Buses will use Superior Avenue on Public Square after Aug. 1

CLEVELAND -- Buses operated by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) will start using the new exclusive transit lanes on Superior Avenue that traverse Public Square on Aug. 1.

"Even though Public Square is being dedicated today (June 30), RTA has made the decision to not use the eight shelters located on Superior Avenue until Aug. 1, because of activities related to the Republican National Convention,” said Joe Calabrese, CEO and General Manager.

Customers can continue to use the current stops around the Square until Aug. 1, when RTA will also start to use the eight stops on Superior Avenue. With the re-design of Public Square, Superior Avenue will be used exclusively for buses.

After Aug. 1, there still may be times when Superior Avenue is closed for occasional events, such as the Holiday tree lighting ceremony. RTA will communicate those times to customers with plenty of advance notice, Calabrese said.

"We are very happy with how transit has been integrated into the new Public Square design," he said. "This is a win-win situation for RTA and the thousands of customers who use the Square daily. We thank Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and the Group Plan Commission. We had a seat at the table during the design, and they listened to us."

"Cleveland now has a world-class transit hub in the middle of a $50 million public park, just across the street from our major rail hub. It's great."

Every weekday, more than 30,000 customers are served by RTA’s rail hub in Tower City, and 40,000 customers are served by RTA’s bus hub on Public Square. As many as 50 percent of these customers transfer between modes, so it is critical to maintain that interconnectivity, Calabrese said. About 62 percent of all RTA trips are work-related, and 23 percent education-related.

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