More fitness. America’s obesity epidemic curbed. Less gasoline burned, fewer carbon emissions. Safer streets. Improved access to public transit. Those are just some of the reasons why biking and walking proponents say it’s time for the federal government to focus less on new and expanded highways, and far more on safe pathways and “complete streets” for our towns and cities.









In early December, 2005 Cuyahoga County Planning Commission published a slideshow promoting an 
Take back the Innerbelt Plan
Susan Miller Says:Here is my latest rant (published today in CoolCleveland). I urge you to take action on this important issue. We have tried to make it simple.
“I wondered why I hadn’t seen anything about ODOT [Ohio Department of Transportation] and the Innerbelt Plan in Cool Cleveland lately, but I have discovered that they [ODOT] have excused the public from the process while they decide how to spend our BILLION dollars. They politely asked for our opinion, and now that they have heard us, they can go back to their original plans.
If you think that you can trust ODOT and the Federal Highway Department with your tax dollars think again. These are the guys who made the trench and dead man’s curve in the first place. They are the same guys who had to be stopped from running a freeway right through the Shaker Lakes. And remember the south bound exit to the airport area. Now theses are some really well thought out traffic plans. NOT! Now you may say, I live in Westlake, Euclid, Garfield, Cleveland Heights; what do I care about the Innerbelt Bridge? Well you might care about the economy in Cleveland.
In a city continually deemed one of the poorest cities in the country, a city so desperate for any economic influx that it will weigh the obvious downside of casino gambling against the potential cash; that tries to attract supermarkets to superfund sites; wants to build a big box almost anywhere; you would think that before we take on a project that will totally change the face of transportation into and out of its central city, its business district, its sportsplexs and its now famous waterfront; a project that provides one of the largest infusions of cash we have ever seen, we would take the time to do an economic impact study before moving forward. This is a project that could clearly make or break this city’s economic future.
You have a choice—you have given your money to the government, and now they are going to spend it. You and your neighbors have been duped-you’ve been uninvited to the table where your future is being planned once again. You can sit back while ODOT spends 9 million dollars to build a one way signature bridge out of town or tell your elected officials that you want them to follow their road map, do the environmental, the engineering and the economic impact studies, to carefully consider the alternatives and let the public back into the process. If you don’t have time to be there for that process, others do. Right now – I do. You can learn more and take action here. www.neobridge.net
Add your voice to a growing chorus of voices who don’t want to just let Columbus decide. You don’t have to write a letter. It only takes a minute. www.neobridge.net/take_action”
If you disagree or have questions, please comment here and/or on the neobridge site, so we can consider these concerns. It’s about addressing all the concerns. It is time to put those social networks to work to leverage a brighter future.
Please take action and pass the link along to others.