On March 9, 2007, the NOACA Governing Board approved the following regarding this project: Resolution No. 2007-006 Project Planning Review Resolution No. 2007-007 Plan Amendment Title:  East 93rd Street Bridge Replacement in Cleveland Sponsor: City of Cleveland Estimated Total Cost: $6,635,000 Proposed Source of Federal Funds: NOACA History/Background:The City of Cleveland reports that the East 93rd Street Bridge, built in 1931, has reached the end of its useful life. The annual safety inspection indicates the deck, superstructure and substructure are in critical condition. The sponsor states that the proposed East 93rd Street Bridge project is necessary to maintain the bridge without limitation . Current Conditions: East 93rd Street is a four lane facility with lanes ten feet wide and sidewalks eight feet wide. The pavement width is 40 feet. The length of the bridge is 289 feet, and the width is 59 feet. The sponsor reports the average daily traffic is 2,000 vehicles per day with seven percent trucks. The posted speed limit is 25 miles per hour (mph). According to a June 2005 bridge inspection report, the bridge has a general appraisal rating of “3” (i.e. serious condition) and an operational status of “A” (i.e. open, no restrictions). The sponsor reports that the superstructure beam concrete encasement is cracked, leaching and spalled off bottom of flanges. All bearings and sole plates are heavily corroded with pack rust. The right sidewalk is closed and the left sidewalk cracked, spalled and settled with numerous plates covering spalled through holes. Both sidewalks will be closed and traffic will be limited to one substandard lane (10 feet wide) within the next few years. The sponsor notes that the Cuyahoga County Juvenile facility is being constructed at the north bridge approach and the bridge is necessary for the facility’s daily operation. Furthermore, the Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation (neighborhood planning organization) has several projects in the area. The East 93rd Street Bridge links these projects to the community. Proposed Project:  The proposed project involves removing and replacing the existing East 93rd Street bridge over the Norfolk Southern railroad and the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) tracks. The estimated total cost, provided by the sponsor, is $6,635,000. The estimated cost of preliminary engineering (PE) is $525,000. The estimated cost of right-of-way (RW) is $50,000. The estimated cost of construction is $6,060,000. The sponsor requests that eighty percent ($4,848,000) of the construction (C) cost be funded with NOACA-administered Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds. The City of Cleveland intends to provide the non-federal share of construction ($1,212,000). The PE and RW costs will be borne by the sponsor. The sponsor estimates construction can begin January 2011. Staff Comment (Summary): Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Team: This project serves NOACA’s System Preservation Goals. At its March 17, 2006 meeting, the RTIS authorized staff to inform applicants that it is unlikely that any new application requesting federal Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds for 2006-2009 would be approved due to the funding shortfall. Because circumstances may change, we recommend that successful applications requesting funds for 2006-2009 be placed on the Transportation Plan (2010 and beyond). If funding becomes available, proposed projects can be considered for funding on a case-by-case basis. Criteria used by the RTIS for programming a project will include the status of other reservoir projects, project readiness, county targets, type of project, project cost and Board priorities. Advance to committee and public review with the understanding that the sponsor will make a good-faith effort to address questions and comments. Regional Transportation System (RTS) Team: This bridge has a General Appraisal rating of 3, which is a serious condition. Plan Forecast Team: Current Board policy permits eligible project sponsors to submit project applications for federal-aid routes on an as-needed basis, and funding targets are set for each of the five counties. The Board’s Principles and Transportation Plan Goals regarding sustainable economic development, compact land use and environmental justice need to be more integrated into the Regional Transportation Investment Policy. This is especially true given the current state of federal finances, the uneven fiscal capacity among communities, and the number of fiscally distressed communities in the region. To develop a more sustainable economy and improve regional planning, the TAC should revisit these policies (or refine them) in the near future. Committee Review: Bicycle Advisory Council (BAC): The existing ADT and speed are fairly low and the future ones are higher, but not bad. The BAC thinks experienced riders will be able to use the bridge as is, but that ramps should be provided up to the 8’ sidewalk across the bridge for less experienced cyclists. Regional Transportation Investment Subcommittee (RTIS)/Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC): No comments; recommended for amendment to NOACA's Transportation Plan. Intergovernmental Review and Consultation (IGRC): If you are a representative of a governmental entity and would like to comment on this project, please email us. If you have any questions regarding the Intergovernmental Review and Consultation process please contact staff at (216) 241-2414, Ext. 322. Public Involvement: NOACA encourages comments from the public on this proposed transportation improvement project. Please notify us if you would like to be added to our e-mail notification list for future updates.