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East 55th (RTA Rapid Transit station)
Encyclopedia
East 55th is a station
on the RTA
Red
, Green and Blue Lines
in Cleveland, Ohio
, USA. The station entrance is located on the west side of East 55th Street just north of the intersection with Bower Avenue and the eastern terminus of Interstate 490
.
The station is fairly unique in that it serves both high-level boarding rapid transit
or heavy rail trains and low-level boarding light rail
trains. The high-level boarding platforms for the Red Line are located at the eastern end of the station at the end of the stairs leading down from the station entrance on East 55th Street. The low-level boarding platforms for the Green and Blue Lines extend from the western end of the high-level platforms.
to East 34th Street
on April 11, 1920.
The station then consisted of a low-level island platform
and a wooden stairway to East 55th Street.
The Shaker Rapid Transit was able to use an island platform at this station and at East 34th Street because it used left side running on its dual tracks west of East 65th Street (that is, each train traveled forward on the left track of the pair, instead of the right as is common and as done over the rest of the line). Therefore, the doors on the right side of each car opened onto the island platform at these stations. The switch from right to left side and vice versa was accomplished at a complex of tunnels located at East 65th Street. The tunnels also provided access from the trunk line to the Kingsbury Car Yard and Shops located in the Sidaway Valley, and they allowed for connection to the proposed line along the right-of-way eventually used by the Red Line.
When the CTS Rapid Transit (today's Red Line) was built, high-level side platform
s were installed on each side of the island platform to accommodate the subway-style cars. Separate stairways were constructed from the two side platforms to a fare booth located at the East 55th Street entrance. The CTS line was opened on March 15, 1955.
The CTS Rapid Transit and the Shaker Rapid Transit stations operated independently. Since the CTS Rapid Transit and the Shaker Rapid Transit were separately owned and since there was no transfer provided between the lines, there was no reason to have a connection at track level between the two stations.
When the Regional Transit Authority
was formed on September 5, 1975,
it merged the CTS and Shaker Rapid Transit systems, so convenient connection between the lines was needed. RTA first encouraged passengers to transfer at East 34th Station where a platform level connection had existed since 1971. Eventually, the island platform was eliminated along with the separate stairway to East 55th Street, and new low-level platforms were constructed at the western end of the high-level platforms. The high-level platforms were shortened, since RTA no longer ran the longer trains for which the platforms were originally designed.
RTA opened its new $23-million Central Rail Maintenance Facility on April 29, 1984 on a 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) site adjacent to the station. The new yard for all rapid transit cars was built on the site of the former rail yard of the Nickel Plate Road
. The nearby Kingbury Shops originally built for the Shaker Rapid Transit were closed as operations were consolidated in the Central Rail facility.
The station has not yet received a substantial improvement since its original construction, and it is now ADA compliant. On August 26, 2009, RTA broke ground on a new station with the new station began gradually transitioning services from the old station to the new station during the month of September, 2011. .name=RTANewsNew55Station>
Metro station
A metro station or subway station is a railway station for a rapid transit system, often known by names such as "metro", "underground" and "subway". It is often underground or elevated. At crossings of metro lines, they are multi-level....
on the RTA
Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority is the public transit agency for Cleveland, Ohio, United States, and the surrounding suburbs of Cuyahoga County. RTA is the largest transit agency in Ohio, providing over 44 million trips to residents and visitors of the Cleveland area in 2010...
Red
Red Line (Cleveland)
The Red Line is a rapid transit line of the RTA Rapid Transit in Cleveland, Ohio, running from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport northeast to Tower City in downtown Cleveland, then east and northeast to Windermere...
