Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (officially the GCRTA, but historically and locally referred to as the RTA) is the public transit agency for Cleveland and the surrounding suburbs of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. RTA is the largest transit agency in Ohio, with a ridership of , or about per weekday as of .

RTA owns and operates the RTA Rapid Transit rail system (called "The Rapid" by area residents), which consists of one heavy rail line (the Red Line) and three light rail lines (Blue, Green, Waterfront). The bulk of RTA's service consists of buses, including regular routes, express or flyer buses, loop and paratransit buses. In December 2004, RTA adopted a revised master plan, Transit 2025, in which several rail extensions, bus line improvements and transit oriented developments are discussed.

RTA's major predecessor, the Cleveland Transit System, was the first transit system in the western hemisphere to provide direct rapid transit service from a city's downtown to its major airport.

In 2007, RTA was named the best public transit system in North America by the American Public Transportation Association, for "demonstrating achievement in efficiency and effectiveness."

History

The GCRTA was established on December 30, 1974, and on September 5, 1975, assumed control of the Cleveland Transit System, which operated the heavy rail line from Windermere to Cleveland Hopkins Airport and the local bus systems, and Shaker Heights Rapid Transit (the descendant of a separate streetcar system formed by the Van Sweringen brothers to serve their Shaker Heights development), which operated the two interurban light rail lines from downtown to Shaker Heights. CTS had been formed in 1942, when the city of Cleveland took over the old Cleveland Railway Company. However, with Cleveland's dwindling population over the previous two decades, its revenue dwindled significantly. The problem really manifested itself with a 17-day strike in July 1970. City and county leaders concluded that a regional approach was the only way to save it.

As sections were completed, they were opened to traffic; the entire stretch within the project area was open by October 24, 2008 as part of its grand opening October 24–26, 2008.

In January 2023, the GCRTA announced the acquisition of sixty Siemens S200 light rail vehicles to replace the system's entire existing rail fleet. Twenty-four such cars will replace the Tokyu heavy rail trains used on the Red Line, with an option to acquire 36 additional units to replace the Breda light rail vehicles used on the Blue, Green, and Waterfront lines. GCRTA's S200s will include steps at the front right door for boarding at street-level stations on the Blue, Green, and Waterfront. Once the acquisition is approved by the GCRTA's board, S200s are expected to begin service in Cleveland in 2026.

Active Bus Fleet

{|class="wikitable sortable

!Image

! Manufacturer

! Model

!Length

! Year

! Fleet numbers

|MCI

|D4500CT

|2020

|1901-1909

| frameless|150x150px

| rowspan="2" |New Flyer

| rowspan="2" |XD60

| rowspan="2" |

|2013

|3201-3216

|2014

|3251-3257

| rowspan="2" |frameless|150x150px

| rowspan="15" |Gillig

| rowspan="10" |BRT Plus CNG

| rowspan="15" |

|2013

|3301-3322

|2014

|3323-3345

| rowspan="8" |frameless|150x150px

|2015

|3346-3390

|2016

|3401-3416

|2017

|3601-3633

|2019

|3801-3806

|2020

|3851-3869

|2021

|3901-3920

|2023

|4101-4120

|2025-2026

|4200s

| rowspan="3" | frameless|150x150px

| rowspan="3" |BRT Plus Diesel

|2017

|3501-3520

|2018

|3551-3559

|2022

|4001-4020

| rowspan="2" |frameless|150x150px

| rowspan="2" |Low Floor Trolley Replica

|2015

|3701-3703

|2016

|3704-3712

|frameless|150x150px

|New Flyer

|XN60

|2021

|6001-6016

List of bus routes

In , the GCRTA bus system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of .

= 15-minute midday frequency

= 30-minute midday frequency

= 45-minute midday frequency

= 60-minute or less midday frequency

Other colors denote special routes

{| class="wikitable sortable"

!Route Name

!Terminal 1

!Terminal 2

!via

!notes

|style="background:#DA413C; color:black;" |1 St. Clair

|Downtown Superior Avenue and West 6th Street

|South Collinwood East 153rd Street Loop

|Saint Clair Avenue

|24-hour service

|style="background:#7A8A9A; color:black;" |2 East 79

|Glenville Maud Loop

|Tremont Steelyard Commons

|Harvard Avenue, East 79th Street

|Weekdays only

|style="background:#DA413C; color:black;"|3 Superior

|Downtown Superior Avenue & West 6th Street

|rowspan="2"|East Cleveland Stokes-Windermere Station

|Superior Avenue (US-6)

|24-hour service

|style="background:#747474; color:black;"|HealthLine

|Downtown Public Square

|Euclid Avenue (US-20)

