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Lee Road Action Plan
Latest Updates
- Join us at public meeting #2 to share your feedback and ideas during the next round of community engagement (you only need to attend one):
- The City has received a $1.8 million grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation for Lee Road. Read more.
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The Lee Road Action Plan will create the vision to comprehensively transform the area south of Van Aken Boulevard into a thriving corridor and commercial district that is attractive, walkable, bikeable, and transit-friendly.
Project Overview
This visionary reinvestment plan will improve connections along Lee Road from the northern residential neighborhoods through the southern civic and commercial areas. The Lee Road Action Plan will build on the recommendations of the Economic Development Strategy/Strategic Investment Plan Update and Lee Road Traffic Study & Corridor Plan, study the area south of Van Aken Boulevard and several blocks into the City of Cleveland, and will create the vision to comprehensively transform the area south of Chagrin Boulevard into a thriving corridor and commercial district that is attractive, walkable, bikeable, and transit-friendly. It is a community-driven plan that, through robust community engagement, will provide detailed recommendations to address the longstanding need for transportation enhancements and corridor redevelopment, such as traffic calming, access management, neighborhood connections, pedestrian/bike amenities, urban design strategies, and economic development and facilities strategy.
Existing Conditions and Background
Lee Road is a NOACA-designated priority bike route with connections to the Green and Blue Line rapid transit and the #40 and #14 RTA bus routes. Lee Road is a busy four-lane road that is absent of bicycle infrastructure and provides minimal connection with adjacent residential neighborhoods, bike routes, and parks. There is excess motor vehicle capacity, too much asphalt, no landscaping, inadequate pedestrian areas, and access challenges.
To the north, Lee Road connects to Cleveland Heights where there are three drive lanes and bike shoulders. To the south, the road connects to Cleveland at Scottsdale where it includes small, underutilized commercial buildings and lots, each with its own front-facing parking lot. The half-mile between Chagrin and Scottsdale has high commercial vacancies, tax delinquencies, and 45 driveway curb cuts. Underinvestment and disjointedness in the commercial district contrast with the strong sense of community in the nearby single- and two-family residential neighborhoods.
In 2010, the City created the Economic Development Strategy/Strategic Investment Plan Update to enhance business activity and build a strong and sustainable economic future through policies that correct market imbalances and provide strong returns on investment.
In 2012, the City undertook the Lee Road Traffic Study & Corridor Plan to improve transportation access and circulation for all modes along Lee Road and improve the character of the commercial district south of Chagrin Road through streetscape enhancements. This plan recommended lane reconfiguration along the entire Lee Road corridor from four lanes to two through lanes with a center turn lane, bike infrastructure along the entire corridor (north-bike shoulders, middle-sharrows, south-dedicated bike lanes), traffic signal improvements, targeted intersection reconfiguration, and pedestrian improvements. The plan also recommended further study to create a vision for the Lee Road corridor south of Chagrin Boulevard, including access management, shared parking, redevelopment strategies, marketing strategy, and improved neighborhood connections.
Schedule
TIMEFRAME | DETAILS |
---|---|
June 2021 | City issued a Request for Proposals seeking qualified planning and urban design consultant teams to undertake the Lee Road Action Plan |
July-August 2021 | Proposal review, interviews, consultant selection, City approval and legislation |
September 2021 | Contracting with WSP USA to undertake Lee Road Action Plan. Cuyahoga County undertakes Lee Road Crash Analysis |
October-December 2021 | WSP USA and City collect background data and begin economic analysis |
January 2022 | Public engagement process begins |
February 24, 2022 6:30-8 pm | Public meeting #1. View the presentation (PDF) | View the Q&A (PDF) |
June 15, 2022 6:30-8 pm | Public Meeting #2 @ The Dealership (3558 Lee Rd.) Enjoy pizza and ice cream on us! |
June 22, 2022 6:30-8 pm | Public Meeting #2 @ ZOOM. Same as our in person meeting but for those who prefer a virtual option. CLICK HERE FOR ZOOM LINK. |
What Comes After the Plan is Completed?
The Lee Road Action Plan will be used to support businesses, business owners, and property owners as well as bolster grant applications for physical improvements such as road reconfiguration, pedestrian and bike improvements, and signalization. Once funding is received, plan recommendations to change the physical street and streetscape will be engineered and constructed in the public realm. This first step to reconfigure and improve how Lee Road functions will set the table for future development and investment opportunities, which will be informed by the market analysis and community input provided during the planning process.
Thus far, the City has received more than $2.4 million in grant funding for Lee Road. This includes $1.8 million from the Ohio Department of Transportation and $605,000 from NOACA. Implementation of the plan is anticipated to start in 2025.
Documents
- Lee Action Plan Public Meeting #1 (PDF)
- Lee Action Plan Public Meeting #1 Q&A (PDF)
- 2020 Lee Road Corridor Presentation (PDF)
- Map of Lee Road Project Area (PDF)
- 2015 Economic Development Plan (PDF)
- 2012 Lee Road Corridor Plan (PDF)
News
- 3/29/22 RAISE the bar: Shaker applies for $5.5M federal grant on Lee Road Action Plan (PDF)
- 1/25/2022 Shaker Heights Applies for $2 Million State Safety Grant for Lee Road
- 11/7/2021 Unusual Real Estate Fund Aims to Transform Lee Road in Shaker Heights (PDF)
- 9/30/2021 Shaker Heights Looks to Move Forward with Lee Road Corridor Project
- 9/1/2021 Sherrod Brown, Local Business Leaders and Officials Discuss Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan’s Potential Economic Impact
- 7/5/2021 Shaker Plans Ahead with $1 Million Federal Grant Application for Lee Road Corridor
- 5/25/2021 Shaker Heights Springs into Lee Rd. Action with $2.8 Million in Grant Applications
- 5/11/2021 Shaker Heights Envisions $13.7 Million Reinvestment in Chagrin-Lee Corridor for 2025
- 10/20/2020 Shaker Heights Paving the Way for Concerted Revitalization Effort on Lee Rd.
- 9/29/2020 Shaker Heights Development Corp. Officials Update City Council on Pandemic Response
- 12/30/2019 Shaker Heights Animal Hospital Moving to Old Bank Branch in Chagrin Lee Corridor
Staff Contacts
Email Kara Hamley O'Donnell in the Planning Department.