I oppose the shared path planned for Bunts Road.
There is neither a demonstrated need nor purpose for this path.
Issues of safety were not properly studied or addressed.
Proper and reasonable input from those most affected was not solicited or considered
It will diminish the aesthetic value of the street and in kind reduce the actual value of the residences located on Bunts.
It will completely destroy the green space and tree canopy along the intended route, resulting in degradation of the environment.
131.01 PROVISION, ALTERATION, DEDICATION AND VACATION OF STREETS.
(b) When it deems it necessary, Council may cause any street, alley or public highway to be opened, straightened, altered, diverted, narrowed or widened. No street or alley dedicated to public use by the proprietor of ground in the City shall be deemed a public street or alley, or under the care or control of Council unless the dedication is accepted and confirmed by an ordinance passed for such purpose.
With this in mind, I ask that city council use their duly noted powers to deem it necessary to alter this street such that it will not have a shared path on it.
I propose that convex mirrors should be installed at certain street corners and along the many, many "blind" driveways within our community, specifically those along Detroit and Madison avenues.
This council seems to be focused on increasing the walkability and safety of our community. One area of safety that I feel is being neglected is making exiting onto Detroit and Madison safer for both motorists and pedestrians. Many driveways exiting onto Madison and Detroit are single lane, and due to the buildings being right up against the sidewalk, the view is obstructed and it is impossible to check around the corner for pedestrians or oncoming vehicles. Just exiting from my building at 13433 Detroit Ave. has been very stressful, as children and adults alike traveling along the sidewalk are unaware that a car could be and is exiting from the driveway. Likewise, as a driver, I want to be able to see these pedestrians and oncoming vehicles so that we can all be safe in our travels.
I have taken up looking across the street and using the reflection off of St. Edward High School's glass to check if a car is approaching, which is a less than ideal solution. The inclusion of a single convex mirror at the end of the drive would resolve this issue entirely, not just for myself as the motorist, but for people traveling along the walk to better anticipate a vehicles presence. This issue is not specific to my building, and not everyone has a building with large panes of glass across the street to use as a mirror alternative...
I guess what I am saying is that either the city should install these mirrors, or require the building owners who have such driveways to install them. Such a decision would decrease the level of danger faced by pedestrians and drivers alike.
I respectfully ask that you give careful attention to the safety concerns raised regarding the proposed shared use path on Bunts Road.
This corridor has a high volume of vehicle traffic and includes 116 driveways and intersections, creating frequent points of potential conflict between drivers and people using the path. Visibility at many of these locations can be limited by oncoming traffic, and further complicated by traffic backups and frequent stopping of delivery vehicles along the corridor. These are important design considerations—particularly for a two-way path accommodating cyclists, pedestrians, and other users.
While we appreciate the City’s commitment to active transportation, I encourage you to consider whether this location aligns with established safety guidance and whether additional steps should be taken to reduce traffic volume or improve visibility before moving forward with the path.
Strong Opposition to Proposed Multi-Modal Path on Bunts Road
As residents of the Bunts Road community, we strongly oppose the proposed Multi-Modal Path due to serious environmental, fiscal, and safety concerns. This project threatens to permanently alter the character and health of our neighborhood.
Environmentally, the plan would remove mature trees and green space to install 10 feet of asphalt. This would increase heat retention, worsen stormwater runoff, and eliminate natural shade, all contributing to a hotter, less resilient environment. These changes degrade the livability and identity of our community. From a financial perspective, this project is deeply concerning. Multi-modal paths can cost up to $1.8 million per mile on average, not including long-term maintenance and liability costs that taxpayers would bear. There has been no transparent or inclusive public input process. The May 7 notification did not mention a multi modal path, and the June 9 vote occurred without meaningful engagement from affected residents.
Safety is another major issue. The path would cross over 95 residential driveways and a 16-pump gas station, creating daily risks for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers alike. Notably, the City of Cleveland has chosen not to continue this path and University Heights has paused their plans, why should Lakewood take on the cost and liability?
This plan is neither necessary nor supported by our community. We respectfully urge you to halt this project before irreversible damage is done.
First, I want to acknowledge the recent work at the Hilliard and Madison intersection. The bright green bike lane markings installed last week are an important step toward making cyclists more visible and improving safety. I want to thank everyone involved in that project, even as I urge the city to continue making further improvements at this intersection. For example, adding curb bump-outs to shorten crossing distances for pedestrians, prohibiting right turns on red from Madison onto Hilliard, installing flex posts along the bike lanes to prevent motorists from cutting turns short, and continuing the dashed bike lane markings through the middle of the intersection, as is done at other signaled intersections along Madison.
However, it has now been over three weeks since I first contacted the City about repeated illegal parking in the bike lane in front of Italian Creations on Hilliard Road, just 350 feet from this intersection. In that time, I’ve sent multiple emails and shared photo documentation of vehicles parked in the lane, forcing people on bikes into 35 mph traffic. Despite this, I have not received any response from the mayor’s office, and the reply I received from the Police Chief did not address my concerns about enforcement or safety. These continued violations undermine the purpose of bike lanes and put vulnerable road users in harm’s way.
Lakewood has made meaningful investments in bike infrastructure, and I appreciate the commitment behind these projects. But painted lanes alone are not enough. Consistent enforcement, physical deterrents like flex posts at chronic violation locations, and policies that prioritize the safety of people walking and biking are all necessary to ensure this infrastructure is truly usable and effective for all residents.
