Today from Streetsblog Network member GreenCityBlueLake,
an update on the push to include bicycle and pedestrian facilities on a
reconstructed Innerbelt Bridge over the Cuyahoga River — an
accommodation that the Ohio DOT has been resisting. In the latest
development, Rep. Dennis Kucinich has stepped up his involvement. From
GCBL:

Will calls for a bike and ped crossing over the Cuyahoga River be heard? Photo: Rustwire.com

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) met yesterday with members of the
Cleveland Planning Commission, including director Robert Brown, to
discuss the path forward to ensure that plans to replace the I-90
Innerbelt bridge include a separate roadway for bikes and pedestrians.
“The State of Ohio should be encouraging opportunities for the people
of Cleveland to cross the Cuyahoga River in a way that is good for
public health, good for the environment, good for businesses, and good
for communities,” Kucinich said.

A couple of weeks ago, we posted a music video
that is part of the campaign to open the new Innerbelt crossing to
bicycles and pedestrians. The video has gotten more than 14,000 views
on YouTube. At that time, we didn’t have the full credit info, but now
seems as good a time as any to post it. From GCBL’s Marc Lefkowitz:

Ari
Lesser wrote and performed the lyrics. He lives in Cleveland Heights.
The musicians are Kip Volans, drums, and Jim Courtot, who did the
recording in his studio and performed on the bass and guitar. The video
and editing was done by Graham Veysey, who lives in Cleveland’s Ohio
City neighborhood. These guys all donated time and put this excellent
video together in an incredibly short time.

Momentum seems to be building behind this effort. Will Ohio DOT be forced to blink? We’ll keep you posted.

More from around the network: Bello Velo on the collapse of a bike safety ad campaign in Huntsville, Alabama. UrbanCincy on the Main Street revival in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. And Portland Transport on new ideas on regional transportation governance.