The following are highlights from the West Shore Corridor rail stakeholders meeting at Lakewood Hospital on December 13, 2006 provided by All Aboard Ohio's Ken Prendergast (Link to Full Summary, MS Word 62K):

• Lakewood Mayor Tom George and Lakewood Hospital Chief Operating Officer William Baddour welcomed the 52 persons in attendance. Both men said there were still commuter rail issues to work through but said the prospect of getting commuter rail is exciting.
• Bay Village Law Director Gary Ebert reports a positive meeting between the West Shore law directors and Norfolk Southern Resident Vice President of Public Affairs Bill Harris on Dec. 12. NS says the agreement with three West Shore suburbs limiting freight train traffic is indefinite, but wouldn’t be harmed by the introduction of commuter rail service.
• Seven Lakewood High School students presented their designs for a train station in downtown Lakewood. Seven students, from computer-aided design/drafting and interactive media classes, showed renderings and a 3-D model of the traditionally designed depot.
• Ken Prendergast of All Aboard Ohio presented a draft resolution for city council members, county commissioners, chamber boards, service groups, planning commissions and other bodies to consider. Passage of language in the sample resolution, which follows this full summary, would ask the Ohio Congressional Delegation to provide federal funds for an alternatives analysis of transportation improvements in the West Shore Corridor.

The draft resolution is available here (MS Word, 24kb)

NOTE: The next full meeting of the West Shore Corridor stakeholders will likely be held in late January or early February. Its agenda will likely be a description and discussion of the funding process for the alternatives analysis.