"Can't You See... People Are Bleeding Here"

I am legally-blind. I live in Lakewood. I am also a graduate student in the School of Social Work at CSU. I am stating this to prove that I rely on public transportation to get around.

This letter is to advocate for those who are not speaking up for themselves.

What about the elderly who are not connected with senior centers? What about those people who need to work to pay for their mortgages and heating bills? What about mothers who need to shop to put food on the table for their children? What about them?

RTA is not just a privilege, it is a necessity. It is a basic human right. RTA is a valuable needed service for basic human survival.

If RTA can't pay for this, why not rally community support. Why not put together grant proposals to local community and corporate foundations. This money does not have to come from one source. A little bit here, a little bit there.  Why not ask for people to give donations. I bet some would pay money to keep their services. Also, I think people would rather have the rates increased instead of cutting out their services.

We understand you are in debt, but sometimes when funds for mass transit are being cut, the money is going elsewhere. Is it for highway road construction? Or is it the planned railway being discussed to connect Ohio cities? Is the money being channeled elsewhere? Yet, we understand that certain money can only go for specific projects.

What it is going to take is individual and group work. If you want to keep your specific route and time, what you need to do is write up a petition requesting your specific route and time. Then have all the people that you ride with on this specific route to sign the petition. If you can prove to RTA that it is cost-effective to keep your specific route and time, then RTA might keep your service. You as an individual have to rally support from your fellow passengers and prove that it is worth keeping your service.

"Can't you see?...people are bleeding here...have a heart...PATCH IT UP!"

Sincerely,

"One who can see"