The City of Cleveland Heights has long been on the forefront of community engagement and transportation and mobility-related issues.

In May 2018, the City adopted a Complete and Green Streets Policy. Of 66 Complete Streets policies submitted in 2018, the National Complete Streets Coalition chose Cleveland Heights’ policy as #1. The City has for many years been designated at the Bronze Level by the League of American Bicyclists. The City has been one of the few in Ohio to adopt Vision Zero, which it did in 2021. The City recently in 2022 created a Neighborhood Traffic Calming program, as well as a Shared Spaces Program to reflect and embody the principles of the City’s Complete and Green Streets Policy. The City also supports mobility opportunities for all ages – including being part of Cuyahoga County’s Shared Mobility Program and is looking at joining/partnering with the Senior Transportation Connection. Finally, in 2023, the City purchased six (6) new electric vehicles (EVs) and plans to continue to pursue fleet electrification.

More specifically, the City has participated in and completed a number of transportation safety plans in recent history. A list of these recently-completed transportation studies/plans and studies/plans with transportation components is provided on the Resources page.

Despite all of this great work, our roadways, shared pathways, sidewalks, and shared spaces remain unsafe for all users. It is clear that what is currently missing is a comprehensive look at the City as a whole, rather than individual roadway segments or neighborhoods.

When USDOT announced a funding opportunity for the SS4A Action Plan grant in 2022, the City realized that it was a tremendous opportunity to accomplish the comprehensive evaluation, while also setting up for future Federal investment in implementation. Fortunately, the City was one of only 13 entities in Ohio to receive Action Plan grant funding.

Within the past year there were three (3) traffic-related deaths within Cleveland Heights. With a change in government—the City’s first elected Mayor, Mayor Seren, took office in January of 2022—a focus on equity and inclusion has been brought to the forefront of all City policymaking and decision-making. The City is embarking on two (2) key transportation initiatives in partnership with our neighbors in the cities of South Euclid and University Heights—a 2023 NOACA Transportation for Livable Communities (TLCI) implementation project and an Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Regional Active Transportation Planning (ATP) Grant. These efforts can and will be leveraged along with the Comprehensive & Equitable Safety Action Plan.

The City is primed to undertake a truly Comprehensive & Equitable Safety Action Plan.