|24-hour service

|style="background:#007DB6; color:black;" |7 Monticello

|rowspan="2"|East Cleveland Stokes-Windermere Station

|Richmond Heights Richmond Park Drive North

|Monticello Boulevard

|style="background:#007DB6; color:black;" |7A Monticello

|Mayfield Heights SOM Center Road and Mayfield Road

|Monticello Boulevard/Wilson Mills Road

|Weekdays only

|style="background:#7A8A9A; color:black;" |8 Cedar-Buckeye

|Downtown East 6th Street and Lakeside Avenue

|Buckeye-Shaker Shaker Square

|Cedar Avenue, Buckeye Road

|style="background:#007DB6; color:black;" |9 Mayfield-Hough

|Downtown West Prospect Avenue and West 3rd Street

|Mayfield Heights SOM Center Road and Mayfield Road

|Payne Avenue, Hough Avenue, Mayfield Road, Severance Town Center

|style="background:#DA413C; color:black;" rowspan="2"|10 East 105-Lakeshore

|rowspan="2"|South Broadway Turney-Ella Loop

|Willowick Shoregate Town Center

|rowspan="2"|East 93rd Street, East 105th Street, Lake Shore Boulevard

|Euclid Euclid Hospital (East 189th Street)

|Overnight and alternate daytime trips

|style="background:#007DB6; color:black;" |11 Quincy-Cedar

|Downtown West Prospect Avenue and West 3rd Street

|Beachwood Montifiore Hospital

|Community College Avenue (Quincy Avenue), Cedar Road

|style="background:#DA413C; color:black;" rowspan="2"|14 Kinsman

|rowspan="4"|Downtown West 6th Street and West Prospect Avenue

|Pepper Pike Lander Circle

|rowspan="2"|Chagrin Boulevard/Kinsman Road

|Shaker Heights Warrensville-Van Aken station

|Overnight trips

|style="background:#DA413C; color:black;" |14A Kinsman

|Warrensville Heights Country Lane

|Emery Road, Chagrin Boulevard/Kinsman Road

|style="background:#DA413C; color:black;" |15 Union-Harvard

|Highland Hills Tri-C Eastern Campus

|Broadway, Union Avenue, Harvard Avenue

|style="background:#007DB6; color:black;" |16 East 55

|Tremont Steelyard Commons

|Saint Clair-Superior Horizon Science Academy Cleveland

|East 55th Street

|Weekdays only

|style="background:#7A8A9A; color:black;" |18 West 98-Garfield

|Edgewater West Boulevard-Cudell station

|Garfield Heights Marymount Hospital

|Garfield Boulevard, Harvard Avenue, West 98th Street

|style="background:#DA413C; color:black;" rowspan="2"|19 Broadway

|rowspan="4"|Downtown East 6th Street and Lakeside Avenue

|Highland Hills Tri-C Eastern Campus

|rowspan="4"|All trips: Broadway Avenue, then:

19, 19B: Miles Road
19A: Turney Road

|Corlett Caine-East 131st Loop

|Overnight trips

|style="background:#DA413C; color:black;" |19A Broadway

|Maple Heights Southgate Transit Center (19A)

|style="background:#DA413C; color:black;" |19B Broadway

|Bedford Heights Fargo Avenue (19B)

