Safe Routes to Parks

Bike Cleveland in partnership with St. Clair Superior Development, Cleveland Metroparks, and the Kent State Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative, recently launched an initiative called Safe Routes to Parks: Lakefront East as part of the Safe Routes to Parks Activating Communities program. Through this effort, our goal is to remove barriers that make it hard for people to enjoy the physical, social, and mental health benefits that parks offer and proactively work toward ensuring safe, secure access to parks and open spaces. Over the long term, with increased safety and accessibility, Safe Routes to Parks seeks to increase park usage and improve health for people of all ages, races, abilities, and income levels.

The park we’ve selected to work on is the Cleveland’s East Lakefront Park, including North and South Gordon Parks. Building off previous studies, including the most recent Cleveland Metroparks CHEERS study, we want to hear from community members how they access and use these parks in their community.

Through 2021 we will be engaging community residents in the parks and around the St. Clair Superior Neighborhood to add to the feedback gathered through the CHEERS study and collaboratively come up with an action plan to improve connectivity from the neighborhood to the Lakefront parks.

If you are interested in sharing your experience accessing the Lakefront Parks and want to get updated on events and community engagement opportunities complete the survey below.

Upcoming Engagement Opportunities

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What is the Safe Routes to Parks Activating Communities Program?

From a competitive pool of nationwide applicants, Safe Routes Partnership has selected Bike Cleveland to join Safe Routes to Parks Activating Communities, a technical assistance program focused on improving safe and equitable local park access. With funding from The JPB Foundation, Safe Routes to Parks Activating Communities supports collaboration among local partners to ensure that children and adults can easily and safely walk, bike, or roll to local parks and green spaces. As part of the program the St. Clair Superior neighborhood is one of eight diverse communities across the country receiving coaching from Safe Routes National Partnership to develop an action plan for improving active travel to local parks and green spaces and implement early actions from the plan.

For more information, visit: saferoutespartnership.org