HealthLine

A HealthLine rapid transit vehicle drives through University Circle.
Overview
System	Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
Status	Operating
Began service	October 24, 2008
Routes
Routes	1
Locale	Cleveland, Ohio
Start	Public Square
End	Louis Stokes Station at Windermere
Length	6.8 mi (11 km)
Stations	59
Service
Daily ridership	14,367 [1]
Route map Public Square/West Roadway Public Square/Tower City East 2nd Street East 6th Street East 9th Street East 14th Street East 19th Street East 24th Street East 30th Street East 36th Street East 40th Street East 51st Street East 59th Street East 66th Street East 71st Street East 79th Street East 83rd Street East 89th Street East 93rd Street East 100th Street East 105th Street Stokes Boulevard Adelbert Road Cornell Road East 115th Street East 118th Street East 123rd Street Lakeview Road Delmont Avenue Roxbury Road Emily Street Garfield Road Superior Avenue Eddy Road Wellesley Avenue Lakefront Road Belmore Avenue Debra Ann Lane Louis Stokes Station at Windermere ← {{{previous_line}}}  {{{system_nav}}}  {{{next_line}}} →

The HealthLine (formerly known as the Silver Line^[2] and as the Euclid Corridor Transportation Project) is a bus rapid transit (BRT) line run by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. The line runs along Euclid Avenue from Public Square in downtown Cleveland to the Louis Stokes Station at Windermere in East Cleveland. It began operation on October 24, 2008.^[3] Its current name was the result of a naming rights deal with the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals of Cleveland.^[4] The HealthLine is denoted with a silver color and abbreviated simply as HL on most RTA publications.

By late 2009, ridership had expanded 47 percent compared to the former line running along the same route prior to the completion of the Euclid Corridor project and the creation of the HealthLine.^[5]

The Healthline is the top rated BRT system in the United States with a Silver rating according to the BRT Standard.^[6]

Route description

The HealthLine route travels 6.8 miles (11 km) along Euclid Avenue from Public Square in Downtown Cleveland to Louis Stokes Station at Windermere in East Cleveland. It passes through the neighborhoods of Downtown, Midtown, Fairfax, University Circle and the suburb of East Cleveland.^[3]

There are 59 stations along Euclid Avenue that serve the HealthLine. All stations are equipped with a fare card vending machine, 24-hour lighting and an emergency phone. An illuminated text display informs passengers of expected arrival times. Between Public Square and East 107th Street, all stations have raised platforms that align with the floor of the rapid transit vehicle, easing boarding and alighting.^[7]

Between Public Square and East 105th Street, Euclid Avenue has two "bus only" lanes close to the inner median which only allow HealthLine vehicles passage, reducing delays due to conflicts with general traffic during busy times. Complementing the HealthLine is a set of bike lanes on the outer edges of the stretch Euclid Avenue that connects Cleveland State University with Case Western Reserve University.^[8]

As late as July 2010, the trip from East Cleveland to downtown during rush hour was more than 40 minutes – longer than the planned 33 minutes. This was due to traffic light timing and the 25 mph speed limit along most of the route. The speed limit was raised to 35 mph for buses and traffic light timing was adjusted further to combat this issue.^[9][10]

The decision to turn off signal priority along portions of the line has been referred to as a form of BRT creep.^[11]

Bus fleet

A HealthLine bus at the Adelbert Road bus stop

The HealthLine runs a fleet of 21 articulated DE63LFA-BRT vehicles, manufactured by New Flyer Industries, each with a seating capacity of 47 and able to accommodate 53 more standing up. The vehicles have two doors on each side and run on a diesel-electric hybrid motor system that produce 90% less emissions than regular buses.^[12][13] A low sulfur diesel engine (Caterpillar C-9) generates electrical power to run smaller electric motors mounted on each of the wheels.^[14] Each vehicle also has a GPS locator on board, which allows automated traffic signals to give the HealthLine buses priority at busy intersections.

Bus stops

Classification used to identify types of HealthLine stations

The RTA classifies its bus rapid transit stops as "curb stations" and "median stations". The term "station" is used because RTA considers the route to be part of the rapid transit system.

Schedule

^[15]

Stations

• 
  Public Square/West Roadway
• 
  Public Square/Tower City
• 
  East 2nd Street
• 
  East 6th Street
• 
  East 9th Street
• 
  East 66th Street
• 
  Adelbert Road
• 
  Cornell Road
• 
  Louis Stokes Station at Windermere

See also

• RTA Rapid Transit
• List of bus rapid transit systems

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to HealthLine.

• Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
• RTA HealthLine