- Score big this fall, ride RTA to FirstEnergy Stadium
- Sept. 5-7: Air Show lands at Burke on Labor Day weekend
- Sept. 12-13: Ride RTA to Garlic Festival
- Sept. 12-13, Oct. 11-29: Two shutdowns affect rail service
- Oct. 2-4: Ride RTA to IngenuityFest on Lakefront
- 60 CNG buses now in service
- Ridership up 23 percent on Cleveland State Line, RTA's newest BRT service
- For Your Safety: School’s back in session
Score big this fall, ride RTA to FirstEnergy Stadium
Avoid the high cost of gas, and the hassles of parking and game-day traffic. Ride RTA to see the Browns 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.
Home games this month:
- 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20 vs. the Tennessee Titans.
- 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27 vs. the Los Angeles Raiders.
Game-day service
The Waterfront Line operates from 9 a.m.-10:30 p.m. every weekend.
Fans are encouraged to buy a $5 All-Day Pass with 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 Tower City, head for the lower level and transfer to the Waterfront Line.
All-Day Passes are good until 3 a.m. the next day. But, if you want to stay downtown to celebrate a victory, remember that most Rapid services operate 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. before each Sunday home games – three hours before the 1 p.m. kickoff. Answer trivia questions and win prizes, as RTA teams up with Mark ‘Munch’ Bishop and ESPN Radio.
Looking ahead to Browns home games
- Oct. 18: Denver Broncos, 1 p.m.
- Oct. 25: Los Angeles Rams, 1 p.m.
- Nov. 1: St. Louis Cardinals, 1 p.m.
- Nov. 7: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m.
- Dec. 6: Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m.
- Dec. 13: San Francisco 49ers, 1 p.m.
- Dec. 14: Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m.
- Jan. 3: Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m.
Sept. 5-7: Air Show lands at Burke on Labor Day weekend
For the most efficient and affordable transportation to the Cleveland National Air Show, board RTA’s Waterfront Line to Burke Lakefront Airport.
The Thunderbirds – the U.S. Air Force “Ambassadors in Blue” -- will perform thrilling demonstrations each day. Gates are open daily at 9 a.m. Flying schedules will be announced.
Two convenient transit options
- Ride any Rapid line into the Tower City Station, board the Waterfront Line and exit at the North Coast Station on East Ninth Street. From there, it’s a short walk to reach the Air Show grounds. The Waterfront Line operates every 15 minutes, from 9 a.m.-10:30 p.m.
- On Public Square, board the free L-Line trolley near the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel. It leaves every 15 minutes, from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Exit at the Rock and Roll Hall and Fame Museum, and walk to the Air Show grounds.
Sept. 12-13: Ride RTA to Garlic Festival
The Cleveland Garlic Festival takes over Shaker Square from 1-9 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12, and noon-6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 13.
The event is just steps away from the Shaker Square Rapid Station on the Green and Blue lines. Because of work on two bridges, 67R buses replace all light-rail trains for the weekend. You can also ride buses on routes 11 and 48.
The festival features food, live music, and “all things garlic.” Bring your own breath mints. For details, visit clevelandgarlicfestival.org.
Sept. 12-13, Oct. 11-29: Two shutdowns affect rail service
Two different shutdowns affect rail service in the coming weeks.
On Sept. 12-13, buses marked 67R will replace Blue and Green Line trains east of the Tower City Station, as work wraps up on two RTA track bridges.
During 19 days, Oct. 11-29, buses marked 66R will replace Red Line trains between the Puritas Station and Hopkins Airport. Crews will work on the demolition of the current Brookpark Station, and begin construction of a new station.
There is space for Brookpark customers at two nearby stations -- Puritas and Triskett.
Oct. 2-4: Ride RTA to IngenuityFest on Lakefront
On Oct. 2-4, RTA will provide several transportation options to the thousands of people heading for IngenuityFest – a free festival of art, music and technology.
The event will be held at Voinovich Bicentennial Park, behind the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
Your transportation options
Friday, Oct. 2
- Event hours: 5 p.m.-1 a.m.
- Waterfront Line: Ride to North Coast Station on East Ninth Street, and walk to the festival site. The last train leaves the South Harbor Station at 12:05 a.m.
