ABOUT OUR COMPANY:
Cleveland Southeastern Trails had its beginnings in 1927 when Tony Walters, his brother Louis, and Clement Raimer founded the South End Motor Coach. This line operated from North Randall down Miles Avenue to East 131st Street in Cleveland, where passengers could board a Cleveland Railway Trolley Car headed for Public Square in Cleveland, Ohio.
On April 1, 1932, the ABC (Akron-Bedford-Cleveland) line of Northern Ohio Traction and Light Company ceased operations. On that same day bus service was started between Bedford and Cleveland. After winding through the streets of Bedford, the little red and orange buses headed northwest on Broadway picking up passengers in Maple Heights and Garfield Heights en-route to downtown Cleveland. On the return trip the buses would ply their way back out Broadway, this time in a southeasterly direction. Thus the name of the company was changed to Cleveland Southeastern Bus Company.
Those early riders deposited a nickel in the fare box for a trip within the Bedford city limits, a dime between Bedford and Maple Heights, fifteen cents to Harvard Avenue, and a quarter or a twenty cent ticket into downtown Cleveland.
On July 1, 1947 another line was added, operating along Turney Road in Garfield Heights to Broadway and Cleveland. The company moved its garage and offices from Green Road and Miles Avenue to its current facility on Harrison Street in Bedford. Interstate charter authority was acquired from Dunn Charter Service during the World War II years and charter service began in earnest at the conclusion of the war once gasoline again became available for such activity.
In October of 1975 an agreement was reached with the newly founded Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority to provide service over the Bedford and Garfield Heights lines, as a satellite company of the RTA. In January of 1980 the RTA purchased the line rights bringing to a conclusion fifty-three years of dedicated bus service to residents of southeast Greater Cleveland.
The company persevered changing its focus from commuter service to charter and tour operations. Still family owned and operated, the third and fourth generations of the Walters family continues to operate the company on a daily basis. Built on the basic premise of pride and quality service, the company today maintains a fleet of thirty-four motor coaches. With an average age of less than five years, the modern motorcoaches offers amenities such as air-conditioning, VHS, DVD, and CD players, individual reclining seats, and restrooms -- all designed to increase the level of passenger comfort.