CLEVELAND — As the Greater Cleveland RTA (GCRTA) looks to make "cost-saving cuts," the agency has decided to discontinue WiFi on all trains, trolleys, and buses starting Dec. 19.
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I told you last week that GCRTA announced it was on the chopping block for service cuts, a hiring freeze, elimination of vacant positions, and a limitation on overtime.
Now we're learning that GCRTA is adding the discontinuation of WiFi on public transportation to the list.
Customer WiFi will continue to be available for riders at the following GCRTA stations and transit centers:
- Tower City Station
- Cedar University Station
- East 55th St. Station
- Louis Stokes/Windermere Station
- East 79th Station
- Stephanie Tubbs Jones Transit Center
Customer WiFi at these stations and transit centers will remain accessible 24 hours a day.
I requested an interview with GCRTA to discuss the details of this service discontinuation, but the agency declined.
A spokesperson told me the cut-off of WiFi would save GCRTA $250,000 annually.
GCRTA landed on Dec. 19 as the discontinuation date because "services closeout and billing cycle date."
"It's disheartening knowing how much taxes we pay," Ariana Menefee said. "Make cutbacks in areas that don't really impact the people so directly because WiFi is one thing that we all know that in this day and age it's something that's so strong right now."
Menefee is a former frequent RTA rider.
"I've been riding RTA since I was a teenager and I've also raised four of my children riding the RTA as well and it's been fairly, I mean, normal and very, very valuable as it's helped me get to appointments, school," she told me on Thursday.
She's grateful for what RTA has given her and her family, but she's disappointed to see how the agency is evolving.
"I definitely fear for kids, especially with them conjoining schools right now," she said. "Seeing the differences between now and I'm gonna say back in the day when I rode the bus, it's completely different."
Menefee's 23-year-old son, Tyrone, is a frequent rider and says he consistently uses RTA's WiFi while on the bus.
"Today, I was using it. Trying to make a call. Trying to shoot a quick text. Trying to see where I gotta get to go to," Tyrone said. "And then even if it's a bus coming by, I can get a little signal or WiFi if I need to shoot a quick text. You need WiFi to buy your bus pass."
Tyrone said having access to public transportation and its WiFi is crucial to his everyday life.
"Every single day I use the transportation's WiFi for everything to see where I'm going, like that's important," Tyrone said.
With the discontinuation of WiFi quickly approaching, he said it's forcing him to figure out how to operate without readily available internet service — that he'll get through it, but it won't be easy.
"I'm confident that I can do it," he said. "It's just something that people gotta deal with."
I also spoke with Steven Myers, an inconsistent RTA rider who uses the WiFi when he is on the bus.
"I've been riding RTA off and on since I've been back in Cleveland for about five years," he said. "I use it primarily to get downtown to sporting events, games. When I worked downtown, I was taking it to work and so I used that. It was a lot easier commute riding the train than navigating through traffic. That's one of the major advantages of taking public transportation. You can use that time to catch up before you get into the office, be prepared for your day, so without WiFi, that's a huge blow to many of the commuters."
To hear the news of service cuts to come and the discontinuation of WiFi is devastating to him.
"I know to a lot of people, especially in Cleveland, due to the economic situation," Myers said. "It's really saddening. I think they'll lose a lot of business with these cuts."
He said, unfortunately, ordering a ride share has become an easier option.
"I would definitely urge [GCRTA] to reconsider," Myers told me. "I would definitely do a lot of research before cutting. It can affect a number of families in a negative way going forward."
Menefee encourages riders to stay informed on what's happening with GCRTA.
"It's the tip of the iceberg," Menefee said. "Go vote. It's important to be informed about the things that's going on so that we can make those changes because they are making changes behind our backs that we don't know about because of cutbacks."
GCRTA said no other services will be discontinued this year.
