City Looks to Take Action on Bike Plan
Ward 2 Councilman Tom Bullock introduced a measure that would tap the city's economic development fund to build on the biking culture.
Lakewood City Council is considering a measure that would take the city’s comprehensive Master Bike Plan and turn it into action — starting with Detroit Avenue.
Ward 2 Councilman Tom Bullock introduced a resolution at Monday’s city council meeting outlining a plan that would use use the city’s economic development fund to pay for “sharrows” on Lakewood’s main commercial corridor.
The painted bike symbols — aimed at reminding motorists to share the road with cyclists — would stretch from Lakewood City Hall to the YMCA.
As outlined in the city’s budget, council has the ability to use the $49,000 available in the economic development fund for whatever it chooses.
“I am hoping we can get this rolling,” Bullock told Lakewood Patch on Monday. “Lakewood is already one of the best walking and bicycling communities in the state. I am ambitious to have it become the best in the state.”
Council bumped the proposal to its committee of the whole for further discussion.
Bryce Sylvester, who put together the city’s bike plan from his office in the city’s planning and development department, said that the city is also eyeing sharrows for Madison Avenue.
That proposed $2 million project — funded in part by the state and possibly the county — would begin with next summer’s resurfacing on Madison Avenue.
But city officials are still waiting on the final word about the project's funding.
Sylvester also said a plan is in the works to work with Lakewood businesses to plant additional bike parking in the city.
Last month, more than a dozen bike racks — and one large bike corral — started popping up on Detroit Avenue.
That was one of the result of the city’s comprehensive and progressive Master Bike Plan, an idea to make Lakewood one of the most bike-friendly cities in the country by 2015.
During the past year, the city hosted community workshops, conducted surveys and carried out bike traffic counts. City officials have spent the past couple months talking to business leaders and schools officials.
The studies outlined what city officials already suspected: biking in Lakewood isn’t an alternative form of transportation.
It’s a main form of transportation.
A traffic count at the intersection of Detroit and Andrews avenues saw an “astronomical” number of pedestrians and cyclists.
Bullock said Lakewood residents — with projects like Bike Lakewood — are progressive when it comes to bicycling.
“I think the city needs to catch up,” he said. “The residents are ahead of city government — that’s not to put down city government — but we need to catch up. We need to keep growing.”
In This article
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Lakewood City Hall
12650 Detroit Ave, Lakewood, OH -
YMCA
16915 Detroit Ave, Lakewood, OH -
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2wood
9:02 am on Tuesday, June 5, 2012
someone needs a hug.
Chris
11:24 am on Tuesday, June 5, 2012
I do ride my bike into Downtown Lakewood when I can.. and I am a driver too... and I do agree that more times than not, bicyclists do not follow the rules of the road. I do disagree that the road is only for cars.. that is not true. Bicycles are legally allowed to use the road just as cars are. I too would like to see Lakewood's finest handing out some tickets to bicyclists who do not follow the rules of the road. Perhaps once the word got around there would be more use of hand signals and stopping at red lights.
Steve
1:24 pm on Tuesday, June 5, 2012
I have personally seen many bike infractions, many in view of LPD officers who seem to look the other way, not even a warning shot. But if your walking a bully breed down detroit, LPD comes out of noware fast. I guess bikers don't cause accidents, or do they?
Ruth Sholtis-Furyes
1:24 pm on Tuesday, June 5, 2012
I would like to see police hand out tickets to motorists who harass and yell at bicylists. I have been yelled at, had stuff thrown at me, and one of my friends was pushed off her bike by a passanger in a car while the passed her. This anti-bicyclist mentality needs to stop. Bicycles are a form a transportation. They are legally allowed on the road. Deal with it.
And use your real FULL name! Stand up for what you believe in.
Jane Doe
2:13 pm on Tuesday, June 5, 2012
I don't believe there is any law against yelling at people, even bikers. I'm sorry you've had things thrown at you & your friend has been pushed off her bike..that sounds like assault to me, hope you filed a report so the authorities can take proper action against those people. As for folks on here using their real names, I take it you've never been to a council meeting & mysteriously the city starts harassing you about things..your home, your pets..etc. Some of us choose to remain under the radar of council, they are great at retaliating against those who speak against them.
Ruth Sholtis-Furyes
1:56 pm on Tuesday, June 5, 2012
I don't think I am Lance Armstrong on my cruiser bike with a basket. I am just trying to get around town and get some exercise. How is that being "stupid"?
