Transit-oriented development planned in Slavic Village, North Broadway

This meeting of RTA trustee committees started at 9:13 a.m. Time stamp 18:08 on YouTube. This is the full agenda packet.

As part of the RTA Operational Planning & Infrastructure Committee session, RTA staff and staff from City Architecture gave a presentation (not an action item for committee) on a TOD and bus rapid transit (BRT) plan for a Broadway Avenue corridor, centered on RTA Route 19.

The corridor, which stretches from Tri-C’s Metro Campus RTA station to the intersection of Miles Avenue and Broadway Avenue, is part of RTA’s network of priority corridors that are ripe for TOD and BRT, according to Maribeth Feke, RTA’s director of programming and planning. It’s similar in concept to the Euclid Avenue Healthline, Clifton Boulevard BRT, and the in-progress MetroHealth Line on West 25 Street. Much of it runs through the Slavic Village and North Broadway neighborhoods. 

This is funded in part by a Federal Transit Authority TOD grant.

Broadway Avenue Corridor and RTA service

Krysta Pesarchick, from City Architecture, described the study area: Initially on Broadway Avenue from East 34th Street in the north to Miles Avenue/Turney Road in the south, later refined to a north border of Finn Avenue.

Mandy Metcalf, RTA senior planner, said of Route 19: It runs from downtown Cleveland down Broadway, splitting in the south to Garfield Heights and Maple Heights.

Michelle Bandy-Zalatoris, from City Architecture, said the corridor has strong transit connectivity. With zero or one transfer, riders can access 11 RTA routes from the corridor.

Community engagement on Broadway Corridor transit plan

Pesarchick said the project team has had 20 core team meetings, four large public events, five steering committee meetings, and 20 focus group sessions. 

Partners: Slavic Village Community Development Corp., Cleveland City Planning, and others.

Pesarchick said these strengths of the corridor surfaced at engagement events: Diversity, historic character, green spaces and community pride.

Community concerns about the corridor: Unsafe crossings, speeding, poor lighting, potholes and deteriorated sidewalks.

Transit-specific concerns: Difficulty accessing bus stops, need for better pedestrian infrastructure and amenities.

Community input on housing: Desire for affordable housing, foreclosure prevention, home repair resources, and preservation/rehab of existing housing.

Pesarchick said there is also a desire for more neighborhood gathering places (cafés, dry bars, playgrounds, public spaces).

Broadway Avenue transportation analysis and current design

Pesarchick also presented this section.

Crash data: 540 crashes (2021-2024) on Broadway; 40% resulted in injuries. Average vehicle speeds exceed posted limits, which aligns with Cleveland’s Vision Zero findings.

North section of the corridor: Currently more industrial, has highways, and the Slavic Village Connector Metroparks trail.

Middle: Historic main-street form; narrow sidewalks and high vacancy. A narrow section near Fleet Avenue is too tight for two dedicated bus lanes.

South: More auto-oriented, wider roadway.

Key BRT/TOD measures of corridor transit plan

Pesarchick presented these details:

• Dedicated curbside bus lanes for more than 50% of the corridor (but not in the tightest areas).
• Transit signal priority (TSP) throughout.
• Reduced number of bus stops.
• Curb bump-outs at BRT spots to keep buses in the travel lane and create space for shelters.
• Sidewalk widening and streetscape improvements for pedestrian safety and experience.
• Raised boarding areas at some stations to speed boarding and reduce bus kneeling/ramp use.

Current: 25 bus stop pairs, 700 feet apart from other stops on average.

Proposed: 17 station pairs, 1,200 feet apart from other stops (about 32% fewer stops).

Station “family” types: Different configurations depending on right-of-way depth, but all are driven by community input and RTA design standards (clearances, accessibility, amenities).

Discussion addressed concerns about longer walking distances, especially for elderly and disabled riders and churchgoers.

People who live within a quarter mile won’t see much additional walk time, Metcalf said. 

Benefits: Faster travel times and better transit reliability.

There is a continued focus on pedestrian access and connections and paratransit for those who can’t manage the walk.

Pesarchick continued with the presentation, turning attention to the workforce. There are 11,706 jobs in the study area. The top sectors are manufacturing and healthcare/social assistance (half of all jobs). Only about 4% of residents work within the study area; most commute to other parts of Cleveland/region.

Potential development areas include: Dining, clothing and apparel, sporting goods/pet supplies/hobby, home improvement/furnishings.

Strategy: Reuse vacant commercial space and target infill development sites.

Pesarchick said the area has a very low median home sales price ($75,000). About two-thirds of sales are to investors; 46% of the investors are from outside Ohio.

