Youth Conversation
When: Monday, September 16 at 6:30 PM
Where: Noble Neighborhood Branch Library
(2800 Noble Rd, Cleveland, OH 44121)
An important goal of the Safe Streets for Cleveland Heights process is to listen to all community members. This includes the youngest residents who use our streets. On September 16th, we held a youth conversation at the Noble Neighborhood Branch Library. We had 10 talkative and civic-minded students participate. They attend a range of schools, including Noble Elementary School, Roxboro Middle School, Monticello Middle School, and home school. During a 90 minute facilitated conversation, the students shared a range of safety concerns and ideas to improve their experiences walking, biking, and scooting around Cleveland Heights. A summary of their comments is outlined below.
Key Challenges:
Traffic and Speeding:
Participants highlighted several areas with dangerous speeding, including Noble Rd, Monticello Blvd, Yellowstone Rd, Oxford Rd, and the Coventry Rd/Mayfield Rd intersection.
Traffic around schools, such as Noble School and Monticello School, was mentioned as chaotic, with speeding cars and high congestion making the environment unsafe. Students specifically pointed out their traffic safety concerns during morning drop off around their schools. For this reason, they are more likely to walk or bike home after school, rather than to school in the morning.
Unsafe Intersections:
Specific locations were identified as challenging for crossing due to speeding or poor infrastructure, such as the Mayfield Rd intersection nearby gas station driveways, Fairmount Blvd near Demington Dr, and the Coventry Rd/Mayfield Rd intersection.
Sidewalk Conditions:
Uneven sidewalks were a significant concern. Youth mentioned tripping and falling due to cracks and bumps, which also made using scooters difficult and unsafe. Students also shared their frustration with parked cars in driveway that often block sidewalks, forcing pedestrians to walk around in the street.
Biking Concerns:
Participants noted that some bike lanes, like those on Lee Road, were too narrow, creating a risk of hitting the curb. They also mentioned potholes and uneven streets as hazards.
The need for better bike lane protection was suggested, with a preference for metal or concrete barriers like those in other cities. Improved bike infrastructure would make them and their parents feel safer choosing to ride their bikes.
Litter and Trash:
Litter, especially around playgrounds, was raised as a problem. Youth expressed concerns about trash being left out on streets, which creates hazards and degrades the desire to explore their neighborhoods.
Key Destinations and Locations:
Schools:
Roxboro Middle School, Monticello School, and Noble School were frequently mentioned. Youth participants said many of their friends also walk or bike to Roxboro, but only a few do so at the other schools due to unsafe conditions. Bike racks at Roxboro are always full, so additional bike parking may encourage more students to ride their bikes. Students were especially concerned about speeding traffic and ignoring traffic signs around school zones.
Libraries and Parks:
The Noble Neighborhood Library and other community locations were popular walking and biking destinations. However, there were concerns about crossing intersections due to lack of crosswalks and speeding vehicles.
Community Areas:
Participants mentioned walking or biking to soccer practice, friends' houses, gas stations, and even to go cat sitting. These activities were often accompanied by concerns about dangerous traffic or poor infrastructure.
Neighborhood Walks:
Several youth mentioned walking for exercise or relaxation around their neighborhoods, but expressed concerns about crossing streets, especially without family. Hills were a challenge for those using scooters.
In some locations, sidewalks are not the most direct route to a destination. Students use cut-throughs at Shell gas station on Lee Rd, Church of the Savior parking lot, and Monticello School field instead of taking the longer sidewalk path.
Potential Solutions Suggested:
Improved sidewalk maintenance and evenness.
More bike racks, particularly around schools like Roxboro.
Better separation and protection in bike lanes, with protective barriers instead of simply painted lines.
Additional pedestrian-scale lighting, particularly during winter when the sun sets in early evening.
Traffic calming measures to reduce speeding, particularly in school zones and residential areas.
On behalf of the Safe Streets for Cleveland Heights team, we would like to thank all of the student participants and their parents for contributing their time to the process. Special thanks to our Street Team Leader and Noble neighborhood resident, Grace Geiger, for organizing the youth conversation. In order to maintain the privacy of the students, custom illustrations from StorySet were used in this event summary. Learn more about previous public outreach events on our Engage page.