The goal of the Euclid Corridor Transportation Project is to improve transit service, as well as support increased development along Euclid Avenue. The project will provide shorter travel times along Euclid Avenue and linkages with other RTA services for better access to work, home, medical, educational, and cultural centers in Greater Cleveland.
The project supports:
- A Rapid Transit System from Public Square in downtown Cleveland to the Stokes Rapid Transit Station at Windermere in East Cleveland
- Construction of the St. Clair/Superior Avenue Transit Zone.
Rapid Transit System
The Rapid Transit System will connect the central business district (the region's largest employment center) with the University Circle area (the second largest employment center) and major cultural, medical and educational districts. The idea of the Rapid Transit System is to provide the quality of rail transit, while benefiting from the flexibility of buses.
Euclid Avenue will be served by a unique, aerodynamic, 62 foot Euclid Corridor Vehicle (ECV), which will be quiet and environmentally friendly. Currently, the proposed vehicle is a diesel-electric bus, similar to ones that currently operate in Europe. The vehicles use a low-sulfur diesel motor to power smaller electrical engines mounted near the wheels of the vehicle.
The Euclid Corridor Vehicle (ECV) will operate in an exclusive center median busway beginning in Public Square, then transition to the curb at University Circle, where they will continue into neighboring East Cleveland. There, the buses will serve one of RTA's most highly used facilities, the Stokes Rapid Transit Station at Windermere.
Construction of the Rapid Transit System began in 2005 and is expected to be operational by the end of 2008.
The project will involve a complete building-face-to-building-face reconstruction of Euclid Avenue between Public Square and University Circle that includes:
- Exclusive bus lanes;
- One lane in each direction for auto traffic;
- Pedestrian zone enhancements which encourage transit usage (new sidewalks, passenger shelters at center median stations, pedestrian lighting, street trees and tree lawns)
- Roadway reconstruction and design to create consistent curb lines and numbers and widths of travel lanes, upgraded street lighting, and crosswalks at intersections designed to clearly identify pedestrian zones;
- Traffic signal equipment installation on Euclid Avenue and on intersecting streets, as necessary, to provide priority to GCRTA vehicles operating on Euclid Avenue.
- The elimination of on-street parking and relocation of loading zones where possible, and installation of pedestrian and vehicular signage to clearly identify the availability of transit service;
- Minor modifications between University Circle and the Stokes Station at Windermere in East Cleveland through coordination with the proposed Euclid Avenue rehabilitation project in East Cleveland.
Transit Zone
The design and construction of a transit zone proposed to provide expanded, highly visible bus operations in the Downtown Central Business District (CBD) and to provide convenient transfers between cross-town bus routes for regional travel. The transit zone is composed primarily of St. Clair and Superior Avenues. Several other streets—E. 12th, E. 13th, E. 17th (south of Euclid only), E. 18th, E. 21st and E. 22nd, will route the buses onto either St. Clair or Superior. The improvements included in the transit zone are:
- Segments of exclusive bus lanes;
- Enhancements to the pedestrian zones to encourage transit usage, including passenger shelters and pedestrian signage to provide greater visibility and information to transit riders;
- Modifications to roadways and traffic regulations to relocate loading areas and eliminate on-street parking.
Separate Project - East Side Transit Center
The East Side Transit Center is not part of the RTS component, however, it will be constructed in connection with the ECTP. It is slated for the northwest corner of East 21st Street and Prospect Avenue across from the Cleveland State University Convocation Center, will provide layover space for West Side buses coming to and leaving downtown. The Center will allow from 12 to 16 buses to lay over at one time. Up to 100 vehicles will pass through it at peak hours. While the Transit Center will offer safe and comfortable waiting amenities, it will also provide retail opportunities through a possible joint development agreement.
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Euclid Corridor Project
