The Lorain County Health Department wants to gather more information on the Lorain Active Transportation Plan.
The Lorain Connected Active Transportation Plan Steering Committee is scheduled to meet Dec. 1 to work toward updating the city’s transportation plan, which was last updated in 2018.
The Active Transportation Plan Steering Committee was launched by the Lorain County Public Health and the city of Lorain in 2015 to analyze the transportation in the city whether it’s by walking, bicycling, driving or use of public transportation.
The Ohio Department of Transportation, which in part has provided nearly $4 million in public funding, requires the committee to update the plan as part of the grant application process for 2024, said Kat Bray, a supervisor and certified health education specialist for the Lorain County Public Health.
Initially, the county health department was the lead agency in the project, but this year, the city of Lorain has transitioned to the primary entity and thus will directly receive any future public funds, Bray said.
The committee’s agenda includes an overview of the project; a review of the 2018 goals as well as the updated 2024 goals; a report of the existing conditions of walking and biking pathways; planning for public engagement and a survey and scheduling future meetings, according to the document.
“The whole goal is to create and expand options for walking and biking in the city,” Bray said.
Additionally, improving safety for all road users remains a goal of the committee, she said.
Some of the areas that the group studies includes speed zones, roadway signage, high-risk intersections in addition to monitoring sidewalks and bike paths.
The committee includes several entities such as El Centro De Servicios Soc, Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, Ohio Department of Transportation, residents and others, Bray said.
The committee targets areas to be improved through its planning process and then the work is conducted utilizing the public funds it has received.
The committee will next embark on drafting a survey for the public to participate in to best serve the citizens’ needs, Bray said.
The survey is expected to be available early 2024, she said.
