January 23, 201015 yr check out feagler and friends this weekend. dan moulthrop in for dick feagler. direct questions on bike/ped access on the innerbelt bridge to ODOT District 12 director.
January 23, 201015 yr At tomorrow's Cleveland Planning Commission meeting, Planning Director Bob Brown will provide a draft resolution calling for bike and pedestrian access to new Innerbelt Bridge. The City Planning Commission passed a resolution asking ODOT to add bike and pedestrian accommodations as part of the bidding process. Basically, it wouldn't be required, but by asking that the option be added, it would allow the firms designing the bridge to consider it in their proposals. http://www.gcbl.org/blog/marc-lefkowitz/city-planning-throws-weight-behind-open-access-innerbelt-bridge
February 5, 201015 yr ODOT says no to a bicycle lane on the new Cleveland Innerbelt Bridge CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Activists hoping for a bicycle lane on the new Cleveland Innerbelt Bridge had their idea rejected Thursday by the Ohio Department of Transportation. The department said that there are available alternative bike routes; there are safety and maintenance challenges of having a bike lane on the bridge; and the bridge's estimated cost, $450 million, prevents ODOT from designing one. http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/02/post_203.html
February 5, 201015 yr ODOT is backwards. The rest of us shouldn't be. Let the letter writing begin. Let ODOT know we don't want to be known any longer as a backwoods, population-shedding state, city or region!
February 9, 201015 yr Lorain-Carnegie and Detroit-Superior already has plenty of room for bikes. No need on the I-90 bridge, with no where to really go on south end anyway besides Tremont. Csn not support extra $ on a bridge to carry two bikes a day.
February 9, 201015 yr "Lorain-Superior" Never heard of that bridge. "No where to really go on south end anyway besides Tremont And Clark-Metro, Old Brooklyn, Duck Island, and a few other places that will connect to the Towpath and other trails. Contrarian viewpoints are fine but could we at least make *some* effort to be factual? clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
February 10, 201015 yr Besides, what's in Tremont anyway..... ;) "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
February 10, 201015 yr No need to connect to Towpath, the towpath would already be the bike path into downtown (and connector into Tremont). Paying for a wide enough lane for bikes on a new high level bridge would not generate much support or usage.
February 10, 201015 yr Call me crazy--but I think if this was designed right, with an aesthetic not unlike the sides of the Detroit-Superior bridge, that a bike/pedestrian path with some benches for gazing on downtown might just be a popular destination!
February 10, 201015 yr Lorain-Carnegie has some nice views of downtown. I've taken quite a few pictures from there over the years. No need for a multi-million dollar duplicate of that further from downtown.
February 10, 201015 yr Lorain-Carnegie has bike lanes, but not a dedicated multi-purpose path that the innerbelt bridge would/should have. The LC bridge also DOES NOT connect downtown to Tremont in any meaningful way for bikers or pedestrians. After you cross the LC bridge you still need to cross a downright dangerous Abbey Ave. bridge to get to Tremont. I encourage everyone to ride from Tremont to Downtown via any of the current routes and then tell me whether or not they think the innerbelt bridge should have a bike/ped path on it.
February 10, 201015 yr I tend to lean towards the conservative side in terms of government spending but even I fully support pedestrian/bike lanes on the new Innerbelt. Not only would the view be fantastic but it would be much safer to bike to/from Tremont and other southern neighborhoods. The sidewalks on the Carnegie/Lorain bridge are not all that wide and do not have anything between the cars and the pedestrians. Also, as previously mentioned, getting from Tremont to the Carnegie/Lorain bridge is not all that pleasant.
February 11, 201015 yr It would be cheaper to improve bike access from Lorain Rd to Tremont and/or Towpath to Tremont then to add the expense to the bridge.
February 11, 201015 yr It would be cheaper to improve bike access from Lorain Rd to Tremont and/or Towpath to Tremont then to add the expense to the bridge. Geometry problem. Lorain Ave doesn't go to Tremont. I-90 does. It's the only bridge that goes between Tremont and downtown... unless you count lift-bridges, which can leave you hanging and which aren't surrounded by the world's safest cityscape. The towpath option would be not be a direct route either; it could end up being longer than taking Lorain.
