Mobility Tour
When: Thursday, June 27th from 5:30 - 8:00PM
Where: Southeast Corner of Cedar Rd and Taylor Rd
(13470 Cedar Rd)
We’d like to thank all Cleveland Heights community members who participated in the Mobility Tour!
The Mobility Tour invited participants to walk, roll in wheelchairs, or ride bikes as we explored our neighborhood streets together. The public event is part of the Safe Streets 4 Cleveland Heights planning process, led by The City of Cleveland Heights, aimed at identifying current safety challenges and effective actions to enhance the safety of all forms of mobility across the entire city. Insights gathered from the event will inform recommendations to make Cleveland Heights’ streets safer for everyone.
Take a Self-Guided Tour
If you weren’t able to join us, you can take a self-guided tour of the walk/roll or bike routes. Use the mobile survey link below during either tour to share your observations:
Mobile Tour Event Details:
Time: The tour started at 6:30pm and returned to the starting point by 7:45pm.
Location: 13470 Cedar Road, at the intersection of Taylor Road and Cedar Road, in the parking lot at the Southeast corner.
Routes: Attendees could choose between a bike route and a shorter walking/rolling route when they RSVP’d. The walking/rolling route was approximately a mile long, utilizing sidewalks on main streets and side streets.
Event Overview
The Mobility Tour included two route options: a bike route and a shorter walking/rolling route. We had 20 participants, including members of the Technical Advisory Committee, City of Cleveland Heights staff, and local residents interested in street safety. The format of the event provided valuable opportunities for residents to speak directly with City staff during the guided tours. We encountered a wide range of roadway and sidewalk conditions that impact the quality of life for individuals on a daily basis. Together, we discussed the challenges confronting different modes of transportation and shared ideas for safety improvements. Participant comments were documented through photographs, video and audio recordings, as well as an online survey completed by participants at different points along the tours.
The starting point for both tours was the shopping plaza at the Southeast corner of Taylor Road and Cedar Road. When attendees arrived, they were welcomed and briefed on the purpose of the overall planning process and the specific goals of the Mobility Tour. Snacks and beverages were also provided to help everyone fuel up before starting the tour. Each guided tour offered participants the opportunity to share their observations with project team members and each other. The open exchange of ideas between all participants was a key intention for the event.
“I chose to walk today because I am too nervous to ride my bike with traffic on these streets as an occasional (not expert) rider.”
Survey Responses
A survey was created specifically for the Mobility Tour enabling attendees to document their observations. Participants could use their own mobile devices to take the survey or write their responses on printed surveys. Each of the routes designated five stops where participants could answer a question about the preceding street segment. The survey question presented nine different conditions related to street safety. Participants selected the conditions they observed along the specified street segment. A follow up open-ended question allowed participants to share any additional comments they wanted to share regarding street safety conditions.
Cedar Rd & Taylor Rd Intersection
One of the first questions in the survey asked participants to assess the safety conditions at the starting location—the intersection of Taylor Rd and Cedar Rd. The survey response chart below shows the combined responses from both walk and bike tour participants.
The top three observations at Taylor Rd and Cedar Rd selected by the survey respondents all relate to vehicle driver behavior:
People are driving too fast
People are swerving in and out of lanes
I see drivers using their phones
Survey questions for all stops along the tour repeated the same nine safety conditions for participants to select. Using the same question allows us to compare the relative safety priorities across different locations. Interestingly, the most common observation at each stop along the walk route was “People are driving too fast.” This consistent feedback indicates a need to investigate potential traffic calming measures that encourage appropriate vehicle speeds.
WALK ROUTE MAP:
The walk/roll route and the bike route both started at the same point at the intersection of Taylor Rd and Cedar Rd, then headed north along Taylor Rd. As the shorter of the two routes, the walk/roll tour only traversed a one-mile loop. But the participants were able to encounter multiple road types, sidewalk conditions, crosswalk designs, streetscape amenities, and building forms—all of which contribute to street safety.
WALK ROUTE | Taylor Rd from Cedar Rd to Superior Rd
Immediately upon crossing Taylor Rd, the walking tour group focused their attention on the confusing and restrictive configuration of the corner. The raised curb next to the ramp blocks direct access to the sidewalk for individuals using a wheelchair or pushing a stroller, requiring them to move along a very narrow strip directly next to a fast moving traffic lane. Participants expressed their feelings of discomfort and serious danger being forced to navigate this intersection.
“The parking spots on Cedar just west of Taylor cause all sorts of issues, namely cars heading west end up merging dangerously through that intersection.”
