The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (officially the GCRTA, but historically and locally referred to as the RTA) is the public transit agency for Cleveland and the surrounding suburbs of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. RTA is the largest transit agency in Ohio, with a ridership of , or about per weekday as of .
RTA owns and operates the RTA Rapid Transit rail system (called "The Rapid" by area residents), which consists of one heavy rail line (the Red Line) and three light rail lines (Blue, Green, Waterfront). The bulk of RTA's service consists of buses, including regular routes, express or flyer buses, loop, and paratransit buses. In December 2004, RTA adopted a revised master plan, Transit 2025, in which several rail extensions, bus line improvements and transit oriented developments were discussed.
RTA's major predecessor, the Cleveland Transit System, was the first transit system in the western hemisphere to provide direct rapid transit service from a city's downtown to its major airport.
In 2007, RTA was named the best public transit system in North America by the American Public Transportation Association, for "demonstrating achievement in efficiency and effectiveness."Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (October 1, 2007). Greater Cleveland: Best Location for Public Transportation in the Nation. Press release. Retrieved on October 6, 2007.
History
The GCRTA was established on December 30, 1974, and on September 5, 1975, assumed control of the Cleveland Transit System, which operated the heavy rail line from Windermere to Cleveland Hopkins Airport and the local bus systems, and of Shaker Heights Rapid Transit, the descendant of a separate streetcar system formed by the Van Sweringen brothers to serve their Shaker Heights development, which operated the two interurban light rail lines from downtown to Shaker Heights. CTS had been formed in 1942, when the city of Cleveland took over the old Cleveland Railway Company. However, with Cleveland's dwindling population over the previous two decades, CTS' revenue dwindled significantly, leading to a 17-day strike in July 1970. City and county leaders concluded that a regional approach was the only way to save the system.
A month after its formation, RTA assumed control over the suburban bus systems operated by Maple Heights, North Olmsted, Brecksville, Garfield Heights and Euclid.
The RTA had to undertake a number of renovations to the rail system, as the Shaker Heights lines (renamed the Blue and Green lines) had not been significantly renovated since their creation in 1920. They were largely rebuilt by 1981 and the downtown station at Cleveland Union Terminal, later renamed Tower City Center, was heavily rebuilt by 1987. In 1994, a walkway and skyway was added from the Tower City station to the Gateway Sports and Entertainment Complex and the Blue and Green lines were extended to the North Coast Harbor area by 1996.
Seventy-five Cleveland Transit System PCC streetcars were sold in 1952 to Toronto to be used by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). The last of the Cleveland PCC models operated for 30 years in Toronto, until 1982. Cleveland Transit also sold eight Marmon-Herrington TC44 trolleybuses in 1963 to the TTC. In 2005, RTA began building a bus rapid transit line along Euclid Avenue from Public Square to University Circle and then to East Cleveland. This was originally to be a subway line running under Euclid Avenue, but the high cost of such a project caused it to be reduced in scope, resulting in the current bus rapid transit project. Vehicles operate in an exclusive center median busway from Public Square to Stokes Blvd. and transition to curbside running through University Circle to the Windermere Rapid Transit Station in East Cleveland. The vehicles are low-floor, articulated buses.
Naming rights for the line were purchased by the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals for twenty-five years. The BRT route, originally named the "Silver Line", which serves the two major health industry employers in Cleveland, is named the HealthLine.Clinic, UH pay to name Euclid Corridor buses. The Plain Dealer. Retrieved on March 4, 2008.
As sections were completed, they were opened to traffic; the entire stretch within the project area was open by October 24, 2008 as part of its grand opening October 24–26, 2008.Cleveland RTA Healthline Special Section, The Plain Dealer, October 19, 2008
In January 2023, the GCRTA announced the acquisition of sixty Siemens S200 light rail vehicles to replace the system's entire existing rail fleet. Twenty-four such cars will replace the Tokyu heavy rail trains used on the Red Line, with an option to acquire 36 additional units to replace the Breda light rail vehicles used on the Blue, Green, and Waterfront lines. GCRTA's S200s will include steps at the front right door for boarding at street-level stations on the Blue, Green, and Waterfront. The new light rail vehicles will arrive in Cleveland in September 2026, with service expected to begin on the Red Line in Summer 2027. Service on the Blue and Green Lines are projected to start in Summer 2028.
Active Bus Fleet
Image Manufacturer ModelLength Year Fleet numbersMCID4500CT20201901-1909 New FlyerXD6020133201-321620143251-3257GilligBRT Plus CNG20133301-332220143323-334520153346-339020163401-341620173601-363320193801-380620203851-386920213901-392020234101-41202025-20264200s BRT Plus Diesel20173501-352020183551-355920224001-4020Low Floor Trolley Replica20153701-370320163704-3712New FlyerXN6020216001-6016
List of bus routes In , the GCRTA bus system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of .