I oppose the shared path planned for Bunts Road.
There is neither a demonstrated need nor purpose for this path.
Issues of safety were not properly studied or addressed.
Proper and reasonable input from those most affected was not solicited or considered
It will diminish the aesthetic value of the street and in kind reduce the actual value of the residences located on Bunts.
It will completely destroy the green space and tree canopy along the intended route, resulting in degradation of the environment.
131.01 PROVISION, ALTERATION, DEDICATION AND VACATION OF STREETS.
(b) When it deems it necessary, Council may cause any street, alley or public highway to be opened, straightened, altered, diverted, narrowed or widened. No street or alley dedicated to public use by the proprietor of ground in the City shall be deemed a public street or alley, or under the care or control of Council unless the dedication is accepted and confirmed by an ordinance passed for such purpose.
With this in mind, I ask that city council use their duly noted powers to deem it necessary to alter this street such that it will not have a shared path on it.
Thank you
I propose that convex mirrors should be installed at certain street corners and along the many, many "blind" driveways within our community, specifically those along Detroit and Madison avenues.
This council seems to be focused on increasing the walkability and safety of our community. One area of safety that I feel is being neglected is making exiting onto Detroit and Madison safer for both motorists and pedestrians. Many driveways exiting onto Madison and Detroit are single lane, and due to the buildings being right up against the sidewalk, the view is obstructed and it is impossible to check around the corner for pedestrians or oncoming vehicles. Just exiting from my building at 13433 Detroit Ave. has been very stressful, as children and adults alike traveling along the sidewalk are unaware that a car could be and is exiting from the driveway. Likewise, as a driver, I want to be able to see these pedestrians and oncoming vehicles so that we can all be safe in our travels.
I have taken up looking across the street and using the reflection off of St. Edward High School's glass to check if a car is approaching, which is a less than ideal solution. The inclusion of a single convex mirror at the end of the drive would resolve this issue entirely, not just for myself as the motorist, but for people traveling along the walk to better anticipate a vehicles presence. This issue is not specific to my building, and not everyone has a building with large panes of glass across the street to use as a mirror alternative...
I guess what I am saying is that either the city should install these mirrors, or require the building owners who have such driveways to install them. Such a decision would decrease the level of danger faced by pedestrians and drivers alike.
I respectfully ask that you give careful attention to the safety concerns raised regarding the proposed shared use path on Bunts Road.
This corridor has a high volume of vehicle traffic and includes 116 driveways and intersections, creating frequent points of potential conflict between drivers and people using the path. Visibility at many of these locations can be limited by oncoming traffic, and further complicated by traffic backups and frequent stopping of delivery vehicles along the corridor. These are important design considerations—particularly for a two-way path accommodating cyclists, pedestrians, and other users.
While we appreciate the City’s commitment to active transportation, I encourage you to consider whether this location aligns with established safety guidance and whether additional steps should be taken to reduce traffic volume or improve visibility before moving forward with the path.
Strong Opposition to Proposed Multi-Modal Path on Bunts Road
As residents of the Bunts Road community, we strongly oppose the proposed Multi-Modal Path due to serious environmental, fiscal, and safety concerns. This project threatens to permanently alter the character and health of our neighborhood.
Environmentally, the plan would remove mature trees and green space to install 10 feet of asphalt. This would increase heat retention, worsen stormwater runoff, and eliminate natural shade, all contributing to a hotter, less resilient environment. These changes degrade the livability and identity of our community. From a financial perspective, this project is deeply concerning. Multi-modal paths can cost up to $1.8 million per mile on average, not including long-term maintenance and liability costs that taxpayers would bear. There has been no transparent or inclusive public input process. The May 7 notification did not mention a multi modal path, and the June 9 vote occurred without meaningful engagement from affected residents.
Safety is another major issue. The path would cross over 95 residential driveways and a 16-pump gas station, creating daily risks for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers alike. Notably, the City of Cleveland has chosen not to continue this path and University Heights has paused their plans, why should Lakewood take on the cost and liability?
This plan is neither necessary nor supported by our community. We respectfully urge you to halt this project before irreversible damage is done.
First, I want to acknowledge the recent work at the Hilliard and Madison intersection. The bright green bike lane markings installed last week are an important step toward making cyclists more visible and improving safety. I want to thank everyone involved in that project, even as I urge the city to continue making further improvements at this intersection. For example, adding curb bump-outs to shorten crossing distances for pedestrians, prohibiting right turns on red from Madison onto Hilliard, installing flex posts along the bike lanes to prevent motorists from cutting turns short, and continuing the dashed bike lane markings through the middle of the intersection, as is done at other signaled intersections along Madison.
However, it has now been over three weeks since I first contacted the City about repeated illegal parking in the bike lane in front of Italian Creations on Hilliard Road, just 350 feet from this intersection. In that time, I’ve sent multiple emails and shared photo documentation of vehicles parked in the lane, forcing people on bikes into 35 mph traffic. Despite this, I have not received any response from the mayor’s office, and the reply I received from the Police Chief did not address my concerns about enforcement or safety. These continued violations undermine the purpose of bike lanes and put vulnerable road users in harm’s way.
Lakewood has made meaningful investments in bike infrastructure, and I appreciate the commitment behind these projects. But painted lanes alone are not enough. Consistent enforcement, physical deterrents like flex posts at chronic violation locations, and policies that prioritize the safety of people walking and biking are all necessary to ensure this infrastructure is truly usable and effective for all residents.