Excitement abounds within the University Circle community, as the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority learned it received $10.5 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to reconstruct the 53-year-old University Circle Rapid Station. Of the $600 million available in competitive federal grants for the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) II program around the country, RTA's University Circle Rapid Station is one of 42 capital projects selected and the only Ohio project.

The design of the updated station, which will include a safer passage for customers through walkways and bikeways and between trains and buses, is in process and is scheduled for completion in spring of 2011. Constructing the station is expected to take about two years, and should begin in summer of 2011.

"Our staff has been working diligently with members of the community, including University Hospitals, the Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve University, the Cleveland Foundation and various municipalities, over the last several years to find a way to improve on transit service in this area," said Joe Calabrese, CEO and General Manager, RTA. "This grant lets us move from design to construction - making the project happen."

Excitement from community partners came via email to RTA's Programming and Planning Director Maribeth Feke: "This station is so important to our students, their families, faculty and staff, as it will drastically improve the public transit experience and image and makes a statement about who we are as a community: forward thinking," said Margaret Carney, University Architect, Case Western Reserve University. "Bravo to RTA and to Maribeth, who has been such a great leader and strong advocate for collaboration and world-class design."

The national competition for the TIGER II funds was intense: Nearly 1,000 projects totaling over $19 billion competed, while only 42 projects were selected with grants totaling $600 million.