- B-Line trolley: Operates until 7 p.m. Exit on Lakeside Avenue at East Ninth Street, and walk to the festival sit
Saturday, Oct. 3
- Event hours: Noon-1 a.m.
- Waterfront Line: Ride to North Coast Station on East Ninth Street, and walk to the festival site. The last train leaves the South Harbor Station at 12:05 a.m.
Sunday, Oct. 4
- Event hours: Noon-5 p.m.
- Waterfront Line: Service is provided during all festival hours.
60 CNG buses now in service
Greater Clevelanders can breathe a bit easier, now that RTA’s 60 new CNG buses are in full service.
CNG stands for compressed natural gas. The red, white and blue buses replace clean diesel buses that have reached the extent of their useful life. The new buses are also less expensive to operate.
Natural gas costs 1/3 that of diesel, resulting in savings of up to $200,000 over the life of each bus,” says RTA CEO and General Manager Joe Calabrese. Diesel costs $2.88 per gallon. CNG diesel-gas-equivalent costs $1 per gallon.
Each CNG bus reduces annual emissions by 100 tons of CO2 equivalent, so RTA’s fleet of CNG buses will emit 30 percent fewer greenhouse gases by 2017, Calabrese said. “RTA is helping to create a healthier and more livable environment for our employees and customers,” Calabrese says.
“We’re taking steps to reduce pollution and improve our environmental footprint in the region. Every day, RTA removes 50,000 cars from the roadways in Northeast Ohio, reducing congestion, enhancing safety, and improving air quality.”
Ridership up 23 percent on Cleveland State Line, RTA's newest BRT service
The Cleveland State Line posted record-breaking ridership, up 23 percent during the first six months of operation.
And, June ridership was up 28 percent compared to a year ago.
“The Cleveland State Line is providing students and all customers a faster and more reliable ride,” says RTA CEO & General Manager Joe Calabrese. “With dedicated bus lanes, more frequent service and larger capacity vehicles, our customers are enjoying increased travel speeds. We have doubled the line’s ridership capacity.”
The dedicated bus lanes move traffic easily along Clifton Boulevard during rush hour, and the beautiful, brick bus stations make for a more safe, quiet and first-class commute, no matter the weather, Calabrese says.
The Cleveland State Line replaced RTA’s popular 55 family of routes in December. Service is between West Shore communities and Downtown via Clifton Boulevard and the Shoreway. The line terminates at Cleveland State University.
The improved service is part of a $20 million Clifton Boulevard Transportation Enhancement Project that incorporates many of the convenience features of RTA’s first bus rapid transit service, the HealthLine. These features included consolidated bus stops, new stations, a dedicated transit lane for both buses and bikes, traffic signal optimization, enhanced streetscapes and median landscaping.
Cleveland State is RTA’s partner in this effort. CSU made a 25-year commitment to purchase naming rights for the new service.
For Your Safety: School’s back in session
School is back in session. Many students ride the bus to and from school. Here are some tips to help keep the trips as safe as possible.
- Allow the elderly and people with disabilities to use the priority seating in the front of the bus.
- If a passenger in a wheelchair boards and you are seated at a wheelchair lock-down location, please move to another area.
- When the bus is in motion, hold on to the railings and steady yourself to prevent falls.
- Stand clear of doorways whenever possible.
- Stand behind the yellow line located on the floor opposite the driver.
- Do not talk to the bus operator while the bus is moving. Wait until the bus has stopped so that you do not distract the operator.
- Keep your legs and personal items close to your seat, to prevent a tripping hazard.
- Keep the seat next to you open for other passengers.
- Keep your arms inside the bus window at all times.
- Stay alert and be aware of your surroundings.
- Relax and enjoy your ride, but remain vigilant. Guard your electronic devices and other belongings. People-watching is one of the benefits of riding transit, but there are some types of behavior that should be watched with suspicion.
- Electronic devices are for your listening pleasure. Use earphones and keep the volume low, so that others cannot hear it.
- Eating and drinking are not permitted. Help us reduce trash and discarded food, which are a nuisance to other riders and can attract small pests.
- Pull / push the stop-request bell to signal the operator that you intend to get off the bus. Do this well in advance of your stop.