Cedar-University Red Line Rapid Station now open

On Aug. 28, RTA officially dedicated the new Cedar-University Red Line Rapid Station. It was formerly known as the University Circle Station.

The original station was built in 1956. Work on the new $15.1 million station began in September 2012. Much of the work was paid with a $10.5 million federal grant. The station is now in full compliance with ADA accessibility regulations.

The new station area includes:

• A smaller intersection that allows safer pedestrian movements to John Hay High School and the School for the Arts.
• A wider pedestrian / bikeway underneath the rail bridges offers enhancements for those transferring from the rail station to the bus transfer area. The station is one of the highest transfer points within the system, with the Red Line connecting to 6 bus routes – 7, 8, 9, 32, 48/48A and 58.
• Improved traffic flow.

The glass front wall facing the street provides an open, inviting feeling from the park to the train platforms.

At platform level, new stairs and elevator open up into an enclosed vestibule, providing passengers the opportunity to wait in a weather-enclosed area.

The station is near Rockefeller Park, Ambler Park, Fairfax, Case Western Reserve University, John Hay High School, the School of the Arts, and dense student and senior housing.

Sept. 6-7: Ride RTA to Garlic Festival on Shaker Square

The Cleveland Garlic Festival takes over Shaker Square from 1-9 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6, and noon-6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 7.

The event is just steps away from the Shaker Square Rapid Station on the Green and Blue lines.

You can also ride buses on route 48/48A.

Sept. 14 & 21: Score big this fall, ride RTA to Browns games

If you want to avoid the high cost of gas and the hassles of parking and walking, ride RTA to see Browns football at FirstEnergy Stadium this fall. You’ll be dropped off at the West Third Street Station of the Waterfront Line, right across the street from the Stadium’s Southwest Gate.

 This month’s schedule:

• 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14, vs. the New Orleans Saints.
• 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21, vs. the Baltimore Ravens.

Game-day service

The Waterfront Line operates from 9 a.m.-10:30 p.m. on weekends.

Fans are encouraged to buy a $5 All-Day Pass for free transfers. Park free at a Rapid Station, ride the Red, Blue or Green Line to the Tower City Station, and transfer to the Waterfront Line.

OR, ride down Euclid Avenue on the HealthLine. At Public Square, enter the Tower City Station and transfer to the Waterfront Line.

All-Day Passes are good until 3 a.m. the next day, so if you want to stay downtown to celebrate a victory or stop at the Horseshoe Casino Cleveland, you’ll have a ride home. Most Rapid services operates until around midnight.

Tailgate with RTA

Join the tailgate fun with RTA before every game. RTA riders will be treated to entertainment, hot dogs and soft drinks at the South Harbor Station of the Waterfront Line. The event starts at 10 a.m. each Sunday – three hours before the 1 p.m. kickoff. Answer trivia questions and win prizes, as RTA teams up with Mark ‘Munch’ Bishop and WKRN Radio, 850 AM.

Looking ahead to future Browns home games

• Oct. 15: Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m.
• Oct. 26: Oakland Raiders, 4:25 p.m.
• Nov. 7: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m.
• Nov. 16: Houston Texans, 1 p.m.
• Dec. 7: Baltimore Colts, 1 p.m.
• Dec. 14: Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m.

Ridership continues to grow on routes 2 and 16

RTA officials are pleased with significant ridership growth on two bus routes that were changed on Dec. 15, 2013. The changes were made to offer better transit service to Steelyard Commons – a major retail destination, and a key area employer.

Many Steelyard Commons employees depend on RTA for work trips, research shows.

Route 2 was changed to better serve the East 79^th Street Corridor. Route 16 was changed to better serve Slavic Village, Fairfax, Hough, St. Clair-Superior and the East 55^th Street Corridor.

Route 2

The redesigned 2 (now called "East 79") now serves East 79th Street, Bessemer Avenue and East 65th Street. From Broadway/Union, buses travel southeast on Broadway, south on East 71^st Street, west on Harvard Avenue, and north on Jennings Road to Steelyard Commons.

Buses serve both Rapid Stations on East 79^th Street. Buses operate 4:30-8 p.m. weekdays. They connect to the HealthLine, 1, 3, 8, 9, 15, 16, 19, 38, 76 and 81,

Route 16

During weekday daytime hours, buses travel north along East 55th Street to South Marginal Road. They use Fleet Avenue and Washington Park, before continuing west on Harvard Avenue and north on Jennings Road to Steelyard Commons.

This route also serves the East 55^th Street Rapid Station, the Horizon Science Academy, the Goodrich-Gannett Neighborhood Center, downtown License Bureau of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the MetroHealth Broadway Health Center, Newburgh Heights Village Hall, and the Mittal Loop. Buses operate 4 a.m.-midnight on weekdays, and 4 a.m.-7:30 p.m. on weekends. They connect to the HealthLine, 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 38 and 81.

• Buses go to Steelyard Commons during the business day on weekdays. On evenings and weekends, bus operate only between the Mittal Loop and East 55^th Street-Woodland.