Northeast Ohio Regional Retail Analysis

TRANSPORTATION

Retail establishments are significant generators of traffic, accounting for as much as four times the volume generated by office uses, eight times the volume of light industrial uses, and twenty-four times the volume of residential uses, using an equal area of developed land. It is estimated that shopping trips in the study area currently generate 5.6 billion vehicle miles annually in the study area.
The highway transportation network, particularly the interstate highways, provides excellent accessibility to shopping areas for both employees and residents of the region.
The heavy traffic and large numbers of turning movements generated by retail development result in a higher number of accidents. The number of accidents around four major shopping centers in the region was three to six times greater than in nearby non-retail areas.
Numerous businesses are located in a linear pattern along thoroughfares which were zoned entirely for retail development decades ago.
Most proposed retail development in the region is at the edge or beyond the service areas of public transit providers, thereby limiting the access of transit dependent residents for shopping or employment.