This path is a waste of public funding in direct opposition to public opinion. One glance down Bunta road will tell you exactly how the people on the street feel about the path.
This is a project that is likely to add to the congestion that already exists on a busy family street making it harder and more dangerous for people to get out of their driveways. I see no world where this is a benefit to the city and provides no actual logistical connection.
I urge City Council to pause and reconsider the proposed multimodal path on Bunts Road. While I support safer, more connected neighborhoods and bike infrastructure, this specific plan is deeply flawed and poses serious safety, environmental, and transparency concerns.
The plan calls for a 10-foot-wide asphalt path through 1.5 miles of a dense residential area. It crosses 95 driveways, 4 major intersections (including two gas stations), and removes over 100 mature street trees—possibly every tree on some blocks. That’s more than 116 new conflict points on a vital emergency response route.
This isn’t theoretical—data backs these risks:
The CDC and FHWA report 40% of bike/pedestrian crashes occur at driveways and intersections.
A JAMA study found 45% of e-scooter injuries happen on shared paths.
Shared-use paths cause 2.6x more crashes according to Accident Analysis & Prevention.
Lakewood’s own Active Transportation Plan shows 61% of caregivers rank intersection safety as their top concern. Yet this project increases conflicts near schools in a Walking School District.
The public process has lacked transparency:
The plan was advanced before the comment period ended.
Over 800 residents signed a petition in opposition.
A no-build or alternative option was never seriously considered.
Environmental loss is irreversible. These trees absorb CO₂, cool the area, and increase property values. Removing over 134 trees—especially near a 16-pump gas station and I-90—is shortsighted.
This corridor is already under-maintained with drainage, curb, and snow issues. How will we manage a new 10-foot-wide path long-term?
This is a rushed project with lasting consequences. Slow down, reassess the design, and genuinely engage with residents. There is no do-over. This is not the right street for this plan.
While I love the idea of a bike path in Lakewood, taking away a sidewalk and adding a bike path to one of the busiest streets in Lakewood is a miss. Not to mention, where is it connecting to? 90?
Just drive down Bunts to see how unpopular this proposal is for the actual residents. I highly suggest listening to your constituents and the overwhelming opposition of the Bunts (and surrounding) community.
I already have a hard enough time getting out of my driveway because of the way people drive down the street I live on with my dog and 5 month old child. The city isn’t doing anything to make our street safer, they are just completing a vanity project for the mayor and her sycophants. If there is such a wide spread support for this project, I’m sure those in support will volunteer to move the project to their street.
This isn’t for the community. This is so self-important latte drinkers can pretend they did something to help the community. Why don’t you work to reduce property taxes or increase affordable housing? We’re on the precipice of a recession and this city council wants to kick off a multi million dollar project for no reason other than vanity.
Why Bunts? One of three access points to 90. Giant Eagle, GetGo, and LHS. You want to funnel more traffic onto this street?
If this is for high school kids, do it on Robinwood (also check Cleveland average temperature and the timing of the school year). You might find days where you would want to ride your bike to school overlap with summer vacation.
If this is for a North/ South bike lane - pick any parallel street that doesn’t have 90, and groceries/gas, and the high school.
If this isn’t for bikers, wait until you hear about sidewalks.
If the goal is to reduce cars on the road, put the money towards increased public transportation which can be used year round.
If the concern is reducing school time traffic, have one of the 99 salaried Lakewood PD officers direct traffic.
By the way- there’s currently nothing being done to improve safety on Bunts outside of school hours either. Why aren’t there cops ticketing speeders right now if there’s such a concern for safety?
At the same time the state government is reducing money to public schools, and our nepo baby mayor and her colleagues is talking about closing down neighborhood schools - we’re wasting money on a bike path connecting nothing to nowhere?
I want you to close your eyes and tell me how many times you can think of seeing someone actually biking in the bike lanes on Franklin or Madison or Clifton.
I’ve done Velosano 4 years in a row. I love biking. I bike 300-600 miles every summer, going out every chance I get. But even I don’t want this “shared path” on my street.
If it’s so important to the community, maybe our neighbors on other streets would share the burden.
Hello again, I'm a bike commuter in support of the bunts multi use path
This path would encourage reduced car traffic as it'll allow for alternative forms of active transportation to be viable to getting around which will lower congestion as scooters, bicycles, walking, rollerblades, wheelchairs are far more space efficient than automobiles. This increases the flow of ease in getting around as it's far harder for humans to clog up streets than 4 wheel vehicles.
