RTA Rapid Transit (generally known as The Rapid) is a rapid transit and semi-metro [4] system owned and operated by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA).
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
The RTA Rapid Transit system consists of a total of 47 stations. [5] The stations are fully or partially within the city limits of Cleveland, Shaker Heights, East Cleveland, and Brook Park.
| †* | 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.
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority is the public transit agency for Cleveland, Ohio, United States and the surrounding suburbs of Cuyahoga County. RTA is the largest transit agency in Ohio, with a ridership of 22,431,500, or about 78,200 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024.
The Waterfront Line is a light rail line of the RTA Rapid Transit system in Cleveland, Ohio, running from Tower City Center downtown, then north and northeast to South Harbor station, adjacent to the Cleveland Municipal Parking Lot. The Waterfront Line is the newest rail line in Cleveland, having opened in 1996. The 2.2 mile line is unique in that it is an extension of the Blue and Green lines, but has its own naming designation. All RTA light rail lines use overhead lines and pantographs to draw power. Due to safety concerns, the line was closed from 2021-2023, but has since been re-opened, providing service on weekends, holidays, and for special events.
The Blue Line is a light rail line of the RTA Rapid Transit system in Cleveland and Shaker Heights, Ohio, running from Tower City Center downtown, then east and southeast to Warrensville Center Blvd near Chagrin Blvd. 2.6 miles (4.2 km) of track, including two stations, are shared with the rapid transit Red Line, the stations have low platforms for the Blue Line and high platforms for the Red Line. The Blue Line shares the right-of-way with the Green Line in Cleveland, and splits off after passing through Shaker Square. All RTA light rail lines use overhead lines and pantographs to draw power.
The Green Line is a light rail line of the RTA Rapid Transit system in Cleveland and Shaker Heights, Ohio, running from Tower City Center downtown, then east to Green Road near Beachwood. 2.6 miles (4.2 km) of track, including two stations, are shared with the rapid transit Red Line; the stations have low platforms for the Green Line and high platforms for the Red Line. The Green Line shares the right-of-way with the Blue Line in Cleveland, and splits off after passing through Shaker Square. All RTA light rail lines use overhead lines and pantographs to draw power.
Flats East Bank station is a station on the RTA Waterfront Line in Cleveland, Ohio. The station is located along West 10th Street just southeast of its intersection with Main Avenue in The Flats district.
Tri-C–Campus District station is a station on the RTA Rapid Transit system in Cleveland, Ohio, serving the Red, Blue, and Green Lines. It is located just east of East 34th Street near the intersection of East 34th and Broadway, on the north side of the CSX railway tracks, and below the bridge that carries East 34th Street over the railway tracks. Tri-C refers to Cuyahoga Community College.
Green Road station is a station on the Green Line of the RTA Rapid Transit in Shaker Heights, Ohio, located in the median of Shaker Boulevard at its intersection with Green Road, after which the station is named. It is the eastern terminus of the Green Line.
Settlers Landing station is a station on the RTA Waterfront Line in Cleveland, Ohio. The station is located just south of the intersection of West Superior Avenue and Old River Road inside Settlers Landing Park, after which the station is named.
South Harbor station is a station on the RTA Waterfront Line in Cleveland, Ohio. It is the northern terminus of the Waterfront Line and the terminus of the Blue and Green Lines. The station is located in a rather isolated setting on the southeast side of the Lakefront Municipal Parking Lot, and is generally only useful to access the parking areas.
Southington station is a stop on the RTA light rail Green Line in Shaker Heights, Ohio, located in the median of Shaker Boulevard at its intersection with Southington Road, after which the station is named.
Lee–Shaker station is a station on the RTA Green Line in Shaker Heights, Ohio, located in the median of Shaker Boulevard at its intersection with Lee Road, after which the station is named.
Attleboro station is a stop on the RTA light rail Green Line in Shaker Heights, Ohio, located in the median of Shaker Boulevard at its intersection with Attleboro Road, after which the station is named.
Coventry station is a stop on the RTA light rail Green Line on the border between Cleveland and Shaker Heights, Ohio, located in the median of Shaker Boulevard at its intersection with Coventry Road, after which the station is named.
East 116th–St. Luke's station is a station on the RTA Blue and Green Lines in Cleveland, Ohio, located in the median of Shaker Boulevard below at its intersection with East 116th Street, after which the station is named.
Warrensville–Van Aken station is a station on the RTA light rail Blue Line in Shaker Heights, Ohio. It is the eastern terminus of the Blue Line. Unlike most of the stations in Shaker Heights, Warrensville–Van Aken is located off street, not in the median of Van Aken Boulevard. It is located in a block surrounded by Chagrin Boulevard, Van Aken Boulevard, and Northfield Road and Tuttle Road in the midst of a dense retail/commercial area. The station is located one block west of Warrensville Center Road, after which it named.
Courtland station is a stop on the RTA light rail Green Line in Shaker Heights, Ohio, located in the median of Shaker Boulevard at its intersection with Courtland Boulevard, after which the station is named.
Eaton station is a stop on the RTA light rail Green Line in Shaker Heights, Ohio, located in the median of Shaker Boulevard at its intersection with Eaton Road, after which the station is named.
Belvoir station is a stop on the light rail Green Line of the RTA Rapid Transit in Shaker Heights, Ohio. It is located in the wide landscaped median of Shaker Boulevard at the intersection of Belvoir Boulevard on the north side and Belvoir Oval on the south side.
The transportation system of Cleveland is a network that includes several modes of transportation including sidewalks, roads, public transit, bicycle paths and regional and international airports.
| RTA Rapid Transit (The Rapid) |
|  |
|---|---|---|
| Bus rapid transit (BRT) | ||