There is a heavy reliance on subsidies for current projects. Recommendation is to emphasize the rehab of existing housing and commercial buildings. Pesarchick said the goal is to also promote local homeownership and Slavic Village as an affordable neighborhood where people can build equity.

Bandy-Zalatoris jumped in and said the team identified several “nodes” (development focus areas) around station clusters:

• East 55th Street and Broadway Avenue – treated as the “neighborhood’s downtown” and recommended as the first priority for investment.
• Union-Aetna – strong multimodal access (bike routes crossing Broadway).
• Fleet – leverages Stella Walsh Recreation Center and large-scale nearby vacant land; aligned with city plan for rec center investments.
• Harvard – important gateway node connecting businesses, industry and remaining neighborhood assets.

Metcalf said the team estimates $36.9 million of construction/infrastructure costs, with total projected costs — including engineering costs — to be under $50 million.

Bandy-Zalatoris said next steps include presenting to the Cleveland City Planning Commission and the Cleveland Landmarks Commission.

The presentation states that design and engineering is set for 2028 and construction for 2030.

This portion was informational only. No vote was taken.

RTA nominating committee

The meeting also featured Board Member Emily Garr Pacetti heading up the Nomination Committee, filling in for Stephen Love, who was absent. She said the committee received two letters of interest for the office of board president and vice president for the upcoming year. One was from Trustee and Mayor of Bay Village Paul Koomar (for office of president) and Pacetti (for the office of vice president). They each hold those offices presently. The board will vote on those positions during its March 24 meeting. Prior to the vote, each trustee will receive a copy of the letters, Pacetti said. At the meeting, the two people will present their case for the position.

Minutes from the committee’s meeting on Nov. 11, 2025, were approved. Then, the Nominating Committee adjourned.

RTA looking to stabilize general fund

Next was the Committee of the Whole. Roll call:

• Koomar
• Pacetti
• Anastasia Elder
• Love (absent)
• Deidre McPherson
• Shanelle Smith Whigham
• Jeffrey Sleasman
• Marie Gallo, mayor of Parma Heights
• David Weiss, mayor of Shaker Heights
• Quorum was achieved.

Feb. 17, 2026, minutes were approved.

Proposed code book update amending section 460.04(f) – Capital Improvement Fund

Anna Hlavacs, RTA senior counsel for contracts, real estate and administrative law, presented. 

Background: The code book was codified in 1989. It is subject to review and revision every three years. Chapter 460 has to do with financial policies. 

RTA staff wants to reduce the required sales tax revenue allocation to the Capital Improvement Fund from a minimum of 10% to a minimum of 5%. Staff asked the committee to advance this recommendation to the full board for its consideration at a future meeting. According to the code book, “the Capital Improvement Fund shall be used to account for the construction and acquisition of major capital facilities and equipment.”

Rajan Gautam, RTA finance secretary-treasurer, said this change supports a comprehensive plan to stabilize the general fund through 2028. It is intended to be a temporary reduction. In 2028, the staff would look to restore the funding level to the current level, Gautam said.

This change will save the general fund about $14 million per year, or $42 million over this three-year period, he added.

Trustees expressed discomfort with lowering the floor for capital but generally supported the change for flexibility. They also requested detailed projections and pro forma financials. They also confirmed that the code language allows contributing more than 5% in any given year without needing another code change.

The committee voted to advance the proposal to the full board.

RTA railcar replacement program update

Bryan Moore, railcar project lead manager with the fleet management division, kicked off the presentation.

Moore said RTA issued a contract for new railcars in June 2023. The base contract would yield 24 lightrail cars; now, a total of 54 vehicles are under contract (out of a possible 60 RTA could purchase), with a $450 million total program budget.

Carolyn Young, director of grants management and treasury for RTA, said funding secured is about $420 million, with $358 million of that awarded. About $29.5 million would still need to be committed for the full 60-vehicle plan, Young said.

Moore said the first vehicle delivery is expected in June of this year, with two additional cars anticipated by July.

He also announced target in-service dates for new cars. The Red Line target is Aug. 15, 2027, and the Blue/Green/Waterfront target is August 2028.

RTA Chief Operating Officer Floun’say Caver said staff recommends stopping at 54 cars for now due to cost pressures, including tariffs. Caver said operations can run with 54 cars. The additional six cars would cost roughly $36 million (plus restart/escalation costs if ordered later).

The Committee of the Whole then adjourned.

New safety tech for RTA rail personnel

Next up was the Organizational, Services and Performance Monitoring Committee, made up of Trustees Pacetti, Gallo, McPherson and Sleasman.

