All downtown bus traffic is being re-routed around downtown in order to comply with the curfew, which forbids existing outdoors for all but a few exempt categories of people. Even residents are supposed to remain indoors, though they have been theoretically permitted — assuming the right cops got the right memo — to enter and exit the curfew zones for emergency errands or whathaveyou.
Justin Bibb, an RTA board member, called the city's actions "not acceptable" yesterday. He noted, as others have, that he had no groceries at home and was terrified of facing arrest if he left his residence.
I have no groceries at home and I’m terrified of getting arrested if I leave. This response by the @CityofCleveland is not acceptable. We can protect our residents and protect First Ammendment rights. Those things are not mutually exclusive. We can do better. #CLECantWait
— Justin M. Bibb (@JustinMBibb) June 1, 2020
Portions of the curfew zone are high-poverty areas, and included multiple senior housing facilities. Many of these residents have limited or no access to vehicles. Eliminating public transit during the "curfew" does real harm to these people.
The RTA's main office also happens to be in the downtown curfew zone. The transit authority's employees are working remotely today, (though most of the office workers likely already were due to COVID-19). More importantly, Tower City and its customer service center is closed.
All west side buses are terminating at the Red Line West 25th Street Station, and all east side buses are terminating at Tri-C Metro Campus. In a statement, RTA said that to access crosstown trips, customers may travel on the Red Line between the East 34th Street Campus Station and the West 25th Street Station.
What a disaster.
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