The City of Cleveland Heights will celebrate Sustainable Transportation Week September 15–22 with a series of events encouraging residents to explore different forms of transportation and demonstrating how we might use space reserved for cars differently.
On September 5, 2023, Mayor Seren introduced a Resolution supporting two global events focused on Sustainability and Resiliency: Park(ing) Day 2023 and World Car-Free Day 2023. Cleveland Heights City Council passed the Resolution the same night.
Park(ing) Day is an event where collaborators across the world temporarily transform parking spaces into “Park(ing)” spaces: tiny temporary parks and places for art, play, and activism. World Car-Free Day is an international event held each September that encourages people in more than 2,000 cities in 40 countries to travel car-free or car-lite by using transit, bicycling, walking, carpooling, or telecommuting.
The Resolution passed by City Council states in part: “The City of Cleveland Heights has the opportunity to continue to be one of the leading municipalities in Ohio in increasing awareness of the benefits of alternative modes of transportation and the current struggles of actually traveling car-free or car-lite by recognizing World Car Free Day 2023 and Park(ing) Day.” The following events are designed to fulfill the City’s commitment to participate in these international celebrations.
OHIO COMMUTER CHALLENGE
Monday, September 11–Sunday, September 24
All Day
Motor vehicles produce more planet-warming carbon emissions in the U.S. than any other source, and cars are baked into every aspect of our lives.
NOACA, Northeast Ohio’s regional transportation agency, is challenging us to break our dependency on solo car trips through the GOhio Commuter Challenge. From September 11–24, residents can compete to win prizes by replacing drive-alone trips with alternative modes of transportation, including carpooling, vanpooling, transit, biking, walking, or scootering, and then registering those trips at GohioCommute.com.
The City of Cleveland Heights encourages residents to ditch their keys and shake things up a little—especially during Sustainable Transportation Week. Using an alternative form of transportation is a fun and easy way to save money, lower your stress, and make Ohio a better, cleaner place to live and work.
PARK(ING) DAY 2023—PART ONE
Community Center Pop-Up Parklet
Friday, September 15 | 6:00–7:00 pm
Cleveland Heights Community Center
One Monticello Road
Join us in celebrating Park(ing) Day this Friday, September 15, 2023, at a parklet—a tiny, pop-up park—– the City will set up in the Cedar-Taylor District on South Taylor Road, just south of Cedar Road. Come by and talk with City staff about efforts to improve the district and create the new Cain Park Village neighborhood.
PARK(ING) DAY 2023—PART TWO
Cedar-Taylor Pop-Up Parklet
Tuesday, September 19 | 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
South Taylor Road, just south of Cedar Road
The City will set up another parklet in front of the Cleveland Heights Community Center on Friday, September 15, 2023. The Heights Libraries will have their Book Bike, which carries more than 200 books, at the parklet, and you will have a chance to talk with City officials about creating people-centered places instead of spaces designed around cars.
WORLD CAR-FREE DAY 2023—DAY ONE
How to Go Car-Free and Car-Lite
A discussion hosted by Cleveland Heights’ new Sustainability and Resiliency Coordinator, Andy Boateng
Wednesday, September 20
Heights Libraries Lee Road Branch, Rooms A & B
2345 Lee Road
Cleveland Heights' first World Car-Free Day 2023 event will be a discussion, led by the City’s new Sustainability and Resiliency Coordinator, Andy Boateng, about the barriers and opportunities to going car-free or car-lite in Cleveland Heights.
WORLD CAR-FREE DAY 2023—DAY TWO
Fathers’ Walk Day 2023
Thursday, September 21 | Morning, before school
On Thursday, September 21, 2023, the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District will participate in Fathers’ Walk 2023. Fathers, uncles, grandfathers, stepfathers, foster fathers, brothers, and male mentors are encouraged to support the education of the children in their lives by walking them to school. Be on the lookout on the morning of September 21 for fathers and others walking their children to school and show your support for education and alternative forms of transportation.
WORLD CAR-FREE DAY 2023—DAY THREE
Go Car-Free on Coventry Bike Ride
Friday, September 22 | 6:30 pm
Starting point—Cleveland Heights City Hall, 40 Severance Circle
To celebrate World Car-Free Day—and demonstrate how easy it is to go car-free in Cleveland Heights—the City of Cleveland Heights will hold a fun, 3-mile bike ride from City Hall to the Coventry Village District for anyone who would like to participate. This guided, slow-paced ride will be on the road and through parks to Coventry. Join us in the fun and show your Love for Cov(entry) and a car-free Cleveland Heights!
Residents who can’t join the group ride are invited to bike down to Coventry and enjoy all the Coventry Village District has to offer. There will be no group ride back to City Hall. Participants must either return to City Hall or their homes independently.