Buckeye Reporter

CLEVELAND, OH – On May 5, 2023, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) visited the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) Central Rail Facility to announce that the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration has invested $130 million to replace GCRTA’s aging rail cars. As Chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, which has jurisdiction over public transportation, Brown worked with senators of both parties to write and pass The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including the Rail Vehicle Replacement Program which is funding the investment.

“Replacing these ancient rail cars will save taxpayers money, keep workers on the job, and improve service for Clevelanders. If you’re an hourly worker, whether a train is on-time can mean the difference between making your shift or not,” said Brown. “I fought to secure this investment in the bipartisan infrastructure bill because transit like RTA is ultimately about the dignity of work. It creates jobs, it connects people with jobs, and it attracts jobs.”

GCRTA’s new rail car fleet will save the agency money by reducing repair costs and provide more comfortable and reliable service for passengers. GCRTA is studying new routes and new travel options for its riders because the new rail cars will be capable of operating across the agency’s entire rail network. 

Brown was joined by Federal Transit Administrator Nuria Fernandez; Congresswoman Shontel Brown; India Birdsong Terry, General Manager and CEO of GCRTA; Bryan Moore, GCRTA Rail Car Replacement Project Manager and Daniel Tighe, Vehicle Maintenance Instructor. Birdsong Terry and Moore spoke about their experiences promoting accessible and efficient public transit in Ohio, and the importance of this infrastructure investment, and Tighe spoke about the efforts of GCRTA’s maintenance workers that will transition from maintaining the old rail fleet to the new rail cars. GCRTA’s rail lines provide more than 12,000 trips every weekday, and the agency’s ridership totaled 18.8 million passenger trips in 2022 across all bus and rail routes.

“One-third of our nation’s subway and commuter rail vehicles are more than 25 years old,” said FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez. “This program focuses mainly on medium-sized transit agencies like Cleveland GCRTA to provide them with additional means to address overdue improvements. We are proud to select projects like these to improve passenger rail service for riders across the nation.”

“Revitalization of our public transit systems is key to keeping our riders safer and our communities better connected,” said Rep. Shontel Brown. “This $130 million investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to Greater Cleveland Rail Transportation Authority’s Rail Vehicle Replacement Program will promote increased ridership and encourage transit-oriented development along RTA’s rail system. The Biden Administration knows that rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure is fundamental to building stronger, more resilient communities, and I will continue to champion legislation that further strengthens our infrastructure here in Northeast Ohio.”

“The Senator’s leadership regarding infrastructure, and in particular, Railcar Replacement, is transformative for our country and our community,” said GCRTA General Manager and CEO India Birdsong Terry.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is providing Ohio transit agencies more than $1.3 billion of funding over five years. Brown wrote the Rail Vehicle Replacement Program that is allowing the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority and other transit agencies to finally replace their aging rail cars. He also cosponsored a program that is providing GCRTA with $8 million to upgrade the East 79th Street light rail station to meet accessibility standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). 

Beyond public transit, the historic, bipartisan law includes Brown’s Bridge Investment Act, which will put Ohioans to work repairing, replacing and upgrading outdated bridges throughout the state, including the new Brent Spence bridge between Ohio and Kentucky. It also includes Brown’s Build America Buy America Act, which will ensure American labor, iron, and steel are used for these publicly funded bridge, broadband, waterway, and public transit projects.

Original source can be found here.