The Villager Newspaper Online Your Community News – Cleveland's Westshore
The City of Avon and Sheffield Village, along with Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA), Lorain County Metro Park and Avon Local Schools, are kicking off a Citywide Bicycle Master Plan, as well as Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Plan for Avon East and Heritage Elementary schools, and Avon Middle School. The City of Avon was awarded grant money last year through NOACA’s Transportation for Livable Communities Initiative (TLCI) to begin the process to develop the plan(s).
The purpose of the plan(s) is to create a more walkable and bikeable community for all students and residents by enhancing the infrastructure to expand modal choice, while educating the community on the benefits of walking and biking. The goal is to shift cultural perceptions within a traditionally auto-dependent community by encouraging non-motorized travel to school and other destinations as a safe, acceptable, healthy, and achievable option. Upon plan completion, the City and Village will be able to pursue funding to help design and construct plan recommendations.
“Our goal is to develop a plan to encourage students and residents to walk and ride safely throughout the community,” said Bill Fishleigh, Avon Local Schools, director of operations.
Data collection for the SRTS plan is already underway as the Avon Local School district recently solicited feedback from parents regarding student transportation to and from school through an online parent survey. The committee is currently analyzing that data and gathering additional information through observations of student arrival and dismissal at each school and interviews with school staff.
To gather feedback from the community regarding bicycle travel and desires, a community survey is currently available online. Plan organizers strongly encourage community participation to help guide future plan recommendations. To access the survey, go to tinyurl.com/yxb8aoe6.
The city will be presenting information on the plans during the annual Health and Safety Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 8 at Avon High School, 37545 Detroit Road. Survey for residents will also be available at the Fair.
The first of several public meetings will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. June 13 at Avon Isle, 37080 Detroit Road, Avon.
