Light rail vehicle on the Waterfront Line

The Blue and Green Lines are the light rail component of the RTA Rapid Transit, a rail transit system in greater Cleveland, Ohio. The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority numbers them as Routes 67X and 67AX. Streetcar on the Waterfront Line of Cleveland Rapid Transit (taken Sept. ... Streetcar on the Waterfront Line of Cleveland Rapid Transit (taken Sept. ... A tram of the Luas system in Dublin, Ireland A train of Light Rail, KCRC, Hong Kong. ... This article is about light rail systems in general. ... Light rail vehicle on the Waterfront Line RTA Rapid Transit (generally known as The Rapid) is a rapid transit and light rail system in Cleveland, Ohio, owned by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA). ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Forest City Motto: Progress and Prosperity Location Location in Cuyahoga County, Ohio Coordinates , Government Country State County United States Ohio Cuyahoga Mayor Frank G. Jackson (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 213. ... Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Largest metro area Cleveland Area  Ranked 34th  - Total 44,825 sq mi (116,096 km²)  - Width 220 miles (355 km)  - Length 220 miles (355 km)  - % water 8. ... The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (officially the GCRTA, but usually referred to as the RTA) is the metropolitan transportation agency in Cleveland, Ohio and its surrounding suburbs. ...

Route description

The two lines begin their route separately in Shaker Heights, to the east of Cleveland. Much of this section of their route is at grade, reflecting this portion of the lines' history as streetcar lines. The two lines meet just over the Cleveland city line at Shaker Square, and share trackage for the rest of their route. They use grade-separated trackage to reach Tower City Center, 2.6 miles (4.2 km) of which, including two stations (East 34th-Campus and East 55th), are shared with the heavy rail rapid transit Red Line in an arrangement unique in North American rail transit. Shared stations have low platforms for the Blue and Green Lines and high platforms for the Red Line. Shaker Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. ... a historic postcard showing electric trolley-powered streetcars in Richmond, Virginia, where Frank J. Sprague successfully demonstrated his new system on the hills in 1888 A streetcar is a railway vehicle designed to carry passengers on tracks, usually laid in city streets. ... Shaker Square is a neighborhood on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio which is centered around a shopping center and a stop on the rapid transit train line to downtown Cleveland at the intersection of Shaker and Moreland Boulevards. ... The Tower City complex, with the Warehouse District and Lake Erie in the background. ... The term heavy rail is often used for regular railways, to distinguish from systems such as trams/light rail and metro. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Red Line (Route 66X) is a rapid transit line of the RTA Rapid Transit in Cleveland, Ohio, running from Hopkins International Airport northeast to Tower City in downtown Cleveland, then east and northeast to Windermere. ...

After leaving Tower City, the two lines head for the lakefront in a relatively new section of track known as the Waterfront Line. Trains travel north through the Flats to Lake Erie and east along the lakeshore. This portion of the line roughly the old alignment of a Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway (New York Central Railroad Big Four) line to reach the waterfront, and then turning east just north of the old New York Central main line (used now by the Norfolk Southern Railway and Amtrak). Although Waterfront Line stations are branded as such by the RTA, there is no separate Waterfront Line service; all trains on this portion of the system are Blue and Green Line trains. The Flats is a mixed-use industrial, entertainment, and increasingly residential area of Cleveland, Ohio, USA. The area was given its name due to its mostly flat appearance and is defined as being the lower lying areas that line the banks of the Cuyahoga River. ... Lake Erie, looking southward from a high rural bluff near Leamington, Ontario Lake Erie (pronounced ) is one of the five large freshwater Great Lakes in North America, which are among the largest in the world. ... The Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. ... The New York Central Railroad (AAR reporting mark NYC), known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the North-Eastern United States. ... Norfolk Southern Headquarters Norfolk, Virginia. ... Acela Express in West Windsor, NJ Amtrak Cascades service with tilting Talgo trainsets in Seattle, Washington Amtrak train in downtown Orlando, Florida For other uses, see Amtrak (disambiguation). ...

