RTA Fares and Discount IDs in Cleveland: A Guide for Residents Without a Car

Without a car, most Cleveland residents get to work, meetings and appointments on a GCRTA bus or train. The regular fare is $2.50 per trip in cash (exact change, no change given), $5.00 for a day pass, $25 for 7 days and $95 for a month. The discount fares, $1.25 a trip and $48 a month, need an RTA discount ID, and not everyone qualifies. Here is how to price your first month, and how to get on the right fare.

ACC Solutions offers group home living in Cleveland for people in recovery and for veterans. Our homes are housing, not treatment. This post is general transit information from RTA's own pages, checked November 8, 2026. It is not about any specific home, and fares can change, so confirm on riderta.com/fares.

What the Regular Fares Cost

• Single trip (bus, rapid, BRT): $2.50. Paying cash means full fare on each bus or train you board and exact change.
• Daily pass: $5.00, with unlimited rides until 3 a.m. the next day.
• 5-trip: $12.50.
• 7-day pass: $25.00.
• Monthly pass: $95.00.

RTA also lists a fare-capping program on its fares page; check how it applies before you buy a pass. If a route runs more than one mile into an adjoining county, RTA charges a $1 out-of-county surcharge for riders boarding or leaving outside Cuyahoga County. That matters if a job or a program is across the county line.

The Discount Fare: Who Qualifies

RTA's reduced fares are $1.25 per trip, $2.50 all day, $6.25 for 5 trips, $12.50 for 7 days and $48 for a month. RTA's discount fare application describes these ways in:

• Age 65 or older: present a valid photo ID and complete Section I.
• Service Connected Veterans ID or a valid Medicare card: bring either card and complete Section I.
• A physical or mental disability or impairment: a health-care professional must verify it by completing Section II of the application.

The application also says a person whose sole incapacity is pregnancy, obesity, or acute or chronic alcoholism or drug addiction is not eligible for the program. In plain terms: being in recovery on its own does not qualify someone for the discount. A resident who is a veteran with a Service Connected Veterans ID, is 65 or older, has a Medicare card, or has another qualifying condition verified by their own provider can apply. Everyone else pays the regular fare. Residents shouldn't be asked to disclose health details to anyone but the professional completing the form.

How to Get the Discount ID

1. Check the path. Age, Medicare card, Service Connected Veterans ID, or a verified disability.
2. Fill out Section I of the application. If the disability path applies, take it to a health-care professional to complete Section II.
3. Bring a valid photo ID. The application is taken to RTA at 1240 West 6th Street with the fee and ID: the Discount Fare ID costs $5.00 and the Senior ID $3.00.
4. Use it every time you ride at the discount. RTA says senior and disabled cash fares, farecards and passes require showing a valid RTA Senior or Disabled ID (or a Medicare card), along with a driver's license or other official photo ID.

If you don't have a photo ID yet, that's the first problem to solve. Our post on replacing ID documents in Cleveland walks through it. If you're a veteran, see veteran housing help in Cuyahoga County. RTA's ADA registration line for help with the form is (216) 566-5124, as printed on the application.

Pricing the First Month: A Labeled Example

Illustration with RTA's published fares; your trips will differ. Say someone rides twice a day for 22 days, 44 trips, in a month.

• Cash at $2.50 per trip: 44 × $2.50 = $110.00.
• Monthly pass at $95.00 costs less than that cash total. If you ride fewer than 38 trips in the month, cash fares cost less than the pass (38 × $2.50 = $95.00).
• With an approved discount fare, a month would be $48.00 on the monthly pass or 44 × $1.25 = $55.00 in cash.

The break-even is easy to check with your own schedule: multiply your trips by $2.50 and compare with $95.

Mistakes That Cost Money in the First Weeks

• Paying cash every trip without counting. RTA says operators don't make change.
• Buying a discount pass without the ID. The ID is required to use it.
• Waiting on the ID before your first shift. Plan the first week on regular fares and apply in parallel.
• Forgetting the county line. The $1 surcharge applies to out-of-county boardings and exits on routes that run more than a mile into the next county.

Where ACC Fits

If you're looking for a group home in Cleveland for yourself or a family member, start with how to find sober living in Cuyahoga County and what to expect in the first week. Ask any home you're considering what the daily routine looks like and how residents get to work and appointments. To talk with us, call (216) 238-5999 or use our contact form.