- April 10: Indians open season, Cavs in hunt for title
- ‘Tis the season for rail construction
- April 9, 2015: RTA officials break ground at Brookpark Station
- April 10: Ride RTA to Cleveland Orchestra event in Slavic Village
- April 11-18: Ride RTA to Rock Hall Induction Week
- April 13-May 10: Bus riders, please take our customer survey
- April 19: Celebrate EarthFest with RTA
- Public Square now closed
- FOR YOUR SAFETY: Staying safe on 2 wheels
April 10: Indians open season, Cavs in hunt for title
April in Cleveland is a sports fan dream. The Indians, Cavaliers, Lake Erie Monsters and Gladiators are all in action this month.
That dream is in full bloom on Friday, April 10, 2015. The Indians -- recently featured in Sports Illustrated magazine as one of the best teams in baseball -- play their home opener at 4:10 p.m. against the Detroit Tigers, and the playoff-bound Cavaliers host Boston Celtics next door at 7:30 p.m. Both games are sold out, so more than 60,000 fans will converge on downtown.
RTA will operate extra rail service for these events. To avoid Public Square and downtown traffic congestion, park for free at a Rapid station, buy a $5 All-Day Pass, and ride the train into the Tower City Station. Use the Walkway to reach Quicken Loans Arena, with Progressive Field right next door.
OR, board at any westbound HealthLine station and ride to Public Square. It’s a short walk to either game.
The Walkway opens at 12:30 p.m. Gates open at 1 p.m. Outdoor music begins in the new area behind right field at 2 p.m. Fans are invited to come early and check out the upgrades.
“It’s a whole new ballpark,” a Tribe spokesman said.
The Indians encourage you to be in your seats by 3 p.m. to catch all the Opening Day festivities. More details on RTA service to Tribe games.
Sports bonanza
In April, the Cavs play 5 home games, and end their season on April 15. The playoff schedule will be announced. The Tribe plays 9 games. The Lake Erie Monsters skate 5 times at home, and end their season April 17.
The championship Gladiators indoor football team plays at home on April 11 and 24.
No matter what the sport, let RTA take you to each game.
‘Tis the season for rail construction
Warm weather has returned, and so has construction on highways and railways. These rail shutdowns are planned. Please allow extra time for your commute.
April 18-19, 2015: Because of ODOT work on the Inner Belt bridge, buses will replace trains for rail service east of the Tower City Station. The 66R buses will serve the Red Line, with the 67R buses serving the Blue and Green lines. RTA will take advantage of this shutdown to work on a number of rail upgrades.
April 25-26, 2015: RTA rail upgrades continue this weekend. 67R buses will replace trains on the Blue and Green lines east of the Tower City Station. 66R buses will replace Red Line trains east of the Tower City Station. The upgrades include work on the Buckeye-Woodhill and Lee-Van Aken stations, and track work around Shaker Square.
April 27-May 3, 2015: Because of work on the new Lee-Van Aken Station, 67R buses will continue to replace Blue Line trains east of the Shaker Square Station.
April 9, 2015: RTA officials break ground at Brookpark Station
At 11:30 a.m. on April 9, 2015. RTA will join with city, state and federal officials to break ground for a $16 million reconstruction of the Brookpark Station. Brookpark is the largest station west of Tower City, and RTA’s closest station to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport,
Work is expected to take 18-24 months. The interim Rapid station, which has been in use for several years, will remain open during construction.
When finished, the new station will be ADA-compliant. See renderings and a complete project description.
The ceremony is part of a national event, Stand Up for Transportation Day. Transit officials and riders are encouraged to contact elected officials and point out the need for more transit funding to improve and expand transit services, and keep transit infrastructure in a State of Good Repair (SOGR).
April 10: Ride RTA to Cleveland Orchestra event in Slavic Village
The Cleveland Orchestra is performing a community concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 10, at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 3395 East 53rd St.
Free tickets are available from six Slavic Village merchants. You must have a ticket to attend.
To reach the concert on RTA, ride a bus on routes 15, 19 or 76, and walk two blocks. If you ride the rail, exit any train at the East 55th Street Station, and ride the southbound 16 bus.
April 11-18: Ride RTA to Rock Hall Induction Week
Cleveland Rocks April 11-18 for Rock Hall Induction Week, and it’s easy to take RTA to the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
- Board the Waterfront Line at the Tower City Statiuon, ride to the North Coast Harbor Station, and walk north on East Ninth Street. Service is every 15 minutes until 10:30 p.m., seven days a week.
