ClevelandBikes, the Ohio City Bicycle Co-op, GreenCityBlueLake Institute, the Kent State Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative and others are developing a plan for a cycling and pedestrian lane on the proposed Interstate 90/71 bridge, from Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood to downtown Cleveland. Because the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) refused to consider the option, despite strong public support and legal requirements, a lawsuit was filed and designers developed an option for the public to consider.
A rally to support pedestrian and bike access on the bridge will be held on Sunday, December 6th at 2pm at Lincoln Park in Tremont (W. 14th Street and Kenilworth Avenue). Anyone interested in safe, convenient and healthy car-free access between Downtown and Tremont (and a great scenic overlook of downtown) is invited to attend: the event is free, and refreshments and entertainment will be provided. Cyclists are urged to ride their bikes, with free mechanical safety checks provided by the Ohio City Bicycle Co-op. Helmets are strongly suggested, and OCBC will have some available to borrow or purchase.
The rally will evaluate alternative walking and biking routes proposed by ODOT for the bridge and present other information about a dedicated path over the bridge. Participants will divide into groups, taking a different route from Lincoln Park to the intersection of Ontario Street and Carnegie Avenue, where a brief rally will address the issues of equity and civic interest in this nearly $1 billion project, before returning to Tremont for refreshments and discussion of strategies for further public input in this process.
After the rally, the job is not over. Please follow-up and attend the December 11 meeting of the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) at 10 a.m. when this local board will decide on ODOT's final proposal for funding of this project. You can also email, call, or write the Mayor's action line, 216 664 2900, and the ODOT project director, Craig Hebebrand, at 216 581 2100 (or email him at craig.hebebrand@dot.state.oh.us) to let ODOT know you support biking and walking the proposed I-90/71 bridge.
This huge taxpayer investment—ODOT's largest ever—will affect the places we live, work and play for the rest of our lives. Any donations to the event organizers will be used to help pay for engineering and professional services to document ODOT miscalculations of the feasibility and cost to safely accommodate pedestrians and cyclists in this project.
For more information, please stay tuned and visit http://www.gcbl.org/innerbelt
