Cleveland, OH
A Bike Cleveland report says more crashes can be prevented
Cleveland has touted investments made across the city to improve road safety in recent years. Still, the number of crashes involving cyclists and pedestrians and the number of traffic fatalities climbed in 2024, according to Bike Cleveland.
In a presentation to Cleveland City Council members last week, the advocacy group noted that fatal traffic crashes in the city jumped by more than 70% in a two-year period from 43 in 2022 to 75 in 2024.
Each statistic represents someone whose life was changed by a crash, and as Bike Cleveland’s report states, “These crashes are not accidents — they’re the tragic and preventable result of streets that fail to keep people safe.”
In 2022, Cleveland adopted the Vision Zero Initiative, committing to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries by 2032.
The number of people hit while walking or biking increased from about 550 to 603 in 2024.
Nationally, traffic crashes spiked following the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jenna Thomas, Bike Cleveland’s Advocacy Director, told Signal Cleveland.
Between May 2020 and December 2022, traffic crashes killed 114,528 people nationwide, about 17% more than would have been expected had pre-pandemic trends continued, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
Thomas said it is fortunate that fatal crashes locally appear to be dropping in 2025.
Council Member Charles Slife asked Bike Cleveland’s presenters how the city should move forward. Thomas said the city should continue to invest in its current traffic safety commitments.
In April, the City launched Cleveland Moves, a five-year plan to make it “safer, more convenient, and more comfortable to get around Cleveland.” Building on the Vision Zero Action Plan, it calls for 50 miles of new or upgraded bikeways and neighborhood greenways with traffic-calming features such as speed tables, curb extensions or narrowed lanes.
The city installed 100 speed tables in 2024 and plans to add an additional 100 this year. Speed tables are flat on the top and are not as abrupt as speed bumps, which are narrower and rounded, making them easier to cross for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Thomas said Bike Cleveland’s report should be a resource for council members who can see a breakdown in crashes by ward and safety recommendations based on data the organization gathers.
Cleveland’s current Ward 3, which includes parts of Tremont, Ohio City and downtown, had the highest number of crashes in 2024 last year with 85 total and three fatalities. Ward 6, which includes the Buckeye neighborhood, had 52 reported crashes, including eight involving children.
In the past, Thomas said, reports of pedestrian and bicycle crashes in Cleveland have relied solely on a state-required crash report called an OH-1s. Those reports document who was involved and how the crash occurred.
Bike Cleveland compared the state crash reports to Cleveland’s OpenData Portal, which reports all 911 calls and data from the city’s dispatch system. Bike Cleveland’s report found that fewer than half of the 911 calls for bike or pedestrian crashes resulted in an official state crash report.
“This disparity is pretty shocking,” said Thomas. There are at least twice as many people getting hit in Cleveland than state reports show.
According to Thomas, victims rely on the OH-1 state forms to take legal action and file insurance claims. Decision-makers use the same information to decide how to design the city’s streets. Without complete data, city planners may underestimate danger zones and misallocate safety interventions.
The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Northeast Ohio Area Coordinating Agency (NOACA), major funding sources for local transportation projects, distribute resources based on documented crash patterns. If Cleveland underreports incidents, the city risks losing funding for safety projects that could prevent future crashes, Thomas said.
Angelo Trivisonno, who helped Bike Cleveland collect data, said many crash victims don’t report incidents. Police officers sometimes skip required crash reports when victims decline to file criminal complaints, he said.
Requiring in-person reports also discourages victims. Trivisonno suggested allowing people to make those reports over the phone or online.
Thomas said Cleveland doesn’t have the same resources dedicated to the issue as other Ohio cities. Cincinnati, for example, hired a public works crew dedicated to installing speed tables and traffic calming projects across the city. A higher staff capacity for traffic safety in Cleveland would accelerate the work needed to reduce crashes, she said.
Thomas called for clearer coordination between the multiple police departments that operate in the city, so reporting responsibilities are clear and the same for all departments.
CLEVELAND (WJW) — Crowds gathered along the Lake Erie shoreline Saturday morning to welcome the USS Cleveland as it arrived in its namesake city.
The Freedom Class littoral ship will be historically commissioned in Cleveland on May 16 during its weeklong stay, after which it will officially join active service in the U.S. Navy.
The arrival of the ship is a milestone for Ohio and the nation, marking the first time in the 250-year history of the United States that a U.S. Navy warship will be commissioned in the State of Ohio.
“There have been 81 ships in the history of the U.S. Navy that have been named after cities in Ohio or the state of Ohio itself, but out of all 81, this is the first that will be commissioned in its namesake city, so this is an incredibly historic moment and it’s fitting that it’s happening for the 250th anniversary of the Navy and our nation,” USS Cleveland Legacy Foundation Director Nick Lippert said.
Ahead of the commissioning ceremony next weekend, the public is invited to tour the ship starting Sunday, May 10, at the North Coast Yard. The USS Cleveland Legacy Foundation is hosting a “Community Day” Sunday that will include live entertainment, family-friendly activities, food, drinks and more.
“This special event will connect the crew with the community of Northeast Ohio for a day of excitement and celebration as residents will have the opportunity to meet the Sailors, learn more about the ship and our Foundation, and kickoff Commissioning Week in true Cleveland fashion,” the USS Cleveland Legacy Foundation website reads.
Tours will be available through Thursday, May 14.
Click HERE For more information about the tours and the weeklong celebration.
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – For the second day, Northeast Ohio school districts are receiving bomb threats.
On Friday morning, two schools in the Elyria City School District, the high school and Ely Elementary, received bomb threats.
