(She/Her) | Cleveland, OH
I moved to Cleveland 16 years ago, from a small town in Ohio where there is no public transit. As a person living with a mobility disability, Cleveland’s public transit system gave me a newfound freedom. I am able to commute to my full-time job at Downtown Cleveland Alliance in downtown Cleveland from where I live in Shaker Heights. It takes 20 minutes on the Green or Blue light rail lines, plus a ten-minute journey in my motorized wheelchair. Transit is also my primary way to access entertainment at the nearby art museum and botanical garden, using the #48 bus to get there. I also rely on it for life’s necessities, such as making it to my doctor’s appointments or going grocery shopping.
Without better transit service, I might be forced to move back to my family home and end up relying on governmental assistance. Without transit, I wouldn’t be able to go essentially anywhere independently and my life would be completely different. I don’t qualify for certain independent accessible transportation options. Ride-sharing services do not have accessible vehicles, and their services are too expensive. I might be forced to learn to drive an accessible vehicle, which would be a lengthy process and an expense I cannot afford. Public transit is the sole reason I moved to Cleveland, as I knew it would provide me the independent life I had longed to achieve.
In my first few years of living in Cleveland, using public transit was a struggle; not every train station was accessible and many buses had broken ramps. However, whenever there is more investment into this public service, the difference makes a huge impact. For example, once they updated their bus fleet and the stations to make them more accommodating, everything became easier. I depend on these systems to get back and forth to work every day and to live out my daily life. Without our public transportation system, I would not be able to maintain my independence whatsoever.
Without transit, I would not be able to work, have money or live independently. Without transit, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do. Transit service is incredibly important to me, my livelihood, and my community.