RTA Rapid Transit (generally known as The Rapid) is a rapid transit and light rail system owned and operated by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA).

RTA Rapid Transit
Overview
OwnerGreater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
LocaleCuyahoga County, Ohio
Transit typeRapid transit
Light rail
Number of lines1 rapid transit: Red
3 light rail: Blue, Green, Waterfront[1]
Number of stations18 rapid transit
34 light rail[1]
Daily ridership10,800 (rapid transit, weekdays, Q4 2023)
2,500 (light rail, weekdays, Q4 2023)[2]
Annual ridership3,469,100 (rapid transit, 2023)
661,500 (light rail, 2023)[3]
Operation
Began operationOctober 25, 1859; 164 years ago (1859-10-25)
(first streetcar line);
December 17, 1913; 110 years ago (1913-12-17)
(current lines)
;
March 15, 1955; 69 years ago (1955-03-15)
(rapid transit);
October 11, 1980; 43 years ago (1980-10-11)
(light rail)
Ended operationOctober 30, 1981; 42 years ago (1981-10-30)
(last streetcar use)
Number of vehicles40 rapid transit cars
34 light rail cars[1]
Technical
System length19 mi (31 km) rapid transit
18 mi (29 km) light rail[1]
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
System map

The system serves Cleveland and surrounding areas in Cuyahoga County. The system currently consists of four total service lines: one rapid transit rail line and three light rail lines.

Rail Lines edit

The four rail lines join at Tower City Center in downtown Cleveland, on the platform level of the former Cleveland Union Terminal.

Three rail lines share their tracks at Tri-C–Campus District and East 55th stations. This sharing of one route by light and heavy rail trains is quite unusual. The shared stations have connected platforms of two heights to accommodate the two kinds of trains. And the two types of trains both use the same maintenance facility since they both use the same track gauge and same source of power (overhead catenary).

Red Line edit

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 edit

The Blue and Green light-rail lines (alternatively known as the RTA Shaker Rapid) 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 (U.S. Route 422 and State Route 8). The Green line continues due east along Shaker Boulevard (State Route 87) until reaching its terminus at the intersection of Green Road.

 
Light rail vehicle 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 at the Lakefront Municipal lot. The Waterfront light rail line provides access from Tower City Center to the Flats, Cleveland Browns Stadium, the Great Lakes Science Center, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and Burke Lakefront Airport.

Stations edit

 
Cleveland Rapid Transit, 1913–present

The RTA Rapid Transit system consists of a total of 47 stations.[4] The stations are fully or partially within the city limits of Cleveland, Shaker Heights, East Cleveland, and Brook Park.

 
Tower City on the Red, Blue, Green, and Waterfront Lines
 
Coventry on the Green Line
 
West 25th on the Red Line
 
Lee-Van Aken on the Blue Line
 
Settlers Landing on the Waterfront Line
 
Airport on the Red Line
 
Belvoir on the Green Line
†* Terminus and transfer stations
Terminal stations
* Transfer stations
Closed stations
Station Rapid Transit lines Jurisdiction Opened Rebuilt ADA access
Airport  Red  Cleveland 1968 1994 1994
Amtrak  Waterfront  Cleveland 1997
Ashby  Blue  Shaker Heights 1920 1981
Attleboro  Green  Shaker Heights 1913 1980
Avalon  Blue  Shaker Heights 1920 1981
Belvoir  Green  Shaker Heights 1936 1980
Brookpark  Red  Cleveland / Brook Park 1969 2017 2003
Buckeye–Woodhill*  Blue   Green  Cleveland 1920 1981, 2012 2012
Cedar–University  Red  Cleveland 1955 2014 2002
Courtland  Green  Shaker Heights 1915 1980
Coventry  Green  Cleveland / Shaker Heights 1913 1980
Drexmore  Blue  Cleveland 1948 1981
East 9th–North Coast  Waterfront  Cleveland 1996 1996
East 55th*  Red   Blue   Green  Cleveland 1920 2011 2011
East 79th  Red  Cleveland 1955 2021 2021
East 79th*  Blue   Green  Cleveland 1920 1981
East 105th–Quincy  Red  Cleveland 1955 2005 2005
East 116th–St. Luke's*  Blue   Green  Cleveland 1920 1981, 2019 2019
Eaton  Green  Shaker Heights 1915 1980
Euclid–East 120th  Red  Cleveland 1955
Farnsleigh  Blue  Shaker Heights 1930 1981, 2019 2019
Flats East Bank  Waterfront  Cleveland 1996 1996
Green Road  Green  Shaker Heights 1936 1980, 1988 2001
Kenmore  Blue  Shaker Heights 1920 1981
Lee–Shaker  Green  Shaker Heights 1913 1980, 2017 2017
Lee–Van Aken  Blue  Shaker Heights 1920 1981, 2015 2015
Little Italy–University Circle  Red  Cleveland 2015 2015
Lynnfield  Blue  Shaker Heights 1920 1981
Onaway  Blue  Shaker Heights 1920 1980
Puritas–West 150th  Red  Cleveland 1968 2011 2011
Settlers Landing  Waterfront  Cleveland 1996 1996
Shaker Square*  Blue   Green  Cleveland 1920 1986 2006
South Harbor  Waterfront  Cleveland 1996 1996
South Park  Green  Shaker Heights 1913 1980
South Woodland  Blue  Cleveland / Shaker Heights 1920 1981
Southington  Blue  Shaker Heights 1920 1980
Southington  Green  Shaker Heights 1913 1981
Superior  Red  East Cleveland 1955 1996 1996
Tower City†*  Red   Blue   Green   Waterfront  Cleveland 1930 1990 1990
Tri-C–Campus District*  Red   Blue   Green  Cleveland 1930 2003, 2018 2018
Triskett  Red  Cleveland 1958 2000 2000
Warrensville–Shaker  Green  Shaker Heights 1928 1980, 2016 2016
Warrensville–Van Aken  Blue  Shaker Heights 1930 1981, 1999 1999
West 3rd  Waterfront  Cleveland 1999 1999
West 25th–Ohio City  Red  Cleveland 1955 1992 1992
West 65th–Lorain  Red  Cleveland 1955 2004 2004
West 117th–Madison  Red  Cleveland 1955 2007 2007
West Boulevard–Cudell  Red  Cleveland 1955 1999 1999
West Green  Green  Shaker Heights 1936 1980
West Park  Red  Cleveland 1958 1996 1996
Windermere†*  Red  East Cleveland 1955 1997 1997

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

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d "Overview: Facts about the Greater Cleveland RTA". Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. 29 November 2014. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  2. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  3. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  4. ^ RTA system maps

External links edit