Bishop Chui’s Public Transportation Story

“Since I’ve been back in Cleveland, I’ve been primarily using public transportation and walking and it’s gotten to a point recently where I feel like transportation is so bad (in Cleveland) that I feel like I need to purchase a car to live here or move somewhere else, that only makes sense. If I’m going to spend that much. I might as well be someplace where the benefits are much better, higher pay etc. So I’m kind of measuring it and, I feel like RTA getting it together is essential to me remaining in Cleveland but there have been a lot of horror stories. In the past year it has just gotten so bad,  several times I was just like this is it for me, I can’t do this anymore. I haven’t gone and bought a car but some days it’s just really difficult. Especially the winter; on the Red Line, the door was open while we were riding. It’s just swinging back-and-forth and, you know, it’s freezing snow on the ground. Things like that and then the trains might get shut down randomly and then there’s all the pauses they have where they’re doing work and you can’t get anywhere and then they assign a shuttle, but then they randomly move the shuttle stop somewhere else, they don’t put any signs up or anything, they just move and you have to figure it out and that happens constantly in Cleveland; they’ll change the route. No sign is up there. They won’t put it online or anything. You just gotta understand that your bus isn’t coming and figure out where the bus went is like a mystery. That has happened countless times this summer and it is so draining. Like going to Warrensville and Shaker Heights, and trying to get back on the shuttle and you just don’t know when it’s coming, you might as Uber and I think I come out spending the same amount of money as if I purchase RTA passes but at least I’m on time when I need to do something and that’s been one of my biggest issues. Also horrible attitudes from the bus drivers who at the last minute are just zooming past me and then they’re like “oh well, you were standing behind the sign” or something like that. Something crazy like that and I’m standing what I’m supposed to be. You couldn’t possibly see me and stop if you’re going over 40 and then blame the rider. It’s just a really depressing situation where I feel like it has to change and I don’t feel like I could stay in Cleveland if it doesn’t, so what happens with RTA determines whether or not I stay in the city.”

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