Business Stakeholders Meeting (Aired Feb. 21, 2006)
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Today the city of Cleveland and the Ohio Department of Transportation agreed to spend the next 60 days resolving their dispute over plans to reconstruct the I-90 inner belt. ideastream's Lisa Ann Pinkerton reports.

A ballroom full of citizens, business owners, city, state, and federal leaders, heard differing sides argue for the inner belt design changes most beneficial to them. Jim Haviland, executive director of MidTown Cleveland, argued although local voices prefer plans to leave downtown access to the inner belt largely unchanged, ODOT continues to push for it's "preferred alternative." That proposal would remove exits and consolidate access. Haviland says that would hurt Cleveland businesses, and called on people to take a position on these issues and choose a side.

Jim Haviland: We no longer can sit on the sidelines - whether you're from an institution or a business, somebody's going to ask you your thoughts.

Haviland asked ODOT how closing exits at Carnegie and Prospect and moving all traffic to Chester Avenue exits would be an improvement to the city of Cleveland. Gordon Procter, director of ODOT, defended its plan on the basis of safety.

Gordon Procter: The number one locations for crashes on that freeway system is the central inner change and the midtown area, nearly 800 crashes a year.

Both sides have agreed to find a resolution to their differences by the middle of April.

Lisa Ann Pinkerton, 90.3.