Rider's Digest -- January 2018

 Rider's Digest -- January 2018

2017: RTA in the news

RTA was often in the news in 2017. Here are some highlights that directly affected your ridership experience.

Improved service

Bus: The Cleveland State Line began Saturday service to the lower level of Edgewater Park. Buses in the 51 family of routes became the MetroHealth Line, starting to build a BRT line in the growing West 25th Street Corridor.

Trolley: C-Line service – seven days a week until 11 p.m. – was extended to the popular Flats East Bank.

HealthLine: By establishing a "Museum Stop", RTA made it even easier to ride the 24/7 HealthLine to popular attractions in University Circle.

Rail: Green Line service was extended until midnight, seven nights a week.

RTA also launched a new vanpool service called VanShare. If your workplace is not near an RTA route, these vanpools may be just the ticket.

Facility upgrades

Officials broke ground for a new Rapid Station on East 34th Street, and completed a $1.6-million rehab of the Mayfield Road streetscape near the popular Little Italy-University Circle Red Line Station. RTA celebrated the completion of key rail projects at the Brookpark Rapid Station on the Red Line and the Lee-Shaker Station on the Green Line. RTA also completed a $6.8 million Red Line track upgrade on the West Side, which eliminated several "slow zones".

Safety

RTA saluted 30 bus and rail operators who compiled a combined 665 years of safe driving, As an agency, RTA received national awards for bus safety and rail safety. You are in good hands.

More good news

Families throughout the area benefitted from a summer promotion – Kids Ride Free. RTA was honored for both sustainability achievements and outstanding customer service.

Jan. 5-7 and 11-14: Disney magic returns to Quicken Loans Arena

Disney magic returns to Quicken Loans Arena this month, with 14 performances of quality family entertainment. Disney on Ice show times are:

  • Friday, Jan. 5: 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, Jan. 6: 11 a.m., 3 & 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, Jan. 7: 1 & 5 p.m.
  • Thursday-Friday, Jan. 11-12: 7 p.m.
  • Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 13-14: 11 a.m., 3 & 7 p.m.

To reach Disney on Ice, or any event at Quicken Loans Arena, just park for free at any Rapid Station, buy a $5.50 All-Day Pass, ride the Rapid in warmth to the Tower City Station, and stroll down the 1,000-foot Walkway to reach your seat. You never have to go outside. The Walkway opens 3 hours before each event, and at 3 p.m. when the Cavs play at home.

A heavy sports schedule dominates the rest of January at the Q. At 8 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 15 – the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday – two of the top teams in basketball clash, with the Cavs hosting the Golden State Warriors.

The Cavaliers play 6 other home games, and the Monsters skate at home on four dates this month.

Jan. 15: Ride RTA to many attractions on MLK holiday

Monday, Jan. 15, is a federal holiday to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. RTA offices are closed, but service operates on a weekday schedule. Many museums offer free admission. Schools are closed, so students have many choices.

If you plan to visit more than one museum, you may want to buy an All-Day Pass, which offers unlimited ridership until 3 a.m. the next day.

Lakefront attractions

Admission is free at two popular attractions – the Great Lakes Science Center, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

  • The Science Center -- which includes the NASA Glenn Visitor Center -- is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Regular admission will be charged for the adjacent Cleveland Clinic Dome Theater. About 11,000 persons are expected that day.
  • Staff at the Rock Hall will see their busiest day of the year, with hours of 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
  • The free IceFest at North Coast Harbor will be held from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. in an open area between the Rock Hall and the Science Center. See more than 20 outdoor ice displays, and ice carving demonstrations. The event is sponsored by the Downtown Cleveland Alliance and North Coast Harbor. Dress warm.

To reach these attractions

  • Hop on the HealthLine, ride to the Tower City Station, board the Waterfront Line, and ride to the North Coast Station, or
  • Park for free at a rail station. Ride the Rapid into the Tower City Station and ride the Waterfront Line to the North Coast Station, or
  • Ride the free B-Line trolley to East Ninth Street and Lakeside Avenue. The museums are a short walk from either the rail station or the trolley stop.

University Circle

Most museums are close to the Museum Station on the HealthLine, near Stokes Blvd. and Stearns Road. To find details of a specific museum, go to its Web site. Most museums are open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Jan. 20: Tribe Fest draws fans to Convention Center

The Indians finished 2017 with plenty of thrills and 102 wins -- best in the American League. Now, just three months after their last game, another season is getting ready to roll.

On Jan. 20, the sixth annual Tribe Fest will be presented by KeyBank in a new, expanded location – the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, 300 West Lakeside Ave. Events will be held in two shifts:

  • Season ticket-holders, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
  • Non-season ticket-holders, 1:30-7:30 p.m.

To reach the event on RTA

  • Park for free at a rail station, buy a $5.50 All-Day Pass, and ride any Rapid to the Tower City Station. The Convention Center is a short walk from Public Square, OR
  • From 11 a.m.-11 p.m., you can ride the free C-Line trolley from the Tower City Station to St. Clair Avenue, near the Marriott Hotel, and walk to the Convention Center main entrance.

The home opener is April 6 vs. the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field.

And, while you have your future sluggers out for the day, why not walk down to two great Lakefront attractions – the Great Lakes Science Center and the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame and Museum? To get home from the Lakefront, just board the Waterfront Line at the North Coast Station on East Ninth Street. Your All-Day Pass is good until 3 a.m. Sunday.

RTA celebrates 2 key anniversaries in 2018

RTA is a system rich in transit history. In 2018, RTA will celebrate two key anniversaries.

Hopkins Airport

On Nov. 15, 1968, a federal grant financed a four-mile Red Line extension to Hopkins International Airport, making Cleveland the first city in the Western Hemisphere to offer direct rapid transit service to its major airport. National media covered the event. This year marks the 50th anniversary.

Clevelanders still enjoy the benefits of that connection. This Airport Station is conveniently located in the lower level of the terminal at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, below the levels for ticketing and baggage claim. From that Airport Station, the Red Line offers direct rail service to Ohio City, Downtown, University Circle, Little Italy, and East Cleveland.

HealthLine

On Friday, Oct. 24, 2008, a huge crowd gathered on Lower Euclid Avenue to watch history unfold. A lengthy construction project was complete, and new “buses that bend” were introduced to Cleveland’s historic Main Street. The HealthLine was born.

A weekend of celebrations and free rides followed, and regular service began on Monday, Oct. 27, 2008. Since then, transit officials from around the globe have visited Cleveland to see how the HealthLine works, as it is often ranked as the best BRT system in North America.

More about each of the projects will appear throughout the year.

For Your Safety: Follow Code of Conduct, ensure safe riding

  • Allow room for boarding, keep aisles clear.
  • Take only one seat.
  • Use headphones with audio devices.
  • Speak softly on cell phones.
  • Refrain from using profane language.
  • Be considerate of fellow passengers.
  • Follow all posted safety and restriction signage.
  • Place trash in receptacles at stations and stops.
  • Exit through the rear door on buses.

Misconduct on a public transit system is a crime.

If you follow these rules, everyone on board will have a clean, safe trip.