February 11, 201015 yr I probably missed it, but did ODOT even figure out how much more it would cost to put a bike lane onto the bridge?
February 11, 201015 yr I probably missed it, but did ODOT even figure out how much more it would cost to put a bike lane onto the bridge? In the environmental impact statement where they address the alternative routes and determine them to be adequate, ODOT estimated it would cost $20 million in 2012 construction dollars. Basically, they used $400 or $450 a square foot x width x length to arrive at this number. Others have suggested that the true cost might be closer to half of this cost as the multi-purpose lane wouldn't be engineered to hold a lane full of highway traffic, and it could be designed within the overall bridge structure and not a specific add on. $20 million is a lot of money, but on a $450 million project, only 4% of the project budget. FHWA allows up to 20% of project to be spent on bike and pedestrian accommodation and the local NOACA policy supports spending up to 10% of the project, so this falls well within both of those ranges.
February 12, 201015 yr It's this sort of anti-pedestian lane thinking as above that leaves Cleveland with little "pockets" of optimism and growth, but seldom does the wave extend from neighborhood to neighborhood. We end up with Tremont, Ohio City, Detroit Shoreway, Downtown, with fields of blight in between (not always for geographic and topograhic reasons as in this case, but still....). In my opinion some bike/pedestrian lanes would do wonders for tying together Downtown, Duck Island, Tremont AND Ohio City by giving pedestrians and bicyclist multiple routes. Also imagine the spike in the marketability of a home in Tremont if you were able to zip home on your 2 wheeler for some lunch and be back downtown at your office within an hour, and relatively sweat-free. A proposition that, while doable now, is not exactly convenient.
February 12, 201015 yr I obtained a copy of the letter from ODOT to the city reaffirming/reasserting their "no" in regards to the bike/ped component of the innerbelt bridge. http://clevelandplanner.blogspot.com/2010/02/cleveland-planning-commission-report.html (This isn't a plug to my site - just easier for me to post it this way.)
February 13, 201015 yr Is it ok to post the whole thing since it is a blog? If not I can edit it or someone can. Advocating for Bike and Ped Access in Cleveland, With a Beat by Sarah Goodyear on February 12, 2010 A couple of months ago, we wrote about Clevelanders protesting a $450 million rebuilding of the city's Innerbelt Bridge that fails to include bike and pedestrian access. Since then, the Ohio Department of Transportation has dug in its heels, saying that there is no time to make any amendments to the environmental impact statement on the project before a March 2 deadline. But Streetsblog Network member Green City Blue Lake says that bike lane advocates aren't giving in yet, and are determined to use the time between now and March 2 to continue pushing for amendments to the bridge plan. Yesterday, they posted the video above to spread the word. Here are some of the lyrics: Those who don't have a car still do Pay public infrastructure taxes too So why can't those who don't have a car Use the bridge in their own backyard?… All kinds of traffic should be delivered Up over the Cuyahoga River If they drive a bike or just walk around Give everyone a way to get downtown. Let's keep Cleveland on the right track. Take a step forward not a step back Now is the chance if we answer the call To build a bridge that connects us all. They've got some support at the City Council level. From a GCBL post earlier this week: "When you design a bridge, you don't design it just for cars, you design it for people," Cleveland Councilman Matt Zone told ODOT Innerbelt Project Manager Craig Hebebrand at [a February 8th] Cleveland Planning Commission [meeting]. "Why should the citizens of Cleveland settle for second class? We should demand [a multi-use path on the bridge] from the design phase. We should demand something better. Let’s see what the prices come in. In Shanghai and in Portland they are designing bridges for people." Hebebrand said it's too late from ODOT's perspective to make any changes. "There’s no way to physically amend the documents to add the addendum in time." Planning Commission member Lillian Kuri, however, got Hebebrand to admit that there will be many addendums to the Environmental Impact Statement before the end. Adding an addendum to that EIS for a bike/ped multi-use path now should not be used an excuse, Kuri said. Advocates agree, and we charge that we have 25 days, or 220 hours until ODOT’s imposed March 2 deadline. We also contend that where there's a will, there's a way. The comments from Councilman Matt Zone illustrate this sentiment; and given Hebebrand's assertions, it is perhaps proof positive that the issue transcends ODOT and its usual bureaucracy, and so it's time to move up the chain of command. We'll keep following this story. http://dc.streetsblog.org/2010/02/12/advocating-for-bike-and-ped-access-in-cleveland-with-a-beat/
February 14, 201015 yr If ODOT is refusing to make adjustments to the plan even though it can, then stakeholders should file a lawsuit under the National Environmental Policy Act to force compliance. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
February 14, 201015 yr If ODOT is refusing to make adjustments to the plan even though it can, then stakeholders should file a lawsuit under the National Environmental Policy Act to force compliance. There is a lawsuit that was filed in US Federal District Court in Cleveland in December by ClevelandBikes. ODOT and FHWA owed a response by Feb 15, but apparently filed for another extension last week.
