Clifton Boulevard Transportation Enhancement Project

 Clifton Boulevard Transportation Enhancement Project

CLEVELAND -- This fully funded project of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA), in partnership with the cities of Lakewood and Cleveland, will upgrade the roadway and amenities on Clifton Boulevard, from West Clifton Boulevard in Lakewood to Lake Avenue in Cleveland -- a distance of 4 miles.

Timetable, updated Nov. 4, 2014

  • Design: 100 percent complete, Richard L. Bowen & Associates, Inc.
  • Advertise for bids: July 1, 2013
  • Deadline for bids: Aug. 1, 2013
  • Contract discussion:  Aug. 6, 2013, Board Committee meeting. Presentation
  • Construction contract awarded: Aug. 20, 2013. The RTA Board approved resolution 2013-79, awarding an $8.9 million contract to the Perk Co.
  • Groundbreaking: Sept. 13, 2013
  • Ribbon-cutting: Dec. 8, 2014.
  • Call for public art proposals: Due March 14, 2014, Plain Dealer story
  • TOTAL PROJECT COST, including 16 vehicles: $20 million

Looking back, looking forward

"Since the days of the streetcars, Clifton Boulevard has been a key transportation Corridor in this region," says Joe Calabrese, RTA's CEO and General Manager. "This fall, we are breaking ground on a signficant infrastructure project that will transform this Corridor through Lakewood and Cleveland."

"We know that great transit projects can yield great results. If they are done right, they are about more than just transit. Look at RTA's HealthLine on Euclid Avenue. This internationally recognized project helped stimulate more than $5 billion in economic development, while increasing ridership by more than 60 percent. We anticipate that this Clifton project will bring similar success to the West Side."

Welcome to the Cleveland State Line

When the project is complete, the popular 55 family of bus routes will be known as the Cleveland State Line. It will be:

  • Faster
  • Safer
  • More reliable
  • More first-class

The Cleveland State Line will serve several West Shore communities, as well as the Westgate Transit Center in Fairview Park, and Clifton Boulevard in Lakewood and Cleveland. It passes through downtown and ends at the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Transit Center at Cleveland State University.

RTA's presence in this area will be highly visible.

  • 16 new 60-foot articulated vehicles will travel in curb lanes that are transit-exclusive exclusive during rush-hour only. On Aug. 20, 2013, the RTA Board adopted resolution 2013-80, and purchased 23 vehicles from New Flyer of America for $16.3 million. Only 16 of those vehicles were used for this project.
  • 10-minute frequency during rush hours.
  • Passengers will wait at 19 well-illuminated stations that offer NextConnect arrival/departure screens with real-time information, video cameras and emergency call boxes.

Auto drivers will benefit from these changes. Daily auto trips on Clifton Boulevard range from 14,000 a day in Lakewood to more than 21,000 a day in Cleveland.

Project scope -- Lakewood

  • New bus stations or bus stops will be built at 10 eastbound locations -- West Clifton, Granger, Westlake, Summit, Warren, Belle, Bunts, Nicholson, Cove and Fry.
  • New bus stations or bus stops will be built at 9 westbound locations -- Webb, Granger, Cranford, Summit, Cook, Belle, Nicholson, Cove and Fry.
  • Each new station and stop will have a new concrete bus pad within the curb lane.
  • Curb lanes will be signed to designate a bus-only status during peak hours.

Project scope -- Cleveland

  • Build new bus stations or bus stops at 6 eastbound locations -- Baltic Road, West Blvd., W. 104, W. 110, W. 115 and W. 117.
  • Build new bus stations or bus stop at 5 westbound locations -- West Blvd., W. 104, W. 110, W.115 and W. 117.
  • Repave the entire roadway, including new concrete bus pads at stations and stops within the curb lanes.
  • Include trees and landscaping in new median.
  • Widen the road by one foot in each direction, so curbs and gutters can be installed.
  • Re-build driveway aprons along Clifton Blvd.
  • Add signage and pavement markings to the curb lanes to designate the peak hours when the lanes are bus-only.
  • From West 115 to West 117, add additional streetscape enhancements -- masonry planters, sidewalk pavers and new pedestrian lighting.
  • Replace traffic signals with mast arms from West 115 to Baltic.