At today’s monthly NOACA Governing Board meeting, members approved the Framework for Action 2025 Update, a minor revision to the Transportation Plan that the Board adopted in 1999. NOACA revises and updates the Plan every three years to ensure consistency with federal requirements as well as address changes in the planning environment. The Plan update contains major transportation investments proposed for implementation over the next 20 years, prioritized four-tier system. It also contains ten regional transportation goals that are used as a foundation for planning future transportation programs and projects. For this Plan update, staff revised the transportation goals to reflect the importance of homeland security, safety and energy conservation in the region’s planning environment.

The NOACA Governing Board also adopted a Public Interaction Policy (PIP), which discusses Board and staff interaction with the general public. The PIP describes NOACA’s public involvement process, public information program, and how the public may gain access to NOACA’s office and staff.

Eight social service agencies will receive special handicapped-equipped vehicles, contingent on final approval from the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration, through NOACA’s Specialized Transportation Program. The Board approved the list of eligible organizations that plan to purchase of the special vehicles, which are used to transport the elderly and handicapped to work, shopping, doctors’ appointments and other destinations.

The Board also approved a resolution amending the State Fiscal Years 2002 – 2005 Transportation Improvement Program to include the following five projects:

• Bridge replacement on Main Street over Baldwin Creek, east of the Rocky River reservation in Middleburg Heights and Strongsville
• Bridge replacement on SR-17 (Brookpark Road) over Big Creek Parkway in Brooklyn and Parma
• Rail grade separation construction on SR-83 (Wooster Avon Lake Road) over the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks in the City of North Ridgeville
• SFY 2002 Capital and Operating Program for the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority– includes vehicle purchase, station and garage rehabilitiation, bridge rehabilitation, transit enhancements, rail signal upgrade design, final design for the Bus Rapid Transit component of the Euclid Corridor Transportation Project and purchase of replacements buses and bicycle racks for Brunswick Transit Alternative
• SFY 2003 Capital and Operating Program for Geauga County Transit – includes vehicle purchase, operating the demand response system and services for the elderly and physically-disabled