Right-of-way safety equipment

RTA staff recommended the purchase of Protran ranging right-of-way safety equipment (including personal alert devices and vehicle equipment) from Harsco Rail (Protran Technology) for up to about $516,532.50.

Miles Varga, RTA supervisor of traction power, started the presentation. He said the goals of this purchase are to be compatible with new Siemens railcars and to enhance worker/train alerting for personnel working on or near the rail right of way.

The committee advanced the proposal to the full board for future consideration.

RTA saving on compressed natural gas vs. diesel

Natural gas/compressed natural gas (CNG)supply contract increase

Tom Allen, RTA energy manager,introduced the presentation. Due to higher-than-estimated consumption (especially CNG for buses) and market prices, RTA staff is requesting an increase to the not-to-exceed amount of the existing natural gas contract with Direct Energy Business Marketing, LLC, Allen said. The increase — a $3 million bump bringing the contract to a $12 million maximum — is within the already-approved 2026 budget, Allen added.

Allen also said RTA’s initiative to have more CNG buses than diesel buses has substantially reduced fuel cost, as CNG is cheaper.

Allen explained the current contract structure for natural gas: Partially fixed and partially market-based pricing. RTA fixes the basis cost and can lock in future prices for budget stability or ride the market month-to-month. Current contract rates were locked in at the end of 2023 through July 2027 to stabilize future budgets.

Upcoming related procurements:

RTA’s natural gas and electricity supply contracts expire in 2027, Allen said.

Plan is to:

• Bring a new natural gas supply contract for board action in June (for a 2027 start).
• Bring a new electricity contract to the board later, likely in October.

The committee approved sending the Direct Energy contract increase to the full board for approval.

The Organizational, Services and Performance Monitoring Committee then adjourned.

RTA buses set to get a lift

The Operational Planning & Infrastructure Committee convened next. Sleasman, Pacetti and Gallo were present.

Hayden Garage Lift Replacement

Norbert Reynolds, a resident engineer with RTA, began a presentation on a proposed procurement to replace four obsolete in-ground scissor bus lifts at the Hayden Garage, a bus garage in East Cleveland.

This project involves:

• Removal and disposal of existing lifts.
• Modifications to existing pits.
• New floor drains in each pit.
• Installation of four new in-ground ECO 60 scissor-style lifts (manufactured by Stertil-Koni).
• 480V three-phase electrical power, hydraulic hoses, air lines and floor surface coating.

Hayden relies heavily on these lifts, Reynolds said. No more than two lifts can be out of service at a time to minimize disruption. He said the new lifts must be fully tested and certified — and staff will be trained — before RTA puts the lifts in service.

Issues with existing lifts:

• Existing lifts (15 years old, made by Rotary Solutions) are obsolete; manufacturer no longer supports this style.
• Failures can leave lifts out of service for weeks due to difficulty sourcing parts.
• Deep pits (8-9 feet) make maintenance difficult, time-consuming and less safe.

Features of new ECO 60:

• Can lift up to 60 tons
• Shallow pit (34 inches) makes for easier, safer maintenance. Movable front post to match various wheelbases.
• Unobstructed access for brakes, wheels, engine, etc.
• Use less hydraulic fluid.
• Modern E-bright interface.
• On-board access to manuals and maintenance info.

Safety features include: Operator ID keys, overload protection, mechanical locks, synchronized lifting and flush pit covers to reduce trip hazards.

Lou Catalusci, an RTA contract administrator, spoke about the bidding process for the work. RTA issued an invitation for bid on Jan. 11. Seventeen interested parties accessed the bid. One bid was received from Indiana-based SLE Technologies Inc, a factory-authorized installer and regional distributor for the lifts.

Catalusci said there was only one bid partly because other vendors felt they couldn’t compete on price with SLE, given SLE’s role as distributor of the lift. 

Staff is recommending an award to SLE Technologies Inc. for an amount not to exceed $1,470,630.83.

The committee moved and approved forwarding this contract award recommendation to the full board.

RTA executive session

Lastly, the Compensation Committee meeting was called to order at 11:22 a.m.

The committee approved the minutes from the Feb. 3 meeting.

There was a motion and roll-call vote to enter executive session to consider the employment evaluation and compensation of a public employee/official.

Weiss said that no action would be taken after the executive session. After the executive session ended, the committee voted to return to public session, then moved for and approved adjournment. 

These notes are by Documenter Brooke Adams.

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If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at documenters@signalcleveland.org  with “Correction Request” in the subject line.