2. ORDINANCE 16-2025 – AN ORDINANCE to take effect immediately provided it receives the affirmative vote of at least two thirds of the members of Council to enact Section 901.23 Complete Streets of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Lakewood, to address the livability and safety needs of Lakewood by building upon efforts to promote an equitable multimodal transportation system. (1st read & referred to COW & PC 4/21/25)
As a frequent bicyclist I appreciate the Complete Streets efforts. However, a multi-use path along Bunts (or any other road with access to I-90) would be counterproductive.
Bunts necessarily moves a high volume of commercial traffic to maintain Lakewood's homes and businesses. It should NOT be made any narrower if safety is a priority. Similarly we should NOT encourage additional non-vehicular traffic along the corridor. This is particularly true with a path that would enable non-licensed, uninsured e-transit users to move without an enforceable speed limit. Encouraging such traffic across so many driveways is reckless, especially if the path is obscured from vehicular traffic by parked cars. The outcome would contradict the Complete Streets main objective! The proposed redesign would not safely or comfortably accommodate pedestrians, motorists, or delivery and service personnel.
Adding a multi-use path would unfairly degrade the usability of Bunts Road and its west sidewalk for Bunts residents. Bidirectional, unpredictable, unregulated traffic does not belong in this setting. It would introduce more dangers than it removes, and personally I would have no safe way to bike down my street.
Council Members: PLEASE listen to the residents in this neighborhood. PLEASE do not cave in to a rushed plan that would reduce safety along Bunts. We can do better.
The 10 foot wide multi-use path being considered for the west side of Bunts Rd. must NOT be constructed. The residents enjoy their neighborhood. Multi-use paths are fine for the Metroparks or Lakewood Park, not neighborhoods! Residents like walking to friends' homes, like pushing strollers along the sidewalk, like taking toddlers for walks to learn about their neighborhood, like walking their dogs, like teaching children how to ride tricycles, then bikes with training wheels, then 2-wheel bikes. All those activities and interactions will be negatively impacted by the unnecessary path.
The safety issues of adding the 10 foot wide path will increase. Currently, residents have difficulty entering and exiting their driveways with all the 2-way street traffic. Adding the 2-way multi-use path traffic increases the chances for accidents. It makes zero sense to construct the path.
The proposed path will replace the existing 5 foot wide sidewalk and 5 feet of our tree lawns. Removing the 5 foot section of the tree lawn will result in the removal of nearly every single tree on the west side of Bunts. Why unnecessarily remove a healthy part of Lakewood's tree canopy? Lakewood is proud of it's reputation as a tree city.
When riding bikes on sidewalks cyclists are aware they are in a neighborhood. They will lose that perspective and undoubtedly increase their speed when riding on a 10-foot wide bike path. With driveways every 40 to 45 feet the possibility for accidents will increase. Common sense indicates that the path should not be constructed.
Good evening. I would like to appeal to Council to reconsider the mass removal of all 100 trees on the west side of Bunts.
Research shows that people living close to busy streets have a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease because of the higher concentrations of toxic vehicle emissions that they are subjected to. Studies also show that people that live on tree-lined streets have less incidence of cardiovascular disease because the trees filter the toxins and help clean the air that we breathe. The larger the tree, the cleaner the air.
Not only is the destruction of all the trees lining the west side of Bunts unnecessary, but it increases the health risks for the residents. And cleaner air is just one of many benefits these trees provide our community.
The city engineer projects that most of the trees on the east side of Bunts will survive the upcoming road renovation and sewer work. Please help the residents on the west side of the street by keeping the perfectly good concrete walk and allowing most of those trees to survive as well. Thank you.
I don’t believe that the current redevelopment of Bunts Avenue is in the best interests of the residents. I believe that having a sidewalk for both pedestrian and cyclists is dangerous for the pedestrians. Every other street has a cyclist lane in the street and there’s no reason that that can’t be done on Bunts. Putting down speed bumps on the street will reduce the speed of cars and make it safer for cyclists to be in the street.
As a frequent bicyclist I appreciate the Complete Streets efforts. However, a multi-use path along Bunts (or any other road with access to I-90) would be counterproductive.
Bunts necessarily moves a high volume of commercial traffic to maintain Lakewood's homes and businesses. It should NOT be made any narrower if safety is a priority. Similarly we should NOT encourage additional non-vehicular traffic along the corridor. This is particularly true with a path that would enable non-licensed, uninsured e-transit users to move without an enforceable speed limit. Encouraging such traffic across so many driveways is reckless, especially if the path is obscured from vehicular traffic by parked cars. The outcome would contradict the Complete Streets main objective! The proposed redesign would not safely or comfortably accommodate pedestrians, motorists, or delivery and service personnel.
Adding a multi-use path would unfairly degrade the usability of Bunts Road and its west sidewalk for Bunts residents. Bidirectional, unpredictable, unregulated traffic does not belong in this setting. It would introduce more dangers than it removes, and personally I would have no safe way to bike down my street.
Council Members: PLEASE listen to the residents in this neighborhood. PLEASE do not cave in to a rushed plan that would reduce safety along Bunts. We can do better.
Ian Barrett
2132 Bunts
The 10 foot wide multi-use path being considered for the west side of Bunts Rd. must NOT be constructed. The residents enjoy their neighborhood. Multi-use paths are fine for the Metroparks or Lakewood Park, not neighborhoods! Residents like walking to friends' homes, like pushing strollers along the sidewalk, like taking toddlers for walks to learn about their neighborhood, like walking their dogs, like teaching children how to ride tricycles, then bikes with training wheels, then 2-wheel bikes. All those activities and interactions will be negatively impacted by the unnecessary path.
The safety issues of adding the 10 foot wide path will increase. Currently, residents have difficulty entering and exiting their driveways with all the 2-way street traffic. Adding the 2-way multi-use path traffic increases the chances for accidents. It makes zero sense to construct the path.
The proposed path will replace the existing 5 foot wide sidewalk and 5 feet of our tree lawns. Removing the 5 foot section of the tree lawn will result in the removal of nearly every single tree on the west side of Bunts. Why unnecessarily remove a healthy part of Lakewood's tree canopy? Lakewood is proud of it's reputation as a tree city.
When riding bikes on sidewalks cyclists are aware they are in a neighborhood. They will lose that perspective and undoubtedly increase their speed when riding on a 10-foot wide bike path. With driveways every 40 to 45 feet the possibility for accidents will increase. Common sense indicates that the path should not be constructed.
Good evening. I would like to appeal to Council to reconsider the mass removal of all 100 trees on the west side of Bunts.
Research shows that people living close to busy streets have a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease because of the higher concentrations of toxic vehicle emissions that they are subjected to. Studies also show that people that live on tree-lined streets have less incidence of cardiovascular disease because the trees filter the toxins and help clean the air that we breathe. The larger the tree, the cleaner the air.
Not only is the destruction of all the trees lining the west side of Bunts unnecessary, but it increases the health risks for the residents. And cleaner air is just one of many benefits these trees provide our community.
The city engineer projects that most of the trees on the east side of Bunts will survive the upcoming road renovation and sewer work. Please help the residents on the west side of the street by keeping the perfectly good concrete walk and allowing most of those trees to survive as well. Thank you.
Bob Rensel
1230 Bunts
I don’t believe that the current redevelopment of Bunts Avenue is in the best interests of the residents. I believe that having a sidewalk for both pedestrian and cyclists is dangerous for the pedestrians. Every other street has a cyclist lane in the street and there’s no reason that that can’t be done on Bunts. Putting down speed bumps on the street will reduce the speed of cars and make it safer for cyclists to be in the street.