Hi folks,

            I can't tell you how much I appreciated your last posts to my questions on neighborhoods in Cleveland.  As I mentioned in my last post, I'll be moving to Cleveland soon and will be trying to make it all work without a car.  Obviously this will mean that me and the RTA will soon become best friends.  I'm wondering what people's general impressions are of the system as well as how safe it is to use at night.

            1.  Would walking near the Rapid stops in Ohio City, E. 9th Street, or Tower City be safe at night?  It all seemed very desolate when I was there during the day, and I was wondering if safety was a concern once it got dark. 

 

            2.  In general, what is safety like downtown during the evening hours?  I'm planning on walking through downtown and Ohio City after dark every evening.  Would this be advisable, or do I need to get a car? 

 

            Thanks again and let me know if you need any New York advice!

Hi folks,

            I can't tell you how much I appreciated your last posts to my questions on neighborhoods in Cleveland.  As I mentioned in my last post, I'll be moving to Cleveland soon and will be trying to make it all work without a car.  Obviously this will mean that me and the RTA will soon become best friends.  I'm wondering what people's general impressions are of the system as well as how safe it is to use at night.

            1.  Would walking near the Rapid stops in Ohio City, E. 9th Street, or Tower City be safe at night?  It all seemed very desolate when I was there during the day, and I was wondering if safety was a concern once it got dark. 

 

            2.  In general, what is safety like downtown during the evening hours?  I'm planning on walking through downtown and Ohio City after dark every evening.  Would this be advisable, or do I need to get a car? 

 

            Thanks again and let me know if you need any New York advice!

 

You live in Brooklyn, Cleveland will be a cake walk!  Seriously!!

 

You'll need to use the same common sense you do on the subway and walking in NYC.

 

Downtown Cleveland in day and night are "day and night" in terms of activity and life.  Downtown Cleveland acts very similar to Fulton Street/Metro Tech Center .  Busy, busy during the day and after about 7 PM it mellows out.  Although Playhouse Sq, East 4th-Gaeway, TC/Public Square and the Warehouse district will still have activity.

 

I'm not clear what you mean by "walking thru downtown and ohio city" every evening?  Why wouldn't you take a bus or the train home?

 

Where are you living and working??

Downtown can be quiet on week nights when there isn't a ballgame but it's safe. The biggest saftey issue at night in my opinion is agressive panhandling but muggings/assaults are pretty rare. Also, the Downtown Cleveland Alliance offers free escorts at night. Just call 216.621.6000 and a safety ambassador will escort you free of charge.

FYI the "rapid" is what we call the train/light rail line.  Otherwise you'll be taking a bus.  There is no rapid stop for E 9th street, the main downtown stop is Tower City and then yes, there is an Ohio City stop (W 25th).

 

We just have a whole lot less people than where you're from.  It will seem "desolate" a lot if you are mainly going to be an evening rider because most, but it doesn't mean it's unsafe.  As MTS said, you have to keep your wits about you as you would anywhere.

 

I would give it a try for a few weeks and gauge your comfort level before deciding whether or not you need to get a car. 

Actually, the Waterfront Line has an East 9th Street station stop. But this is a limited service rail line. It has rush hour service and full-day service on the weekends as it is mostly a tourist/recreational/sports/special events line.

 

The BRT/Euclid Corridor also has an East 9th Street station.

 

Tower City is safe at any time of the day.

 

I would be cautious around the Ohio City station. Just keep your eyes open and your radar up. Most people keep to themselves and even the homeless here are pretty harmless. But if you spot someone who might be trouble, go stand near the emergency kiosk where the "panic button" is located. But if you're from Brooklyn, you've already developed street smarts.

 

While rail services are fairly frequent (15 minutes) in the evenings, bus services on most routes are MUCH less frequent in the evenings. Print out schedules of routes you'll be traveling frequently and check them in the evenings before you head out to wait at a stop. That will certainly pay off when taking routes with half-hourly or even hourly service at night.

 

When in doubt, check out:

http://www.riderta.com/maps-schedules.asp