Summary
- A new RTA station at the proposed Browns stadium site is set to be built, but the funding source is yet to be determined.
- Major construction is planned on highways and roadways in the area over the next few years.
Follow-Up Questions
- Who is paying for the new RTA station?
- Will the feasibility study be made public?
Roadways around planned Browns stadium focus of meeting
Meeting overview
This meeting focused on developments to Brook Park’s transportation infrastructure in anticipation of the new Browns stadium, scheduled for completion in 2029.
Edward Orcutt, the mayor of Brook Park, and Dennis Albrecht, the project contractor from Osborn Engineering, presented updates, which included:
- Planned changes to exit ramps and roadways to accommodate increased traffic.
- Widening and building additional pedestrian pathways.
- Revising zoning laws to allow for offsite, after-hours event parking north and northeast of the stadium.
- Constructing a new RTA stop to serve the stadium.
Following this, there were three additional slide presentations:
- Lorain East 28th Street Corridor Study
- Household Travel Survey
- Community Safety Report
Call to Order
- Meeting began at 10:30 a.m.
- Pledge of Allegiance
- Agenda is here
- No roll call; I photographed the member sign-in sheets at the front desk.
- Note: Many attendees were “designated alternates.”
- 10 members of the public sat in the audience.
- 24 officials present; I identified 16 based on signatures and name tags (the “A” indicates an alternate):
- Samuel Alai
- Scott Wangler (A)
- Kirk Dimmick (A)
- Brian Kazy
- Sara Byrnes Maier (A)
- Scott Ockunzzi / John Watkins (A)
- A.J. Stoll (A)
- Neil Shop
- James Sonnhalter
- Veronica Newsome (A)
- Jacob Vansickle
- Ariel Washington
- Kiara Williams
- James Ziemnik
- Brenda Walker
- Liz Barlik
Announcements
- Applications for the Transportation for Livable Communities Initiative (TLCI) are due Oct. 10.:
- Member: Is there a budget limit?
- Answer: The minimum is $100,000 for a TLCI project. The full budget is $1.5 million.
- Member: Last year, people applied for projects that exceeded the entire budget. Will we set a cap per project?
- Answer: We haven’t, but we can discuss it.
[Editor’s note: It was difficult to identify who was speaking by attending in person, and the YouTube stream doesn’t offer a view into the meeting room.]
Minutes of May 16, 2025
- Approved.
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Brook Park infrastructure improvements surrounding Browns stadium site (presented just for review)
Cost: $82.2 million
- About $70 million from the state; the rest local
- Project is moving and evolving rapidly, a presenter said
Buildable Units (BU):
- BU1: I-71 North exit ramp improvements — $1.2 million
- BU2: I-71 South exit ramp improvements — $21.8 million
- BU3: Snow Rd. ring road connector — $9.8 million
- BU4: SR-291 Engle Road — $1.7 million (safety concerns with one-way roads)
- BU5: Ring Road improvements — $14.6 million
- BU6: Pedestrian Bridge — $14.9 million (supports offsite parking north/northeast of site)
Summary of written comments from NOACA staff (submitted earlier):
- Offsite parking: Development to provide 12,000 to 13,000 spaces; unclear where necessary off-site parking will be located.
- Multijurisdictional coordination is preferred to address increased traffic.
- RTA Red Line is a mile from the proposed site; a dedicated RTA stop or shuttle service is needed.
- Accessibility features, especially for the pedestrian bridge, not addressed.
- A comprehensive traffic study is needed (especially for airport/stadium congestion).
- Concerns raised about aquatic life impairment in Big Creek watershed.
- Regional air quality concerns related to congestion.
Timeline:
- Traffic study expected mid-September.
- Infrastructure improvements scheduled for 2027-2029.
Q&A:
Question: Has RTA made any comment?
Answer: Yes, RTA has participated in regular meetings with Brook Park.
Brook Park Mayor Edward Orcutt:
- Additional offsite parking is planned north and northeast of the site.
- City is working to amend zoning codes to allow for after-hours event parking.
- Land acquisitions in progress to ensure adequate, safe pedestrian pathways.
- Additional direction on pathways expected after the feasibility study is ready in mid-September.
Dennis Albrecht, Osborn Engineering:
- Current plan: 12,000 onsite spaces
- Offsite parking planned in industrial areas north and northeast of stadium.
- Bowen Architects engaged to develop the RTA Browns Stadium Station.
- Six months of biweekly meetings have occurred with Haslam Sports Group, Osborn Engineering, RTA and Brook Park.
- Station is not funded yet; exploring funding.
- Station may not be ready by 2029; Brook Park Station will still be used, with enhanced ADA-compliant pedestrian connections.
Feasibility and traffic control study due Sept. 12.
NOACA Household Travel Survey – Analysis for Modeling and Planning
- Survey will be used in updating socioeconomic parameter values of the NOACA Travel Forecasting Model
- 6.82 trips per household; 3.19 trips per person vs. 2024 NOACA Travel Model data that predicted 6.55 trips per household and 2.89 trips per person [Editor’s note: The timeframe for the measurement of trips isn’t clear.]
- Question from attendee: How did the survey respond to different income levels?
- Response was unclear: “Unbiased data” was all I could make out.
Community Safety Reports and County Prioritizations
- Presented by Kessa Turnbull of NOACA.
- Focused on systemic safety measures, regardless of crash data.
- Problem areas were pointed out to give communities a heads up on where to be extra cautious.
- Data will be made available to the public in the following weeks.
City of Lorain – East 28th Street Corridor TLCI Study – Update
- Presenter was difficult for me to understand.
- Focus is on improved traffic safety, improved livability, redevelopment of vacant sites.
- Hoping for economic, social and cultural growth in the area
- Safety concerns are priority: 1,065 Total crashes, five fatal from 2019 – 2023
- Attention given to areas without benches or shelters as well as faded or nonexistent crosswalks
NOACA meeting adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 11:53 a.m.
Next meeting: Friday, Nov. 21, from 10:30 a.m. to noon, NOACA Offices, 1299 Superior Ave., Cleveland.
These notes are by Documenter Alicia Moreland.
If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at documenters@signalcleveland.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.