History

These two lines are the direct, continuously operating descendent of Shaker Heights Rapid Transit (originally the Cleveland Interurban Railroad), a streetcar system that connected the streetcar suburb of Shaker Heights, Ohio to downtown Cleveland. These two lines were the only ones to survive the bustitution of Cleveland's transit system, partly due to their use of grade-separated trackage to reach Union Terminal (now Tower City). a historic postcard showing electric trolley-powered streetcars in Richmond, Virginia, where Frank J. Sprague successfully demonstrated his new system on the hills in 1888 A streetcar is a railway vehicle designed to carry passengers on tracks, usually laid in city streets. ... A streetcar suburb is a community whose growth was mostly shaped by the coming of the electric streetcar or tram. ... Shaker Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. ... Downtown Cleveland, the industrial, cultural, and historic hub of Northeast Ohio, has experienced many changes over the years. ... The term bustitution is a neologism sometimes used to describe the practice of replacing train service, whether street railways (light rail or tram/streetcar systems) or full-size railway systems, with a bus service, either on a temporary or permanent basis. ... Tower City Center (also known Terminal Tower) is a landmark skyscraper located in Cleveland, Ohio. ...

Origins

A PCC streetcar on the Blue Line Rapid along Van Aken Boulevard at the Lynnfield station

Shaker Heights was incorporated in 1912, and the next year the first section of the Cleveland Interurban Railroad opened, 1.6 miles (2.6 km) from Coventry Road east down the median of Shaker Boulevard (then part of Coventry Road) to Fontenay Road (west of Eaton Road). The line was connected to other streetcar lines via a line along Coventry Road through Cleveland Heights to the north. A Twin City Rapid Transit PCC streetcar in museum operation. ... Shaker Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. ... Cleveland Heights is a city located in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. ...

As construction progessed on Shaker Heights, the Van Sweringens, the owners of the streetcar suburb, planned for a grade-separated right-of-way all the way to downtown. In 1915 they acquired a majority interest in the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (aka the Nickel Plate Road), mainly to allow for a line next to a relocated NYC&StL. The next section of line opened in 1920, running west from Coventry Road down the median of the new Shaker Boulevard to Woodhill Road, then across the Cleveland Short Line Railway (New York Central Railroad) and alongside a CSL branch to 55th Street. West of 55th, where the CSL branch crossed over the parallel Nickel Plate, the new streetcar line also crossed the Nickel Plate, continuing west between the branch and Nickel Plate to the intersection of the Kingsbury Viaduct (34th Street) and Broadway. An existing line of the Cleveland Railway along Broadway provided initial access to downtown for this line, numbered 38. A right-of-way (plural: rights-of-way) is an easement or strip of land granted to a railroad company upon which to build a railroad. ... The New York, Chicago and St. ... On an expressway, motorway, or autobahn, the median (North American English) or central reservation (British English) is the strip of grass or the wall which separates opposing lanes of traffic. ... The Cleveland Short Line Railway was a freight bypass around southern Cleveland, Ohio on the New York Central Railroads Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway system. ... The New York Central Railroad (AAR reporting mark NYC), known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the North-Eastern United States. ...

Also in 1920 came a short extension east from Fontenay Road to Courtland Boulevard, which makes up the majority of today's Blue Line. This line (numbered 58) split from the other (Green) line at Shaker Square and ran southeast down the median of Van Aken Boulevard to Lynnfield Road, where the 61 streetcar continued east. In 1930 the 58 was extended along the 61 tracks to its present terminal of Warrensville Center Road, and the rest of the 61 was removed. Extensions of the other (Green) line were built in 1928 to Warrensville Center Road and the rest of the way to Green Road in 1936. Shaker Square is a neighborhood on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio which is centered around a shopping center and a stop on the rapid transit train line to downtown Cleveland at the intersection of Shaker and Moreland Boulevards. ... On an expressway, motorway, or autobahn, the median (North American English) or central reservation (British English) is the strip of grass or the wall which separates opposing lanes of traffic. ...

The Cleveland Union Terminal opened in 1930, along with a new grade-separated right-of-way with side-by-side lines for steam railroads and electric streetcars. The ramp to Broadway and 34th Street was removed, and all Cleveland Interurban Railroad cars were operated via the new line into the north part of the Union Terminal. Tower City Center (also known Terminal Tower) is a landmark skyscraper located in Cleveland, Ohio. ...

Shaker Heights Rapid Transit

In 1944 the City of Shaker Heights took over the financially struggling lines and began operating them as Shaker Heights Rapid Transit. The Van Sweringens had planned to build several other lines, but financial problems prevented this. In 1955 the first section of the city's new rapid transit line, now known the Red Line, opened east from Union Terminal. This included 2.6 miles (4.2 km) and two stations shared with the Shaker Heights Line, necessitating split platforms with low-level sections (for Shaker Heights cars) and high-level sections (for rapid transit cars).

