CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — Cleveland Heights is working alongside the federal government to pave a safer path for pedestrians and cyclists.
The U.S. Department of Transportation is awarding the City of Cleveland Heights $800,000 under the Safe Streets and Roads for All grant (SS4A).
“We want every neighborhood to experience benefits from this, and we know there's danger from cars to pedestrians, from cars to cyclists all over the city and we want to find a way to holistically address that,” Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren told me.
The city will match the $800,000 demonstration grant with $200,000 for an immediate infusion of $1 million in roadway safety improvements identified in the Cleveland Heights' 2024 SS4A Safe and Equitable Streets Action Plan (CESAP).
The CESAP is a soon-to-be-released, year-long, city-led study that identifies locations where higher numbers of crashes have occurred over the past decade and recommends how they may be made safer. The CESAP Plan emphasizes reducing fatal crashes.
The demonstration grant will allow the city to begin addressing roadway safety issues, such as improving corridor designs, making crosswalks more visible, improving signal infrastructure, and reducing crossing distances for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Demonstration projects will include reducing the number of lanes on targeted streets, removing parking spaces near crosswalks to improve visibility, installing traffic calming devices, and conducting neighborhood traffic calming studies.
The below map shows a variety of areas where car accidents have happened in Cleveland Heights from 2010 to 2024.
In addition to focusing on those hot spots, Seren said he also wants to keep his attention on streets near schools.
“I know that kids are walking to school, and drivers are not always conscientious enough to look for pedestrians when they're making a turn,” he said. “I would be devastated if something terrible happened to a kid.”
The city is also looking at sewer projects and updating water lines.
While Seren said there is no definitive date on when the city will see this federal funding, he’s hopeful it’ll be in 2025.
In the meantime, the city wants your feedback on areas that need improvement. To do so, you can submit your comments through the Mayor's Action Center on the Access Cleveland Heights app.
“Cleveland Heights people have strong opinions, and we want to hear all of them and then take all of that input into account when we make these decisions,” Seren added.
