Free shuttle links CH to University Circle

ODOT signs on Coventry Road highlight the free and open-to-all BlueLink shuttle service that connects the Heights with University Circle destinations.

With the lifting of Ohio’s stay-at-home order, many are resuming their work commutes. Others are starting to get out and about more, as Ohio reboots its economy, and warmer weather beckons. If getting around by means other than driving a car is possible, and appeals to you, consider the Heights-adjacent transportation options offered at www.ugointhecircle.com/transportation-options, which include a free shuttle between Coventry Village and University Circle.

One of the Heights’ strengths is its location near University Circle, with that destination’s plethora of jobs and institutions in medicine, education, arts and culture, dining, and parks. University Circle also provides links to wider transportation networks, such as RTA’s trains, buses and Healthline, and bike lanes and trails to Downtown Cleveland, the cultural gardens and the lakefront.

University Circle Incorporated (UCI) management would like to preserve the limited real estate in the Circle to support the area’s growth. This calls for minimizing the building of parking garages. UCI encourages commuters and others to consider their transportation options, which it outlines on its website. These include public transit, biking, walking, shuttles, and car or van pooling. 

To reduce traffic and parking congestion in the Circle, UCI has developed a free-to-the-public shuttle service called CircleLink. Recognizing the importance of linking the Heights and the Circle, the BlueLink route of CircleLink connects Wade Oval, Uptown, Little Italy, and Coventry Village, and provides access to the Little Italy-University Circle Rapid Station year-round. The transportation options Web link provides maps, scheduling and other information, including COVID-19 transportation updates, policies on social distancing, and more. 

When Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) is in session, it also offers free shuttle service to the Heights. Morning service is available through the Heights AM route, and evening service is called the Evening South Loop. For information on that service, which connects the CWRU campus to Cleveland Heights' Cedar Fairmount district, go to: https://case.edu/parking/transportation/shuttles.

Mary Dunbar

Mary Dunbar is a member of Cleveland Heights City Council, and vice president of Heights Bicycle Coalition.

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Volume 13, Issue 6, Posted 9:31 AM, 06.02.2020