By a 7-1 vote, the board approved a plan that will use a reduced fine for juveniles who skip paying the fares on the RTA Red Line rapid and Health Line bus.
The Board agreed to use the period from now until February first to better educate the public about the warnings, the fines, and the payment method on the Health Line - which is unlike any other Regional Transit Authority payment system. Several board members admitted that they are also confused by the payment system. One board member spoke of polling teens who attend Cleveland State University who mistakenly believed that the Health Line, which goes through the campus- was a free bus.
Attorneys from the ACLU argued that the fines are overbearing because they are nearly 20 times the cost of the fare that was not paid, and because they are primarily being leveled against youth from low-income homes.
