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Governing Board Action: September10, 2004

Today the NOACA Governing Board visited Lake Farmpark in Kirtland, the Board’s final “on the road” meeting of the summer. At the meeting, members approved a prioritized list of five regional projects that will be recommended to the State-appointed Transportation Review Advisory Council (TRAC). The TRAC selects major investments to receive Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Major New Construction funding. The five projects are:

  1. Widen SR-87 from I-271 to Lander Circle in Woodmere Village (Cuyahoga County); add a raised median and implement transit and pedestrian improvements in Woodmere Village and the cities of Orange, Beachwood and Pepper Pike;
  2. Widen US-42 from Boston Road to Schurmer Road in Strongsville (Cuyahoga County);
  3. Widen US-42 from Harding Street to Fenn Road in Medina (Medina County);
  4. Widen SR-254 from Crocker to Columbia Roads in Westlake (Cuyahoga County) and construct signalized, at-grade intersections for the West Shoreway and arterial streets in Cleveland
  5. Widen I-77 from I-80 to SR-82 in Broadview Heights and Independence (Cuyahoga County). This project is proposed for Tier 2 of the TRAC projects list.
The TRAC has scheduled a public meeting on Thursday, October 7 to obtain citizen comment on these proposed projects.

Board members accepted the recommendations of the Water Quality/Transportation Task Force. NOACA organized the Task Force two years ago to develop planning tools that will help assess the water quality impacts of transportation projects. One Task Force goal is to reduce or eliminate negative impacts to water resources when transportation facilities are constructed.

The Board endorsed an Action Plan for the Rocky River Watershed. This comprehensive plan outlines goals for reducing pollution and protecting the water quality in the Rocky River, and proposes actions to achieve these goals. The Rocky River Watershed Council, comprised of representatives from local agencies, governments and community groups, was instrumental in developing the Plan’s strategies and recommendations. Approval of this action plan will allow the Rocky River Watershed Council to apply for grants for implementing pollution prevention and clean-up strategies.

The Board amended the region’s Transportation Plan, Framework for Action 2025, to include the following 10 projects:
  • Replace twin bridges on I-90 over the Grand River in Leroy Township;
  • Resurface Lake Road (US-6) from the west corporation line to the east corporation line in Sheffield Lake;
  • Resurface Wooster Avon Lake Road (SR-83) from the south corporation line to the north corporation line in North Ridgeville;
  • Reconstruct and widen Griswold Road from Murray Ridge Road to West River Road in Elyria and Elyria Township;
  • Replace and widen SR-2 bridge decks over NW railroad tracks and Murray Ridge Road in Elyria Township;
  • Install mobile data terminal / automatic vehicle locator systems on all LAKETRAN transit vehicles to improve scheduling, operation and efficiency;
  • Resurface US-20 from SR-57 to Chestnut Ridge Road in Elyria;
  • Rehabilitate two bridges on I-90 over Lake Avenue and CSX railroad tracks in Elyria and Elyria Township;
  • Rehabilitate twin bridges on I-90 over the Black River and Ford Road in Elyria; and
  • Improve the intersection of SR-3 and Reagan Parkway in Medina and Medina Township.
The Board also approved the first three projects for inclusion in the State Fiscal Years 2004 – 2007 Transportation Improvement Program.

The Towpath Trail is a natural amenity to Northeast Ohio, with hiking trails, bike paths and remnants of the Erie Canal. In the interest of preserving and enhancing this regional amenity, The Governing Board entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Cuyahoga County Commissioners, Cuyahoga County Engineer, and other partners to commit to planning and programming improvements to the Towpath Trail.