?> Safe Routes to School

About Us

 

Introduction

The Cleveland Safe Routes to School program, in partnership with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and the City of Cleveland, supports school attendance, academic performance, conditions for learning, and a focus on health and equity by enabling and encouraging CMSD K-8 students to walk or bicycle to school safely. Since 2015, Cleveland SRTS has adopted a comprehensive, district-wide approach to implementing education, encouragement, engineering, enforcement, and evaluation strategies to improve walking and biking conditions for students.

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The Cleveland Safe Routes to School Executive Team is led by the Cleveland City Planning Commission and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.

Freddy L. Collier, Jr. was appointed to serve as the Director of Cleveland City Planning Commission in 2014. Freddy has over 20 years of experience in community lending and urban planning. As Director, he works with a team of professional planners who enlist other City departments, community stakeholders, and agencies to promote and implement planning initiatives throughout the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County and Northeast Ohio. Freddy has been a leader in promoting the connections between planning and health outcomes in the community. Prior to joining the Cleveland Planning Commission, Collier worked for Fifth Third Bank of Northeast Ohio. A graduate of Cleveland Benedictine High School, Collier holds a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies with an emphasis in urban planning and a master’s degree in Public Administration. He is a graduate of the Cleveland Management Academy and in 2011, was selected to be an Urban Fellow through the John McCloy Fellowship in Urban Affairs established by the American Council on Germany. He is also certified to teach “Roots of Success”, an environmental and job readiness curriculum for youth and adults, many of whom represent underserved communities.

 

Calley Mersmann is the Safe Routes to School coordinator for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, as well as an avid bicyclist and active transportation advocate. Prior to joining the school district, Calley worked for The Center for Community Solutions and with the Sustainable Cleveland 2019 initiative in the Mayor's Office of Sustainability. In her free time, Calley is increasing bicycle and pedestrian activity and awareness through reintroducing the open streets movement to Cleveland. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Ecology from the Odum School at the University of Georgia, and a Master of Public Affairs from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University-Bloomington.

Stakeholder Groups and Representatives

Thanks to the following stakeholder groups and representatives who shared their time and talend during the School Travel Plan process.

Cleveland SRTS Core Team Members

  1. Freddy Collier, City of Cleveland, City Planning, Director
  2. Marka Fields, City of Cleveland, City Planning, Chief City Planner
  3. Martin Cader, City of Cleveland, City Planning, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator
  4. Monyka Price, City of Cleveland, Office of the Mayor, Chief of Education
  5. Desiree Powell, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Director of Encore and Wellness
  6. Tammy Tarleton, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Community Service Lieutenant
  7. Ryan Noles, NOACA, Transportation Planner/TLCI Program Manager
  8. Melissa Thompson, NOACA, Active Transportation Engineer
  9. Jacob VanSickle, Bike Cleveland, Executive Director
  10. Rob Thompson, Bike Cleveland, Communications and Membership Manager
  11. John Motl, The Ohio Department of Transportation, District 12 SRTS and Bike & Ped Coordinator
  12. Kate Moening, Safe Routes to School National Partnership, Ohio Field Services Manager
  13. Julie Walcoff, The Ohio Department of Transportation, Active Transportation Program Manager

Cleveland SRTS HIA Team Members

  1. Freddy Collier, City of Cleveland, City Planning, Director
  2. Marka Fields, City of Cleveland, City Planning, Chief City Planner
  3. Calley Mersmann, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Cleveland Safe Routes Coordinator
  4. Emily Campbell, The Center for Community Solutions, Associate Director and Williamson Family Fellow for Applied Research
  5. Barb Clint, YMCA Greater Cleveland, Director of Community Health and Advocacy
  6. Katie Davis, MetroHealth System, School Health Program Director
  7. Anne Hill, MetroHealth System, Local Government Relations and Community Affairs Director (through 2015)
  8. Neal Hodges, Neighborhood Connections, Greater University Circle Community Health Initiative Project Manager
  9. Chenai Milton, City of Cleveland, Department of Public Health, Epidemiologist
  10. Natalie Ranger, City of Cleveland, Department of Public Health, Graduate Assistant
  11. Alex Rigda, University Hospital, Rainbow Babies and Children, Healthy Kids Healthy Weight, Behavioral Health Specialist
  12. Jana Rush, City of Cleveland, Department of Public Health, Director of Communicable Disease Surveillance & Epidemiology
  13. Rachael Sommer, City of Cleveland, Department of Public Health, Healthy Cleveland Program Manager
  14. Marissa Williams, George Gund Foundation, Fellow