|Rush hour trips

|style="background:#DA413C; color:black;" |22 Lorain

|rowspan="8"|Downtown Rockwell Avenue and East 3rd Street

|rowspan="2"|Fairview Park Westgate Transit Center

|Lorain Avenue

|24-hour service Alternate weekend trips run east of West Park station

|style="background:#007DB6; color:black;" rowspan="2"|25 Madison-Clark

|rowspan="2"|Clark Avenue, Madison Avenue

|Serves Lakeview Terrace weekday daytime

|Edgewater West 117th-Madison station

|Overnight trips

|style="background:#DA413C; color:black;" rowspan="3"|26 Detroit

|Fairview Park Westgate Transit Center

|Detroit Avenue

|Overnight trips

|Westlake Crocker Park

|rowspan="2"|Detroit Avenue, Center Ridge Road

|Weekend and other weekday trips

|rowspan="2"|Westlake Tri-C Westshore Campus

|Every 3rd weekday trip

|style="background:#DA413C; color:black;" rowspan="2"|26A Detroit

|rowspan="2"|Detroit Avenue, Detroit Road

|Weekday trips

|Westlake Crocker Park

|Weekend and late weekday evening trips

|style="background:#DA413C; color:black;" |28 Euclid

|rowspan="3"|East Cleveland Stokes-Windermere Station

|Euclid Tungsten

|Euclid Avenue

|24-hour service

|style="background:#DA413C; color:black;" |28A Euclid

|rowspan="2"|Euclid Shore Center Plaza

|Euclid Avenue, East 222nd Street

|style="background:#007DB6; color:black;" |31 St. Clair-Babbitt

|Hayden Avenue, Saint Clair Avenue, Babbitt Road

|Limited trips serve Euclid Amazon Center

|style="background:#7A8A9A; color:black;" |34 East 200-Green

|Euclid Shore Center Plaza

|Highland Hills Tri-C Eastern Campus

|East 200th Street, Green Road, Richmond Road

|Weekdays only

|style="background:#8DC63F; color:black;" |35 Lee Blvd-East 123

|East Cleveland East 129th Street Loop

|Cleveland Heights Severance Town Center

|East 123rd Street, Euclid Avenue, Lee Boulevard, Mayfield Road

|Weekdays only

|style="background:#007DB6; color:black;" |37 Hayden-East 185

|East Cleveland Stokes-Windermere Station

|Euclid Shore Center Plaza

|Hayden Avenue, East 152nd Street, East 185th Street, Lake Shore Boulevard

|style="background:#7A8A9A; color:black;" |39 Lakeshore

|Downtown West Prospect Avenue and West 3rd Street

|Willowick Shoregate Town Center

|Cleveland Memorial Shoreway, Lake Shore Boulevard

|Rush hour trips

|style="background:#007DB6; color:black;" |40 Lakeview-Lee

|Forest Hills Taft Avenue and Eddy Road

|rowspan="2"|Maple Heights Southgate Transit Center

|Lakeview Road, Superior Road, Lee Road

|style="background:#DA413C; color:black;" rowspan="2"|41 Warrensville

|rowspan="3"|East Cleveland Stokes-Windermere Station

|Noble Road/Warrensville Center Road

|Overnight and select or alternate trips

|rowspan="2"|Glenwillow Diamond Parkway

|Noble Road/Warrensville Center Road, Columbus Road, Aurora Road, Cochran Road

|style="background:#DA413C; color:black;" |41F Warrensville

|Noble Road/Warrensville Center Road, Harvard Road, US-422, Cochran Road

|Reverse rush hour peak direction trips

|style="background:#007DB6; color:black;" |45 Ridge-Fulton

|Downtown Rockwell Avenue and East 3rd Street

|Parma Parma Transit Center

|Fulton Road, Ridge Road

|style="background:#007DB6; color:black;" |48 East 131

|rowspan="2"|University Circle East 93rd Street and Chester Avenue

|Garfield Heights Marymount Hospital

|East 131st Street

|24-hour service

|style="background:#007DB6; color:black;" |50 East 116

|Lee-Miles East 177th Street and South Miles Road

|East 116th Street

|style="background:#19226D; color:black;" |51 MetroHealth Line-West 25th

|rowspan="3"|Downtown Rockwell Avenue and East 3rd Street

|rowspan="2"|Parma Parma Transit Center

|West 25th Street, Pearl Road

|Weekday daytime trips serve Tri-C Western Campus

|style="background:#19226D; color:black;" rowspan="2"|51A MetroHealth Line-West 25th

|rowspan="2"|West 25th Street, State Road

|Old Brooklyn West 33rd Loop

|Overnight trips

|style="background:#19226D; color:black;" |53 MetroHealth Line-Broadview

|rowspan="2"|Downtown Public Square

|Brecksville Brecksville MetroHealth Center

|rowspan="2"| I-90/71, Broadview Road, Royalton Road

|style="background:#19226D; color:black;" |53A MetroHealth Line-Broadview

|North Royalton North Royalton Loop

|Weekday rush hour trips

|style="background:#7A8A9A; color:black;" |54 Brookpark-Rockside

|Garfield Heights Garfield Commons

|Brook Park Brookpark Station

|Rockside Road, Brookpark Road

|style="background:#006A4D; color:black;" rowspan="2"|55 Clifton

|Downtown Public Square

|rowspan="2"|North Olmsted Industrial Parkway Loop

|rowspan="4"|All trips: Clifton Boulevard, Cleveland Memorial Shoreway, then:

55: Lorain Road
55B: Lake Road
55C: Detroit Road

|Weekend trips that also stop at Edgewater Park

|rowspan="3"|Downtown Stephanie Tubbs Jones Transit Center

|Weekday trips (Rush hour trips serve North Olmsted Park and Ride)

