The entire LRT operation operates in its own ROW, sometimes totally isolated from other traffic, and sometimes in roadway medians.

The Shaker and Van Aken branches run down a wide median that is not unlike much of what many of the Transit City lines will be like.

Yard at E55 Station serves the Red Line (HRT) vehicles as well as the Blue and Green Line (LRT) vehicles

Fare collection:

On westbound LRV trips, fares are collected or checked upon exit, while on eastbound trips they are collected or checked upon boarding.

All day pass

Cash fare is US$1.75 or a 5-trip farecard may be purchased for US$8.75

An all-day pass may be purchased for US$4.00 and is valid from its first use until the following 3:00 am

A 7-day pass is available for US$17.50 valid for seven days from first use, and a monthly pass is available for US$63.00

Most of the Red Line is surface or elevated, with the exception of the Airport station which is underground.

Cleveland was the first North American city to have rapid transit serving their airport.

Both routes are interlined from South Harbor to Shaker Square, with about half of the service on both routes terminating at Tower City-Public Square. For this reason, descriptions of travel will be in three sections: South Harbor to Shaker Square, followed by the Green route from Shaker Square to Green, then the Blue route from Shaker Square to Warrensville.

Here is a run-down of the trip from South Harbor to Shaker Square that takes approximately 22 minutes:

LRT going out of service after dropping passengers at South Harbor

The waterfront extension is served by both the Blue and Green lines, but on a frequency that is half or less than the frequency of the rest of each line's frequency to Tower City-Public Square.

Trains usually leave South Harbor on the opposite route to how it arrived (Green arrival leaves as Blue, and Blue arrival leaves as Green). Weekday service from Tower City-Public Square to South Harbor is as follows:

• Before 9 am: every third Blue line LRT, returning on the Green line

• 9 am to 5 pm: every Green line LRT, returning on the Blue line

• 5:30 to 7 pm: every second or third Blue line LRT, returning on the Green line

• After 7 pm: every Green line LRT, returning on the Blue line

On Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays every Green line LRT goes to South Harbor and returns on the Blue line.

The South Harbor station has side platforms, with display signs indicating which platform will be used to board the next train. It is common for arriving LRTs to enter on the south track, unload, and move beyond the end of the station to wait until a few minutes before its scheduled departure time. At that time, it crosses over and returns on the north track for boarding before departure.

There are cross-over tracks on the approach side of the station, but usually the far side is used for turning back.

More or less parallel to the shorline with Lake Erie, the line moves in a southwest direction past the North Coast station. The next station is Amtrak, where trains only stop on request. The LRT tracks are between the railway station and the platform used by Amtrak trains.

Further to the southwest is West 3rd Street, the station that serves the Cleveland Browns Stadium. East of this station, the line passes under West 3rd Street and crosses a grade crossing with a railway spur (see photo to the far left).

Shortly after this, the line passes below the 9th Street underpass and curves to the right and begins climbing in height. As it climbs, it makes slightly more than a 180 degree turn to the left as it passes over the railway corridor before curving to the right again and returns to grade level before arriving at Flats East Bank station (see photo to immediate left).

From Flats East Bank to just past Settlers Landing, the line is at grade in its own private ROW. The line crosses roads in two places with railway-type crossings.

After the second level crossing, the line makes a 90 degree turn to the left to head in a northeast direction where it drops in grade to enter the Tower City-Public Square complex. As the line drops, the two tracks separate as the tracks of the Red Line (HRT) approach to join the alignment. The Red Line uses high level platforms at the opposite end of the station from the LRT platform.

Though the station is under the Tower City complex, the line is not actually underground. In the covered portion, the line makes close to a 90 degree turn to the right to head in a southeast direction. The complex was originally built for railway use, so approaches involve former railway ROWs.

The next two stations, E34 Campus and E55, also serve the Red line, but using the same tracks. For this reason, each station has both a high and a low level platform (see photo to the immediate left). Just before reaching E55, the line curves slightly to be on a more east-west alignment. Past E55, the Red Line separates from the LRT lines as the LRT lines curve to a southeast direction.

