Cleveland RTA Reduced Fare 2026–27: The $1.25 Senior and Disabled Fare, Getting Your ID and How Fare Capping Saves You Money
If you're 65 or older, or you live with a disability, you can ride Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) buses, the Rapid and the HealthLine for half the regular fare. A one-way trip costs $1.25 instead of $2.50, and a monthly pass is $48 instead of $95.
The catch is the paperwork. You need the right ID, and the rules changed in 2026 when RTA launched smartcards and fare capping. This guide walks through what you'll pay, who qualifies, how to get an RTA Disabled or Senior ID, and how to set up your account so the system stops charging you once you've ridden enough for the day, week or month.
Last checked October 2026. Sources: GCRTA's Fares page, its Senior/Disabled/Child fares page, the "A New Way to Pay" fare capping page and FAQ, the June 1, 2026 fare capping announcement, the Paratransit and Accessibility pages, the RTA fares FAQ, and the Application for Disabled and Senior Discount Fare Program (Form 72-988). Fares and fees can change, so confirm with RTA before you buy.
The Short Version
Reduced fare: $1.25 a ride, $2.50 for an all-day pass, $12.50 for 7 days, $48 for a month.
Who qualifies: riders 65 and older and riders with a physical or mental disability verified by a health care professional. People with a valid Medicare card or a Service Connected Veterans ID can also qualify.
ID required: an RTA Senior or Disabled ID, or a Medicare card plus a photo ID. Seniors can also use a state-issued photo ID.
ID cost: $5 for a Discount Fare (disabled) ID, $3 for a Senior ID, according to the application form.
Fare capping: if you pay with a GCRTA Smartcard or the EZfare or Transit app and your account is set to reduced fare, you'll never pay more than $2.50 a day, $12.50 a week or $48 a month.
Where to go: RTA's main office at 1240 West 6th Street, or the Tower City Customer Service Center. The Community Connection Line is 216-621-9500.
What You'll Pay: Regular vs. Reduced
Here are RTA's fixed-route fares for buses, rail and the bus rapid transit (BRT) lines, as posted on its fares page:
| Fare type | Regular | Senior/Disabled | |---|---|---| | 1 ride (cash or 1-trip) | $2.50 | $1.25 | | 2-trip | $5.00 | $2.50 | | All-day pass | $5.00 | $2.50 | | 5-trip farecard | $12.50 | $6.25 | | 7-day pass | $25.00 | $12.50 | | Monthly pass | $95.00 | $48.00 |
A few things to know before you pay:
Cash means no transfers. RTA says riders paying cash pay full fare on every bus or train they board, and drivers don't make change. If you take two buses to get somewhere, a pass, farecard or the new fare-capped account will save you money.
5-trip farecards include transfers. RTA's FAQ says they carry a built-in 2.5-hour transfer window. A pre-printed 5-trip card is good until the date printed on it; one bought from a kiosk is good for six months.
Credit and debit cards work at ticket machines at Red Line and HealthLine stations and at Tower City. On the bus itself, you can pay with cash, a pass, a farecard, a smartcard or an app.
Who Qualifies for the Reduced Fare
RTA's reduced fare is based on age and disability, not income. RTA's fare pages don't list a separate low-income discount, and its fare capping FAQ says there are no family discounts on fares, smartcards or account funds.
Seniors 65 and older
The fares page says anyone 65 or older can pay the senior rate. You don't need a special card to start. RTA accepts any of these with a senior pass or farecard:
an RTA Senior ID card
a state-issued photo ID
a Medicare card with a photo ID
In fact, RTA says anyone can buy a senior pass or farecard. You just have to be able to show valid ID when you use it.
Riders with a disability
To qualify for RTA's Fixed Route Disability program, the application says you must have a physical or mental disability or impairment verified by a health care professional. The form asks the professional to describe how the disability "significantly affects" your ability to use fixed-route service, and to mark it as permanent or temporary. A temporary disability gets an estimated end date.
The form lists some exclusions. A person whose only condition is pregnancy, obesity, acute or chronic alcoholism, or drug addiction isn't eligible for the discount fare program.
Medicare card holders and veterans
If you have a valid Medicare card or a Service Connected Veterans ID, the application says you only need to fill out Section I (your own information). You can skip the medical certification. RTA's fares page also says a Medicare card plus a driver's license or other official photo ID is accepted for senior/disabled fares, even without an RTA ID.
Paratransit riders
RTA's fares page says ADA-certified paratransit customers pay the senior/disabled fare when they ride regular buses and trains.
How to Get an RTA Disabled or Senior ID
The paper application is Form 72-988, the "Application for Disabled and Senior Discount Fare Program," which you can download from RTA's website. Our copy was last revised in March 2021, so call ahead to confirm it's still the current version and fee.
Step 1: Fill out Section I. This covers your name, address, phone, date of birth and which way you're qualifying: V.A., Medicare or senior. You sign it to certify the information is true.
