RTA RAPID TRANSIT

'RTA Rapid Transit' (generally known as 'The Rapid') is a rapid transit and light rail system in Cleveland, Ohio, owned by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (known as the "RTA"). The system comprises three lines—the Red Line (heavy rail rapid transit) and Blue and Green Lines (light rail).
All three lines join at Tower City Center in downtown Cleveland, the former Cleveland Union Terminal. From Tower City to East 55th the three lines share track and stations. This sharing of one route between light and heavy rail is quite unusual, and the shared stations have platforms of varying heights to accommodate the two kinds of trains.

Contents

Red Line

Blue and Green Lines

Silver Line

Fares

See also

External links

References

Red Line

The Red Line 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 in East Cleveland.

Blue and Green Lines

The Blue and Green 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 Green line continues due east along Shaker Boulevard (State Route 87) until reaching its terminus at the intersection with Green Road. The Blue Line veers southeast along Van Aken Boulevard until reaching its terminus at the intersection of Warrensville Center Road, Northfield Road (State Route 8) and Chagrin Boulevard (U.S. Route 422).
The Waterfront Line, opened in 1996, extends the Blue and Green Lines from Tower City north to Lake Erie and northeast along the lakeshore. The Waterfront Line provides access from Tower City Center to the Flats Entertainment District, Cleveland Browns Stadium, the Great Lakes Science Center, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Burke Lakefront Airport.

Silver Line

RTA is currently installing a bus rapid transit line, coined the "Silver Line", which will run along Euclid Avenue, providing a direct route between Cleveland's primary tourist attractions from Downtown Cleveland through Midtown Cleveland and University Circle to East Cleveland.

Fares

Main articles: Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority#Fares, l1=RTA Fares

Effective June 6, 2006, the one-way cash fare on the RTA Rapid Transit is $1.75. An All-Day pass, allowing unlimited riding on the rapid transit as well as on RTA buses is $3.50 ($1.25 for children). A five-ride fare card can be purchased for $7.50 (which is $1.50 per ride). Weekly and monthly passes are also available, and there are discounted fares for seniors and disabled. These fares will remain in effect until January 7, 2008, when a scheduled fare increase goes into effect.

See also

★ List of rapid transit systems

★ List of light rail transit systems

External links

★ Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority - Maps

★ Jon Bell - Cleveland, Ohio: Transit Links

★ Cleveland, Ohio - Rapid Transit (metro)

★ nycsubway.org - Cleveland, Ohio

References

1. About RTA: RTA Facts. ''RTA Website''. Retrieved on 2007-06-11.
2. APTA Quarterly Transit Ridership Report, 3rd Qtr 2006. p. 17.