New RTA Station:
On March 18, 2008, the RTA Board of Trustees selected the firm of Bialosky & Partners to design the new Lee/Van Aken Rapid Transit Station on the Blue Line in Shaker Heights. It will be ADA-compliant when it opens in 2010 or 2011.
The design for the new station is currently at a preliminary level. Drawings have been presented to the Shaker Heights Architectural Board of Review, the City Planning Commission, and were presented to City Council in February 2009. The Architectural Board of Review supports the preliminary design; City Council approved the improvements to public land.
The project will completely reconstruct the passenger loading platforms and access, providing a safer and more inviting environment. At both entrances, new weather-protected vestibules connecting to elevators and stairs will provide equitable access for all riders. The existing road bridge will be widened to provide a larger sidewalk area for bus waiting and passenger circulation. Overall, the design will significantly enhance the transit experience at the station and provide greater security.
The architecture was inspired by the quality of design that is present in the buildings surrounding the site. The two waiting pavilions connected by an arch structure is inspired by traditional triumphal arches that celebrate events and people all over the world. This design will create a street wall on the west side of Lee Road that unites City Hall with the civic and commercial heart of the community to the south. Many facets of the design result from resident and RTA rider input from public meetings held in 2007 as part of the Lee/Van Aken Transit-Oriented Development Plan process.
Additional information is available on the RTA website.
Background:
Consultants who specialize in transit-oriented development generated short- and long-term ideas for improvements to the Lee/Van Aken RTA station and development on land surrounding the station (within about a half-mile radius).
The final Lee/Van Aken TOD Plan was adopted by the City Planning Commission on February 5, 2008.
Final Lee/Van Aken Transit-Oriented Development Plan Documents
