CLEVELAND — A new effort is being launched to link downtown Cleveland and Cuyahoga Valley National Park by extending Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad service, Cleveland.com and the Cleveland Plain Dealer report.
In a meeting last week, the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency and other groups reached agreement on roles and responsibilities to advance the project, which seeks to extend Scenic Railroad service 10.8 miles into downtown. CSX Transportation owns the tracks between downtown and the Scenic Railroad’s current northern endpoint in Independence, Ohio.
The agency, which coordinates transportation planning in a five-county region around Cleveland, hopes to hire a consultant this year for a 12-to-18-month feasibility study, executive director Grace Gallucci said. The goal is to come up with a plan eligible for construction funding within four years, the deadline to apply for funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Others involved in the effort, beside the park and railroad, are the city of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, the Port of Cleveland, Cleveland Metroparks, the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authroity, and nonprofit Canalway Parnters. They will share the cost of the feasibility study.
Lisa Petit, superintendent of the national park, said equity is a major factor in the effort to create access to the park that is not reliant on automobiles. Census bureau estimates say 22.4% of households in Cleveland and 35% in East Cleveland do not have vehicles.
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