Both schools are evacuating students, and emergency responders are on the way, according to a social media post.
All other district schools are in a lockout status as a precaution.
The district asks that family members not come to the schools or call school offices at this time so emergency communication lines remain available.
Elyria Police said that the department is working with the district to ensure the safety and security of students and school personnel following the threats.
“We are aware that neighboring school districts experienced similar swatting-related incidents yesterday, and our investigative personnel are working diligently with our law enforcement partners to identify the source of these threats,” police said.
Five Northeast Ohio school districts received bomb threats on Thursday, including:
- Alliance City School District
- Amherst Exempted Village Schools
- Cleveland Metropolitan School District
- Lorain City School District
- Shaker Heights School District
Below are the details from each district and the protocols in place to protect students and staff.
ALLIANCE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
The Alliance Police Department confirmed there was an ’anonymous’ robo-voice style call that came into the high school saying there were ’20 pipe bombs’ outside of the school” before 12:30 p.m.
Officers rushed to the high school and Rockhill Elementary School campuses “due to an alarm in which we were not getting a response from the school,” according to APD.
APD shared that the schools evacuated the students temporarily as officers conducted a sweep of the area.
“Nothing was found, thankfully,” APD Lt. Christopher McCord stated. “The school staff, and especially the students, did a great job of staying calm and making everyone’s jobs easier, smoother, and safer.”
“We will be looking into the source of the threats to hold those responsible accountable, if possible,” McCord added.
AMHERST EXEMPTED VILLAGE SCHOOLS
The Amherst Exempted Village School confirmed at 10:25 a.m. that Marion L. Steele High School and Walter G. Nord Middle School received a bomb threat.
AEVS said all district facilities were placed on a level 1 lockdown before the two schools were evacuated to a safe location under the supervision of administration and staff, according to district protocol.
The Amherst police and fire departments teamed up with the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office to perform perimeter and building sweeps to determine if the threat was substantiated, said AEVS.
The perimeter sweeps of the two schools were complete by 11:34 a.m., and law enforcement then conducted the interior sweeps of the buildings, AEVS explained.
Amherst Junior High School and Powers Elementary School lifted their lockdowns at that time and resumed normal procedures, according to AEVS.
AEVS also confirmed at that time that all students and staff were accounted for and safe.
The Amherst Police Department completed its sweep of Steele High School and cleared the building of any threat by 11:51 a.m., AEVS updated.
Students were dismissed for the day at that time, according to AEVS.
AEVS instructed student drivers to leave the campus, and students unable to immediately leave were to stay at the school until they could be picked up by a parent, guardian, or approved emergency contact.
The bus routes were running at the scheduled normal dismissal time for students who need a ride home, AEVS added.
APD completed its sweep of Nord School and cleared the building of any threat by 12:32 p.m., AEVS updated.
Nord School students were safely escorted back into the building, according to AEVS, after evacuating to the New Beginning Church as a safe location.
AEVS instructed parents, guardians, and approved emergency contacts who wanted to pick up their student to report to the school’s front entrance, where staff and APD officers would help.
Classes, activities, and normal dismissal procedures resumed as scheduled for students who stayed at the school, AEVS shared, and bus dismissal also proceeded per usual.
“We appreciate the cooperation, patience, and support of our families and community throughout today’s situation,” AEVS stated.
According to AEVS Superintendent Mike Molnar, all evening activities at the school will continue as scheduled, and school will resume on Friday.
Molnar added that AEVS will have an increased police presence at schools on Thursday night and Friday.
CLEVELAND METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District confirmed two threats were received on Thursday morning. The threats were against East Tech High School and Buhrer Dual Language Academy.
According to CMSD, Cleveland police and CMSD’s Department of Safety & Security conducted an investigation and found the buildings to be safe.
From the information gathered during the searches, Cleveland police believe both calls were swatting incidents.
Classes at both schools were uninterrupted, and the school day progressed normally.
Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s Communications Officer Jon Benedict added that parents were informed about the incident.
LORAIN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Lorain City School District confirmed the high school has been evacuated due to a bomb threat on Thursday afternoon.
This is the third Northeast Ohio school district to receive a bomb threat on May 7.
The district announced the evacuation of Lorain High School at 12:23 p.m., and dismissed students at 12:40 p.m.
Bus riders were escorted to the buses waiting to take them home, according to LCSD.
LCSD said many elementary and middle school students were at the high school for the dance showcase.
Those elementary and middle school students were brought back to their home schools, said LCSD.
All students and staff are safe and following established protocols, LCSD stated, and these measures are being taken out of an abundance of caution.
The district safety team and law enforcement partners continue to investigate this threat.
“Your students’ and our staff’s safety is our top priority,” LCSD stated.
A 19 News crew is on their way to the scene to learn more.
SHAKER HEIGHTS SCHOOL DISTRICT
Shaker Heights High School received its second threatening phone call this week on Thursday, the district confirmed.
Shaker Heights School District said it immediately teamed up with the Shaker Heights Police Department to investigate the threat and determined its credibility.
SHSD said it was aware of the other Northeast Ohio school districts that received similar threats on Thursday.
“Based on the SHPD’s assessment and established safety protocols, the decision was made to continue normal school operations rather than initiate a shelter-in-place,” SHSD stated.
Additional SHPD officers and a K-9 unit were sent to the school out of an abundance of caution to support the safety and security of the building as the investigation continues, SHSD added.
Orrville City Schools were also placed on a soft lockdown on Thursday.
However, this was not a bomb threat, nor any direct threat to the school.
The soft lockdown was a precautionary measure for an incident that happened not just off school property, but out of the town.
This is a developing story. Return to 19 News for updates.
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