Step 2: Get Section II signed, if you need it. If you're applying because of a disability and don't have Medicare or a Service Connected Veterans ID, a physician or licensed social worker who is treating you has to complete Section II. They'll list the nature of the disability (physical, psychological or developmental), how it affects your use of buses and trains, and their license number.
Seniors 65 and older can skip this step. The form says to bring a valid photo ID and fill out Section I only.
Step 3: Bring it in. Take the application, the fee and a valid photo ID to 1240 West 6th Street in downtown Cleveland. That's RTA's main office, where its ADA office issues Senior ID cards.
Fees listed on the form:
Discount Fare (disabled) ID: $5
Senior ID: $3
Replacement: $5 for a Discount Fare ID, $3 for a Senior ID
Need help with the form? The application says to call ADA Registration at 216-566-5124. For general questions, the Community Connection Line is 216-621-9500.
Gap to flag: we couldn't find RTA's posted office hours for ID applications or a stated processing time. Call before you go.
Fare Capping: The Biggest Change in 2026
On June 1, 2026, RTA launched account-based ticketing, fare capping and smartcards. The idea is simple: you pay per ride, and once you've spent what a pass would cost, the rest of your rides in that period are free.
For reduced-fare riders, the caps are:
| Period | Reduced fare cap | Full fare cap | |---|---|---| | Daily | $2.50 | $5.00 | | 7-day | $12.50 | $25.00 | | Monthly | $48.00 | $95.00 |
RTA says daily caps reset at 3 a.m. the next day, 7-day caps run for seven days from your first tap, and monthly caps reset on the 1st of each calendar month.
This matters most if money is tight. A $48 monthly pass is a lot to pay up front. With capping, you can load $10 at a time and still end up paying no more than the pass price by the end of the month.
Three ways to pay
GCRTA Smartcard. A physical, reloadable card. A new or replacement card costs $5. RTA says cards don't expire and loaded funds stay valid for five years. You can buy one online at the GCRTA online store or at the Tower City Customer Service Center.
EZfare app. Free on your phone. You can buy passes and manage your fare.
Transit app. Free, with trip planning built in.
You can load money with a credit or debit card in either app. If you pay in cash, you can add $2 to $100 at participating VanillaDirect retail locations, which take cash only. You can also reload a smartcard at Tower City.
Putting your reduced fare on the account
This step is easy to miss. Buying a smartcard or downloading an app doesn't automatically give you the senior or disabled rate. RTA's FAQ says you have to have the discount added to your account in one of three ways:
In person at the Tower City Customer Service Center
Online through GCRTA's online form
By phone at the Community Connection Line, 216-621-9500
Bring or have your RTA Senior or Disabled ID or other qualifying ID ready. The fare capping page notes that validators can flash a "show ID" signal, so expect to show proof on board.
Tips to keep your savings
Tap every single time. RTA says only taps with a smartcard or scans of an account QR code count toward the cap. Paper passes and cash don't.
Mobile tickets have to be scanned. Since May 7, 2026, showing your phone to the driver isn't enough. The ticket has to be scanned at the validator.
Don't buy a pass inside the app by accident. RTA says a mobile pass you buy separately won't count toward fare capping, and mobile tickets aren't refunded or exchanged.
Register your smartcard. If a registered card is lost or stolen, RTA can transfer your funds to a new one. An unregistered card can't be recovered.
One person per account. You can't tap the same card twice to pay for a companion.
Caps don't carry between agencies. If you also ride Laketran or another system that uses EZfare, your progress on one doesn't count on the other.
Paratransit for Riders Who Can't Use Regular Buses
If a disability makes it hard or impossible to use regular buses and trains, RTA's ADA paratransit service may be the better fit. It's a separate program with its own certification.
RTA's paratransit page lists these fares: $2.75 one way, $7 for an all-day pass, $30 for 7 days and $110 a month. Service runs within three-quarters of a mile of regular routes, during the same hours those routes operate.
To apply, call 216-566-5124 for an application (RTA says online applications are coming soon) or go in person to 1240 West 6th Street. RTA says you may be called for an eligibility interview, with free transportation provided if needed, and that you'll be notified of a decision within 21 days. Your first trip, to pick up your ID card at the ADA office, is free.
Once you're certified, you also pay the reduced senior/disabled fare on regular RTA buses and trains.
Quick Checklist
Decide how you qualify: age 65+, disability, Medicare or Service Connected Veterans ID.
Seniors: bring a photo ID. Disabled riders: get Section II of Form 72-988 signed by your doctor or licensed social worker.
Take the form, photo ID and the $3 or $5 fee to 1240 West 6th Street.
Get a $5 Smartcard or download the free EZfare or Transit app.
Call 216-621-9500, use the online form or visit Tower City to add the reduced fare to your account.
Load money and tap every time you board. You'll stop paying at $2.50 a day, $12.50 a week or $48 a month.
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