Summit Recap & Moving Forward

The genesis of Bike Cleveland began back in 2011, when stakeholders of all backgrounds descended upon Windows on the River for a summit event that would set us on our mission. From those humble beginnings, the list of accomplishments and our impact on the city of Cleveland and Greater Cleveland continues to grow.

But, with any endeavor, you have to occasionally step back – look at where you are – and make certain that your route into the future is heading in the right direction. That is exactly what we did on November 11th with our Strategic Summit. We brought stakeholders and the public back together again to examine our work, study our mission, and prioritize how we will work to make Greater Cleveland an even better place for people biking and walking – which in turn makes our region more equitable and inclusive.

The work actually began months ago, as a “design team” (consisting of Bike Cleveland staff, board and volunteers) met monthly to begin assembling the framework for what would become the subjects of discussion and feedback at the summit. We also collected data through surveys, focus groups, stakeholder interviews and community outreach at events to inform our work sessions. The data and work sessions helped to inform our draft strategic framework that was shared for feedback at the Strategic Summit.

The summit itself was held at the historic (and recently renovated) LaSalle Theater in Collinwood. (The new name is the LaSalle Arts and Media Center to reflect the space that has been modernized for events.) The venue provided ample room for our presentation and work sessions, and we took extra care to source our food and refreshments from local, neighborhood providers. If you missed the event, take two minutes and enjoy this recap video of the afternoon:

Thank you to everyone who attended and provided your insights into what we, collectively, need to do to advance biking and walking in Greater Cleveland over the next 5 years.

With feedback gathered at the Strategic Summit, Bike Cleveland’s staff and board will be working through December to incorporate attendees thoughts into our final organizational strategic framework and developing our action plan. Our updated strategic plan will guide our advocacy and programs to grow broad support for safe streets and active transportation across Greater Cleveland. The updated strategic plan will be shared at our Annual Meeting in January.

We are developing an inclusive, ambitious vision, and we will not be deterred from our desire to guide Cleveland into a new era of sustainable transportation. You can help. Be a part of our collective vision by supporting our work for safe streets. Help us continue to build inclusive programs and grow our powerful advocacy network for safe streets by making a donation to Bike Cleveland today so that we can start 2019 stronger than ever.

Need more inspiration? Take a look at our year end appeal, and read how our work impacts individuals on the street every day – and has made measurable gains in how Cleveland is perceived locally and nationwide.

 

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