RTA Joins Cleveland in Asking for Extension on $12 Million FTA Repayment
Traffic counts at seven downtown intersections began today as part of the first formal traffic study at Public Square since its renovation. If the timing seems odd (in part due to weather, which has already caused a delay on this study), that's because the city and RTA are hustling to provide traffic data to the Federal Transit Administration, which seeks a $12-million repayment from RTA for re-routing buses off the Public Square portion of Superior Avenue and breaching a federal funding agreement.
Repayment — or an appeal, which is taking the form of this traffic study — is due by Jan. 19.
RTA CEO Joe Calabrese sent a letter to the FTA yesterday, requesting a 30-day extension. (Mayor Frank Jackson asked for the same thing on Jan. 5.) The FTA has yet to respond.
RTA and the city hope that the traffic study will show what, "if any," impact the closure of Superior Avenue to buses has on RTA. The very existence of the FTA's demand would seem to be an impact, though Calabrese and Jackson have vigorously balked at that notion for months now.
Read more: http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2017/01/11/rta-joins-city-in-asking-for-extension-on-12-million-fta-repayment