Are Separate Bike Lanes Best For Madison Ave?

[Melissa Page]

As part of the city wide look at biking in Lakewood, City Hall is looking into the feasibility and appropriateness of creating separate bike lanes on Madison Ave. As Madison Ave. is coming up for repavement and also opportunity for redesigning striping, should a separate biking lane be added to the road?

Here’s a couple issues for consideration from my experience as a Lakewood biker, Chairperson of Madison Ave. Merchant Assoc., and much of my life is spent along Lakewood's main corridors. While working with Officer Michael Fritsch who heads up Lakewood’s Police bike team and spearheaded the Lakewood Bike Rodeo held in June, he taught me the important point that all bike “riders” should be actually considered as “drivers”. Bikers have equal responsibility as that of auto drivers. Therefore, I will use the term “driver” instead of bike “rider” as it really helps me understand how a biker should be viewed from a safety issue perspective.

PROS of a bike lane

1. Get bike riders off the sidewalks – Having bike drivers on the sidewalk leads to just as many accidents for the bikers, walkers, and autos as being on the street. Current law ordinance prohibits all bike drivers to not drive on sidewalk. Ha! You think I’d have my 6 year old driving his own bike along with me on the street? Currently, when my kids are on their own bike I ride on road slow while they bike along with me on sidewalk. I believe sidewalk bikers drive on sidewalks because they don’t feel safe on street (or tweens/teens’ parents support their kids to be on sidewalk over road). Will bike lanes increase safety, real or perceived, for all.

2.A bike lane would clearly dictate to autos and bikers alike that bikes should be on the road just as equally as autos. Hence, following all traffic laws as a car would.

CONS of a separate bike lane

1. It’s a temporary band-aid not the ultimate long lasting cure - I’ve learned the need for all auto drivers and bike drivers to understand and accept that bikes have every right and therefore, responsibility, to be on the street as any car does. Could Lakewood City and advocacy groups just help educate and inform any driver in Lakewood of the equal status autos and bikes have when using our roads? This could include proper signage, traffic calming measures, communications, police enforcement, continuing of educational efforts such as kids Bike Rodeo, efforts through our schools, Bike Lakewood, Walk & Roll advocacy. How does a separate bike lane help with this educational process to get autos and bikes to understand their shared responsibility by sharing the same space (lane) on all roads, not just those that have a designated bike lane?

2. Not most efficient use of our limited space.
I fear having to make a separate bike lane will now give too much preference to the biking minority over the much more car and bus traffic flow that does and can serve the vitality of Madison Ave. businesses. Or, it may impede on the potential for widening sidewalks in areas where this may help encourage pedestrian traffic and storefront/restaurant business.

Any thoughts that can help weigh out our options? About Madison specifically or other in Lakewood? I would love to discuss for some food for thought before the workshop next week.

[Melissa Page]

In hopes of really focusing on a particular subject I moved the Biking Workshop Meeting notice to "Announcements". I love and know the good dialogue that the Deck can bring together when focus is given to a topic. Gary, thanks for sharing your thoughts. I'm quoting you here from your post I had to move to announcements to make sure it is included in this new focused topic.

As chairperson for the original Lakewood Day Bike races in the dim distant past, and one who has been interested in cycling for many years, I'm sure that this is a well-intended adventure in planning, but as far as I am aware, and I may be wrong, I think that the idea of "bike lanes" was rendered virtually obsolete by revisions to the Ohio Revised Code, allowing bikes full use of most roadways. (Check out the Code for full details, to be sure.)

The old separate "bike lane" concept tended to collect dangerous road debris blown over from the regular highway, plus they oftentimes put cyclists next to (if not actually riding over) dangerous storm drains. Add to that, the issue of parked vehicles and swing-out auto doors, (particularly sports two-door models) and I would think that you could end up with a significant municipal public safety issue. You would need to paint a bike lane so far out to avoid a swinging auto door, as to virtually have it out in the middle of the street anyway, here in Lakewood.

I served on a bike committee with the city years ago, and I seem to recall that our solution at that time, in order to be in conformity with the new state laws, was simply to suggest having periodic bike signs with the comment "Share the road", or words to that effect.

Back to the banjo...

Whether you bike lots, some, or a little. Or you wouldn't think of anything but driving your auto. And you may hate sharing the road with bikes. Or you need or like to depend on busing and would like to see more attention given to restoring busing services. If you have something reasonably interesting to share about this subject please take a moment to chime in.

Thanks, Mel Page

[Tim Liston]

Hi Mel….

A few thoughts, and I will express these at the meeting.

