Birdsong-Terry stressed that delaying the cuts doesn't eliminate RTA's looming fiscal cliff.
- Waiting until August could leave the agency less time to phase in reductions if voters reject the levy, potentially requiring more dramatic changes at once.
Catch up quick: RTA's existing 1% county sales tax, approved in 1975, provides roughly three-quarters of its operating revenue.
What's next: The decision to postpone will be Birdsong-Terry's.
- In the meantime, RTA's board meets Sept. 22 to determine the details of the proposed sales tax increase.