Cleveland SRTS Steering Committee Members

  1. Jenita McGowan, City of Cleveland, Office of the Mayor, Chief of Sustainability
  2. Ellis Johnson, Cleveland Police Department, Bureau of Community Policing, Commander (through 2015)
  3. Tim Higgins, Cleveland Police Department, Bureau of Community Policing, Sergeant
  4. Rob Mavec, City of Cleveland, Traffic Engineering, Commissioner
  5. Regina Leverett, City of Cleveland, Traffic Engineering, Engineer
  6. Karen Lopez, City of Cleveland, Building and Housing, Administrative Officer
  7. Jana Rush, City of Cleveland, Department of Public Health, Director of Communicable Disease Surveillance & Epidemiology
  8. Chenai Milton, City of Cleveland, Department of Public Health, Epidemiologist
  9. Rachael Sommer, City of Cleveland, Department of Public Health, Healthy Cleveland Program Manager
  10. Valerie Shea, Greater Cleveland Rapid Transit Association, Programming and Planning Department, Planning Team Lead
  11.  Maribeth Feke, Greater Cleveland Rapid Transit Association, Director of Planning
  12. Tracy Hill, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Office of Family and Community Engagement, Executive Director
  13. Tom Ott, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, CMSD News Bureau, Manager
  14. Stephen Love, Cleveland Foundation, Program Officer
  15. Heather Torok, Saint Luke’s Foundation, Senior Program Officer for Healthy People
  16. Marissa Williams, George Gund Foundation, Fellow
  17. Dawn Glasco, Sisters of Charity Foundation, Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood, Engagement Coordinator
  18. Joseph Black, Sisters of Charity Foundation, Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood, Engagement Manager
  19. Dan Hinman, United Way of Greater Cleveland, Income Program Associate
  20. Anne Hill, MetroHealth System, Local Government Relations and Community Affairs, Director (through 2015)
  21. Katie Davis, MetroHealth System, School Health Program Director
  22. Alex Rigda, University Hospital, Rainbow Babies and Children, Healthy Kids Healthy Weight, Behavioral Health Specialist
  23. Barb Clint, YMCA Greater Cleveland, Director of Community Health and Advocacy
  24. Ron Soeder, Boys and Girls Clubs of Cleveland, President
  25. Jim Sheehan, Ohio City Bicycle Co-op, Executive Director
  26. Emily Campbell, The Center for Community Solutions, Associate Director and Williamson Family Fellow for Applied Research
  27. Neal Hodges, Neighborhood Connections, Greater University Circle Community Health Initiative, Project Manager
  28. Lee DeAngelis, Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association, Support Services, Director
  29. Kirby Broadnax, Western Reserve Land Conservancy, Beam Fellow—Placemaking and Equity
  30. Isaac Robb, Western Reserve Land Conservancy, Thriving Communities, Planning Fellow

Consultant Team Members

  1. Mark Nolt, PE – The Kleingers Group (Project Manager)
  2. David F. Shipps, AICP – TranSystems Corporation (Deputy Project Manager)
  3. Stephanie Tresso – MurphyEpson (Public Involvement Lead)

School Walk Audit Partners

  1. Karen Lopez, City of Cleveland, Building and Housing, Administrative Officer
  2. Marka Fields, City of Cleveland, City Planning, Chief City Planner
  3. Martin Cader, City of Cleveland, City Planning, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator
  4. George Cantor, City of Cleveland, City Planning, Neighborhood Planner
  5. Trevor Hunt, City of Cleveland, City Planning, Neighborhood Planner
  6. Tom Jordan, City of Cleveland, City Planning, Neighborhood Planner
  7. Kim Scott, City of Cleveland, City Planning, Neighborhood Planner
  8. Sharonda Whatley, City of Cleveland, City Planning, Neighborhood Planner

Community Participants and Partners

  1. Alliance for a Healthier Generation
  2. Bike Cleveland
  3. Boys and Girls Clubs of Cleveland
  4. Office of the Mayor, Offices of Education, Sustainability, Capital Projects
  5. City of Cleveland, Department of Building and Housing
  6. City of Cleveland, City Planning Commission
  7. City of Cleveland, Department of Community Relations
  8. City of Cleveland, Department of Public Health
  9. City of Cleveland, Department of Public Safety
  10. City of Cleveland, Department of Public Works
  11. City of Cleveland, Department of Traffic Engineering
  12. Cleveland City Council
  13. Cleveland Clinic
  14. Cleveland Foundation
  15. Cleveland Metropolitan School District
  16. George Gund Foundation
  17. MetroHealth System
  18. Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency
  19. Ohio City Bicycle Co-op
  20. Ohio Department of Transportation
  21. Safe Routes to School National Partnership
  22. Saint Luke’s Foundation
  23. Sisters of Charity Foundation
  24. The Center for Community Solutions
  25. United Way of Greater Cleveland
  26. University Hospitals
  27. Western Reserve Land Conservancy
  28. YMCA Greater Cleveland

About

The Cleveland Safe Routes to School program provides a network of support that enable and encourage kindergarten through 8th grade CMSD students to walk or bike to school safely.

Contact Us

Calley Mersmann
Cleveland City Planning Commission
601 Lakeside Ave. Room 501
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 664-2210

Marka Fields
Cleveland City Planning Commission
601 Lakeside Ave. Room 501
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 664-2210

Route Maps

Download a walking and biking route map for your school!!
Maps can be downloaded here.