Politics & Government

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 to the .

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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.”

Find out what's happening in Lakewoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

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 .

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 — and — started popping up on Detroit Avenue.

That was one of the result of the city’s comprehensive and progressive , an idea to make Lakewood .

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 — 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.”


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