Meeting highlights

35 people were in attendance.

Lorain County officials said they have agreed to sponsor the West Shore Transit Corridor project and submit an application for $1.5 million in federal funding in each of the two years to do an alternatives analysis of transportation improvements. County officials are meeting with staff for U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton (D-13) and U.S. Marcy Kaptur (D-9) to secure the funding.

Resolutions in support of federal funding for the alternatives analysis have been passed thus far by Cleveland City Council, Lakewood City County, Westlake City Council, Lorain Port Authority board and Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority board. More communities and organizations are encouraged to pass the resolution. The draft resolution is available here (MS Word, 24kb)

Rep. Dennis Kucinich will support the West Shore Corridor planning work if Rocky River and Bay Village also pass resolutions urging Congress to approve federal funds for the alternatives analysis.

Non-federal funding in the amount of $300,000 in each of the next two years is also being sought. Meetings were held with Gov. Ted Strickland’s Northeast Ohio representative Anne Hill to identify state funding support and a new subcommittee was formed to identify local funding sources.

The possibility of a demonstration commuter rail and/or express bus service was discussed, and the new subcommittee will also take a look at that, as well as developing a scope of work for the alternatives analysis once funding is identified.