Fed agency: Closed Cleveland Public Square could violate funding agreement
CLEVELAND (AP) — A federal agency says keeping Cleveland’s Public Square closed to public transit might violate an agreement that helped the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority get about $140 million in grants.
The Plain Dealer in Cleveland reports the Federal Transit Administration sent a letter to RTA CEO Joe Calabrese last week claiming a 2004 funding deal stated that the Bus Rapid Transit system would end in Public Square.
The agreement called for a Downtown Transit Zone that would facilitate bus traffic across town and would mitigate noise impacts.
The FTA says the RTA could be in violation of an agreement it made to receive grant funding for the HealthLine in not reopening Public Square to public transit.
Calabrese says he expects to talk to the FTA soon.