The HealthLine is Cleveland's first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, serving the Euclid Corridor. It connects the two largest regional employment areas, Downtown and University Circle, and extends to the Louis Stokes Station at Windermere in East Cleveland.
With visitors from all over the world, RTA regularly showcases the $200 million HealthLine, the world-class standard for BRT. The HealthLine was named the 'Best' Bus Rapid Transit in North America by the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy, and was recognized for having the best return on investment for a transit project, regardless of mode, in the country.
A "Gamechanger" for rapid transit.
In the latest available Infrastructure Report Card issued by the American Society of Civil Engineers (2017), the HealthLine is listed as a “Gamechanger” for rapid transit.
In fact, as calculated in 2018, the HealthLine delivered more than $9.5 billion in economic development along the Euclid Corridor -- a staggering $190 gained for every dollar spent on creating and launching the new service. The HealthLine:
- Includes 7.1 miles of roadway improvements on Euclid Avenue and a 2.3 mile transit zone Downtown
- Offers convenient, 10-minute frequency service during peak travel periods and operates 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-per-week.
- Replaced 108 bus stops with 36 conveniently spaced stations
- Reduced travel time from 46 minutes to 34 minutes.
- Provides stylized 63-foot hybrid-electric Rapid Transit Vehicles with five sets of doors, located on both sides of the coach.
More than a name
RTA was the first transit system in the nation to sell naming rights sponsorships to its assets. The HealthLine is sponsored by the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals, two world-class medical centers and major employers on Euclid Avenue.
Ridership
Ridership is strong. The HealthLine posted a 48 percent increase in year one, and has served more than 4 million customers every year.
In fact, since opening in October, 2008, the HealthLine has served more than 44 million customers. Annual ridership has increased about 60 percent over the previous Number 6 bus line, which was RTA’s highest ridership bus line and was replaced by the HealthLine
Rail-Like image: “Fast, simple, safe, first-class”
- High-frequency service
- Every 10 minutes, peak
- Every 10-15 minutes, off-peak
- 24/7 span of service
- Dedicated right-of-way with higher travel speed limits
- Precision docking
- Level boarding stations
- Traffic signal prioritization
- Off-board fare collection
- Real-time information displays
- Emergency call boxes
- Rail-like bell/horn
HealthLine features
- 36 stations (reduced from 108 bus stops)
- 24 hybrid-electric vehicles with doors on both sides
- 90 percent fewer emissions than standard buses
- Bike lanes between CSU and CWRU
- Landscaping/hardscape treatment with 1,500 irrigated trees
- Integrated/stand-alone public art
$9.5 billion in economic development along the Euclid Corridor
The HealthLine has been credited with having the highest return-on-investment of any public transit project in the nation, leveraging $190 for every transit dollar invested. Included is:
- $200+ million at East Ninth and Euclid Avenue
- $380 million invested by Cleveland State University
- $370 million invested by University Hospital
- $350 million invested by Cleveland Museum of Art
- $1.3 billion invested by Cleveland Clinic Foundation
- 8,800+ new residential units
- 1,800 + new dorm rooms
- 1,300 + new hotel rooms
- 23 million square feet in total development
- 13,000 new jobs
Awards
- Grand Award: American Council of Engineering Companies, 2010
- Award for Excellence: The Americas: the Urban Land Institute, 2011
- Best in North America: Institute for Transportation & Development Policy, 2013