The presence of an RTA bus shelter on Cedar Rd near the intersection of S Taylor Rd was a welcome amenity. Participants shared their appreciation for transit access along this main corridor and desire for expanded transit access across Cleveland Heights. But participants did note a few concerns with the transit waiting area, including lack of a sufficiently wide path between the sidewalk and the bus onboarding location, poor condition of the trash receptacle, and confusing signage related to parking rules.
The segment of Taylor Rd between Cedar Rd and Superior Rd presents several challenges and opportunities. For example, the uneven sidewalk caused by growing tree roots creates significant safety hazards for pedestrians and individuals rolling a wheelchair or stroller. Participants discussed a need to provide appropriate rootable soil volume for street trees to thrive and avoid damaging sidewalks. An exciting opportunity was discussed to enliven the narrow alleys with seating, string lights, and mural art to create inviting pedestrian connections between the rear parking lot and retail storefronts.
WALK ROUTE | Taylor Rd and Superior Park Dr from Superior Rd to Cain Park
The next segment of the walking tour started at the intersection of Taylor Rd and Superior Rd. This intersection includes a monument sign with a digital display welcoming people to Cain Park. Walk tour participants discussed opportunities to enhance the experience for park visitors arriving on foot, by bicycle, and by wheelchair. Concerns were shared about the curb radius of the northwest corner, which encourages fast vehicular turns from Taylor Rd onto Superior Rd. The colorful painted crosswalk on Taylor Rd was preferred over the less visible crosswalk with white lines across Superior Rd.
“The right turn lane from Taylor onto Superior allows cars to make that turn at a high rate of speed making that intersection a difficult one to cross as a pedestrian.”
Traffic light poles located in the sidewalk constrict the space available for wheelchair or stroller mobility around the Cain Park sign. But the main concerns participants shared were the high vehicle speeds and needed crosswalk enhancements at this intersection. Improvements to the intersection could build stronger and safer connections between Cain Park and the surrounding neighborhood.
Continuing north on Taylor Rd, participants paused to discuss planned improvements to a secondary entrance into Cain Park. The current pathway drops down to the lower park over a steep decline, confronting many wheeled mobility users with a dangerous descent and a difficult ascent back up the hill. City of Cleveland Heights planning staff shared proposed plans to reconfigure the entrance with new ramps and stairs that would help manage the elevation change. The group discussed different perspectives on the best approach to ensure convenient access for all users, while avoiding unintended safety issues.
“The entrances to Cain Park are insufficient. It’s such a great asset! It needs to be highlighted.”
Advancing beyond Cain Park, some stretches of Taylor Rd were described as particularly wide, sparse, and uninviting. The group questioned the need for such a wide roadway. Ambiguous or missing lane markings created confusion about whether the road adjacent to the curb was dedicated to driving or parking. Participants discussed the unsafe driving conditions created as a result.
As suggestions to improve the pedestrian experience, several people noted the potential to add street trees, taking advantage of the ample sidewalk widths. Other recommendations included new signage to help establish the area’s identity and new pedestrian scale lighting.
Before turning onto Superior Park Blvd, the group walked by historic brick buildings that helped establish a more defined street edge. Although the first floor storefronts were currently vacant, participants shared hopes for the spaces to be revitalized in the future. Restaurants and other local amenities would help increase foot traffic and activate the street. In support of future businesses, the sidewalk space could be better defined. For example, narrow strips adjacent to the buildings could be designated for outdoor cafe tables, a wider middle section could allow two people to walk side-by-side comfortably, and a zone adjacent to the curb could buffer pedestrians from car traffic with street trees and landscaping.
The Taylor Commons shopping plaza is directly across Taylor Rd from the historic buildings. While the plaza offers convenient stores for local residents, the lack of a crosswalk creates a significant safety concern for pedestrians trying to cross Taylor Rd. During the tour, participants noticed several people with groceries attempting to cross the street while dodging car traffic.
The street environment changed quickly once the group left Taylor Rd and turned left onto Superior Park Blvd. It’s a residential street with a mix of multifamily buildings that transition to single family homes. Large canopy trees created welcome sun shade on the sidewalks. Participants discussed the remarkable impact car traffic on wide lanes can have on a pedestrian’s sense of safety.
About 500 ft from Taylor Rd, a non-descript entrance to Cain Park opens up along Superior Park Blvd. The group stopped at this point to complete the mobile survey question for the preceding walk from Superior Rd.
WALK ROUTE | Cain Park and Rossmoor Rd from Superior Park Dr to Cedar Rd
Group members made their first complete entry into Cain Park during this segment at roughly the halfway point of the tour. Participants walked down the paved path from Superior Park Dr to the tennis courts. A sign at the start of the path stated “CITY VEHICLES ONLY.” Participants wondered if the sign might be interpreted by some to mean that the public was not allowed to walk or bike down the path—only City vehicles. A suggestion was made to insert removable bollards to prevent unwanted vehicles from entering, allowing City employees to temporarily remove the bollards when necessary. The relatively steep slope of the path was a point of concern for a couple parents on the tour, who imagined the difficulty of pushing a stroller safely down the hill.
