Feds Want Their Money Back After Cleveland Changes Public Square Plans

The city of Cleveland knew that the Federal Transit Administration expected buses to run through Public Square. Now that there will be no buses, the FTA says there will be no grant money.

1 minute read

December 30, 2016, 1:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Cleveland Public Square

Kenneth Sponsler / Shutterstock

"The other shoe has finally dropped on the closing of Public Square to buses," reports WKYC Channel 3. The article by the television news station breaks the news that "the Federal Transit Administration has sent a letter to the Cleveland RTA, demanding the return of $12 million in the next 30 days."

As reported when the city closed the Public Square to buses in a controversial decision November, the grant required buses to run on Superior Avenue through Public Square for as part of a federally funded downtown transit zone.

"The letter accuses the RTA of a 'breach of a grant agreement' since the square has not reopened to traffic, despite $50 million in total renovations," according to the scoop. 

Thursday, December 29, 2016 in WKYC

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

High-rise apartment buildings in Waikiki, Hawaii with steep green mountains in background.

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss

The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

April 6, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 10, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

A line of white wind turbines surrounded by wheat and soybean fields with a cloudy blue sky in the background.

Wind Energy on the Rise Despite Federal Policy Reversal

The Trump administration is revoking federal support for renewable energy, but demand for new projects continues unabated.

April 15 - Fast Company

Red and white Caltrain train.

Passengers Flock to Caltrain After Electrification

The new electric trains are running faster and more reliably, leading to strong ridership growth on the Bay Area rail system.

April 15 - Office of Governor Gavin Newsom

View up at brick Catholic church towers and modern high-rise buildings.

Texas Churches Rally Behind ‘Yes in God’s Back Yard’ Legislation

Religious leaders want the state to reduce zoning regulations to streamline leasing church-owned land to housing developers.

April 15 - NBC Dallas