= 15-minute midday frequency = 30-minute midday frequency = 45-minute midday frequency = 60-minute or less midday frequency Other colors denote special routes
Route NameTerminal 1Terminal 2vianotes1 St. ClairDowntownSuperior Avenue and West 6th StreetSouth CollinwoodEast 153rd Street LoopSaint Clair Avenue24-hour service2 East 79GlenvilleMaud LoopTremontSteelyard CommonsHarvard Avenue, East 79th StreetWeekdays only3 SuperiorDowntownSuperior Avenue & West 6th StreetEast ClevelandStokes-Windermere StationSuperior Avenue (US-6)24-hour serviceHealthLineDowntownPublic SquareEuclid Avenue (US-20)24-hour service7 MonticelloEast ClevelandStokes-Windermere StationRichmond HeightsRichmond Park Drive NorthMonticello Boulevard7A MonticelloMayfield HeightsSOM Center Road and Mayfield RoadMonticello Boulevard/Wilson Mills RoadWeekdays only8 Cedar-BuckeyeDowntownEast 6th Street and Lakeside AvenueBuckeye-ShakerShaker SquareCedar Avenue, Buckeye Road9 Mayfield-HoughDowntownWest Prospect Avenue and West 3rd StreetMayfield HeightsSOM Center Road and Mayfield RoadPayne Avenue, Hough Avenue, Mayfield Road, Severance Town Center10 East 105-LakeshoreSouth BroadwayTurney-Ella LoopWillowickShoregate Town CenterEast 93rd Street, East 105th Street, Lake Shore BoulevardEuclidEuclid Hospital (East 189th Street)Overnight and alternate daytime trips11 Quincy-CedarDowntownWest Prospect Avenue and West 3rd StreetBeachwoodMontifiore HospitalCommunity College Avenue (Quincy Avenue), Cedar Road14 KinsmanDowntownWest 6th Street and West Prospect AvenuePepper PikeLander CircleChagrin Boulevard/Kinsman RoadShaker HeightsWarrensville-Van Aken stationOvernight trips14A KinsmanWarrensville HeightsCountry LaneEmery Road, Chagrin Boulevard/Kinsman Road15 Union-HarvardHighland HillsTri-C Eastern CampusBroadway, Union Avenue, Harvard Avenue16 East 55TremontSteelyard CommonsSaint Clair-SuperiorHorizon Science Academy ClevelandEast 55th StreetWeekdays only18 West 98-GarfieldEdgewaterWest Boulevard-Cudell stationGarfield HeightsMarymount HospitalGarfield Boulevard, Harvard Avenue, West 98th Street19 BroadwayDowntownEast 6th Street and Lakeside AvenueHighland HillsTri-C Eastern CampusAll trips: Broadway Avenue, then: 19, 19B: Miles Road 19A: Turney RoadCorlettCaine-East 131st LoopOvernight trips19A BroadwayMaple HeightsSouthgate Transit Center 19B BroadwayHighland HillsTri-C Eastern CampusRush hour trips via Fargo Ave22 LorainDowntownRockwell Avenue and East 3rd StreetFairview ParkWestgate Transit CenterLorain Avenue24-hour serviceAlternate weekend trips run east of West Park station25 Madison-ClarkClark Avenue, Madison AvenueServes Lakeview Terrace weekday daytimeEdgewaterWest 117th-Madison stationOvernight trips26 DetroitFairview ParkWestgate Transit CenterDetroit AvenueOvernight tripsWestlakeCrocker ParkDetroit Avenue, Center Ridge RoadWeekend and other weekday tripsWestlakeTri-C Westshore CampusEvery 3rd weekday trip26A DetroitDetroit Avenue, Detroit RoadWeekday tripsWestlakeCrocker ParkWeekend and late weekday evening trips28 EuclidEast ClevelandStokes-Windermere StationEuclidTungstenEuclid Avenue24-hour service28A EuclidEuclidShore Center PlazaEuclid Avenue, East 222nd Street31 St. Clair-BabbittHayden Avenue, Saint Clair Avenue, Babbitt RoadLimited trips serve Euclid Amazon Center34 East 200-GreenEuclidShore Center PlazaHighland HillsTri-C Eastern CampusEast 200th Street, Green Road, Richmond RoadWeekdays only35 Lee Blvd-East 123East ClevelandEast 129th Street LoopCleveland HeightsSeverance Town CenterEast 123rd Street, Euclid Avenue, Lee Boulevard, Mayfield RoadWeekdays only37 Hayden-East 185East ClevelandStokes-Windermere StationEuclidShore Center PlazaHayden Avenue, East 152nd Street, East 185th Street, Lake Shore Boulevard39 LakeshoreDowntownWest Prospect Avenue and West 3rd StreetWillowickShoregate Town CenterCleveland Memorial Shoreway, Lake Shore BoulevardRush hour trips40 Lakeview-LeeForest HillsTaft Avenue and Eddy RoadMaple HeightsSouthgate Transit CenterLakeview Road, Superior Road, Lee Road41 WarrensvilleEast ClevelandStokes-Windermere StationNoble Road/Warrensville Center RoadOvernight and select or alternate tripsGlenwillowDiamond ParkwayNoble Road/Warrensville Center Road, Columbus Road, Aurora Road, Cochran Road41F WarrensvilleNoble Road/Warrensville Center Road, Harvard Road, US-422, Cochran RoadReverse rush hour peak direction trips45 Ridge-FultonDowntownRockwell Avenue and East 3rd StreetParmaParma Transit CenterFulton Road, Ridge Road48 East 131University CircleEast 93rd Street and Chester AvenueGarfield HeightsMarymount HospitalEast 131st Street24-hour service50 East 116Lee-MilesEast 177th Street and South Miles RoadEast 116th Street51 MetroHealth Line-West 25thDowntownRockwell Avenue and East 3rd StreetParmaParma Transit CenterWest 25th Street, Pearl RoadWeekday daytime trips serve Tri-C Western Campus51A MetroHealth Line-West 25thWest 25th Street, State RoadOld BrooklynWest 33rd LoopOvernight trips53 MetroHealth Line-BroadviewDowntownPublic SquareBrecksvilleBrecksville MetroHealth Center I-90/71, Broadview Road, Royalton Road53A MetroHealth Line-BroadviewNorth Royalton North Royalton LoopWeekday rush hour trips54 Brookpark-RocksideGarfield HeightsGarfield CommonsBrook ParkBrookpark StationRockside Road, Brookpark Road55 CliftonDowntownPublic SquareNorth OlmstedIndustrial Parkway LoopAll trips: Clifton Boulevard, Cleveland Memorial Shoreway, then: 55: Lorain Road 55B: Lake Road