|style="background:#006A4D; color:black;" |55B Clifton

|Bay Village Cahoon Park

|Weekday rush hour peak direction trips

|style="background:#006A4D; color:black;" |55C Clifton

|Westlake Crocker Park

|Weekday rush hour peak direction trips

|style="background:#007DB6; color:black;" |71 Pearl-Tiedeman

|Downtown East 3rd Street and Rockwell Avenue

|Strongsville Howe Road and Drake Road

|West 65th Street, Tiedeman Road, Pearl Road

|style="background:#7A8A9A; color:black;" |77 Brecksville

|Downtown West 3rd Street and Frankfort Avenue

|Brecksville Katherine Boulevard

|Willow Freeway (I-77), Brecksville Road

|style="background:#DA413C; color:black;" |78 West 117-Puritas

|Gold Coast Winton Place

|Brook Park Brookpark Station

|Grayton Road, Puritas Avenue (Bellaire Road), West 117th Street

|style="background:#007DB6; color:black;" |83 Warren-West 130

|Lakewood Lakewood Park

|Parma Parma Transit Center

|Warren Road, West 140th Street, West 130th Street

|style="background:#007DB6; color:black;" |86 Rocky River Dr-Bagley

|Jefferson West Park station

|Parma Tri-C Western Campus

|Lorain Avenue, Rocky River Drive, Bagley Road

|style="background:#007DB6; color:black;" |90 Broadway-Libby

|Downtown West 3rd Street and Frankfort Avenue

|Oakwood Summit County Line Loop

|Willow Freeway (I-77), Granger Road (Libby Road), Northfield Road, Broadway Avenue

|Alternate reverse rush hour peak direction trips run via Alexander Road

|style="background:#7A8A9A; color:black;" rowspan="2" |94 East 260-Richmond

|rowspan="2"|Euclid Shore Center Plaza

|Highland Hills Tri-C Eastern Campus

|rowspan="2"|East 260th Street, Richmond Road

|Weekday trips

|Shaker Heights Green Road station

|Weekend trips

|style="background:#00468C; color:black;" |251 Strongsville Park-n-Ride

|Downtown Stephanie Tubbs Jones Transit Center

|Strongsville Strongsville Park-n-Ride

|Medina Freeway (I-71)

|Weekday rush hour peak direction trips

• 66R Red Line (during Red Line train shutdowns)

• 67R Blue/Green Line (during Blue and Green Line train shutdowns)

Cleveland State Line

right|thumb|A typical station along Clifton Boulevard on The Cleveland State Line Bus rapid transit

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. Cleveland State purchased naming rights to the route. The line carries a "55" designation, the same bus route number used by the BRT's predecessor.

All passengers must pay or swipe/dip their farecards on board the bus.

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 bus-only lane active during the morning rush, and with the westbound bus-only lane active during the evening rush.

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 three sub-routes:

55: Travels down Clifton and continues to follow U.S. Route 20 to Detroit Road until reaching Wagar Road where it travels south to Lorain Rd in Fairview Park, continues to North Olmsted via Great Northern Mall before terminating near the Lorain County line. Rush hour trips travel into the North Olmsted park-n-ride.
55B: Travels down Clifton and continues to follow Lake Road into Bay Village where it follows Wolf, West Oviatt, and Osborn Roads west to Bradley Road before returning to Lake Road to travel east to its terminus at Wolf and Cahoon Roads. On December 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. Unlike the other named lines, it features no BRT features.

Bicycles

RTA has equipped all of its mainline buses with bicycle carriers. Each bus can carry two to three bicycles. Bicycles are also allowed on rapid transit trains (with a maximum limit of two per car) at all times, although operators have discretion to refuse bicycles if a train is overcrowded. Bicycles are not allowed access to/from the Public Square/Tower City Station through the shopping areas of Tower City Center. However, an elevator connection is permitted between the station lobby and street level, at Prospect Avenue via the south-side doors. Bicycles are also allowed to transfer between trains at Tower City Station. There is no additional charge for taking bicycles on RTA.

Funding

When RTA was formed, Cuyahoga County voters approved a 1% county-wide sales tax, which constitutes about 70% of its operating revenue. This funding source has helped RTA maintain a higher level of service than other transit agencies in comparable cities and it also helps RTA retain some degree of political autonomy. However, it also makes RTA unusually susceptible to economic downturns.

In recent years, RTA has undertaken great efforts to improve efficiency and eliminate unnecessary costs. These efforts have included mergers with the two remaining autonomous transit agencies in Cuyahoga County, the North Olmsted Municipal Bus Line and Maple Heights Transit, and the redesigning of its routes in the suburban areas southeast, west, and south of Cuyahoga County.

thumb|right|250px|A Shaker Rapid car at the [[Warrensville (RTA Green Line Rapid Transit station)|Warrensville Center Road Loop in 1936]]

CTS fleet

1946 Pullman PCC A11 (50) and 1946 St. Louis Car Company A12 (25) – all sold to Toronto in 1952 and all retired by TTC.
Marmon-Herrington TC48-T5 and TC44-T7 trolleybus – ordered 49 in 1951 and 1952 and retired in 1960s (sold to Mexico City's Servicio de Transportes Eléctricos and since retired)

References

External links