In turn this lowers wear and tear on our roads as fewer multiton vehicles are stressing the integrity of said roads. Saving money in the long run for the city and less pollution being produced as maintenance would be needed less frequently.
I can’t wait to see the groundbreaking of the Bunts Rd Rehab Project along with all of the benefits it will bring our residents when it comes to equitable and safe transportation options. Calming traffic, making crosswalks safer, and giving the option of a path on one side of the street and a sidewalk on the other are all examples of how this project prioritizes the safety of all people (not just drivers, but all people to include drivers!), reduction of traffic noise/speed/danger, and freedom of choice for individuals regarding their transportation needs. Research shows that projects such as this helps not only increase nearby property values, but also increases quality of life. I can’t emphasize enough how much this project will increase the quality of life for my friends, family, neighbors, and myself; I’m excited to use this path as often as possible once the work is complete. Thanks for all your hard work, dedication, and consideration on this project, which will be an asset to the community as a whole and a model of what good looks like for active transportation initiatives in other cities.
Just got back from vacation where I spent time on a very heavily trafficked multi-use pathway, like the one proposed for Bunts. Bikes, skateboarders, pedestrians, runners, strollers, dogs, toddlers, teens on phones, even cars crossing to get to parking lots; all coexisting. This particular path had a speed limit for bikes when pedestrians were present, maybe something like that would help alleviate some of the opposition's safety concerns? The Bunts Road path is not an untested concept, it's something that works in a lot of places and this particular example was the backbone of a really nice community gathering place.
I am opposed to the shared use path because it will increase traffic to an unthinkable amount of noise. Please reconsider this project on Bunts Road. I have lived on Bunts Road for over 35 years, north of the high school. We have an extreme amount of people traffic on sidewalks due to close proximity to the high school. Since the Get Go Gas Station opened, car traffic has increased more than double. Adding a bike path will amplify the unbearable traffic and noise level. An increase in traffic near the high school is a safety issue because Bunts is already one of the busiest streets. Bunts road is not in the metro parks nor is it in any type of park. It’s a busy street! It’s not ideal to add additional north/south traffic with a path if your goal is public safety. It will only make Bunts Road the most dangerous street in our beloved city. Please RETHINK your proposal.
This path is a waste of public funding in direct opposition to public opinion. One glance down Bunta road will tell you exactly how the people on the street feel about the path.
This is a project that is likely to add to the congestion that already exists on a busy family street making it harder and more dangerous for people to get out of their driveways. I see no world where this is a benefit to the city and provides no actual logistical connection.
I urge City Council to pause and reconsider the proposed multimodal path on Bunts Road. While I support safer, more connected neighborhoods and bike infrastructure, this specific plan is deeply flawed and poses serious safety, environmental, and transparency concerns.
The plan calls for a 10-foot-wide asphalt path through 1.5 miles of a dense residential area. It crosses 95 driveways, 4 major intersections (including two gas stations), and removes over 100 mature street trees—possibly every tree on some blocks. That’s more than 116 new conflict points on a vital emergency response route.
This isn’t theoretical—data backs these risks:
The CDC and FHWA report 40% of bike/pedestrian crashes occur at driveways and intersections.
A JAMA study found 45% of e-scooter injuries happen on shared paths.
Shared-use paths cause 2.6x more crashes according to Accident Analysis & Prevention.
Lakewood’s own Active Transportation Plan shows 61% of caregivers rank intersection safety as their top concern. Yet this project increases conflicts near schools in a Walking School District.
The public process has lacked transparency:
The plan was advanced before the comment period ended.
Over 800 residents signed a petition in opposition.
A no-build or alternative option was never seriously considered.
Environmental loss is irreversible. These trees absorb CO₂, cool the area, and increase property values. Removing over 134 trees—especially near a 16-pump gas station and I-90—is shortsighted.
This corridor is already under-maintained with drainage, curb, and snow issues. How will we manage a new 10-foot-wide path long-term?
This is a rushed project with lasting consequences. Slow down, reassess the design, and genuinely engage with residents. There is no do-over. This is not the right street for this plan.
As a fellow "nepo baby" and "self-important latte drinker" I support the Bunts Road multi use path.
I support the Bunts Multi purpose path.
I oppose the shared path on Bunts proposal.
While I love the idea of a bike path in Lakewood, taking away a sidewalk and adding a bike path to one of the busiest streets in Lakewood is a miss. Not to mention, where is it connecting to? 90?
Just drive down Bunts to see how unpopular this proposal is for the actual residents. I highly suggest listening to your constituents and the overwhelming opposition of the Bunts (and surrounding) community.
I oppose the shared path on Bunts proposal.
