New Year, NOACA Board Officers and Logo

Valarie J. McCall

What's new at NOACA? At its January meeting, NOACA's Governing Board elected new officers to serve during 2013. Valarie J. McCall, chief of government affairs for the City of Cleveland, will serve the agency as board president. She says, "It is an honor and privilege to lead this group of dedicated individuals who work so hard to help improve northeast Ohio's transportation system and natural environment." McCall's year as board president promises to be eventful, as the agency will produce a new long-range transportation plan, four-year Transportation Improvement Program, regional bicycle plan, coordinated public transit-human services transportation plan, and regional strategic plan.  

NOACA has also updated the agency's logo. You'll begin seeing the new logo on NOACA's website, Facebook page, Twitter page, and at public involvement and outreach events.

NOACA will convene its February 8 Governing Board meeting at Cleveland's Public Auditorium, 500 Lakeside Avenue. NOACA invites the public to attend this meeting, which will begin at 10 a.m., or any of NOACA's other meetings in February. As a reminder, individuals wishing to address the board about agenda items need to sign in at least five minutes prior to the meeting's published start time.

NOACA welcomes public comments on proposed transportation improvements.

NOACA welcomes public review and comment on all of its federally funded programs and projects. For the next two months, descriptions of 49 proposed road, bridge, bikeway, transit, and enhancement projects from throughout NOACA's planning area will be available on the website for review and comment. At its March 8, 2013 meeting, the NOACA Governing Board will consider adding these projects to the region's long-range transportation plan and getting them one step closer to federal funding.

The Puritas Avenue Red Line rapid transit station features a tile mosaic by artist Murphy Ajayi (right).

RTA, in partnership with LAND studio, seeks proposals for a permanent artwork to be implemented at the new RTA Red Line rapid transit station at Mayfield Road in the Little Italy neighborhood. Artists can enter the competition as individuals or work as a team. As RTA reconstructs stations along its Red Line rapid route, public artworks are being incorporated to enhance and beautify the transit waiting environment. Artists' proposals for the Mayfield Road project must be submitted to LAND studio by 5 p.m. on Monday, March 11.