Once the group reached the lower level of Cain Park, they walked through the skate park to reach the stairway on the opposite side. Access across the park was perceived as relatively free from obstacles or serious mobility concerns. Participants chose to use the wooden stairway to exit the park, ascending up to Superior Rd. But individuals using a wheelchair or pushing a stroller would have to travel further to access a different path.
Reaching the top of the stairway, the tour members exited the park near Superior Rd. Some individuals turned around to look at the stairway access point and remarked on the lack of park signage. They thought this entry point to Cain Park would be very easy to miss by visitors.
As shown in the video clip below, the group thought the experience of crossing Superior Rd was unsafe. No crosswalk was available for pedestrians leaving the park to walk south into the neighborhood. In addition, several cars were seen driving over the speed limit and one car was spotted driving over the sidewalk. A visible crosswalk and other traffic calming measures on Superior Rd at this location could increase pedestrian safety.
“Hard to cross the street after coming out of the park.”
After crossing over Superior Rd, the tour continued south along Rossmoor Rd toward Cedar Rd. The residential neighborhood had attractive tree canopy and adequate sidewalks. Car traffic during the time of the walking tour was relatively light, creating a clear contrast with Taylor Rd.
The main safety concern tour participants observed was encountered at the intersection of Rossmoor Rd. and Washington Blvd. Painted crosswalks were available for pedestrians walking east-west along Washington Blvd, but there were no crosswalks to travel north-south. Group members were left wondering why people who wanted to cross over Washington Blvd did not have a crosswalk. In fact, the sidewalks abruptly end on both sides of Washington Blvd forcing pedestrians to walk through a wide tree lawn or risk walking in the vehicle lanes to cross the street. The intersection at Rossmoor Rd and Washington Blvd is also quite large with wide curb radii, further contributing to the safety concerns for pedestrians.
Once the group negotiated the street crossing by simply walking together in the middle of the intersection, they continued for another block along Rossmoor Rd before reaching Cedar Rd. This final stretch of Rossmoor Rd was relatively similar to the first, although the tree canopy was noticeably less dense. Along the walk, some participants talked about the consequences of property owners being responsible for the maintenance of sidewalks in front of their homes. Different sidewalk materials were also discussed in terms of their perceived safety, especially when wet or icy in winter.
WALK ROUTE | Cedar Rd from Rossmoor Rd to Taylor Rd
The final segment of the walk tour was Cedar Rd from Rossmoor Rd back to the starting point at Taylor Rd. The primary concern participants communicated during this segment involved drivers accelerating quickly to pass other cars when their lane ends. Due to the abrupt transition from driving lane to parking lane, cars will speed to get in front of cars before they need to merge. These quick and erratic vehicular movements create unsafe conditions that increase car crashes, as well as safety concerns for pedestrians crossing the street. Participants discussed ways to improve safety by providing more notice to drivers that they need to merge lanes earlier. A few parking spots were suggested to be removed to increase clear sightlines at intersections and reduce the crossing distance for pedestrians.
“The area near Cedar and Taylor becomes a high speed chute because of the on-street parking as cars speed up to get through. It’s not good for pedestrians or the businesses.”
While returning back to the start of the walk tour, a few participants said they try to avoid driving through this section of Cedar Rd because of the high traffic and unsafe driving behavior. As a main intersection in Cleveland Heights, safety improvements at Taylor Rd and Cedar Rd could enhance the appearance of the area, while also reducing the risk of death or serious injury from traffic crashes.
BIKE ROUTE MAP:
Similar to the walk tour, the bike tour started down Taylor Rd heading north, but the cyclists were able to cover much more ground than the walking group. The bike route extended 4.8 miles, crossing over Mayfield Rd and Monticello Blvd, reaching Northvale Blvd near the East Cleveland border. Participants then headed back south taking mostly side streets. This longer route offered many different road conditions, lane configurations, and intersections to assess the cycling experience.
BIKE ROUTE | Taylor Rd from Cedar Rd to Severn Rd
After assessing the safety conditions at the intersection of Taylor Rd and Cedar Rd, the bike tour headed out together as a group. The first segment they rode was along Taylor Rd from the starting point at Cedar Rd to Severn Rd. This stretch of road is almost a mile long, passing by Cain Park before stopping just before Severance Town Center.
“No bike infrastructure anywhere. I do not feel safe biking here.”
