The Observation Deck

Was speaking with a person in the know today, good guy. He went into detail about how the city needs bike racks. I never thought about it, I always just lock to anything nearby.

He was talking about something stylish, yet functional. Large enough for bikes, not just a bike or two.

Already had mapped out where he would like to see them. Park at Detroit and Cook, Outside the library, wherever there was enough room and enough reason to have them.

To be honest, when he mentioned less than $13,000, and thought how permanent the bike racks could be. How nice some artsy ones like Legacy Village, all I could do was say then what?

Well he would like to see bike paths down Detroit and Madison that hook up on Riverside at take bikers safely to the park.

Any thoughts?


.

A couple of thoughts:

1. Is there room along the railroad right-of-way for a bike path?

2. There is (or at least was) a neat thing going on at William and Mary. A group would get all the abandoned/unclaimed bikes from the cops. They would fix them up, paint the frames an ungodly shade of orange and turn them loose. Want to go across campus? Grab an orange bike, ride it to class, leave it in a rack. Look for another one later. All the orange bikes seem to have disappeared now. Something like this might make an interesting service project for a group of young people with benign crypto-anarchist tendencies.

Joe McClain wrote:A couple of thoughts:

1. Is there room along the railroad right-of-way for a bike path?

2. There is (or at least was) a neat thing going on at William and Mary. A group would get all the abandoned/unclaimed bikes from the cops. They would fix them up, paint the frames an ungodly shade of orange and turn them loose. Want to go across campus? Grab an orange bike, ride it to class, leave it in a rack. Look for another one later. All the orange bikes seem to have disappeared now. Something like this might make an interesting service project for a group of young people with benign crypto-anarchist tendencies.

Joe


I love both ideas. There is actually a small group of criminals that I am proud to be part of that every year gets together to "trespass" and clean up the tracks. We have often talked about riding the tracks everyday until we get a little path cut into the undergrowth. But to be honest most of us are too busy to do it everyday.

The railroad of course wants no one down there. They would not even give us permission to clean the tracks using our labor or bags and our garbage dump. At the same time the city could not give us permission either and even made it clear if we get arrested there is nothing they can do.

But with the skatepark in full swing and the BMX bikers looking for a place. along the tracks could be the spot. With a little area of jumps where the rarely opened almost never used Little Links is located.

As for the orange bike, I am more than willing to throw that idea to the law department. I know where they could get a dozen to start.

On another note - You are missed.


.

As you know, I know a thing or two about biking in Lakewood and urban biking in general.......

Racks – This is the #1 need. It surprises me to no end how few racks there are in Lakewood. You have to improvise everywhere you go. The only rack I even know of is at Nature's Bin and it's a piece of junk that can be picked up and thrown in the back of a pick-up, bike and all. I'm sure there are others but not at places I go (Detroit Theater, Marc's Plaza, The Place to Be, etc.). $13,000 for bike racks sounds like a steal.

Bike Path – I'm very skeptical about bike paths. Any experienced urban cyclist knows that the safest place to cycle is right in the street, where motorists are constantly looking for other cars. The most dangerous place to ride a bike is the sidewalk because motorists are not looking for fast-moving vehicles (bikes) on sidewalks and especially in crosswalks. When kids (and even some ignorant adults) dart through crosswalks on their bikes, they obviously have no idea how unsafe that is.

Bike paths are often not much safer. Motorists are accustomed to looking for (1) fast things in the street (usually cars), and (2) slow things in the intersections (usually pedestrians). If you fast-moving and not where the cars are, you are in danger. Period. A buddy of mine was hit recently in a bike path by a motorist making a right hand turn. Frankly, the motorist was not necessarily at fault. Nor was the cyclist. It was the fault of the bike path!

Plus, bike paths require regular maintenance or they become dangerous debris fields. Done right, bike paths are expensive to create and maintain and not necessarily much safer than riding on the sidewalk. Done wrong, bike paths often end up like this:



This path offers a deathtrap trifecta: the change in surface, the loose gravel, and the sewer grate.

Jim, I do understand there are no motorists along the railway. Good luck getting the right to use it. I think the proverbial snowball has a better chance. It would be very cool though.....

One thing Lakewood should do is to modify its ordinances that relate to cycling. I've not read the actual ordinance, but my understanding is that (1) Lakewood requires cyclists (even street riders) to dismount at every intersection and walk the bike across (dangerous and impractical) and (2) Lakewood requires riders to use a bike path and not the street if a path is available. I could not support bike paths until this particular ordinance is changed. Paths may be safer for little kids but they are not safer for me so don't require me to use one. There is a model ordinance offered by bike advocacy organizations that Lakewood could easily adopt.

