Local riders and businesses urge council to back West 25th BRT bus lanes

Emily Harper, a renter and regular RTA rider from the Detroit‑Shoreway neighborhood, urged Cleveland City Council to support the RTA West 25th Street BRT project, which would add dedicated bus lanes and pedestrian upgrades on one of the city’s most congested corridors.

"When transit is accessible and reliable, more people use it," Harper said. She credited past improvements—mobile ticketing, real‑time stop information and seating upgrades—for boosting ridership, and said the proposed dedicated lanes would make West 25th Street safer and more equitable.

Harper warned that a small group of commercial property owners has actively opposed the plan to preserve parking. She said a local property owner, Sam McNulty, had publicly said he would contact a state senator to try to pull project funding. Harper asked council to ensure residents’ voices are not drowned out by a few interests.

Harper also said several businesses in Ohio City—including LECO, Joy Machines and Tabletop—have expressed public support for the bus lanes.

Council did not take a vote on the project during the meeting; the item appeared in public comment and advocates asked elected officials to maintain support through the project phases.

What’s next: Advocates asked council to monitor project stages and resist pressure from opponents; no formal city action was recorded on the BRT item at the meeting.