Cleveland, Ohio

:For the Cleveland area, see Greater Cleveland.

Transportation

Airports

The city is home to two airports. Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is the city's major facility and a large international port that serves as one of three main hubs for Continental Airlines. It holds the distinction of having the first airport-to-downtown rapid transit connection, established in 1968. In 1930, the airport was the site of the first airfield lighting system and the first air traffic control tower. In addition to Hopkins, Cleveland also has an airport directly in the downtown area on the lakefront, known as Burke Lakefront Airport. Burke is primarily a commuter and business airport. Burke has been under scrutiny in the past few years as part of Cleveland's Lakefront Plan. There are factions that wish to keep the airport open as well as those who wish to remove it and develop the lakefront land.

Related Topics:
Hopkins International Airport - Continental Airlines - 1968 - 1930 - Burke Lakefront Airport

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Mass transit

Cleveland currently has a bus and rail mass transit system operated by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, also known as "RTA". The rail portion is officially called the Cleveland Rapid Transit, but is better known as The Rapid. It consists of two light rail lines and one rapid transit line. The light rail lines are all that remain of the city's once-extensive streetcar system. The metro was extended to Hopkins International Airport in 1968—the first airport-to-mass-transit link in North America. The light rail lines extend into the suburb of Shaker Heights, a well-known example of a streetcar suburb.

Related Topics:
Bus - Rail - Mass transit system - Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority - Cleveland Rapid Transit - Light rail - Rapid transit - Streetcar - Shaker Heights - Streetcar suburb

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RTA is currently installing a bus rapid transit line, coined the "Silver Line", which will run between the two major employment centers of the city, Downtown Cleveland and University Circle.

Related Topics:
Bus rapid transit - Downtown Cleveland - University Circle

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Highways

Three Interstate highways serve Cleveland directly. Interstate 71 begins just southwest of downtown and is the major route from downtown Cleveland to the airport. I-71 runs through the southwestern suburbs of Brook Park, Middleburg Heights and Strongsville, and eventually connects Cleveland with the state capital, Columbus. Interstate 77 begins in downtown Cleveland and runs almost due south through the southern suburbs, including Independence, Seven Hills and Broadview Heights. I-77 sees the least traffic of the three interstates, although it does connect Cleveland to its nearest large city, Akron. Interstate 90 connects the two sides of Cleveland, and is the northern terminus for both I-71 and I-77. Running due east/west through the west side suburbs of Westlake, Rocky River and Lakewood, I-90 turns northeast at the junction with I-71 and I-490, and is known as the Innerbelt through downtown. At the junction with the Shoreway, I-90 makes a 90-degree turn known in the area as "Dead Man's Curve", then continues northeast to serve Bratenahl and Euclid before entering Lake County at the eastern split with Ohio 2.

Related Topics:
Interstate highway - Interstate 71 - Suburbs - Brook Park - Middleburg Heights - Strongsville - Columbus - Interstate 77 - Independence - Seven Hills - Broadview Heights - Akron - Interstate 90 - Westlake - Rocky River - Lakewood - Bratenahl - Euclid - Lake County

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Cleveland is also served by two 3-digit interstates, Interstate 480, which enters Cleveland briefly at a couple points and Interstate 490, which connects I-77 with the junction of I-90 and I-71 just south of downtown.

Related Topics:
Interstate 480 - Interstate 490

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Two other limited-access highways serve Cleveland. The Cleveland Memorial Shoreway (commonly shortened to simply "The Shoreway") carries Ohio 2 along its length, and at varying points also carries US 6, US 20 and I-90. Interestingly, the East Shoreway is typically called such, and not I-90; this is because the Shoreway itself predates I-90. The Jennings Freeway (Ohio 176) connects I-71 just south of I-90 to I-480 near the suburbs of Parma and Brooklyn Heights. A third highway, the Berea Freeway (Ohio 237), connects I-71 to the airport, and forms part of the boundary between Cleveland and Brook Park.

Related Topics:
Cleveland Memorial Shoreway - Ohio 2 - US 6 - US 20 - Ohio 176 - Parma - Brooklyn Heights - Ohio 237

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