NOACA gets more than $300K in active transportation grants

The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency was awarded more than $300,000 in active transportation grants to help increase the safety of active transportation users — including in Avon Lake, Elyria, Westlake — and increase the number of Ohioans participating in actives such as biking and walking, according to a media release.

“We’re very pleased to have been awarded these grants from (the Ohio Department of Transportation) to advance active transportation in greater Cleveland,” NOACA Executive Director Grace Gallucci said in the release.

The money will be used for both demonstration projects and data collection.

Of the $300,000, $160,666 will be used to create an “active transportation demonstration materials library,” according to the release.

The agency will use temporary materials, such as paint, flexible delineators, tape, traffic cones and planter boxes to build “popup” bike lanes, cycletracks, traffic circles, traffic calming measures, pedestrian islands and other facilities, the release said.

It will allow communities to test alternatives, prior to full-scale implementation.

NOACA will use $139,635 to institute a bicycle and pedestrian counter program.

Permanent and automatic counters will be installed at 15 locations in Avon Lake, Elyria, Westlake, Chardon, Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Lakewood, Mentor and Wadsworth, the release said.

Semi-permanent counters also will be purchased to count an additional three locations at a time.

Data will be used to gauge levels of bicycling and walking, identify trends and aid in the prioritization of projects.

NOACA is the only organization in the region obtaining bicycle and pedestrian counts, according to the release.

“There’s a tremendous amount of backing for transportation options in Northeast Ohio,” Gallucci said. “This is just another example of how our communities are coming together to enhance the quality of life for everyone in our region.”

The selected programs are highly desired by Northeast Ohio communities and organizations.

In fact, more than three dozen letters were submitted in support of the active transportation demonstration materials library and bike and pedestrian counter program, the release said.

The grants were awarded by ODOT as part of the Ohio Strategic Highway Safety Plan.

The “special vehicles and roadway users” emphasis area is a priority identified in the most recent Safety Plan.

The Ohio Department of Health leads this active transportation initiative with support from ODOT, the release said.