News & Updates: Newsroom

RTA News

 

Nov. 30, 2006

 

Open for Business

 

RTA promotes Euclid Ave. merchants

 

facing disruption from orange barrels

 

CLEVELAND -- Transforming Euclid Avenue through the opening of the nation’s first federally funded BRT line is expected to spur $2.3 billion in redevelopment and create thousands of new jobs.

 

As with any major construction project, the challenge is how to minimize disruption to residents, businesses and merchants while the orange barrels are in place. Planning months earlier by RTA, municipalities, the utilities, and numerous development and business organizations has helped to keep vehicle traffic moving by closing only portions of Euclid Avenue at a time.

 

Now, RTA has turned from construction planning to communications to keep foot traffic flowing to merchants along the orange barrel areas.

 

RTA launched the first merchant campaign this week. It focuses on retailers at Trinity Commons, located across from Cleveland State University, with a message that the path to great shopping is through the orange barrels.

 

A variety of communication mediums within the transit system are being utilized to get this message to daily commuters.

 

The message is on interior bus cards, electronic reader boards at rail stations, and a rider newsletter on all RTA vehicles. In addition, this week downtown trolley operators are dressed in aprons supplied by Ten Thousand Villages, one of the merchants at Trinity Commons. The trolleys are also supplied with brochures about the unique gifts available at the store, and outdoor vehicle destination signs encourage a trip to the stores at Trinity Commons. 

 

The idea for the Open for Business campaign came about during meetings between RTA and the Trinity merchants.

 

“Our downtown trolleys are utilized by more than 2,700 people every day,” says Steve Bitto, RTA’s director of marketing. “We all agreed, why not encourage those jumping on board to make a stop at Trinity Commons. From there, we added elements to reach other riders.”

 

What was done for merchants at Trinity Commons could serve as a model for others along the Corridor. RTA plans to monitor the impact of the campaign over the next several weeks. If the feedback from the merchants is positive, the campaign will be offered as a way to help other local merchants facing orange barrels on Euclid Avenue.

 

“In the long-term, business will improve on Euclid Avenue with the BRT line,” says Bitto. “Promoting the merchants to our 200,000 daily riders is one way we can help improve business in the short term.”

 

About RTA

 

RTA is the nation’s 13^th-largest public-transit system, serving more than 45 percent of all public-transit riders in Ohio. Its 2,644 employees operate 108 rail cars on 34 miles of track and 654 buses on 89 routes. In 2005, more than 57 million passengers rode RTA’s trains, buses, Community Circulators, and Paratransit vehicles.

 

FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES ONLY:

Jerry Masek, RTA, 216.566.5211

John McCauley, Brokaw, 216.685.4529