May 1, 2025 - Transit

RTA honors AAPI heritage with bus stop art in AsiaTown

Sam Allard

A bus stop sign in Cleveland featuring Asian American decoration for AAPI heritage month — The bus stop design at Payne Avenue and East 39th Street. Illustration: RTA

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) is celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with special bus stop signs in AsiaTown.

Why it matters: The artwork is a small but visible symbol of support for Asian Americans as they continue to battle harmful stereotypes and deep-seated misperceptions.

State of play: Sixteen bus stop signs on the #9 route along Payne Avenue will be decorated with artwork that reflects Asian-American culture.

Eight unique designs will appear on signs between East 30th and East 55th Streets.

Zoom in: The #9 (Mayfield-Hough) bus route provides transit service seven days a week on Payne through AsiaTown, an area with the densest concentration of AAPI residents in Cleveland.

What they're saying: The agency is proud to "honor and uplift the vibrant culture and contributions" of Cleveland's AAPI community, RTA's deputy general manager Natoya Walker Minor said in a statement.

Go deeper: A quarter of U.S. adults see Chinese Americans as a "threat"

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RTA honors AAPI heritage with bus stop art in AsiaTown

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