Covered by Documenter Sarah Tan
What happened: The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) is planning to replace its entire rail fleet in the next 10 years. The agency hopes to receive a $130 million Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) grant to complete the project. The new vehicles would allow GCRTA to create more routes that don’t require transferring at Tower City. That would more than double the existing number of routes. If GCRTA does not receive the federal funding, officials said that they will buy the first few vehicles and then reapply. The board is set to review the proposal for approval at its meeting today.
ADA updates: GCRTA would also use IIJA funding to bring existing Green and Blue Line stops up to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility standards. GCRTA Board President Charles Lucas said only a few stops are ADA accessible.
Left wondering: Documenter Sarah Tan asked, “What is happening with the old trains? Are any of them being repurposed or recycled?”