Good evening Council Members and Members of the Administration,
I apologize that I cannot be with you in person, but I wanted to voice my support and thanks for your continued work on the Bunts Rehab project. When I moved to Lakewood 10 years ago, what drew me here was the culture. Lakewood has long maintained a culture and reputation of inclusion, equity, and accessibility in addition to its amenities as the most pedestrian and bicycle friendly city in Ohio. My wife and I are expecting our first child in April, and there's nowhere in Ohio I'd rather be than in Lakewood.
It is important to maintain and strengthen this culture and reputation, and to do so we must provide equitable transportation for all. This must include all people who live in or travel through Lakewood, regardless of their age, ability, economic status, mode of transportation, or address. The proposed plan for Bunts Road does a good job of finding the best compromise for all road users. As many have pointed out - including residents opposed to the project - Bunts Rd is unsafe in its current format due to fast moving vehicles. This makes it deadly for a person commuting by bicycle to travel in the roadway. As you know, it is also illegal for a bicyclist to ride on the sidewalk. Thus, a compromise must be made to include those who do not own a car, whether by choice or not. While a dedicated cycle path would eliminate any potential interaction with pedestrians, it would likely cut into parking, which residents would oppose. The Shared Use Path allows bicyclists and pedestrians to share a space where those using it are of the most similar size, weight, and speed to each other. It is important that this path be on Bunts Rd because it is one of the only N-S corridors that spans the entire city and connects us to our neighbors in Cleveland.
Lakewood is for everyone. I hope we can all agree on that. I commend your work on this plan, and ask that you continue to design our roadways for everyone.
I would like to voice my support for the creation of a multipurpose path along Bunts Road. As a person who primarily uses active transportation to access businesses and services in Lakewood, such infrastructure would make traveling north and south across Lakewood much less stressful and dangerous. I also want to point out that our city's high school is located on this corridor and a multipurpose path will make this institution much more accessible to students.
Hey! I know you're all missing me as much as I'm missing you! I wanted to speak about one of the common arguments against the proposed bunts multi use path that has been floating around online and here at city council meetings. Many of those opposed to the project have cited the danger of excessive speed on the multi use path as a reason to cancel the project. Meanwhile, they will talk about the dangers of cars that have ended up in their front yards, referred to bunts as "the bunts freeway" and complained that current car traffic speeds and volumes are too high. These are plainly juxtaposed arguments. A multi use path only allows pedestrians, cyclists, and some micro mobility devices. All of these have speeds governed by personal fitness, common sense, and device limitations. Generally about 28 mph is the fastest these devices could travel, while the average is probably closer to 10-15 mph. Compare this with car travel speeds, which commonly exceed 45 - 50 mph in a vehicle that is heavier, has reduced visibility, and is harder to stop and maneuver. It cannot be reasoned that a multi use path is more dangerous than the current situation. I wholeheartedly encourage the city to move forward with a multi use path as part of the bunts road rehab. Thank you for your time.
Good evening Council Members and Members of the Administration,
I apologize that I cannot be with you in person, but I wanted to voice my support and thanks for your continued work on the Bunts Rehab project. When I moved to Lakewood 10 years ago, what drew me here was the culture. Lakewood has long maintained a culture and reputation of inclusion, equity, and accessibility in addition to its amenities as the most pedestrian and bicycle friendly city in Ohio. My wife and I are expecting our first child in April, and there's nowhere in Ohio I'd rather be than in Lakewood.
It is important to maintain and strengthen this culture and reputation, and to do so we must provide equitable transportation for all. This must include all people who live in or travel through Lakewood, regardless of their age, ability, economic status, mode of transportation, or address. The proposed plan for Bunts Road does a good job of finding the best compromise for all road users. As many have pointed out - including residents opposed to the project - Bunts Rd is unsafe in its current format due to fast moving vehicles. This makes it deadly for a person commuting by bicycle to travel in the roadway. As you know, it is also illegal for a bicyclist to ride on the sidewalk. Thus, a compromise must be made to include those who do not own a car, whether by choice or not. While a dedicated cycle path would eliminate any potential interaction with pedestrians, it would likely cut into parking, which residents would oppose. The Shared Use Path allows bicyclists and pedestrians to share a space where those using it are of the most similar size, weight, and speed to each other. It is important that this path be on Bunts Rd because it is one of the only N-S corridors that spans the entire city and connects us to our neighbors in Cleveland.
Lakewood is for everyone. I hope we can all agree on that. I commend your work on this plan, and ask that you continue to design our roadways for everyone.
I support the planned Bunts Road project which includes a separated multi-use path.
I would like to voice my support for the creation of a multipurpose path along Bunts Road. As a person who primarily uses active transportation to access businesses and services in Lakewood, such infrastructure would make traveling north and south across Lakewood much less stressful and dangerous. I also want to point out that our city's high school is located on this corridor and a multipurpose path will make this institution much more accessible to students.
Hey! I know you're all missing me as much as I'm missing you! I wanted to speak about one of the common arguments against the proposed bunts multi use path that has been floating around online and here at city council meetings. Many of those opposed to the project have cited the danger of excessive speed on the multi use path as a reason to cancel the project. Meanwhile, they will talk about the dangers of cars that have ended up in their front yards, referred to bunts as "the bunts freeway" and complained that current car traffic speeds and volumes are too high. These are plainly juxtaposed arguments. A multi use path only allows pedestrians, cyclists, and some micro mobility devices. All of these have speeds governed by personal fitness, common sense, and device limitations. Generally about 28 mph is the fastest these devices could travel, while the average is probably closer to 10-15 mph. Compare this with car travel speeds, which commonly exceed 45 - 50 mph in a vehicle that is heavier, has reduced visibility, and is harder to stop and maneuver. It cannot be reasoned that a multi use path is more dangerous than the current situation. I wholeheartedly encourage the city to move forward with a multi use path as part of the bunts road rehab. Thank you for your time.