I am not a proponent of segregated bike lanes, as there are IMO more disadvantages than advantages. The biggest disadvantages are (1) bike lanes promote unsafe behavior (by both cyclists and motorists), especially at intersections, (2) bike lanes express the notion that bikes don’t belong where lanes aren’t available, (3) bike lanes are often located in parked cars’ “door zone” or in the debris field, or are blocked by work crews and delivery vehicles, and (4) bike lanes create an artificial and likely unfounded sense of safety, especially among novice cyclists.

The biggest advantage to dedicated lanes, in my mind, is that they get novice cyclists off the sidewalks, where they are even less safe and more likely to cause a crash. Most sidewalk cyclists have no idea how unsafe it is, at speeds even a little in excess of walking. In fact, if I recall correctly (and I should because I helped bring Lakewood’s cycling ordinances in line with state requirements and best practices), it is illegal to ride on the sidewalks when pedestrians are present, and in crosswalks when cars are present. Sidewalk cycling in fact is completely banned in many (if not most) urban settings. Novice cyclists should first become educated, perhaps by taking Effective Cycling (fka Road One) down at the bike co-op.

Bottom line though, with parked cars everywhere, bike lanes are quite impractical here in Lakewood. And as Gary indicated, we now have a statewide law that permits cyclists to use any roadway that is available to motorists, excepting interstate highways, even if a bike lane is available. This is in recognition that many (most?) cyclists are safer in the roadway than in a bike lane. And talk about a recipe for harassment….

As regards Madison specifically, I have said before, Madison is my favorite street in Lakewood for cycling. On Madison, two lanes in each direction with plenty of parked cars, the right lane is somewhat impinged and many motorists feel more comfortable in the left lane, making the right lane more comfortable for cyclists. I will make a couple suggestions to further enhance Madison’s bike-friendliness at the meeting. Specifically, there are a couple new signage and road markings that have been approved by the FHWA that I will discuss at the meeting that could suit Madison (and other parts of the city) very well.

Having now put around 10,000 miles on city streets (mostly to Middleburg Heights and back for work), I have come to believe that what would really help is (1) education of both cyclists and motorists as to their rights and responsibilities and how to co-exist safely, and (2) strict enforcement of traffic and cycling laws, again for both cyclists and motorists. It would also help if Ohio had a “vulnerable user” law like a couple other states do. Here in Ohio, if you hit a bike (or a pedestrian), all you really have to do is say “I didn’t see him” and even if you are at fault and even if you severely injure someone, you probably will just receive an ordinary citation. It takes a much higher level of misconduct before the consequences become more severe, and mere distraction does not typically rise to that level, unfortunately. Lakewood could also use a cell phone ban. In England, if you hit a cyclist, they check your cell phone records, and if you were on the phone at the time of the crash, you’re looking at jail time. That’s just about right in my opinion. There is no excuse whatsoever for distracted driving. It’s so easy to avoid, and that thing you’re steering can easily kill someone. I got hit a year ago by a very careless driver and all she got was “failure to yield” and two points. BTW she had no insurance.

Enough for now, see you at the meeting.

[Brad Hutchison]

2.A bike lane would clearly dictate to autos and bikers alike that bikes should be on the road just as equally as autos. Hence, following all traffic laws as a car would.

I think this is an important point: cyclists on the road, blowing through stop signs, red lights, etc. On a street like Madison or Clifton, it's no easy feat to safely pass a cyclist, let alone having to pass the same cyclist 5 times because he's not obeying traffic laws. Bike lanes do make passing easier.

[Melissa Page]

The ideal Madison Ave. would support equally all modes of transportation. That is, I guess, if you share a vision of Madison becoming more bustling than it currently is. In order to balance it back to the livable corridor it used to be before the love affair of autos pushed it out of balance we need to slow down automobiles and share the pavement space efficiently and effectively. The right balance between autos, buses, bikes, and pedestrians.

Madison Ave. is a little wider than Detroit Ave. but the space is still limited. To have a bike lane would likely mean going down to one lane each way and then middle turning lane (with parallel parking lane where room allows on each side).

Another concern I have is how autos and buses will work together on that same single lane. Autos will now get angrier because of buses holding them up. Granted busing service is very low right now. It should be a priority to build it back to at least what it was before the economy tanked. Busing is important for the same remarks promoted in the City Hall Planning & Development bicycling workshop meeting announcement which I quote here:

"Bicycling promotes efficient land use, promotes efficient use of road space, promotes equitable transportation, supports buying local, promotes health and fitness, reduces air and noise pollution, reduces traffic congestion, reduces taxpayer burden, reduces parking demand, reduces energy use, and is an integral part of a progressive community."

