RTA Rapid Transit


RTA Rapid Transit is a rapid transit, light rail, and bus rapid transit system in Cleveland and surrounding areas in Cuyahoga County. The system is owned and operated by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, and currently consists of 7 service lines.

Lines

Four rail lines join at Tower City Center in downtown Cleveland, the former Cleveland Union Terminal. Three lines share their tracks at Tri-C–Campus District and East 55th stations. This sharing of one route between light and heavy rail is quite unusual, and the shared stations have connected platforms of two heights to accommodate the two kinds of trains. The two types of trains both use the same maintenance facility since they both use the same track gauge and same source of power.
In addition to the four rail lines, RTA also operates three bus rapid transit lines. Although these lines consist of bus service, the RTA considers them as a part of the rapid transit system and includes them on its official rapid transit map.

Red Line

The Red Line, a heavy-rail route, runs in both directions on fully grade-separated rights-of-way, built from 1955 to 1968. It serves Cleveland's southwest suburbs with its southwestern terminus at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Heading northeast, the Red Line serves University Circle before heading to its northeastern terminus at the Louis Stokes Station at Windermere in East Cleveland.

Blue, Green, and Waterfront Lines

The Blue and Green rail lines were built from 1913 to 1936 as grade-separated lines closer to downtown and surface lines along street medians in the streetcar suburb of Shaker Heights. The two lines part ways at Shaker Square, a historic mixed-use community in Cleveland proper, just west of the Shaker Heights border. The Blue Line veers southeast along Van Aken Boulevard until reaching its terminus near the intersection of Warrensville Center Road and Chagrin Boulevard. The Green line continues due east along Shaker Boulevard until reaching its terminus at the intersection of Green Road. on the Waterfront Line
The Waterfront Line, opened in 1996, extends the Blue and Green Lines from Tower City north through The Flats. It then travels northeast along the shoreline of Lake Erie, servicing the local Amtrak station, and terminates in the Muni lot. The Waterfront light rail line provides access from Tower City Center to the Flats, FirstEnergy Stadium, the Great Lakes Science Center, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Burke Lakefront Airport.

HealthLine

In October 2008, RTA opened its first bus rapid transit line, originally referred to as "Silver Line", running along Euclid Avenue, providing a direct route between Cleveland's primary tourist attractions from Downtown Cleveland through University Circle to East Cleveland. Naming rights for the BRT were bought by The Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals, and the line was named the HealthLine. The system includes dedicated bus lanes between Public Square and East 105th Street close to the inner median where stations in that portion of the route are also located. All stations along the route feature off board fare collection and the vehicles include a GPS locator on board, which allow automated traffic signals to give the HealthLine buses priority at busy intersections. In addition, the HealthLine runs 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.

Cleveland State Line

In December 2014, RTA opened a second bus rapid transit to serve the western suburbs of Cleveland as well as a larger portion of downtown including Cleveland State University, which purchased naming rights to the route. The line carries the "55" designation, the same route number used by the BRT's predecessor. Only a portion of the line along Clifton Boulevard, from the western terminus of Cleveland Memorial Shoreway to Webb Road in Lakewood includes a dedicated bus only lane. However, the bus only designation only applies during rush hours with the eastbound lane active during the morning rush and the westbound lane active during the evening rush. In addition, there is no off board fare collection; all passengers must pay or swipe/dip their farecards on board the bus.
All outbound trips originate from the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Transit Center near Cleveland State and travel through downtown to Public Square before entering the west shoreway. Shortly after reaching the Lakewood border, the line divides into four sub-routes:
The 55 base route runs Monday through Saturday from early A.M. though the evening. The 55A and 55B routes run Monday through Friday during the morning and evening rush hours only. The 55C route runs Monday through Friday twice during the morning rush and twice during the evening rush.

MetroHealth Line

On Sept. 21, 2017, RTA announced a new partnership with the MetroHealth System to rebrand the number 51 family of routes. On Dec. 3, 2017, the rebranded MetroHealth Line began service with 20 new vehicles, fully branded with the MetroHealth logo. More than 400 bus stop signs and 37 shelters also display the new logo along the routes. This service is essentially just a branding; other than new specially designed buses, there are no other BRT features present. All outbound trips originate at E 12th Street & Rockwell or Superior & W 3rd St, travel through Public Square and then south on W 25th St/Pearl Road until reaching Pearl Road & Broadview Road, located just south of the MetroHealth South Campus where the route splits into four branches:
All routes run seven days a week, except the 51C. The 51A & 51B run 24 hours a day between downtown and the West 33rd Loop, with the 51B operating outbound service and the 51A operating inbound service. Weekday frequency is every 30 minutes on the 51 & 51A and every 60 minutes on the 51B & 51C. Weekend frequency is every 60 minutes on the 51, 51A & 51B.

Fares

Since August 14, 2016, the one-way cash fare on the RTA Rapid Transit is $2.50. A five-ride fare card can be purchased for $12.50. An All-Day/Cleveland 1-Day pass, allowing unlimited riding on the rapid transit as well as on RTA buses is $5.50. Weekly and monthly passes are also available, and there are discounted fares for seniors and disabled. No fare to children below 6 when accompanied by fare-paying rider; limit 3.

Stations

The RTA Rapid Transit system consists of a total of 47 stations. Most of the stations are located in Cleveland, with two of them based in nearby East Cleveland and the rest located in Shaker Heights.
†*Terminus and transfer stations
†Terminal stations
*Transfer stations
Closed stations

StationRapid Transit LinesBRT LinesJurisdictionOpenedRebuiltADA Access
Airport†Cleveland196819941994
Amtrak Cleveland1997
AshbyShaker Heights19201981
AttleboroShaker Heights19131980
AvalonShaker Heights19201981
Shaker Heights19361980
Cleveland / Brook Park196920172003
* Cleveland19201981, 2012
Cleveland195520142002
Shaker Heights19151980
CoventryCleveland / Shaker Heights19131980
Cleveland19481981
Cleveland19961996
* Cleveland192020112011
East 79thCleveland19552021
East 79th* Cleveland19201981
Cleveland195520052005
* Cleveland19201981, 20192019
Shaker Heights19151980
Cleveland1955
Shaker Heights19301981, 20192019
Cleveland19961996
†Shaker Heights19361980, 19882001
KenmoreShaker Heights19201981
Shaker Heights19131980, 20172017
Shaker Heights19201981, 20152015
Cleveland20152015
Louis Stokes–Windermere†*East Cleveland195519971997
Shaker Heights19201981
Shaker Heights19201980
Cleveland196820112011
Cleveland19961996
* Cleveland192019862006
†Cleveland19961996
South ParkShaker Heights19131980
Cleveland / Shaker Heights19201981
SouthingtonShaker Heights19201980
SouthingtonShaker Heights19131981
East Cleveland195519961996
†* Cleveland193019901990
* Cleveland19302003, 20182018
Cleveland195520002000
Shaker Heights19281980, 20162016
†Shaker Heights19301981, 19991999
West 3rd–StadiumCleveland19991999
Cleveland195519921992
Cleveland195520042004
Cleveland195520072007
Cleveland195519991999
Shaker Heights19361980
Cleveland195819961996

Note: Euclid–East 120th Street station closed in 2015 and was replaced by Little Italy–University Circle station.