NOACA Board of Directors to vote on Interstate 71 traffic study

MEDINA — The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency's Board of Directors will vote today on a proposed traffic study for a 9-mile area on Interstate 71, starting at Boston Road. As a member of NOACA's Board of Directors, Medina County Commissioner Aaron Harrison approached Medina County commissioners Steve Hambley and Colleen Swedyk during their weekly meeting on Tuesday, asking for insight into the agenda item. The agenda item asks the board to authorize NOACA Executive Director Grace Gallucci to enter into a two-year contract with HDR Engineering Inc. to conduct a study. The study would comprise making recommendations for the improvement of transportation infrastructure, travel patterns and travel conditions along a subarea that runs along 9 miles of I-71. NOACA went through the request for proposals process and received two proposals. An evaluation team comprised of NOACA and ODOT reviewed the proposals and recommended HDR Engineering. "I'm inclined to support it, but I've also heard from some citizens who've expressed concern about whether that delays or undermines the process in Columbus," Harrison said. Within the Ohio Legislature, there are two bills aimed at repealing Ohio Revised Code section 5501.60, which requires interchanges to be constructed under specific conditions. The section applies to the stretch of I-71 between Strongsville and Brunswick, so a new interchange is required in the area. Strongsville has shown support for an interchange while Brunswick opposes it. The bills are House Bill 276, sponsored by state Rep. Melanie Miller and state Rep. Sharon Ray, and its companion Senate Bill 155, sponsored by state Sen. Mark Romanchuk. Senate Bill 155 passed out of the Senate and is waiting to be signed and heard in the House, Miller recently said. House Bill 276 is still waiting to be voted out of the Economic and Workforce Development Committee, and then it will go to the House floor for a vote. "Obviously, we don't have a lot of control or say over how that happens," Harrison said. "We've got allies down there with Representative Miller and Representative Ray, who are working diligently on that sense." Harrison said he's sensitive to the community members' concerns about any potential delay. Hambley, who previously served as a state representative, believes that NOACA moving forward will not undermine the process down in Columbus. He noted that if the bills move forward, a traffic study would need to be completed, anyway. "It's the politics of the moment as well as the politics of the next general assembly to repeal that," Hambley said. After a brief discussion with the county commissioners, Harrison suggested putting together a communication to the county's representatives to reiterate the board's position of support for the proposed bills. "Perhaps we could put a letter together to our representatives and say, 'hey, we support this,'" Harrison said. "'We support the city of Brunswick's position, but we also don't want to lose sight of the repeal effort,' and just kind of reiterate our focus on that and our support continuing in Columbus." NOACA's Board of Directors will meet today at 9 a.m. at NOACA's offices, 1299 Superior Ave., Cleveland. A virtual option is available at tinyurl.com/jafw3n22. Contact reporter Sara Crawford at (330) 721-4063 or scrawford@medina-gazette.com.