, Green and Blue Lines
Blue and Green Lines (Cleveland)
The Blue Line, Green Line, and Waterfront Line are the interurban/light rail component of the RTA Rapid Transit, a rapid transit rail system in greater Cleveland and Shaker Heights, Cuyahoga County, Ohio...
in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, USA. The station entrance is located on the west side of East 55th Street just north of the intersection with Bower Avenue and the eastern terminus of Interstate 490
Interstate 490 (Ohio)
Interstate 490 is a Interstate Highway in Cleveland, Ohio. The western terminus is a junction with I-90 and I-71 on Cleveland's west side. After spanning the Cuyahoga River, the eastern terminus is a junction with East 55th Street, just east of I-77....
.
The station is fairly unique in that it serves both high-level boarding rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
or heavy rail trains and low-level boarding light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
trains. The high-level boarding platforms for the Red Line are located at the eastern end of the station at the end of the stairs leading down from the station entrance on East 55th Street. The low-level boarding platforms for the Green and Blue Lines extend from the western end of the high-level platforms.
History
The station was first used for the Shaker Rapid Transit, the predecessor of the Green and Blue Lines. The Shaker Rapid Transit opened along private right-of-way from Shaker SquareShaker Square (RTA Rapid Transit station)
Shaker Square Station is a station on the RTA Blue and Green Lines in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. It is first station west of the junction of the Blue and Green Lines and thus serves as a transfer point between the two lines....
to East 34th Street
East 34th-Campus (RTA Rapid Transit station)
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...
on April 11, 1920.
The station then consisted of a low-level island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
and a wooden stairway to East 55th Street.
The Shaker Rapid Transit was able to use an island platform at this station and at East 34th Street because it used left side running on its dual tracks west of East 65th Street (that is, each train traveled forward on the left track of the pair, instead of the right as is common and as done over the rest of the line). Therefore, the doors on the right side of each car opened onto the island platform at these stations. The switch from right to left side and vice versa was accomplished at a complex of tunnels located at East 65th Street. The tunnels also provided access from the trunk line to the Kingsbury Car Yard and Shops located in the Sidaway Valley, and they allowed for connection to the proposed line along the right-of-way eventually used by the Red Line.
When the CTS Rapid Transit (today's Red Line) was built, high-level side platform
Side platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
s were installed on each side of the island platform to accommodate the subway-style cars. Separate stairways were constructed from the two side platforms to a fare booth located at the East 55th Street entrance. The CTS line was opened on March 15, 1955.
The CTS Rapid Transit and the Shaker Rapid Transit stations operated independently. Since the CTS Rapid Transit and the Shaker Rapid Transit were separately owned and since there was no transfer provided between the lines, there was no reason to have a connection at track level between the two stations.
When the Regional Transit Authority
Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority is the public transit agency for Cleveland, Ohio, United States, and the surrounding suburbs of Cuyahoga County. RTA is the largest transit agency in Ohio, providing over 44 million trips to residents and visitors of the Cleveland area in 2010...
was formed on September 5, 1975,
it merged the CTS and Shaker Rapid Transit systems, so convenient connection between the lines was needed. RTA first encouraged passengers to transfer at East 34th Station where a platform level connection had existed since 1971. Eventually, the island platform was eliminated along with the separate stairway to East 55th Street, and new low-level platforms were constructed at the western end of the high-level platforms. The high-level platforms were shortened, since RTA no longer ran the longer trains for which the platforms were originally designed.
RTA opened its new $23-million Central Rail Maintenance Facility on April 29, 1984 on a 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) site adjacent to the station. The new yard for all rapid transit cars was built on the site of the former rail yard of the Nickel Plate Road
New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
The New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad , abbreviated NYC&St.L, was a railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. Commonly referred to as the Nickel Plate Road, the railroad served a large area, including trackage in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois...
. The nearby Kingbury Shops originally built for the Shaker Rapid Transit were closed as operations were consolidated in the Central Rail facility.
The station has not yet received a substantial improvement since its original construction, and it is now ADA compliant. On August 26, 2009, RTA broke ground on a new station with the new station began gradually transitioning services from the old station to the new station during the month of September, 2011. .name=RTANewsNew55Station>