The real need is for education. Motorists need to understand that cyclists are out there, and that they enjoy the same rights to the streets. Don't expect me to use the debris field or the cinders, and don't honk at me when I occupy the lane. It's my right. And signal your turns. I do watch front wheels but otherwise I am not a mind reader. And for goodness sake LOOK IN YOUR DRIVER'S SIDE MIRROR BEFORE YOU OPEN YOUR DOOR. I don't always have room to avoid the door zone.

As for cyclists, they need to understand that they are subject to the same regulations as motorists: to stop at red lights and stop signs, to use hand signals, etc. And cyclists REALLY need to understand the dangers of using the sidewalks and crosswalks at greater than walking speeds. Cycling through crosswalks, even with the “walkâ€Â￾ sign, will get you run over sooner or later. Another way to get run over is high-speed on a sidewalk, by a motorist turning into his/her driveway. A third way is on the sidewalk, going the opposite direction of traffic, by a motorist making a left turn. In all three instances it won't necessarily be the motorist's fault. I have taught my children why it's important to ride in the street and how to do so. You should do likewise.

But back to the topic. Bring on the racks please! But proper paths are, I suspect, beyond Lakewood's budget to do right. I'm fine with the streets, at least the ones that don't rattle my teeth!

Wow. So you're that guy that I throw my soft drink at when you're riding in front of me on the street. Bastard.

But at least I know why, now. Okay. I can respect that. Let's compromise though. How about putting an engine on that puppy so you can ride a little faster?

Anyway, I don't want to sound like a prick, because trust me: I love taxes as much as the next extreme leftist, but sell me on the bike racks; why do I want to pay taxes for bike racks when I don't even ride a bike. Yeah, yeah, $13,000 divided by the population of working tax payers in Lakewood comes to something completely miniscule respectively, but still, why should I care?

Dick, the Devil's Advocate

Dick

Let's compromise though. How about putting an engine on that puppy so you can ride a little faster?

Trust me on this.....It isn't Tim who's doggin' it in front of you. He's more likely to get a speeding ticket.

Jeff

Jim,

There is no way I would ever ride my bike on detroit or madison. I got hit by a car while riding my bike on the sidewalk on madison.

There's too much traffic around here to ride a bike. It's like a suicide mission. That's why you don't see too many motorcycle drivers out and about as you would see in other cities.

But the street's around here look like swiss cheese because of all the holes and cracks.

After realizing I can get hit by a car while being on the sidewalk, I wouldn't go near a bike path/lane that is on the side of a street as busy and clotted as Detroit.

And also, here in Lakewood you need three locks to lock your bike up. I go to Lakewood High School, and bikes disappear like the baseballs do when they go over the fence in the movie Sandlot. They should make alarms for bikes. "Please step away from the bicycle!"

Ivor

I agree with the traffic it is a tough ride. This is one reason why the person I was speaking with talked about marked off lanes for bikes. Last year I had my motorcycle out and from the office to home(20 blocks) I was nearly taken out by three cars that just were not looking for motorcycles. since then I have stuck with the scooter which is much more manuverable, and use the motorcycle for Sunday Morning rides.

At the same time I see Michael Gill ride past on Detroit riding downtown to work. We know no matter what the weather Tim is riding out to Middleberg Heights. (Dick, Jeff is right, you are not being held up by Tim. Better chance that he is being held up by you.)

Would bike lanes help?

What do you think of Joe's Orange FREE BIKE idea?
(I would kick in some orange bikes to the cause)


.

I'm totally with Mr. K. Biking east-west in Lakewood can be harrowing. Even Lake, where you need to negotiate around parked cars that suddenly pop up in curb lanes, can test a casual biker's nerves.

Bike lanes could improve that and encourage more recreational, and possibly even more utiltarian, use in the city.

Of course, that puts me at odds with Mr Liston again, but he is obviously a serious, experienced, confident cyclist, which the vast majority of us aren't.

I think the Metroparks system works fine. Serious bicyclists are free to use the main roadway, while the bike trails exist for the rest of us.

Hi again.......

First things first I hate to burst any bubbles but I drove to work today. Short workday, many errands, capped off with a daughter's softball tourney that starts tonight in Massillon. Not to mention a minor mechanical problem with my favorite ride........

