March 22, 2017                                                                      Volume 7, Issue 2
Save the date for NOACA's Annual Meeting     

Grab your calendar or smart phone and save the date-September 8, 2017-for NOACA's Annual Meeting. The meeting will be held at the Global Center for Health Innovation, 1 St. Clair Avenue NE, in Cleveland. The Annual Meeting provides a forum for Northeast Ohio local officials, business leaders, planners, and the public to discuss relevant transportation and environmental issues and reflect on the current planning efforts and accomplishments of NOACA.

Additional information about the Annual Meeting, including keynote speaker and registration link, will be posted to the website later this spring. Save this date and plan to attend.   
It's the law: motorists must give bicyclists adequate space when passing
 
A new statewide law took effect yesterday, March 21, requiring motorists to give bicyclists at least three feet of clearance when passing. Long advocated by the bicycling community, the three-foot minimum passing distance is now mandated by law, and drivers could be fined up to $150 for violating it. The State joins the cities of Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Bay Village , which already have enacted three-foot bike passing laws .

With spring's arrival, you will begin to see an increasing number of bicyclists on the road. To allow an adequate passing distance between your vehicle and a bike, imagine a yardstick between your vehicle and the bicyclist's handlebar. The new law may be enforced through an electronic device that attaches to bicycle handlebars and sounds if a vehicle passes within three feet. The device also displays the vehicle's distance from the bike in inches. Check out a video that demonstrates how the device works on the Bike Cleveland website.
Attend a State Fiscal Years 2018-2021 Transportation Improvement Program Open House
What highway, bridge, transit, bikeway, and trail projects are scheduled to be implemented in Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, and Medina counties over the next four years? You can learn about this and more at public open houses for the State  Fiscal  Years 2018-2 021 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and statewide TIP at the Ohio Department of Transportation's District 3 and District 12 offices in early April.

The TIP is a comprehensive listing of federal-aid transportation improvement projects scheduled for implementation over the next four state fiscal years and serves as the tool for implementing the region's long-range transportation plan. At the open houses you can review upcoming projects for Northeast Ohio as well as the entire state, ask questions of NOACA staff, and leave comments for NOACA Board consideration. 
   
Bike storage boxes installed in Cleveland's Flats

Photo from Flats Forward 
Picture this: a bicycle ride to the parks, shops, and restaurants in the Cleveland Flats without worrying about where you can safely park your bike. While dining or shopping in the Flats, you can now secure your bicycle in a sheltered storage box, like the one shown here, at one of three locations:
  • The south side of Main Avenue at the roundabout on the west bank
  • Next to the Metroparks Water Taxi Station on Old River Road
  • Columbus Peninsula on the south side of Columbus Road next to The Foundry
Flats Forward and the Port of Cleveland installed the bike boxes to make the neighborhood more appealing as a destination for bicyclists and increase multimodal accessibility to area amenities. NOACA committed $24,000 for the bike box installation project.  
 
NOACA accepting applications for projects that reduce congestion & improve air quality

On March 24, 2017, NOACA will begin accepting applications for projects in its five-county area to be funded through the statewide Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program. The CMAQ program provides federal funding for transportation projects located in the largest urban areas of Ohio that reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality. Projects approved for CMAQ
NOACA committed $4.6 million in CMAQ funding to help the Port of Cleveland purchase two mobile cranes (Photo from the Port of Cleveland).
funding during this application cycle will be targeted for implementation in State Fiscal Years 2022-2023.

CMAQ funds may be used for new or expanded transportation projects or programs that reduce emissions, including transportation infrastructure projects, high-occupancy vehicle lanes, congestion relief programs, vehicle acquisitions, and diesel engine retrofits. CMAQ funds are distributed through a statewide competitive application process. For more information about this year's application cycle and the application form, access the Funding Information tab on NOACA's website. 

Discover attractions on Ohio's north coast with the Lake Erie Coastal Ohio app 

With warmer weather on the horizon, residents and visitors will begin to plan day trips and weekend jaunts to Ohio's numerous parks and scenic byways. The Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Trail-a 293-mile scenic byway that begins in Conneaut and follows the Lake Erie shoreline to the Michigan border-offers access to more than 300 attractions and is right on the doorstep for many Northeast Ohioans. You can explore historically significant sites, museums, lighthouses, monuments, and nature preserves located along or near the trail.

With the help of NOACA, Lake Erie Coastal Ohio has developed a mobile app that will help you locate these attractions as you navigate the trail. Download the app from iTunes (Apple iPhone users) or from Google Play (Android device users) and experience all of the fascinating attractions along the Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Trail.
 
 

Contact:
Grace Gallucci, Executive Director
1299 Superior Avenue | 216.241.2414
Website: www.noaca.org