The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Group eyes cyclists, walkers safety
Draft plan getting closer, could help score grants
Lorain has a number of destinations for walkers and cyclists, but the city also has barriers to getting around by foot or bike.
The Lorain Active Transportation Plan Team met Oct. 20 to review the priority corridors and the barriers to human-powered transit across the city.
This year, the Lorain County General Health District, with Lorain City Schools, the city Engineering Department, the Ohio Department of Transportation, Lorain County Metro Parks and other participants are working on an active transportation plan to improve safety for students and anyone walking, cycling and using public transportation to get around Lorain.
The Oct. 20 meeting included large-scale prints of Lorain maps with key streets highlighted and with spots showing where walkers and cyclists could run into heavy or fast traffic, rough roads or sidewalks, inadequate lighting, busy intersections and the like.
The maps will become part of a plan drafted with consultants from TranSystems Corp., Murphy/Epson and Toole Design Group.
The goal is to use the plan to apply for grant money to pay for improvements to the roads, sidewalks and plans around Lorain, along with programs to promote active transportation, said Katherine Bray, health education specialist for the General Health District.
Many of Lorain’s busiest streets, such as Erie Avenue, West 21st Street, Colorado Avenue, Leavitt Road, Broadway, East 28th Street, East 36th Street and Grove Avenue, were marked as difficult for walking, cycling or both.
The Charles Berry Bascule Bridge and the Lofton Henderson Memorial Bridge over the Black River also were listed as trouble spots for people on foot or bike.
The participants then suggested alternate routes around town using streets parallel or criss-crossing the busiest streets.
Other participants included consultants Stephanie Tresso and David Shipps; Sara Tillie of the General Health District; Jamie Montague, Don Jacopin and Bryan Hilko of Lorain City Schools; Jeremy Adato of the ODOT District 3 office, which oversees Lorain County; Evelisse Atkinson
This year, the Lorain County General Health District, with Lorain City Schools, the city Engineering Department, the Ohio Department of Transportation, Lorain County Metro Parks and other participants are working on an active transportation plan to improve safety for students and anyone walking, cycling and using public transportation to get around Lorain.
of the Lorain Metropolitan Housing Authority; Veronica Newsome of the Lorain City Engineering Department; Eric Newsome of Lorain Proud; Bob Burkhardt of the Silver Wheels Cycling Club; and Emanuel Pedraza of El Centro de Servicios Sociales Inc.
Future meetings are scheduled at Lorain High School on Nov. 17 for a draft of the plan; and Dec. 8 to refine the plan.
Meetings will take place Jan. 5, Feb. 2 and 23, with the goal to apply for Safe Routes to School grant money from ODOT.