Red Line (Cleveland)

66: Red (Airport–Windermere)
A Red Line train heading towards Windermere
Overview
Type	Rapid transit
System	RTA Rapid Transit
Locale	Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Termini	Hopkins International Airport Louis Stokes Station at Windermere
Stations	18 total (3 shared with Blue and Green Lines)[1]
Services	Red (66: Airport–Windermere)[2]
Daily ridership	26,500 (weekday)
Operation
Opened	March 15, 1955
Owner	Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
Operator(s)	Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
Rolling stock	60
Technical
Line length	19 miles (31 km)[3]
Track length	19 miles (31 km)[3]
Number of tracks	2
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	Overhead catenary, 600 volts DC[4]
Route map Legend Legend Hopkins Airport SR 237 (Berea Freeway) Brookpark I-480 (Outerbelt South) I-71 (Medina Freeway) Puritas West Park Triskett I-90 (Northwest Freeway) West 117th–Madison Highland West Boulevard–Cudell West 65th–Lorain–EcoCity West 25th–Ohio City Cuyahoga River          Waterfront Line to South Harbor Tower City–Public Square I-90 (Innerbelt) East 34th–Campus I-77 (Willow Freeway) East 55th          Blue and Green Lines to Shaker Heights East 79th (Red) East 105th–Quincy Cedar–University Little Italy–University Circle Euclid–East 120th Superior Stokes–Windermere

The Red Line (Route 66, also known as the Airport–Windermere Line) is a rapid transit line of the RTA Rapid Transit system in Cleveland, Ohio, running from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport northeast to Tower City in downtown Cleveland, then east and northeast to Windermere. 2.6 miles (4.2 km) of track, including two stations (East 34th-Campus and East 55th), are shared with the light rail Blue and Green Lines; the stations have high platforms for the Red Line and low platforms for the Blue and Green Lines. The whole Red Line is built next to current or former freight or intercity passenger railroads. It uses overhead lines and pantographs to draw power.

History

The corridor along which the Red Line runs had been planned for use since before 1930, when the Cleveland Union Terminal opened. The first short section, between East 34th and East 55th Streets, was in use by the Cleveland Interurban Railroad in 1920, and in 1930 the line between East 34th and the Union Terminal was completed. It was not until March 15, 1955 that the eastern half of the Red Line opened, from the existing line near East 55th northeast next to the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (Nickel Plate Road) to Windermere. The line from downtown southwest to West 117th Street opened August 15; this line ran next to the Nickel Plate to the crossing of the New York Central Railroad near West 101st Street, and then next to the New York Central. On November 15, 1958, an extension to West Park opened, and the final section, continuing to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, opened in 1968, the first airport rail link in North America.

Schedule and headways

The Red Line runs from approximately 3:15 a.m. to 1:45 a.m. daily. Trains run approximately every 10 minutes during rush hours and approximately every 15 during all other times.^[2] (Service to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is provided by # 22 Lorain buses between 1:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m.)

66R Shuttle Bus

During rail shutdowns RTA uses replacement buses with the destination signs "66R RED LINE EASTBOUND" or "66R RED LINE WESTBOUND". Westside shuttle buses run from Cleveland Hopkins Airport Limo area to Public Square while eastside shuttle buses run from Public Square to Louis Stokes station at Windermere. Shuttle buses usually run close to the original train schedule but extra travel time is always advised.

Fare collection

Since 14 August 2016, the one-way cash fare on the RTA Rapid Transit is $2.50. A 5-trip fare card can be purchased for $12.50. An All-Day/Cleveland 1-Day pass, allowing unlimited riding on the rapid transit as well as on RTA buses is $5.50 ($2.75 for children 6-17, seniors at least 65 & disabled). Weekly and monthly passes are also available, and there are discounted fares for seniors and disabled. No fare to kids under 6 with fare-paying rider; limit 3.

Many of the stations formerly had a secure turnstile system as well as staffed agent booths, but RTA removed them in 2009 at all but two stations in favor of a proof-of-payment system.

A Red Line train at West 117th-Madison station.

Before boarding, passengers must either purchase (and thereby activate) an All Day Pass, 1-ride ticket, or 5 ride pass or swipe and activate their pre-purchased farecard/pass at a ticket vending machine (TVM). Downtown's Tower City Station also has a customer service center where passengers may purchase a full range of RTA fare media. Once their pass/farecard has been activated, passengers are permitted to enter the station's "fare paid zone" which is clearly marked by signage at each station. While in the fare paid zone, as well as while on the train, passengers are subject to random checks by RTA Transit Police to ensure that each person has paid a fare. Violators are subject to criminal prosecution.^[5]

At downtown's Tower City Station, the sole remaining station on the line where passengers consistently pass through secure turnstiles, departing riders must swipe their pass/farecard at the gate to gain access to the platform and arriving passengers must swipe their proof of payment card to exit the station.^[5]

Rolling stock

The Red Line uses a fleet of 60 stainless-steel subway-type cars manufactured by Tokyu Car Corporation and delivered to RTA between 1984 and September 1985.^[6] The cars have three sets of doors on each side, one in the center and one at each end adjacent to the operator cab. The cars' exteriors originally had orange and red stripes along the sides, but these stripes were removed when RTA changed to a red, white and blue color scheme. Twenty of the cars are operable in single units, and they are numbered as 181-200. The other 40 cars are operable in pairs, and they are numbered as 301-340.