RTA takeover and expansion to the waterfront

West 3rd Street station (circular structure in foreground)

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority took over the Shaker Heights lines in 1975. Cleveland Rapid Transit station on the Waterfront Line at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio (taken Sept. ... Cleveland Rapid Transit station on the Waterfront Line at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio (taken Sept. ... The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (officially the GCRTA, but usually referred to as the RTA) is the metropolitan transportation agency in Cleveland, Ohio and its surrounding suburbs. ...

On July 10, 1996, both lines were extended through downtown into a new section, called the Waterfront Line, connecting Tower City to the North Coast Harbor area. Plans have been drawn up to loop the Waterfront Line back through downtown to Tower City along city streets, but it seems unlikely to move forward in the near future. July 10 is the 191st day (192nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 174 days remaining. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... The Tower City complex, with the Warehouse District and Lake Erie in the background. ... North Coast Harbor is a district in downtown Cleveland, Ohio on the shore of Lake Erie. ...

Station stops

• South Harbor (Muny Parking)
• North Coast (East 9th Street)
• Cleveland Lakefront Station (flag stop)
• West 3rd Street (opened August 1999 to serve the new Cleveland Browns Stadium)
• Flats East Bank
• Settlers Landing
• Tower City
  • Tower City is the first of three transfer points to the Red Line. From Tower City, the Blue, Green and Red Lines share grade-separated trackage built in 1930 through two more stations:
• East 34th-Campus
• East 55th
  • After East 55th, the Blue and Green Lines split from the Red Line, and continue grade-separated along a 1920 right of way, still grade separated, past the following stations:
• East 79th
• Woodhill
• East 116th
• Shaker Square

At Woodhill, the line begins to run below grade in the median of Shaker Boulevard. Approaching Shaker Square station, the line rises to grade level, and has its first grade crossings with the roadways of Shaker Square. Just east of Shaker Square, the lines split, with the Green Line continuing east along Shaker Boulevard, with frequent surface level stops: 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Cleveland Browns Stadium is a football stadium located in Cleveland, Ohio (, ). It is the home of the Cleveland Browns NFL franchise. ... The Red Line (Route 66X) is a rapid transit line of the RTA Rapid Transit in Cleveland, Ohio, running from Hopkins International Airport northeast to Tower City in downtown Cleveland, then east and northeast to Windermere. ... On an expressway, motorway, or autobahn, the median (North American English) or central reservation (British English) is the strip of grass or the wall which separates opposing lanes of traffic. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Shaker Square is a neighborhood on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio which is centered around a shopping center and a stop on the rapid transit train line to downtown Cleveland at the intersection of Shaker and Moreland Boulevards. ...

• Coventry
• Southington
• South Park
• Lee
• Attleboro
• Eaton
• Courtland
• Warrensville
  • At Warrensville, the median of Shaker Boulevard widens for a never-built freeway upgrade, and the Green Line is once again grade-separated for its final three stops:
• Belvoir
• West Green
• Green

The Blue Line splits back at Shaker Square, and runs southeast down the median of Van Aken Boulevard, making the following stops: It has been suggested that Autobahn be merged into this article or section. ...

• Drexmore
• South Woodland
• Southington
• Onaway
• Ashby
• Lee
• Avalon
• Kenmore
• Lynnfield
• Farnsleigh
• Warrensville

The Red, Blue and Green Lines share trackage from Tower City east to roughly 68th Street.

Light rail vehicle on the Waterfront Line RTA Rapid Transit (generally known as The Rapid) is a rapid transit and light rail system in Cleveland, Ohio, owned by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA). ... The Red Line (Route 66X) is a rapid transit line of the RTA Rapid Transit in Cleveland, Ohio, running from Hopkins International Airport northeast to Tower City in downtown Cleveland, then east and northeast to Windermere. ...

References

• U.S. Urban Rail Transit Lines Opened From 1980 (PDF)
• Jon Bell - Cleveland, Ohio: Shaker Heights Rapid Transit
• nycsubway.org - Cleveland, Ohio
• Rails and Trails.com - Historic Transportation Maps

PDF is an abbreviation with several meanings: Portable Document Format Post-doctoral fellowship Probability density function There also is an electronic design automation company named PDF Solutions. ...

External links

• Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority - Maps
• Jon Bell - Cleveland, Ohio: Green and Blue Lines
• Jon Bell - Cleveland, Ohio: The Waterfront Line