Location(s)

Join the Cleveland Heights Historical Society for a two-part exploration of the history and horticulture of our local watersheds. Begin with a 6pm walking tour of Cumberland's Dugway Brook (rain or shine!), followed by a lecture on the 14,000 year history of bluestone brooks and the effects of the sewer systems built underneath them. Free but reservations required. Call Cleveland Heights Planning Department, (216) 291-4878.

Why is the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) considering service cuts and a fare hike as Northeast Ohio faces the perfect storm of high gas prices and a renewed interest in transit?

A new study that looks at each state’s vulnerability to oil prices and what they’re doing about it sheds light on Ohio, and with it, transit agencies like RTA’s plight.

While the National Resources Defense Council "Ranking States' Oil Vulnerability and Solutions for Change" study released today ranks Ohioans right in the middle on oil vulnerability (its 26th spot is based on percentage of income spent on gas), only ten states were slower to respond to that vulnerability with investments in transit.

Ohioans spend 5.4% of their income ($1,886 per driver annually) on gas, but the state ranked 40th in transit spending (.77% spent on transit compared to highway spending in 2006). The picture is bleaker when considering Ohio far exceeds the bottom twelve states in population.

Ohio has treated transit like an afterthought for more than a decade. The NRDC findings confirm a 2006 report from the Transportation Research Board, which tallied Ohio’s transit investment second to last among states—it ‘spent’ -8% on transit from 1995 to 2004 (based on compound annual growth rates). The national average was 3.9% during that time. While Ohio was reducing its funding for public transit, other states increased financial support for transit by approximately 130%.

What is working for Ohio’s transportation system and what needs to be fixed? How can the state promote more biking, walking and transit ridership (along with economic growth) in its billion dollar annual transportation budget?

The recently launched Ohio 21st Century Transportation Priorities Task Force will finally address these questions and more. If you would like to see your city put in bike lanes, better crosswalks and pedestrian zones, and funding for more buses, express yourself at a public meeting of the Task Force on June 17th (Cleveland) or June 24th (Akron). Even if you can’t attend, you can fill out this online survey and let state lawmakers know what you think about the need for sustainable transportation.

The timing of this conversation may never be better. Higher gas prices are forcing us to do something about the cost of our commute. We hear from many who want better transportation options. Far suburbanites who want to ride their bike to work if they felt safer on the road. Inner-ring suburbanites who would use transit if it were more reliable or faster.

As “Farmers markets increase, creating competition for local produce” look for land at the edge of the city (or in the city) to increase in value for agriculture. A robust local food market does more than reduce food miles—it also makes the case for preserving farmland, especially in Northeast Ohio where most of our fertile land lies right at the metropolitan edge.

Groups like the Countryside Conservancy and its Farmland Center are reestablishing local farms and farmer’s market networks in the Cuyahoga Valley and surrounding counties. The Center is looking for a program coordinator. Inquiries can be directed here or by calling 330.657.2542.

The state of Ohio has a small program to permanently protect farmland from development. By purchasing conservation easements, the state has protected a few dozen farms in Northeast Ohio (lack of funding has held the program back from expanding even further). Others working on farmland preservation include OSU's Center for Farmland Policy Innovation, which launched a pilot program to protect farms in nearby Portage County with Transfer of Development, a tool widely used in other states.

With fuel prices at historic highs and local food buying on the rise, farms closer to the city should benefit the most. Local food and farmer's markets can continue to grow when regional land-use policies are put in place to protect the farmland that provides fresh food for all.

The Mayor of Charleston, South Carolina clearly sees the value of bikes and local infrastructure, taking steps to add more cycling access on area bridges. Earlier, the South Carolina state transportation officials added bike access to a federally funded bridge, a step ODOT refused to consider. The federally funded bridge has proven to be so popular, they have even hosted wedding groups. Building on the success, the Mayor announced more plans for bikes on bridges.

Here's the information:

Win for Charleston, SC: Old Bridge to Be Retrofitted: According to the Charleston Moves E-News, "Mayor Joseph Riley has announced the city's plan to add a cantilevered 10-ft wide bicycle and pedestrian lane to the southernmost of the two Ashley River bridges." The bridge is the primary conduit for travel between the downtown Charleston and West Ashley, but has been a roadblock to cyclists and pedestrians. Charleston Moves has actively championed access for cyclists and pedestrians to this important bridge. They report that the City of Charleston is now seeking funding for construction.

http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/may/14/create_better_bridge_links40740/

Kevin Cronin
ClevelandBikes : When ClevelandBikes, Cleveland Benefits!
www.clevelandbikes.org

The costs of sprawl and redundant infrastructure are too high to ignore, says Chris Warren, Cleveland’s Chief of Regional Development. Trends over the last decade show our region consumed 50% more land while population and wealth flattened out.

Regional leaders are taking an historic step to address these costs, but also boost regional competitiveness. The Northeast Ohio Mayors and (city) Managers Association meet this Thursday to review a report from Cleveland State University Levin College professor Tom Bier on the adaptability of the Twin Cities’ regional approach to economic development. They’re scheduled to vote on whether the time is right for collaboration and sharing. What do you think of regional planning to accelerate economic growth? Advanced Northeast Ohio asks.

Read about ‘What is regional tax base sharing?’ and more about the Mayor’s and Managers regionalism discussion.

Location(s)

FarmLink celebrates its first year with a "Speed Dating" workshop to encourage farm owners and farm seekers to take the next step in land transfer. The event is May 3rd, and will be in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park from 9am until noon.

Participants will meet one on one to discuss their vision for the land, and how to keep it in agriculture. Experts from Northeast Ohio will be in attendance to meet with owners and seekers to address topics such as business planning, start-up capital, estate planning, marketing and more. This event is will help individuals find answers to their particular challenge in keeping land in active agriculture in our region.

Free for registered FarmLink participants. To register, get more information or to RSVP by April 28, call Chris Norman at 330-657-2529 or email him here.

Will we ever have a coordinated, regional approach to revitalizing cities in Northeast Ohio? There are several intriguing moves in that direction:

• The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA), the five-county transportation funding agency, is talking about getting into land-use planning and prioritizing transportation projects linked to economic development. See NOACA memo and PD story.
• On May 15, the Northeast Ohio Mayors and City Managers Association will release a study on the options for tax-base sharing in the region. Such sharing could make it easier for the whole region to support new development in high priority locations where it will build upon existing assets.
• ODOT has just announced the Ohio 21st Century Transportation Priorities Task Force, which "will prioritize how the state balances the movement of people and freight, promotes safety and reduces congestion, creates jobs and encourages responsible growth, helps to build sustainable communities, and links all modes of transportation - connecting highways to rail, aviation, water ports, and transit." This could be an opportunity to imagine how transportation investments can promote sustainable communities.

We will be following these initiatives closely in the coming months.

Data provided by The Northern Ohio Data & Information Service (NODIS) and mapped by Urban Design Center of Northeast Ohio.

The Cuyahoga County Greenprint is a vision for Cuyahoga County which serves as an organizing framework for our county, linking communities to each other and to our environment.