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Walkable Communities Workshops

 

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In June 2008, NOACA and the National Center for Bicycling and Walking (NCBW) conducted successful Walkable Community Workshops in Chester Township in Geauga County, and Lakewood, Brooklyn Centre and Strongsville in Cuyahoga County. Walkable Communities Workshops help educate bicycle advocates, local officials and residents about improvements that can make communities safe and bicycle and pedestrian friendly. Workshops feature:

  • a presentation on the best practices of a walkable community;
  • a walking tour of a study area selected by the host community; and
  • small breakout sessions for identifying strategies that can improve conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Workshop results include recommendations for specific improvements that will enhance pedestrian safety and accessibility.

The June 2008 workshops:
  • Chesterland: This workshop focused on the intersection of SR-306 and Mayfield Road. A number of bicyclists would like the area to be more bicycle-friendly, with multipurpose paths on both roads. Participants would like a more defined town center and would like the commercial buildings to be closer to the street for better pedestrian access. They would also like to create zones with higher density housing and to work with private property owner to put in sidewalks.
  • June 2, 1 p.m. in Strongsville: The focus is on improving safety on existing routes to school.
  • Lakewood: The study area was the west end of Detroit Road where seven lanes divide the neighborhood in two and there are no sidewalks or crosswalks. Residents want to link the two neighborhoods again and be able to reach commercial properties on Detroit Road.
  • Brooklyn Centre: The neighborhood is used as a pass-through, and workshop participants want to create a sense of place and make it safer despite all the traffic. Some of the ideas included adding bike lanes on West 25th Street and Denison Avenue, bringing strip commercial buildings closer to the street, increasing the visibility of crosswalks, and having a mid-block crossing to link the elementary school with Art House. The group wants to look at Safe Routes to School techniques and possibly make West 33rd Street one-way when parents drop their children off at school.
  • Strongsville: The study area was the intersection of Pearl Road and SR-82, where there is a park and gazebo for summer events. This is a high-volume, multilane intersection, and the group wants to work on signal timing and improve access around the park and intersection.
NOACA and consultants from the National Center for Bicycling and Walking conducted five workshops in fall 2006. Review the results and recommendations from those workshops in the 2006 Walkable Communities Workshops report (pdf file). For more information about the program contact Senior Transportation Planner Sally Hanley.