I already have a hard enough time getting out of my driveway because of the way people drive down the street I live on with my dog and 5 month old child. The city isn’t doing anything to make our street safer, they are just completing a vanity project for the mayor and her sycophants. If there is such a wide spread support for this project, I’m sure those in support will volunteer to move the project to their street.
This isn’t for the community. This is so self-important latte drinkers can pretend they did something to help the community. Why don’t you work to reduce property taxes or increase affordable housing? We’re on the precipice of a recession and this city council wants to kick off a multi million dollar project for no reason other than vanity.
Oppose the Bunts project.
Why Bunts? One of three access points to 90. Giant Eagle, GetGo, and LHS. You want to funnel more traffic onto this street?
If this is for high school kids, do it on Robinwood (also check Cleveland average temperature and the timing of the school year). You might find days where you would want to ride your bike to school overlap with summer vacation.
If this is for a North/ South bike lane - pick any parallel street that doesn’t have 90, and groceries/gas, and the high school.
If this isn’t for bikers, wait until you hear about sidewalks.
If the goal is to reduce cars on the road, put the money towards increased public transportation which can be used year round.
If the concern is reducing school time traffic, have one of the 99 salaried Lakewood PD officers direct traffic.
By the way- there’s currently nothing being done to improve safety on Bunts outside of school hours either. Why aren’t there cops ticketing speeders right now if there’s such a concern for safety?
At the same time the state government is reducing money to public schools, and our nepo baby mayor and her colleagues is talking about closing down neighborhood schools - we’re wasting money on a bike path connecting nothing to nowhere?
I want you to close your eyes and tell me how many times you can think of seeing someone actually biking in the bike lanes on Franklin or Madison or Clifton.
I’ve done Velosano 4 years in a row. I love biking. I bike 300-600 miles every summer, going out every chance I get. But even I don’t want this “shared path” on my street.
If it’s so important to the community, maybe our neighbors on other streets would share the burden.
Hello again, I'm a bike commuter in support of the bunts multi use path
This path would encourage reduced car traffic as it'll allow for alternative forms of active transportation to be viable to getting around which will lower congestion as scooters, bicycles, walking, rollerblades, wheelchairs are far more space efficient than automobiles. This increases the flow of ease in getting around as it's far harder for humans to clog up streets than 4 wheel vehicles.
In turn this lowers wear and tear on our roads as fewer multiton vehicles are stressing the integrity of said roads. Saving money in the long run for the city and less pollution being produced as maintenance would be needed less frequently.
I can’t wait to see the groundbreaking of the Bunts Rd Rehab Project along with all of the benefits it will bring our residents when it comes to equitable and safe transportation options. Calming traffic, making crosswalks safer, and giving the option of a path on one side of the street and a sidewalk on the other are all examples of how this project prioritizes the safety of all people (not just drivers, but all people to include drivers!), reduction of traffic noise/speed/danger, and freedom of choice for individuals regarding their transportation needs. Research shows that projects such as this helps not only increase nearby property values, but also increases quality of life. I can’t emphasize enough how much this project will increase the quality of life for my friends, family, neighbors, and myself; I’m excited to use this path as often as possible once the work is complete. Thanks for all your hard work, dedication, and consideration on this project, which will be an asset to the community as a whole and a model of what good looks like for active transportation initiatives in other cities.
Just got back from vacation where I spent time on a very heavily trafficked multi-use pathway, like the one proposed for Bunts. Bikes, skateboarders, pedestrians, runners, strollers, dogs, toddlers, teens on phones, even cars crossing to get to parking lots; all coexisting. This particular path had a speed limit for bikes when pedestrians were present, maybe something like that would help alleviate some of the opposition's safety concerns? The Bunts Road path is not an untested concept, it's something that works in a lot of places and this particular example was the backbone of a really nice community gathering place.
I am opposed to the shared use path because it will increase traffic to an unthinkable amount of noise. Please reconsider this project on Bunts Road. I have lived on Bunts Road for over 35 years, north of the high school. We have an extreme amount of people traffic on sidewalks due to close proximity to the high school. Since the Get Go Gas Station opened, car traffic has increased more than double. Adding a bike path will amplify the unbearable traffic and noise level. An increase in traffic near the high school is a safety issue because Bunts is already one of the busiest streets. Bunts road is not in the metro parks nor is it in any type of park. It’s a busy street! It’s not ideal to add additional north/south traffic with a path if your goal is public safety. It will only make Bunts Road the most dangerous street in our beloved city. Please RETHINK your proposal.
Thank you for your consideration.
Vera Perez