Getting around Cleveland
Cleveland has a relatively developed public transit system consisting of four rapid transit lines and numerous bus routes. The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (tel: +1 216 621 9500; www.riderta.com) operates these services.
The Red Line is a heavy rail system running from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport through Downtown to East Cleveland. Both the Blue and Green Lines run from the eastern suburbs to Downtown. The Waterfront Line runs from Tower City along the east bank of the Flats to the Muny Parking Lot, stopping at major tourist sites along the way. All the lines intersect underground at Tower City Center. It is possible to transfer a fare onto buses. Buses serve Downtown and the suburbs.
Weekly and monthly transit passes are available, as are day passes, two-trip and five-trip cards. You can buy them online via the Transit Authority website.
Downtown has ‘free with a smile’ trolley services for commuters and visitors. There are four routes, with trolleys running every 10 to 15 minutes during the day.
There is also a HealthLine (formerly the Euclid Corridor), a rapid bus transit line. The buses run on clean fuel and the line runs along a green corridor down Euclid Avenue from Public Square, Downtown to the Louis Stokes station at Windermere in East Cleveland. Cleveland State Line is a second rapid bus transit line operating from Downtown, with branches to Lakewood Park, Bay Village and Crocker Park.
You can hail taxis on the street at any time, or order them from a dispatching company if none are available. Companies include Ace Taxi (tel: +1 216 361 4700), Americab (tel: +1 216 815 3683) and Cleveland Taxi (tel: +1 216 856 0867). A tip of around 15% is not expected but always appreciated.
Cleveland's traffic is usually heaviest around rush hour (0800-0930), particularly on the highways leading into the city. Visitors should be aware that winter snowfalls can bring on dangerous road conditions, particularly on the highways and freeways.
The city is laid out on a loose grid system. Roads running north-south are mostly named according to numerical convention, whereas those running east-west are avenues. Cleveland's most important streets are East Ninth Street and Euclid Avenue. Street parking is available in the downtown core at parking meters. Garage parking is often more reliable. An abundance of garage parking is available near Public Square, adjacent to the Tower City Shopping complex.
A number of car hire companies operate including Avis (tel: +1 216 265 3700; www.avis.com), Enterprise (tel: +1 216 348 0700; www.enterprise.com) and Hertz (tel: +1 216 267 8900; www.hertz.com).
Drivers must be at least 21 years to hire a car in Cleveland, and some companies will only hire cars to drivers over 25. Drivers with non-American licences must have a national licence from their country of origin. It is recommended that you always check with the car hire firm, in case an International Driving Permit is required. You can purchase insurance from the car hire company.
The city has recently seen a number of pro-cycling developments and awareness campaigns, and there are a number of decent cycle lanes both in and around Cleveland. You can hire bicycles from Garfield Bike Shop, 4520 Warner Road (tel: +1 216 441 6430), or The Bike Rack, 2148 East Fourth Street (tel: +1 216 771 7120; www.clevelandbikerack.com).
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