From here, the ROW continues to follow a former railway ROW to the Woodhill station. At this point, the line is travelling east. At the east end of the station, the line passes under the intersection of Buckeye Road, Woodhill Road, and Shaker Boulevard.

From here, the line travels in a ravine between the eastbound and westbound lanes of Shaker Boulevard. Passing E116 station, the line continues and levels out with Shaker Boulevard before reaching Shaker Square.

At this point, the line is at the same level as Shaker Boulevard. Its ROW is in a wide median (about 30 metres wide). The Shaker Square station is immediately to the west of Shaker Square (the road), and the junction where the Blue and Green lines split is to the east of Shaker Square.

Here is a run-down of the trip from Shaker Square to Green on the Green Line that takes approximately 13 minutes:

East of the junction at Shaker Square, there is a centre track for a short distance to hold a train if needed.

The line proceeds along a wide median on Shaker Boulevard that, for the most part, has mature trees that partially obscure the LRT from vehicle traffic. This continues through the stations of Coventry, Southington, South Park, Lee, Attleboro, Eaton, and Courtland.

The line crosses streets under signal control, with the LRT using white vertical and red horizontal bar indications to keep them separate from road traffic signals. Stations are more closely spaced along this part of the line compared to west of Shaker Square. Typical stop spacing is about 500-600 metres here.

About 200 metres west of Warrensville Center Road, Shaker Boulevard widens out and climbs to the same level as the Warrensville Center Road. Beginning here, the median of Shaker Boulevard is about 150 metres wide, making it more like a park in a wide ravine. This continues through the stations of Belvoir, West Green, and Green.

West Green and Green are only about 150 metres apart - more or less opposite ends of the parking lot between the two. Beyond Green, a loop used in the days of single-ended PCC operation still exists. The loop is no longer used as the double-ended LRVs make use of a single tail track.

Beyond the end of the tail track, there are a few additional support poles for the overhead wiring that were installed anticipating a future extension of the line. No such extension is planned.

Here is a run-down of the trip from Shaker Square to Warrensville on the Blue Line that takes approximately 13 minutes:

The Blue Line route branches off of Shaker Boulevard and onto Van Aken Boulevard. This road has a wide median, approximately 25 metres wide. The LRT ROW runs down the middle of this median with grass, bushes, or trees between it and the road. For some stretches there are angled parking spaces, often on both sides of the ROW (see satellite photo to the left).

The line has its first stop, Drexmore, shortly after the junction. As Van Aken Boulevard curves and heads in a southeast direction, each stop is about 125 metres apart, with each stop's platform on the near side of an intersecting street (eastbound platform is on west side of cross street, westbound platform is on east side of cross street).

After Drexmore, the stations are S. Woodland, Southington, Onaway, and Ashby. After leaving Ashby, Van Aken Boulevard curves to the left to an eastbound alignment. As the alignment straightens out on approach to Lee Road, the LRT tracks descend to a lower grade as the line passes under Lee Road, the only underpass on the Van Aken branch.

The Lee station has a look similar to other stations just below the grade of the surroundings, such as E116 pictured in the South Harbor to Shaker Square section.

After Lee, the tracks return to the same grade as Van Aken Boulevard. With the same 125 metre spacing, the stops after Lee are Avalon, Kenmore, and Lynnfield.

A small former station building stands on the westbound platform at Lynnfield. The building is now used by a hair salon.

After Lynnfield, there is about a 160 metre distance to the next stop at Farnsleigh.

At the east end of the Farnsleigh platform, the line begins to curve to a southeast alignment as it crosses Farnsleigh Road.

There is only about 90 metres from the platform at Farnsleigh to the terminal platform at Warrensville, with that distance being taken up with the intersection and crossover tracks. There is also a third track at Warrensville for LRV storage, with room to add another track or two. The Warrensville stop has a centre island platform. The only other island platform is at Tower City-Public Square.

Also note, both the Green Line and the Blue Line have a Warrensville station with identical names. There is no 'north' or 'south' designations of these stations.

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This page last updated October 13, 2010