NOACA Executive Director to Address Heights Bicycle Coalition

Grace Gallucci, executive director of the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, will speak at the Heights Bicycle Coalition’s annual meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 23, at The Open Office, 2843 Washington Boulevard, Cleveland Heights, Ohio.  Following a brief annual meeting of the bicycle coalition, Ms. Gallucci will speak about the role of NOACA in regional transportation and environmental planning, and her view of the place of bicycles in the transportation mix.  The public is welcome to attend.

NOACA plays a vital role in the economic development of Northeast Ohio. NOACA’s Ten Goals (http://www.noaca.org/connectgoals.html) include, amongst others, establishing a more balanced transportation system and fostering reinvestment in urban core areas.  NOACA includes Cleveland Heights and all of its neighboring communities in the urban core.

The bicycle coalition notes that Heights communities and University Circle are current beneficiaries of numerous important NOACA grants.  These include funding for the new transit station at University Circle, streetscape improvements for the Cedar-Fairmount and Cedar-Lee business districts in Cleveland Heights, and planning for bicycle and transit enhancements between the Heights and University Circle.

Coffee and desert will be served at The Open Office.  Attendees are invited to adjourn across the street to La Cave du Vin, 2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., for further discussion after Ms. Gallucci’s address.

The Heights Bicycle Coalition is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that was formed in the spring of 2010 with the goal of making the Heights area of Cleveland, Ohio, more bicycle friendly. Since its inception, the coalition has collaborated with numerous Heights cities and schools on bicycle friendly initiatives.

NOACA is the federally designated metropolitan transportation and environmental planning organization for Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Medina counties.  NOACA conducts metropolitan planning for vehicles, freight, transit, bicycle, pedestrian and more, while considering the transportation system’s impact on the environment and land use. The NOACA Governing Board determines how federal transportation dollars will be spent in the region.

The Open Office provides shared office and work space created specifically for freelancers, solo-entrepreneurs, small businesses, and the mobile workforce at large.  It is located in the former Coventry Elementary School in Coventry Village and includes meeting spaces, including the perfect space for the Heights Bicycle Coalition annual meeting.  Automobile and bicycle parking is available.

La Cave du Vin was rated 25th in the world in “Best Beer Bars” on ratebeer.com