Partnering with the City of Cleveland and the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA), WPKND installed a temporary public space at the 5 Points intersection. The footprint of the project site was bordered by jersey (concrete) barriers to provide a safe boundary between the new public space and streets. No streets were closed to usual traffic during the pilot, though one additional stop sign and crosswalk were temporarily installed. There are no current plans to make a modification like this permanent. 

WPKND announced plans for the pilot with an online survey to gather feedback from residents about how they navigate the 5 Points intersection as well as the kinds of programming they would like to see offered in the temporary public space.  147 individuals responded to this first survey. Similarly, while the pilot was active, a second online survey was used to collect responses about navigation of the intersection and experience of the public space. 264 individuals responded to this second survey. Outreach was targeted to approximately 500 households within a ten-minute walk of 5 Points, as well as advertised on-site around 5 Points. Results from the first survey helped inform the limitation of programs planned during the pilot launch, and results from both surveys were shared back at a community meeting in October 2022. Key findings from these surveys – as well as other data – will be the basis for further community planning meetings in 2023. 

WPKND worked with the City of Cleveland and NOACA to collect and analyze MioVision traffic footage, which was gathered and compared before, during, and after the pilot activation in the summer 2022. In response to community feedback for more quantitative traffic data, requests have also been made to the City of Cleveland to capture traffic volume and speed counts during summer 2023 on the following streets: West Park Road, W. 159th Street, Granton Avenue, and Ernadale Avenue.  

• Prior to the pilot, 47% of survey takers did not or sometimes did not feel safe as a pedestrian at the 5 Points intersection. 58% of survey takers reported feeling safer as a pedestrian during the pilot. 
• Before the pilot, 43% of survey takers felt that cars drove too fast or unsafely, while during the pilot only 11% of survey takers felt the same about fast or unsafe driving. 
• 80% of pedestrians, 67% of bikers, and 60% of drivers reported same or improved experiences when navigating the intersection during the pilot as opposed to before the pilot. 

• MioVision footage captured an overall decrease in stop sign infractions by drivers and jaywalking by pedestrians.  Before the pilot, 25% of drivers performed rolling stops or did not stop at all at stop signs, as compared to 14% of drivers during the pilot, and 7% shortly after the pilot.  5% of pedestrians jaywalked in the intersection before the pilot, which decreased to 1% during the pilot, and then increased again to 2% shortly after the pilot. 

• How does the pilot modification impact emergency vehicles or snowplows?  A street obstruction permit was required for the pilot public space, which is reviewed and approved by various city agencies – including Police, Fire, and Public Works – with coordination with Traffic & Engineering to ensure proper accessibility was maintained. 
• Will a public space lead to unsafe activities?  Public parks throughout Ward 17 are safe with very low crime rates. There were no reported incidents from Cleveland Police or residents resulting from the 5 Points pilot. 
• How is the pilot funded? WPKND coordinated the 5 Points pilot without any committed funding. The pilot was made possible through the use of existing programs meant for these purposes, such as NOACA’s Street Supplies. There is no funding in place for anything permanent at this site. 

• Is traffic and park access an issue at 5 Points? In recent years, the City of Cleveland has committed to both a Vision Zero initiative and 10-Minute Walk to Park campaign. With these two frameworks in mind and resident feedback about pedestrian safety and the desire for walkable green or public space, WPKND is investigating modifications to the excess pavement at 5 Points to address these concerns. 
• Design/aesthetics and residential property proximity is a concern. Adjacent property owners were communicated with while planning and implementing the 2-week long pilot. Should anything permanent be planned at 5 Points, extensive conversations and design reviews would be conducted with nearby residents. 

Major updates about the project are shared via door flyers with residents who live in an approximately 10-minute walk from 5 Points. In 2023, three planning workshops will take place on the 2nd Tuesday of each month (June 13 / July 11 / August 8, 6-7pm, location TBD). To receive more frequent updates by e-mail or to RSVP for a workshop, reach out to Hannah Gall at hannah@westparkkamms.org or 216-252-6559 ext: 1700.