July 19, 2006 — The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the city of Cleveland presented their initial ideas for converting the West Shoreway from a highway to a boulevard in front of a packed house at La Sagrada Familia Church on the Near West Side.

ODOT is proposing to rebuild the 50 mph Shoreway as a 35 mph boulevard with a grassy median in the center and to extend existing city streets to create new intersections (with traffic lights) at West Boulevard, W. 73rd, W. 65th W. 54th, W.45th and W. 28th / W. 25th streets. 

Benefits of the project include calming traffic, recreating the street grid, opening up more land for parkspace and for development as a new lakefront west neighborhood. 

ODOT estimates it will cost $20 million of the $49.8 million budget to create the main road. Questions arose about whether the boulevard needs to be the proposed six lanes or four lanes instead.

“I’m not convinced we could reduce the width of the roadway and handle the traffic,” ODOT district manager Craig Hebebrand responded. “But, we’ll see when the traffic numbers come out in the fall.”

GCBL encourages ODOT to take its time when considering this, as it could mean the difference between having a road that looks and feels intimate, such as the four-lane Fairmount Boulevard, or a less pedestrian friendly six-lane road like Chester Avenue. It could also save money that might be applied to making the neighborhood connections more elegant.

Hebebrand also wants to take a wait and see approach to planning a bike lane versus a separated bike path as part of the proposed lakefront bikeway. The advantage of having carte blanche creating a new road means we can design a bike lane on the road that fits comfortably (rather than working hard to squeeze it into an existing street like Euclid Avenue). We’re transforming a highway into a real city street which will create the possibility of a new neighborhood on the lakefront, greatly improve recreation options and conditions for cycling from Ohio City to Lakewood’s north end, Rocky River, and beyond.

Other questions/issues raised at the meeting:

• Dealing with existing infrastructure at W. 73rd and W. 65th streets — moving sewer lines and tunneling under railroad tracks — poses engineering challenges and is expensive, Hebebrand said. That may lead to fewer intersections than originally planned.
  “There’s probably not enough money for access at W. 65th and at W. 73rd,” he admitted.
  In the likelihood that the project goes over budget, decisions will have to be made. Should the intersection go to W. 65th — the main thoroughfare connecting the commercial district to the lakefront (and a designated route on the Lakefront bikeway)? Or should it connect the residential street at W. 73rd? One argument for making an intersection at W. 73rd is the connection to the Battery Park condo redevelopment and green space project underway there. But some residents are concerned about noise and safety on this quiet residential street.

• One option ODOT is considering is to install a traffic circle at W. 25th and Detroit, although they admit this will have a negative impact on cyclists and pedestrians’ experience (the goal is to improve conditions for cyclists and pedestrians).

• Special attention will need to be paid to not widening the streets as they extend into the boulevard. For example, ODOT’s drawings for W. 28th Street show wide turning radii and having to take out buildings, including Linda’s Suprette and the historic Jamestown building on nearby Detroit Avenue.

• Residents of nearby W. 76th Street are concerned over a possible closing of a pedestrian-only tunnel. “Maintain the tunnel no matter what’s being added for bikes,” said one attendee, who added that the proposal for a 25 foot retaining wall/bike ramp would be an eyesore. One option for the retaining wall would require eliminating a whole line of trees that act as a buffer to the rail tracks.

• Closing the ramps at West Boulevard and Lake Avenue could improve the park and simplify access to the boulevard from Lakewood. Some residents and landlords are concerned that traffic will increase on Lake, causing headaches.

Check out the options for the West Shoreway project here and share your thoughts.

Updates
ODOT presents refinements of West Shoreway Plan (9-27-06)