Lakewood Looks to Take Biking to a New Level

It seems as if Lakewood is looking to make good on its goal to be one of the top biking cities in the Ohio by 2015.

Scratch that.

The city really has its sights set on being tops in North America. One of its latest proposals could certainly help toward that end. 

Officials in the city’s department of planning and development are looking to propose bike lanes on Franklin Boulevard.

That’s in addition to broadening the scope of the proposed bike sharrows on Detroit Avenue, from 1.9 miles to 2.5. Sharrows are essentially what they sound like: painted arrows on the streets reminding drivers and cyclists alike to share the road.

Although neither the bike lanes nor the extended sharrow proposal have been OK’d by city council, the wheels are spinning.

The city is also expanding its Bike Rack for Businesses initiative — wait for it — providing bike racks to businesses for $100, with the city ordering and installing the blue U-shaped beauties. 

Get all that?

In the middle of all of the action, the city is also applying to become only the sixth city in Ohio with a bike friendly designation from the League of American Biyclists.

“We have a very strong application,” said Dominic Finelli, who’s working in the planning and development department on all-things-biking. “The city has done a tremendous amount of work, providing for city residents who commute (by bike) to work, and who ride recreationally."

The components the League place under the biking microscope are infrastructure, improvements, advocacy and education and outreach.

City planner Bryce Sylvester, who’s spearheaded the city’s Bike Master Plan, is optimistic.  

“There are a lot of great things happening with cycling in Lakewood, not only with the League of American Bicyclists application, but also the expanded bike parking capacity that we’re committed to. 

“We’re also putting in more biking infrastructure to make Lakewood the most bicycling friendly city in the state by 2015.”

In 2012, city council approved a $20,000 measure to pay for sharrows on Detroit Avenue. The new proposal would add .6 miles of sharrows — from W. 117th to West Clifton — and post official bike lanes on Franklin.

All for an additional $15,000.

“We’ve got very good pricing from the contractor,” said Sylvester. “We thought it made sense to do it all at once.”

Want to get involved?

Click here to become a “local reviewer” for the League of American Bicyclists. Act fast, because the deadline is July 16. Residents can also help spread the word — think social media and email. There’s also a sign-up form.