February 24, 201015 yr Cleveland: Owner of building needed for Innerbelt Bridge wins legal battle CLEVELAND -- For now, Fred Finley gets to keep ownership of his Cold Storage building that's needed for the Innerbelt Bridge project. Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge John O'Donnell voided a sheriff's sale that would have let the state acquire the Cold Storage building faster and cheaper. Finley and the state are far apart on what the building is worth. http://www.wkyc.com/news/politics_govt/politics_article.aspx?storyid=131269&catid=130
February 25, 201015 yr Ruling on Cold Storage building opens up Inner Belt Bridge cost question By Pat Galbincea, The Plain Dealer February 24, 2010, 11:00PM CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Officials from the Ohio Department of Transportation know for certain they will be starting construction of a new westbound Inner Belt Bridge in the spring of 2011. What they don't know is how much they will have to pay to remove a vacant 82-year-old structure on West 14th Street that stands in the way of the bridge. http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/02/post_223.html
February 25, 201015 yr Kucinich Brings the Innerbelt Crossing Fight to D.C. by Sarah Goodyear on February 25, 2010 Today from Streetsblog Network member GreenCityBlueLake, an update on the push to include bicycle and pedestrian facilities on a reconstructed Innerbelt Bridge over the Cuyahoga River -- an accommodation that the Ohio DOT has been resisting. In the latest development, Rep. Dennis Kucinich has stepped up his involvement. From GCBL: Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) met yesterday with members of the Cleveland Planning Commission, including director Robert Brown, to discuss the path forward to ensure that plans to replace the I-90 Innerbelt bridge include a separate roadway for bikes and pedestrians. “The State of Ohio should be encouraging opportunities for the people of Cleveland to cross the Cuyahoga River in a way that is good for public health, good for the environment, good for businesses, and good for communities,” Kucinich said. http://dc.streetsblog.org/2010/02/25/kucinich-brings-the-innerbelt-crossing-fight-to-d-c/
March 3, 201015 yr Inner Belt Bridge project draws interest from four design/build teams CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The competition to design and build a new Inner Belt Bridge, Ohio's largest single infrastructure project ever, has begun. Four teams that include designers, contractors and engineers submitted their qualifications Tuesday to the Ohio Department of Transportation. Three will be chosen on March 23 to prepare and submit a bid to build the $450 million bridge. The applicants are all heavy hitters. Among them are out-of-state firms that have worked on major bridge projects across the country, including replacing the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis that collapsed in 2007. http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/03/inner_belt_bridge_project_draw.html
March 3, 201015 yr Cool video: http://clevelandplanner.blogspot.com/2010/03/video-bike-and-pedestrian-access-for.html
March 3, 201015 yr This whole thing is a bad idea. Can't we just route everybody to I 480? Do you mean 490?