Don't get me wrong. I'm not strictly opposed to bike paths. I just have two reservations. One, don't *require* cyclists to use them, as is Lakewood's law today. I have no fear whatsoever of Detroit or Madison. The north-south streets concern me a little bit, with drivers backing out of driveways, and all those parked cars obscuring their vision. And two, be aware that most bike paths, particularly those that are merely marked off lanes on busy streets, are only marginally safer than riding on the sidewalk and in crosswalks. But bike paths could serve two purposes I suppose. First, paths might make motorists more cautious. And two, bike paths could help bolster Lakewood's image as a walkable/rideable “new urbanâ€Â￾ city.

Ivor you say you got hit while riding your bike on the sidewalk? I presume you were in a crosswalk or perhaps a driveway, and you make my point exactly. Drivers simply do not (cannot) monitor fast-moving vehicles that are not on the road. If (for example) you dart into the path of a driver who is making a left turn, it is your own darn fault. Kids do this all the time. Not saying that's what happened..........

As for orange bikes, one person to talk to would be Jim Sheehan, who runs the Ohio City Bicycle Co-op down in the Flats. Jim will undoubtedly know if and how such a program can be successfully run. By the way the Bike Co-op is a unique place; make a point to visit there sometime. Used bikes and parts everywhere and right on the river. The other organization that would undoubtedly have some know-how is Cleveland Bikes, though I am not personally very familiar with this organization. Cleveland Bikes could also weigh in on the pros and cons of bike paths. Jim O., if you or someone in the city really thinks paths or orange bikes are worth exploring, let me know. At a minimum I will see what Jim S. and the folks at Cleveland Bikes have to say.

And finally a few words for Devil's Advocate. Be nice. With gas headed for $6/gallon, you might be joining me soon. And even though you used a bad word, you can ride with me. For a half-mile or so. Then my 51-year-old heart/lungs/legs are gonna leave you far, far behind.......

It fascinates me how high the emotions run when talk turns to riding bicycles in the streets, or treating them like vehicles rather than toys. As in so many discussions, the reality is ever so much calmer than the rhetoric.

I've been riding my bike to work for four years, year round except when it's raining in the morning or when there's snow laying on the pavement. There are undeniable dangers, and once in a while someone in a car gets worked up by the presence of a bicycle in the road, as if someone desecrated their icon. But I've never been hit or hurt.

In fact, the vast majority of the time I cruise back and forth down Detroit from the Lakewood Y to the Warehouse district and feel nothing but respect. I take as much space as I need. I wouldn't ride in the gutter pictured above. I look drivers in the eye when I can, and acknowledge when someone has given me space. I pay my taxes. I've got every bit as much right to be on the pavement as everyone else.

Which brings me to a question above--someone asked for justification of spending public money on bike racks.

A person could just as easily ask for justification of spending public money on parking lots. In Cleveland proper, according to the last census, almost one in four adults doesn't have regular access to a car. Why should those people pay whatever portion of their taxes is spent on streets, highways, bridges, and parking lots?

What makes bike racks an especially good idea in Lakewood is that we don't have a lot of space. You can fit a lot more bikes in a given amount of space than you can cars. Some businesses in Lakewood have regular customers who arrive by bicycle and have no place to park that wouldn't obstruct the sidewalk. A bike rack occupying a car's street parking space might enable ten or a dozen customers to park in the same space as a single car.

I'm not among those who believe people's transport habits will change en masse voluntarily just to make Lakewood a cool, more sustainable and economically viable place. But Lakewood already has businesses with customers who get around on bikes. Why spend public money on that? Because it enables commerce, reduces congestion, and is at least a step toward treating the two wheeled tax payers with the same respect we give those who burn gasoline as they go.

Change the speed limit on Lake ave to 25 mph and turn part of it into a bike lane. It would benefit all with the exception of the commuters that drive 50mph down lake and now they can drive down Clifton instead.
Lets get started next week!

John.....

RIGHT ON!!

I have thought about this repeatedly and I would go you one better. Why is it even possible to traverse Lakewood from one end to the other on Lake Road? That's what Clifton Blvd. is for.

Clifton Blvd. = five lanes
Lake Road = two lanes

Yet they are about the same width.

Terminate Lake Road in a couple of spots, move the commuters to Clifton Blvd. Give over a few feet of Lake Road to bikes and MAKE IT SAFE! They put that infernal Clifton Road Bridge for the Rocky River / Bay Village commuters back in the 60's, why should they be encouraged to use Lake Road instead? Frankly IMO they should have dismantled that bridge, rather than rebuild it, now that I90 is available.

I feel the same way about the Metropark roadway. Why is it even possible to drive from Strongsville to Lakewood without leaving the Metropark? There should be at least two or three points where you have to go back up the hill. