Buckeye–Woodhill station

Buckeye–Woodhill is a station on the RTA Blue and Green Lines in Cleveland, Ohio. It is located at the intersection of Woodhill Road, Buckeye Road and Shaker Boulevard.

Buckeye Woodhill
light rail station
Location	9528 Buckeye Road, Cleveland, Ohio
Coordinates	41°28′58″N 81°37′7″W
Owned by	Greater Cleveland RTA
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Connections	RTA: 10, 11
Construction
Structure type	At grade
Parking	33 spaces[1]
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Website	Buckeye - Woodhill Rapid Station
History
Opened	April 11, 1920 (Blue Line) August 16, 1920 (Green Line)[2]
Rebuilt	October 30, 1981[3] October 23, 2012[4]
Previous names	Woodhill (1920–2012)
Original company	Cleveland Interurban Railroad
Services
Preceding station Rapid Transit Following station East 79th toward Tower City Blue Line East 116th–St. Luke's toward Warrensville–Van Aken Green Line East 116th–St. Luke's toward Green Road

The station comprises side platforms below grade west of the intersection. Two concrete stairways, one on the north from Buckeye Road and the second on the south from Woodhill Road, lead down to the platforms. There is a small parking lot north of the platforms off Buckeye Road.

History

The station opened on April 11, 1920 as Woodhill, when service commenced on the line west of Shaker Square to East 34th Street and via surface streets to downtown.[5]

The station was located at the mouth of a cut over one mile (1.6 km) in length from Shaker Square. The cut averages 25 feet (7.6 m) in depth, but just before Buckeye–Woodhill it is up to 40 feet (12 m) deep, with a 2.44 percent incline down from the Shaker Square (the steepest grade on the line). The line was constructed with a tunnel under the intersection of Buckeye and Woodhill Roads, which was built without disturbing the automobile and streetcar traffic above. The location of the tunnel dictated the placement of the line.[6]

The material excavated from the cut was used to create an embankment to carry the tracks over the railroad tracks and streets west of Buckeye–Woodhill. The embankment is high as 50 feet (15 m) at places. The cut and fill provide the means for the trains to traverse the Portage Escarpment that separates much of the city of Cleveland from suburbs such as Shaker Heights and Cleveland Heights.

The station in July 2007.

In 1980 and 1981, the trunk line of the Green and Blue Lines from East 55th Street to Shaker Square was completely renovated with new track, ballast, poles and wiring, and new stations were built along the line. At Buckeye–Woodhill, new platforms were installed, and the wooden stairways were replaced by concrete stairways covered by tinted acrylic glass canopies. The renovated line opened on October 30, 1981.[3]

Between 2011 and 2012, the RTA renovated Buckeye–Woodhill once more with funding received as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The platforms were renovated with tactile edges installed, the covered stairways were replaced with ones of a more contemporary design and appearance, and new wheelchair ramps were installed, making the station ADA accessible. The rebuilt station was dedicated on October 23, 2012.[4]

Station layout

G	Street level	Woodhill Road exit/entrance, buses
P Platform level	Street level	Buckeye Road exit/entrance, parking
	Side platform
	Westbound	←           Blue Line, Green Line toward Tower City (East 79th)
	Eastbound	←      Blue Line toward Warrensville–Van Aken (East 116th–St. Luke's) → ←      Green Line toward Green Road (East 116th–St. Luke's) →
	Side platform

Notable places nearby

• St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church (Cleveland, Ohio)
• Weizer Building (8935 Buckeye Road, Cleveland, Ohio)
• St. Andrew Svorad Abbey

Gallery

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References

1. "Buckeye–Woodhill Rapid Station". Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. 2012. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
2. Electric Railways of Northeastern Ohio. Central Electric Railfans' Association. September 1965. p. 91.
3. Toman (1990). p. 115.
4. http://www.riderta.com/newsroom/releases/?listingid=1798
5. Toman, James (1990). The Shaker Heights Rapid Transit. Glendale, California: Interurban Press. p. 22. ISBN 0-916374-95-5.
6. Toman (1990). p. 20.

External links