RTA Decides to (Probably) Keep Dedicated Bus Rapid Transit Lanes 'Continuous' Through Ohio City on West 25th

Mike Schipper, RTA’s deputy general manager of engineering, told a room full of Ohio City stakeholders on Wednesday that its latest bus rapid transit project would most likely be all bus lane. Credit: Mark Oprea

For the past year, RTA has welcomed public feedback and criticism on its plans for bus rapid transit lanes on West 25th, which would stretch from Detroit Avenue in Ohio City to Monroe Road in Old Brooklyn.

The nexus of much of the criticism has centered around the heart of Ohio City by the West Side Market, where business owners have argued that eliminating parking spaces and creating four lanes of traffic where there are now just two would endanger pedestrians and cyclists.

On Wednesday, RTA presented its latest designs for the $51-million plans to totally re-do West 25th. As Mike Schipper, RTA’s deputy general manager of engineering, told a room full of attendees at Riverview Tower’s Welcome Center, those plans are very much leaning towards bus.

In other words, keeping two bus lanes on the curb sides of the street “continuous” throughout Ohio City’s Market Square.

The plan comes with tradeoffs.

“That does mean that approximately 70 parking spaces would be removed in that section,” Schipper said. He nodded to the parking lots behind the West Side Market, many of which go unused on off-days. “So we can probably find room for the 70 spaces, out of the 2,000” behind the Market, he said.

Transit advocates say uniformity and speed trumps whatever parking concerns exist.

The buses need two continuous lanes to keep rapid transit rapid, they say. Mixing bus lane with car lane, would choke service in and around Market Square, defeating the purpose of a BRT.

Two traffic tables, near the West Side Market and on the northern edge of the Market District, would be installed to try and keep cars from speeding. Credit: Mark Oprea

“Every hour, 24 buses travel on West 25th Street from Detroit Road to Lorain Avenue,” a letter in support of continuous lanes issued in May read. “Hundreds of bus riders travel along West 25th Street along this stretch every day. They deserve to get where they need to go quickly and reliably.”

“And one key way to ensure that is to give their bus a dedicated lane,” it added.

Schipper said at Wednesday’s town hall that at least one traffic table, a crosswalk raised three inches above the road, could be installed between the West Side Market and Market Avenue. 15 MPH warning signs would be installed on either side as to keep “safety elements” others argued parked cars added indirectly.

Those bus lanes would act as bike lanes, Schipper said, as RTA’s HealthLine on Euclid Avenue has unintentionally bore. Rumble strips would separate bus from car. Plastic posts, or delineators, would be placed in extra sensitive areas along the roadway.

“These are three different cues,” he said, “to say hey, stay out of the bus lane.”

Those present on Wednesday, mostly city officials and business owners, seemed to be okay with Schipper’s presentation of a street revamp guaranteed to affect business and car traffic for at least a year’s time, as the HealthLine did before it.

But those that critiqued what Schipper and designer Joe Schaefer presented warned of overcomplicating things. Keep it simple. Keep it simple so that, first of all, that $51 million can be raised.

“Getting back and forth between [Cleveland Clinic Lutheran and Metrohealth] should be the priority,” one commented. “And having that focus first on making the efficiency happen between those two campuses I think would also justify further federal funding.”

Others reminded Schipper that stretching West 25th would create its own safety issues, especially late at night, when drivers are more reckless and more willing to speed.

“I cross that crosswalk dozens of times a day,” said Sam McNulty, recalling a friend who dodged a collision that morning. “And it’s like playing Frogger, even with just crossing two lanes.”

“If we were to cross four—visibility aside—it would lead to loss of life and injury unfortunately,” he added.

“Would you like us to take it out?” Schipper said, referring to the traffic table. “We could easily take it out of the plans.”

“No,” Mudry said. “Then people would just jaywalk.”

Once fully-funded, the 25Connects street makeover could start construction in late 2026 or early 2027, Schipper said. It would take about a year to complete.