"Free Public Transit Pays for Itself" -- #ThisIsCLE @CLERisingSummit

FREE Public Transit already has a meeting with @GCRTA

At @CLERisingSummit’s #CLErising https://t.co/hysUM6icKz#ThisIsCLE — improving #Cleveland pic.twitter.com/01CxwhOUuj

— Stuart O. Smith, Jr. - sosAssociates.com (@sos_jr) October 31, 2019

Many people in Columbus, Ohio, see the benefits #freetransit would bring

“Ninety-five percent (of residents) don’t know what the inside of a bus looks like,” he said, and more people on the bus would mean fewer cars on the road.
“You can make an argument that it helps everybody,” Weiler said. “If we become the first major city in America (to offer free bus service), that will really put us on the map.”
Weiler said the move would benefit a broad section of the community, and employers would benefit, too, because some are having trouble keeping workers who struggle with transportation.
“I’ve had a ton of emails and phone calls: ‘What can I do to make it happen?’” Weiler said.
“There are a large number of people who want to help.”

https://www.dispatch.com/news/20190329/despite-resistance-developer-continues-campaign-for-free-cota-bus-service 

Clevelanders for Public Transit

clefortransit.org Today, riders from Clevelanders for Public Transit (CPT) will be hosting a march and rally to demand immediate funding for frequent, affordable and reliable transit. Riders will meet at 5 p.m. at RTA Headquarters, 1240 West 6th Street before marching to Public Square for a 5:30 p.m. rally.

Cars choking Columbus, Oh

The Guardian: "But its transit problems are evident. The freeways into the city are packed at rush hour, and the downtown business district faces a car parking crunch, with few and expensive spaces for the 45,000 workers."

Akron METRO, SARTA, PARTA offer free bus fares through August

cleveland.com: "AKRON, Ohio -- Residents of Summit, Stark and Portage Counties can take advantage of free public transportation every Friday, July 7-Aug. 31.

Akron METRO, SARTA and PARTA will offer free bus rides as part of their "Summer in the Cities" promotion to encourage passengers to explore all three counties at no cost."

Columbus Shows What Free Bus Passes Can Do for Ridership

Next City: "CCSID just wrapped up a pilot project during which they gave free transit passes to 844 workers at four companies from June 2015 to January 2017. The results were encouraging, with bus ridership among participants increasing from 6.4 percent to 12.2 percent. That’s good, especially considering citywide, only 3.6 percent of commuters take transit and 79 percent drive alone."

Cleveland mayoral candidate calls for #freepublictransit

WKYC.com: ""One of my biggest policies is bringing free public transportation to the city so that we can provide an option that gives mobility and accessibility to our residents that live in or below poverty. When looking at the statistics, nearly 36% of our population lives at or below poverty and that is unacceptable. Transportation is the key to providing upward mobility for anyone and, unfortunately, the city is watching GCRTA hit a deficit without any attempt to assist or speak up.""