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City of Akron School Travel Plan Meetings Canceled for Tomorrow

Akron, Ohio, Jan. 19, 2024  — Last week, Akron Mayor Shammas Malik and Akron Public Schools (APS) Superintendent Dr. Michael Robinson Jr. jointly announced a collaborative process to update the city’s School Travel Plan. The School Travel Plan is a document designed to improve safety for children (K-12) walking and biking to school by identifying needed improvements in a 2-mile radius of each of the 46 public schools. Four public meetings were scheduled to gather feedback from the community in reference to safety concerns and potential safety improvements for children walking or riding their bike to school. The first meeting had to be canceled when Akron Public Schools had a snow day for frigid temperatures earlier this week. Today, the city is announcing the two meetings scheduled for tomorrow are also being canceled due to the weather conditions.

The city and Akron Public Schools have worked together to add a new date so there are still two public meetings that anyone is welcome to attend to provide feedback:

  • Wednesday, January 24, 6:00pm - Firestone-Litchfield CLC (470 Castle Blvd) 
  • Wednesday, January 31, 6:00pm - Ellet CLC Auditorium (309 Woolf Avenue) 

At the meetings, attendees will receive an informational handout, a presentation about the plan, information about current safety issues and proposed safety improvements, and given an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback. Feedback can be given verbally, written or drawn on a map, written on a comment sheet, or submitted electronically to the city’s Engage Page.  

The city is looking for the community’s feedback on locations where it is unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists to travel in/near/around schools. Some topics of consideration:  

  • Is the sidewalk present and adequate for the route your child would or currently does walk to school? 
  • Are there areas near a school where vehicular traffic and foot traffic conflict, especially during school arrival and dismissal times? 
  • Are there locations near a school where an adult crossing guard is needed? 
  • Are there places near a school where someone using a wheelchair may find it difficult or impossible to navigate? 
  • Are there other barriers to walking or biking to school? 

The updated School Travel Plan will be used to plan and seek funding for improvements that enhance walkability and overall pedestrian/bicyclist safety to keep Akron children safe on their route to school. Akron Public Schools is providing data necessary for the completion of the School Travel Plan and has been assisting with the planning of the community meetings.