East 34th – Campus (RTA Rapid Transit station)

East 34th–Campus
RTA rapid transit and light rail station
Location	2711 East 34th Street Cleveland, Ohio 44115
Coordinates	41°29′11″N 81°39′57″W / 41.48639°N 81.66583°WCoordinates: 41°29′11″N 81°39′57″W / 41.48639°N 81.66583°W
Owned by	Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
Line(s)	Red Line   Blue Line   Green Line
Platforms	Low-level island platform for Blue and Green Lines and collinear high-level island platform for Red Line
Tracks	2
Connections	15 (Union-Harvard) 19 (Broadway–Miles) 76 (Broadway–Turney) Weekdays
Construction
Parking	None
Disabled access	Planned for December 2018[1]
History
Opened	July 20, 1930
Rebuilt	August 18, 2003
Services
Preceding station   Rapid Transit   Following station Tower City–Public Square toward Airport Red Line East 55th toward Stokes–Windermere Tower City–Public Square toward South Harbor Blue Line East 55th toward Warrensville–Van Aken Green Line East 55th toward Green Road
Location

East 34th–Campus Station is station on the RTA Rapid Transit system in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, serving the Red, Blue and Green Lines. It is located just east of East 34th Street near the intersection of East 34th and Broadway, on the north side of the CSX railway tracks, and below the bridge that carries East 34th Street over the railway tracks.

The station is somewhat unusual in that it combines a high-level platform rapid transit station with a low-level platform light rail station. The low-level island platform is located on the northwestern end of the station adjacent to East 34th Street, and the high-level island platform extends southeastward from it. Both the light rail and the heavy rail subway cars share the station. East 34th and East 55th are the only stations on the Blue/Green Line, other than downtown's Tower City Station, to utilize an island platform. Therefore, due the fare collection procedure used on the Blue/Green Line, disembarking Blue/Green Line westbound passengers must walk to the front of the train and pay their fare or swipe/dip their farecard at the farebox before walking back through the train to exit one of the car's side left doors. Likewise, passengers departing East 34th station on the Blue/Green Line going eastbound must board the train through one of the train's left side doors and then immediately walk to the front of the train to pay their fare or swipe/dip their farecard at the farebox.

Although the station bears the name "Campus," it is something of a misnomer as the Cuyahoga Community College campus is not a convenient walk from the station. The station does offer bus connections to that campus as well as to Cleveland State University. It also provides convenient service for those working at the Main Post Office.

The station is currently not disabled accessible, as the only entrance is by a steep set of stairs to East 34th Street. However, the RTA plans to make the station accessible by the installation of ramps on the hillside on the north side of the platforms by the end of 2018.^[1]

Nearby destinations

• Cuyahoga Community College Metropolitan Campus

History

The station opened on July 20, 1930 as "East 34th Street Station" serving only the Shaker Rapid Transit Lines (today's Green and Blue Lines) when the lines were extended using private right-of-way from East 34th Street to the newly opened Cleveland Union Terminal.^[2] When the CTS Rapid Transit (today's Red Line) opened in 1955 it used the same tracks but did not stop at East 34th; the station continued to exclusively serve the Shaker Rapid Transit until 1971. A high-level platform was added to the eastern end of the existing low-level platform to serve the CTS Rapid Transit, and this portion of the station opened on March 1, 1971.^[3] The CTS station was designated "Campus Station." In 1975, with the formation of RTA both rapid transit lines came under common operation, and free transfers were provided between the lines.

The wooden stairway from East 34th Street was replaced in the early 1980s with a concrete stairway covered with a metal and tinted acrylic glass canopies. The station remains non-ADA-compliant. Beginning on October 16, 2000,^[4] Red Line service to the station was discontinued as the high-level platform was torn out and replaced. The station was completely reopened on August 18, 2003.^[5]

References

1. "East 34th Street Station on the Red, Blue and Green lines". RTA Website. Retrieved 2016-09-05.
2. Toman, James (1990). The Shaker Heights Rapid Transit. Glendale, Cal.: Interurban Press. ISBN 0-916374-95-5.
3. "About RTA: History of Public Transit in Greater Cleveland". RTA Website. Retrieved 2007-05-06.
4. "Rapid platform closing for repairs". The Plain Dealer. October 14, 2000. p. 3B. Retrieved 2007-05-06.
5. "Rider's Alert" (PDF). RTA Website. August 15, 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 27, 2006. Retrieved 2007-05-06.

External links

• 34th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View