NOACA Governing Board Approves Funding for Emergency Repairs to the Innerbelt Bridge

At its February 8 meeting, the Governing Board of the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) voted to add a project to repair the structural steel on the Innerbelt Bridge in Cleveland to the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). This project is estimated to cost $10 million.

“The Board recognized the need for repairs to the Innerbelt Bridge as a safety issue and added the project to the TIP as an emergency measure,” says Howard R. Maier, NOACA executive director. “This action by the Board will allow the Ohio Department of Transportation to begin its bid process immediately and start the work this year.”

The Governing Board also voted to authorize the NOACA staff to issue a request for proposals for ozone forecasting services from May through September and year-round fine particle forecasting services for NOACA’s air quality programs. NOACA’s Ozone Action Day Program and Fine Particle Pollution Program both rely on emissions and meteorological data customized to Northeast Ohio, with its unusual Great Lakes weather patterns.

“It’s getting more complicated to forecast ozone problems,” says Amy Wainright, a NOACA environmental planner. “A decade ago, we only had to consider hot, still weather during the summer months, but now vehicle emissions play a much larger role. We want to ensure we are using the most recent technology to give us the most accurate forecasts.”

The Governing Board also learned about the top priorities identified in the draft Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan for Northeast Ohio. This plan identifies strategies and priorities to improve transportation for older adults, individuals with disabilities, and people with low incomes. The plan is available for public comment at NOACA’s offices and on its Web site (http://www.noaca.org/jarcnf.html ), at selected libraries and the main headquarters of the transit agencies in Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Medina counties through 10 a.m. on March 14, when the Governing Board will consider approving it. The exact locations where the document can be viewed are also on NOACA’s Web site.

For more information, call Gayle L. Godek, Communications Specialist, at 216-241-2414, ext. 283; or Steve Jones, Associate Director of Divisional Services, at ext. 352.