Moving masses of people by bus promote all the same benefits. Buses are more accommodating for a bag of groceries; having kids in tow; rainy, icy or cold weather; easier physical ability to walk over getting on a bike.

Buses will need to cut in and out across the biking lane every few blocks. We don't have room on the inside of Madison for our own bus lane like Euclid Corridor created.

Boy, I hope these concerns are being addressed in the study of putting bike lanes on Madison.

[Bill Call]

I once told someone that reasonable people could come to agreement on a reasonable proposal. He said, "Are you kidding? I served on the board of a little league team and we couldn't even agree on what color tee shirts to wear."

With that in mind...

I was just in a business area in the Northfield, Warrensville Heights area. Much of the business district looked pretty dismal. The basic business infratstructure of Madison compares very favorably. How to take advantage of that uniqueness?

1. A true cafe district with wider sidewalks. The current plan is a bit timid.
2. Dedicated bike path?
3. Better streetscapping?
4. Better maintenance and design coordination for commercial buildings?
5. Elimination of some street parking?
6. Expansion of off street parking?
7. Tear down some apartments?
8. More organized festivals and events?
9. New Clinic/Lakewood hospital building at the Hilliard Triangle?
10. Market the area as a new arts/cafe district? Ministry of Propaganda?
11. Are there potential synergies with the Library, Schools, YMCA and Beck Center?

The City of Cleveland and Plain Dealer are working overtime to make Temont into something it is not. Can the Maidson Avenue area be reinvented?

I hear from someone in the know who says the situation in the warehouse district is worse than reported. Can we steal some of that business? Is it worth stealing?

The City of Lakewood has some big advantages over places like Parma and Parma Heights and Fairview Park. Can we take advantage of that? All this talk of regionalism is fine but the guy in the meeeting who is thinking altruistically is the sucker in a suckers game.

[Jim O'Bryan]

"Bicycling promotes efficient land use, promotes efficient use of road space, promotes equitable transportation, supports buying local, promotes health and fitness, reduces air and noise pollution, reduces traffic congestion, reduces taxpayer burden, reduces parking demand, reduces energy use, and is an integral part of a progressive community."

Moving masses of people by bus promote all the same benefits. Buses are more accommodating for a bag of groceries; having kids in tow; rainy, icy or cold weather; easier physical ability to walk over getting on a bike.

Buses will need to cut in and out across the biking lane every few blocks. We don't have room on the inside of Madison for our own bus lane like Euclid Corridor created.

Boy, I hope these concerns are being addressed in the study of putting bike lanes on Madison.

Mel

Good points. I have often seen projects "hijacked" by one small group, that has the ability to
shut out or shoot down, a larger picture that desperately needs to be addressed.

Life goes through a series of fads, that change almost like the weather. The secret is to be able to conform to the important changes but leave options open for those coming down
the road.

Madison is the best place for sidewalk dinning, bike lanes if done right. It is wider than Detroit,
it is not a state route so easier to close down, and it has the right name Madison Ave. or as
many are starting to call it "Uptown."

The City of Lakewood has some big advantages over places like Parma and Parma Heights and Fairview Park. Can we take advantage of that? All this talk of regionalism is fine but the guy in the meeeting who is thinking altruistically is the sucker in a suckers game.

Bill, late ly you have been rolling out reasonable post after reasonable post. Did you change
your brand of beer, probably bought at Sullivan's?

We are now in a suckers game.

.

[Richard Cole]

The basic business infratstructure of Madison compares very favorably. How to take advantage of that uniqueness?

1. A true cafe district with wider sidewalks. The current plan is a bit timid.
2. Dedicated bike path?
3. Better streetscapping?
4. Better maintenance and design coordination for commercial buildings?
5. Elimination of some street parking?
6. Expansion of off street parking?
7. Tear down some apartments?
8. More organized festivals and events?
9. New Clinic/Lakewood hospital building at the Hilliard Triangle?
10. Market the area as a new arts/cafe district? Ministry of Propaganda?
11. Are there potential synergies with the Library, Schools, YMCA and Beck Center?

Bill - If I could vote - and this was your "pledge", I'd vote for you for one of those soon to be vacant city positions.

And...cyclists need to obey basic traffic laws. I would consider myself a cyclist, and I do bike around Lakewood stopping at red lights, going in the right direction etc. A couple of days ago as I was making a right turn onto Clifton, a cyclist came shooting along going west i.e. cycling against the traffic flow, almost slammed into my car. As a cyclist, when I'm driving I take great care to accommodate cyclists, but I'm not convinced that should extend to looking out for all possible illegal maneuvers.