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RTA to partner with City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County to offer free rides to COVID-19 vaccination sites

The all-day passes are good for bus, rail and paratransit.

CUYAHOGA COUNTY, Ohio — EDITOR'S NOTE: The video in the player above originally aired on May 5, 2020.

Need to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccination, but can't get there because you don't have a ride? The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority has you covered.

RTA is partnering with Cuyahoga County and the City of Cleveland to provide all day passes, which will work on rail, paratransit and bus, to vaccination sites throughout Cuyahoga County. That includes the Wolstein Center's mass vaccination clinic, which will run from 8 a.m. through 8 p.m. seven days a week.

The passes were paid for by a $773,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation's "Rides to Community Immunity" program. They will be available between March 17 and May 8, and will be distributed through social service agencies and community centers in the county and the city.

“RTA has ample service to the Wolstein Center, every day and all day. With more than 50+ bus routes and three rail lines, RTA makes it easy for customers to get to many of the vaccination centers across the county,” said RTA’s CEO and General Manger, India Birdsong. "We are pleased to work in concert with Cuyahoga County and City of Cleveland to distribute All Day passes to anyone who makes an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccination during the promotional period."

RTA Board of Trustees Vice President Charles Lucas says, ODOT’s "Rides to Community Immunity Program" is also funding free paratransit services on RTA. 

"For those who rely on us the most, we are pleased that we can make paratransit rides free to any vaccination site," says Lucas. For a free paratransit ride, existing paratransit customers must schedule their vaccination between March 17 and May 8. 

For those choosing to drive to the Wolstein Center, the "Rides to Community Immunity" grant also funded free shuttle service, which will operate from five parking lots south of the Wolstein Center. The Ohio National Guard is overseeing the parking services, and the RTA shuttles will operate every 15 minutes.

RELATED: Ohio's COVID-19 vaccination registration site: How to sign up for an appointment near you

If you plan to use this free transportation service, RTA encourages you to access the trip planning information on its website

"Throughout the pandemic the health and safety of our passengers has been a priority," Birdsong said. "We are proud to be an essential service and an integral part of helping the community access the vaccination sites throughout the County."

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