- On weekends, board the free L-Line trolley at the Horseshoe Casino. It operates from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
- The C-Line trolley serves Lakeside Avenue and East Ninth Street – a short walk from the Rock Hall. It operates Monday-Friday, from 7-11 p.m., and weekends, from 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
Free day on April 11
To celebrate the 30th annual induction ceremony, the Rock Hall will offer free admission from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. on Saturday, April 11, with live music on indoor and outdoor stages, special presentations and the opening of a special exhibit for the 2015 inductees. At 8 p.m., the Cleveland Indians will sponsor a fireworks display in the skies over the nearby Voinovich Bicentennial Park.
Watch the ceremony
On Saturday, April 18, the Rock Hall will sponsor a watch party on several large indoor screens. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the ceremony is expected to begin at 8 p.m. at nearby Public Hall. The ceremony itself is sold out. Tickets for the watch party cost $22 each.
Alice Cooper, Tina Turner & others operate a trolley
Prince on Public Square? Yes, it’s true.
You can see your favorite rock stars operate a trolley April 13-18 for Rock Hall Induction Week.
Feel free to take photos when the trolley is stopped. Please stay safe in your seats while the vehicle is in motion.
If you post your photos on Facebook, please tag RTA, so the 15,000 persons who “like” RTA’s Facebook page can also enjoy them. The page is at Facebook.com/rideRTA
Look for these 14 rock stars on the B-Line, C-Line, E-Line, L-Line and NineTwelve Line from April 13-18.
• Ray Charles
• George Clinton
• Bootsy Collins
• Alice Cooper
• Jimi Hendrix
• Janet Jackson
• Chaka Khan
• Gladys Knight
• Lenny Kravitz
• Willie Nelson
• Prince
• Lionel Richie
• Bruce Springsteen
• Tina Turner
April 13-May 10: Bus riders, please take our customer survey
Do you ride RTA’s HealthLine, trolleys or buses?
If so, RTA asks you to take a brief on-line survey between April 13-May 10.
- How do you like RTA’s bus service?
- Are the buses usually on time?
- Is it easy to find the best route for your trip?
- Is it easy to pay for your trip?
- Are the buses clean, comfortable and well-driven?
Tell us if you ride the buses frequently, occasionally or hardly ever.
We appreciate your time.
April 19: Celebrate EarthFest with RTA
Ride the RTA Rapid to EarthFest, Ohio’s largest environmental education event. It will be held from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday, April 19, at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds in Berea.
Respect the environment. Park for free, pay regular fare, and ride the Red Line to the Brookpark Station. Transfer to the free shuttle – provided by EarthFest -- for the short trip to the Fairgrounds. RTA’s new CNG bus will be on display.
This year’s theme is Celebrate Clean Water. EarthFest offers more than 270 exhibits eco-activities and music. EarthFest is the longest running Earth Day event in the nation.
Admission is $4 for ages 2-11 and $8 for persons age 12 and older. Admission is free if you bike to the event, or ride the Rapid to the Brookpark Station. For more information, call 216-281-6468.
Public Square now closed
On March 9, Public Square closed. Workers are preparing the Square for a new look that is slated to open in June 2016. RTA buses, trolleys and the HealthLine now use the perimeter streets of Euclid Avenue, Rockwell Avenue, East Roadway and West Roadway. About 1/3 of all RTA bus routes are affected by the closure. For information on how your trip is affected.
- Click here.
- Call the RTAnswerline, 216-621-9500
FOR YOUR SAFETY: Staying safe on 2 wheels
Transit and bicycles – two environmentally friendly modes of transportation – make a beautiful marriage in RTA’s Rack-N-Roll program. More than 50,000 persons a year combine the two for commuting or recreation.
RTA is pleased to support Cleveland biking community.
In 2008, as part of the HealthLine, RTA opened a bike lane on either side of Euclid Avenue, from Cleveland State University to University Circle.
And, in 2014, RTA spent $250,000 to add three-unit bike racks to 430 buses.
RTA wants every bicyclist – and transit customer -- to ride safely. A new Web page has recently been introduced to address that issue.
This page combines safety tips with how to use Rack-N-Roll. Different modes of transit and different venues have varied rules. Learn about your bike and:
- • Park-and-Ride buses
- • The HealthLine
- • Standard buses
- • Rapid cars
- • Rapid Stations
- • Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
- • The Tower City Station
The page also has information on area bike paths.