March 3, 201015 yr I think the next time ODOT is called in front of the Cleveland Planning comm. or City Council, someone higher than the project manager for ODOT should testify. I want their answers to be directly tied to the governor, so that maybe we can hear different answers for a change.
March 4, 201015 yr Good luck with that. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 4, 201015 yr You mean these two cents?? "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 4, 201015 yr These are the times I miss MTS, he could have flashed a PollyAnna pic. Where is MTS anyway? It's been months since I've seen him post.
March 4, 201015 yr These are the times I miss MTS, he could have flashed a PollyAnna pic. Where is MTS anyway? It's been months since I've seen him post. My money is on Vancouver.
March 4, 201015 yr I thought the last he was here he got a time out.... Maybe that pushed him over the edge.
March 4, 201015 yr This whole thing is a bad idea. Can't we just route everybody to I 480? Do you mean 490? yes, yes, yes, 490, whatever!
March 9, 201015 yr Gov. Ted Strickland tells ODOT to rethink Inner Belt Bridge bike lane By Reginald Fields, The Plain Dealer March 09, 2010, 7:27AM COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Gov. Ted Strickland has jumped into the fray over whether to add a bike lane to the planned Inner Belt Bridge project, ordering the transportation department to study whether such a multipurpose lane is even feasible. The Ohio Department of Transportation has said it already studied whether to add a lane for bicyclists and pedestrians and had decided against it for various reasons -- cost, maintenance and user safety, among them. "But at the direction of the governor, we will take a renewed look," said Scott Varner, ODOT spokesman. READ MORE AT: http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2010/03/at_governors_urging_odot_to_ag.html "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 9, 201015 yr I've been trying to absorb that article for a couple hours. I've felt Strickland has been pretty, blah... but I think he may actually be earning my vote.
March 9, 201015 yr Ok, ODOT and Cleveland are going to start building a replacement Innerbelt Bridge and have plans for a second span after the existing one is destroyed. That's unstoppable. However, would there still be a way to divert the existing plan and create the "I-90 on I-490" plan that KJP dreamt up? Could this new Innerbelt span be turned into a span that connects Tremont to Downtown?
March 10, 201015 yr I would certainly be in favor or converting I-90 through downtown into a partial boulevard through Tremont and across the river, and reroute I-90 over 490/77. But I don't see any way for that to happen at this point in the planning process. ODOT is simply replacing a bridge, not reconsidering how to move (through-) traffic through the city. Maybe in 50 years, the next time they think about replacing the bridge, our children can be prepared to move in that direction.
March 10, 201015 yr It's a shame though, that great ideas like KJP's are lost to history while the people making decisions about these projects ignore them. How many chances will we get to fix this interstate conundrum downtown? Not another in our lifetimes, I reckon.
March 24, 201015 yr ODOT names teams that will compete to design new Inner Belt Bridge http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/03/odot_names_teams_to_compete_to.html By Karen Farkas, The Plain Dealer March 24, 2010, 2:45PM Three teams of engineers, designers and contractors will spend the next 134 days creating what each hopes will become the new $450 million Inner Belt Bridge.
March 24, 201015 yr From the comments: Posted by pomutz March 24, 2010, 3:02PM Rather than adding a $20-million bicycle lane that will be over 150' above the Cuyahoga River and subject to the vagaries of extreme wind & weather, not to mention "wash" from passing cars, ODOT should consider providing a lesser amount - say $10-million - to the Towpath Trail project. The Towpath, which is already planned to bisect the area, will provide a safe, mode separated means of traveling to downtown from Tremont and the region. One aspect of adding a bike lane to the bridge that has not been adequately examined is how does one transition to the spaghetti bowl of arterials in the vicinity of Ontario & Carnegie Avenues and then safely to the rest of the downtown street network and its attractions/destination. I don't know about you, but I'd much rather travel an exclusive bike trail that offers safe passage than some freeway appendage. I always wondered how the bike line would integrate with the other end of the bridge. I know that there is no direct access from tremont, but ending up right there in that mess doesn;t sound appeling.
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