Modernizing
A Historic
City
The Van Aken District:
Transit Station
Upgrades Arriving
Soon
The Van Aken District was conceived as
a transit-oriented development, which
means it was designed to be a dense,
mixed-use, walkable, and bikeable
neighborhood, centered on a public
transit station.
Phase One of the District delivered on
that promise. The District is pedestrian-
and bicycle-friendly with two new
multi-purpose paths, an ample sidewalk
network, lively outdoor dining, the Living
Room park, and bike racks. And the
Warrensville-Van Aken Transit Station is
at its heart.
But there’s always room for
improvement, which is where the new
Van Aken District Public Realm Plan
comes in. (The public realm means the
publicly owned spaces and amenities
accessible to everyone.)
With $3.5 million worth of
enhancements being planned by RTA, CEI,
and the City in the area around the Van
Aken transit station, City leaders felt it was
important for the organizations to work
together, along with District owner RMS, to
ensure coordination and cohesive planning.
The team began holding regular virtual
meetings last spring with consultant WSP
USA, Inc. to devise a vision.
The upshot: Next year, the
Warrensville-Van Aken station will
undergo a major overhaul.
RTA will install new relocated train
tracks to better integrate the Rapid and
busway, new shelters to protect users from
the elements, and a new waiting area with a
comfort station with restrooms.
“This is unique for RTA,” says City
Planning Director Joyce Braverman. “CEI
will upgrade electrical service and we will add
16 SPRING 2021 | WWW.SHAKER.LIFE
lighting and improved walkways, so as you approach the busway, it looks polished and of the
same quality as the rest of Shaker.”
The City also wants the Rapid station to be better integrated into the District. To that
end, the City has been allocated $1.5 million from the NOACA Transportation Alternative
Program for the construction of improvements in 2023. The improvements will build on the
already substantial public and private investments in the District.
“The improvements will create a sense of arrival at the Rapid station and blend it
into the District,” explains Braverman. “Right now, the station is an outlier and doesn’t
draw your eye.”
The most striking improvement will be a new public plaza across from the busway,
replacing part of the lower area of the Walgreens parking lot. This area will also
serve as an additional multi-use space for farmers’ markets and other events. Other
improvements designed to enhance the pedestrian experience include landscaping,
fencing/screening, green infrastructure, and public art.
The improvements will upgrade the environment for current RTA users, encourage
new users to use public transit, and add an amenity for those who live and work in and
around the District. They also support the plans for Phase 2 of the District, which include
new residential apartments on the Farnsleigh Road parking lot.
“That will increase ridership,” says Braverman. “We want that kind of dense
development.”
“Having the bus and the Rapid really does create a sustainable, transit-oriented
District and community,” Braverman says. “We are fortunate to have two Rapid transit
lines and bus lines. This is an advantage to our community and we need to play off that.”
Learn more at shakeronline.com/VAD-public-realm SL
/WWW.SHAKER.LIFE
/VAD-public-realm