The current fleet of Red Line cars is undergoing an in-house rehabilitation under the direction of former director of rail Michael Couse. Only the 40 paired cars are to be rebuilt, the single units will presumably be retired. The cars will be overhauled over the course of 3–5 years using federal grant money. Cars will receive new pantographs and controllers, along with rebuilt trucks, traction motors, resistor banks, new flame-retardant flooring, LED lighting, new seat frames, revised interior paneling, and additional open space for improved ADA compliance. The first of the rebuilt cars was unveiled to the public on December 10, 2013.^[7]

Red Line cars at the West Park station in 1968

The current cars represent the third generation of cars that have been used on the line. The line opened using a fleet of shorter cars manufactured by the St. Louis Car Company in 1954 and 1955. The cars were 48 ¹⁄₂ feet (14.8 m) long with blue and gray exteriors and are often referred to as "Blue Birds." They were virtually identical to the cars built by St. Louis Car at the same time for what is now the MBTA's Blue Line. Twelve cars were operable as single units with cabs at each end, and 56 cars operable as pairs. The single units were numbered as 101–112, and the paired units as 201–256. Additional cars in this fleet were purchased in 1958 when the line was extended to West Park. These comprised six additional single unit cars (numbers 113–118) and 14 additional double unit cars (numbers 257–270).

When the extension to Hopkins Airport was being built in 1967, a fleet of 20 longer cars was purchased to supplement and replace the Blue Birds. These second generation cars, numbered as 151–170, were 72 feet (22 m) long and were built by Pullman-Standard Car Manufacturing Company. The cars, which had a stainless steel exterior with red and white trim and featured interior luggage racks, were promoted as "Airporters." The Airporters supplanted the Blue Birds, except during rush hour when extra cars were needed. In 1970, ten additional Airporters were purchased, numbered as 171–180. With the purchase of the Tokyu cars in 1985, all Airporters and Blue Birds were retired.

Stations

Line	Station[2]	Time to Tower City[8]	Date opened	Date rebuilt	Connections / notes[1][2][8]
	Hopkins Airport	26 min	November 15, 1968[9]	May 1994[9]	RTA Bus: 22 (Late Night Only)
	Brookpark	22 min	April 20, 1969[9]		RTA Bus: 22 (Late Night Only), 54, 78, 86
	Puritas–West 150th	19 min	November 15, 1968[9]	May 17, 2011[9]	RTA Bus: 78 Formerly Puritas
	West Park	17 min	November 15, 1958[9]	May 1996[9]	RTA Bus: 22, 49, 75, 83, 86
	Triskett	15 min	November 15, 1958[9]	November 30, 2000[9]
	West 117th–Madison Highland	13 min	August 14, 1955[9]	October 16, 2007[9]	RTA Bus: 25, 78
	West Boulevard–Cudell	10 min	August 14, 1955[9]	April 1999[9]	RTA Bus: 25, 26, 81 Formerly West 98th–Detroit
	West 65th–Lorain–EcoCity	7 min	August 14, 1955[9]	September 21, 2004[9]	RTA Bus: 22 Formerly West 65th–Lorain
	West 25th–Ohio City	4 min	August 14, 1955[9]	September 1992[9]	RTA Bus: 22, 45, 51, 51A, 51B, 51C, 79, 79A (Rush Hour), 81
	Tower City–Public Square	–	July 20, 1930	December 17, 1990[9]	RTA Rapid Transit: Blue and Green Lines RTA Rapid Transit: HealthLine RTA Bus: B-Line, C-Line, E-Line, and L-Line Trolleys; 1, 3, 8, 11, 14, 15, 19, 22, 26, 38, 39 / 39F, 45, 51, 51A, 51B, 51C, 53F, 55 A–B–C, 76, 77F, 79A–B, 81, 90F, 246, 251, 263 METRO RTA: X60, X61 PARTA: 100 SARTA: 4 Laketran: 10, 11, 12, 13
	East 34th–Campus	4 min	July 10, 1930[10]	August 18, 2003	RTA Rapid Transit: Blue and Green Lines RTA Bus: 15, 19, 76(Weekdays)
	East 55th	6 min	April 11, 1920[10]	October 11, 2011[11]	RTA Rapid Transit: Blue and Green Lines RTA Bus: 16
	East 79th (Red)	9 min	March 15, 1955[9]		RTA Bus: 2 (Weekdays)
	East 105th–Quincy	12 min	March 15, 1955[9]	November 4, 2005[9]	RTA Bus: 10, 11
	Cedar–University	14 min	March 15, 1955[9]	August 28, 2014[12]	RTA Bus: 7, 8, 32, 48 / 48A, (48A Weekdays) Formerly University Circle
	Little Italy–University Circle	15 min	August 11, 2015[13]		RTA Bus: 9 The Euclid – East 120th station was relocated to its present site.
	Superior	18 min	March 15, 1955[9]	September 1996[9]	RTA Rapid Transit: HealthLine RTA Bus: 3, 40
	Louis Stokes Station at Windermere	20 min	March 15, 1955[9]	June 22, 1997[9]	RTA Rapid Transit: HealthLine RTA Bus: 3, 28, 28A (weekdays), 30, 37, 41 / 41F (41F Weekdays) Formerly Windermere

Former stations

In popular culture

The Red Line is prominently featured in the final scenes of the film Proximity, starring Rob Lowe and James Coburn. The finale involves a hostage on a Red Line train and a gunfight and chase scene through the Tower City station.

See also

• Northern Ohio Railway Museum

References

External links

Route map: Bing / Google

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cleveland RTA Red Line.

• U.S. Urban Rail Transit Lines Opened From 1980 (PDF)
• nycsubway.org - Cleveland, Ohio
• Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority - Maps and Schedules
• Jon Bell - Cleveland, Ohio: Red Line