On roads with two lanes in each direction, some riders feel it is very dangerous to allow parking in the curb lane. Bikes are expected to stay in the right lane but often have to swerve around into fast moving traffic to get around parked cars.
“Not for bikers of all abilities.”
BIKE ROUTE | Taylor Rd from Severn Rd to Northvale Blvd
After completing the survey questions at Severn Rd, the group continued north on Taylor Rd. The lanes widen and the speed limit increases to 35 mph in this section. While there is more room for riders, the increased speed and lack of infrastructure made many riders feel unsafe. Turning left to access Northvale Blvd also felt dangerous due to traffic wanting to pass and/or access the turn lane.
A bike tour participant felt strongly that the section of N Taylor from Euclid Heights to Monticello could easily include a multi-use separated path on the eastern side.
“The section of Taylor around Severance is atrocious. Very dangerous and inhospitable for all road users. It feels like a freeway dividing our city.”
BIKE ROUTE | Side Streets from Northvale Blvd to Compton Rd
During this route segment, bike tour participants shared their ideas for improving safety for cyclists along a series of side streets, crossing through a variety of intersection configurations. The Monticello Blvd and Forest Hills Blvd intersection was identified by a participant to be particularly unsafe for cyclists. A suggestion was made that all of the slip lanes should be removed and dramatically simplify the area.
The elevation change on Forest Hills Blvd—when nearing the Mayfield Rd intersection—has the potential to create issues with vehicles looking to make last second passes to get ahead at the intersection. Forest Hills Blvd was also perceived as incredibly wide for the traffic volume the neighborhood street needs to accommodate. A rider felt there was very little street tree cover in sections along this portion of the bike route, as well.
Comments from tour participants often expressed concern for riders of different comfort levels. New bike infrastructure investments could ensure bike riders of all ages and abilities can safely travel around the city.
“The Compton road greenway will be a nice addition when completed. All of the neighborhood roads in this section felt far too wide encouraging speeding.”
BIKE ROUTE | Side Streets and Taylor Rd from Compton Rd to Cedar Rd
The final segment of the tour started at the intersection of Compton Rd and Berkeley Rd, then continued along several side streets before turning right back onto Taylor Rd. Side streets felt much safer here, but the unsafe conditions that riders previously experienced traveling north on Taylor Rd were similar when heading south to close out the route. There were also difficulties turning left at Cedar Rd for those that chose to turn there, as well as for those who chose to turn left into the shopping center parking lot south of Cedar Rd. The heavy vehicular traffic and lack of designated bike infrastructure presented a challenging environment when cyclists attempted to turn off of Taylor Rd.
“There’s a reason I avoid biking on Taylor, and this tour reinforced that. I ride my bike daily and felt unsafe on sections of this tour. N Taylor in this section has so much potential but at this point is incredibly hostile for all road users that I will continue to avoid this area.”
Full Group Discussion
When the walk and bike tours were complete, all participants gathered at the starting point to discuss what they observed. Both tours arrived back to the corner of Taylor Rd and Cedar Rd by 7:45pm. Participants stayed to talk about their observations with each other until after 8pm. Individuals shared their key insights from a pedestrian perspective and from their experience riding a bike. Although we didn’t have a participant who required use of a wheelchair, two passersby were observed using their wheelchairs having difficulty navigating the challenging sidewalk configuration at the intersection of Taylor Rd and Cedar Rd. They both had to go into a car lane in the street to access where they were trying to go.
“I did see a couple wheelchair users have to go into the street to access where they needed to go. So, it’s definitely an accessibility concern that needs to be resolved.”
Next Steps
The observations and experiences shared during the Mobility Tour identified specific barriers to safe transportation. Survey data received from the event and the subsequent survey responses we receive from the self-guided tours will be analyzed to identify priorities for safety enhancements. The Safe Streets for Cleveland Heights process will develop recommendations for implementation citywide.
On behalf of the project team, we want to thank all community members who participated in the Mobility Tour. We plan to meet people at additional pop-up events across Cleveland Heights neighborhoods in the near future. Mark your calendar for the second Public Open House event scheduled for Wednesday, August 21st from 6:00 - 7:30pm at the Lee Road Public Library. The best way to receive updates is to subscribe to the Safe Streets 4 Cleveland Heights mailing list here.
“Thank you for doing this!!! Lots of opportunities and it’s exciting to be invited for feedback.”
Take a Self-Guided Tour
If you weren’t able to join the Mobility Tour, you can take a self-guided tour of the walk or bike routes. Use the mobile survey link below during your tour.
Comment on the Interactive Map
Use our online map-based platform to provided your input about safety concerns, “near miss” locations, areas where you’d like to see bike lanes, or anything else!