(CLEVELAND) - RTA and the City of Cleveland are getting a little more time to pay the Feds back $12 million dollars for closing Public Square to buses.
The Federal Transit Administration sent a letter to the RTA today granting a 30 day extension to the deadline. The new deadline will be February 21. Cleveland's Mayor and City Council have been battling about the decision to close Public Square, and the repercussions of that decision for months. The FTA said the closure violated an agreement made in 2004, when they granted Cleveland tens of millions of dollars for infrastructure projects. The city says terrorism concerns and pedestrian safety led them to keep the square closed. The city is waiting on the outcome of a study before making a final decision about the closure.