Colin McEwen
2:27 pm on Tuesday, June 5, 2012
I am going with Ruth. Use your real names, per our terms of use (lakewood-oh.patch.com/terms). This isn't a situation where there's any excuse not to.
rassie galaty
4:16 pm on Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Have any of the above ever been to AMSTERDAM? or China? This is NOT a city with tons of traffic. Deal with it.
I think bike is a great means of exercise & transportation.
Kelly Rae Griffith
9:43 am on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Yesterday, I as a pedestrian, I was hit from behind by a young adult cyclist on the sidewalk of Madison. I am absolutely fine with bikes and bike traffic but I would be nice to see them (well everyone) follow laws and basic courtesies. Maybe a free or low cost class where you get your "bike license" at the end? I would assume one of the bike shops would love to sponsor it.
Gary Burkholder
10:26 am on Thursday, June 7, 2012
Kelly, I'm really sorry to hear about your incident yesterday. This is one reason that bikes belong on the road and not on the sidewalk (unless the rider is a child). The speed differential between walkers and cyclists can often be greater than the speed difference between a car and a cyclist. I agree with your post and there are organizations that offer classes (Ohio City Bicycle Co-op, League of American Bicyclists), but bike licenses would not be the answer. What age would you need to be licensed at, how often to renew, what's the cost to the public and the government, what's the criterea? And unless it's done at the state (and national) level it would pretty much be meaningless. The City of Cleveland just eliminated their bike registration requirement in legislation passed this week.
Again, I'm sorry you were hit on the sidewalk and this demonstrates why it is important to yield the right of way to slower 'traffic' (pedestrians on the sidewalk and cyclists on the road).
Brandon Scullion
5:32 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
It saddens and sickens me to think that people have so much hatred for the concept of bicycles being used as a means of transportation.
If the argument is that they go through lights or annoy you in other ways on the road, wouldn't it be possible to make that same argument against automobile and truck drivers who simply don't bother with the basic rules of the road i.e. turning right on red, not using turn signals to initiate a lane change, passing on the right, sitting in the left hand lane at a slow rate of speed, speeding through school zones and residential neighborhoods and of course this list goes on and on.
Brandon Scullion
5:52 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Fed up, from your initial post, I would never have thought you are actually ok with bicycles in any way shape or form.
I did a little digging into the city financials and also found that that $49,000 figure is .005% of the annual expenditures budget.
It is nice to hear that you don't want them off the road entirely and I don't see how anybody would disagree with the fact that cyclist have to be safe and courteous the same as motorists.
Brandon Scullion
5:48 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
http://www.bicyclepaper.com/articles/389-Kill-a-Cyclist-and-Get-Away-With-It
Tim Torrence
12:03 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012
Let's sum everything up from above. We don't have a problem with all bicyclists, just some. We don't have a problem with all motor vehicle drivers, just some. We don't have a problem with all pedestrians, just some. Some have a problem with the $49,000 figure, fair enough. Everyone has a problem with traffic congestion. We got that right? Bikes help alleviate traffic congestion. Lakewood is a very pedestrian city bikes belong in the streets with cars not on the sidewalk unless you are a child. And seriously you encounter far more numerous stupid motor vehicle drivers than you ever will encounter stupid bike riders. Share the road, get over it or hide inside until winter when all the bikes are put away. None of these complaints are valid, people road bikes in the same manner when I was a kid learning how to drive you should all be used to it by now.
Phil Dennison
6:11 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012
Although I don't live in Lakewood anymore, NE Ohio bike policy is of great interest to me. I've ridden more than 700 miles on my bike this year, and I'm one of those cyclists who follows rules, even as other cyclists blow past me at red lights. In the past two days, I've nearly been hit three times; twice by drivers turning right across the bike lane, giving me about a second to stop, and once by a driver who made a left turn on a red light. A cyclist who breakas rules is likely to inconvenience someone for a moment. A motorist who breaks rules is likely to kill someone. There's the difference.
Incidentally, Ohio law allows bicycles to ride two abreast on the public roads, but not any more than two.
rassie galaty
10:26 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012
One last comment...Not everyone can afford an automobile! There IS a large group of refugees living in Lakewood who do NOT own cars. Cycling is their means of transportation [as it was in their native land].