The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) in Ohio is advancing a multimodal, transit-oriented development (TOD) to connect communities and businesses through the Slavic Village. The estimated $50 million project will include a bus rapid transit (BRT) system study for the aging corridor, with construction slated for 2030.
The roadway centers around RTA Route 19, cutting through a high-risk priority neighborhood that saw 540 crashes between 2021 and 2024. The city’s efforts to advance the Broadway TOD Plan would help transform the area to benefit local communities by increasing public transit accessibility, improving safety and boosting the area’s economic potential.
The corridor extends from Tri-C’s Metro Campus RTA station to the intersection of Miles Avenue and Broadway Avenue. As part of the proposed plan, RTA would transform the site to align with Cleveland’s Vision Zero program and make roadway improvements to accommodate critical TOD and BRT elements.
Key transit improvements planned for the corridor include building dedicated curbside bus lanes over more than half the alignment, reducing the number of bus stops, implementing far side bus stops and installing Transit Signal Priority (TSP). The authority would also build curb bump-outs at BRT stations, build new transit stations and raise boarding at select BRT stations.
The Broadway Corridor has historically been an underutilized section of the city, with more than 7,100 passenger trips taking place each day across five bus routes. Reliability issues plague the current transit system, with some reports seeing travel times vary by 20% or more on some routes. A presentation during the RTA March 3 meeting noted that the area is a clear candidate for TOD and BRT reinvestment, presenting a clear opportunity to improve travel time and connectivity.
The authority provided five bus station concepts it is considering for the project. While they differ in design elements, they largely share several components including:
- Route signs.
- Real-time information kiosks.
- Weather-protected shelters.
- Raised curb and boarding.
- Benches.
- Leaning rails.
- Trash/recycling receptacles.
- Bike racks.
- Planters.
- Shade/ornamental trees.
- Police call boxes.
Full buildout of the Broadway Corridor would open the region to new housing market opportunities. Local neighborhoods are disconnected from key amenities and lack the home value to justify replacement or expansion. The Broadway TOD Plan would help increase the area’s value, leading to incremental, infill-scale housing, income-restricted or supported rental, neighborhood-serving retail and reuse of existing storefront opportunities.
Photo by Jay Brand from Pexels
For more of the latest from the expansive government marketplace, check Government Market News daily for new stories, insights and profiles from public sector professionals. Check out our national contracting newsletter here.
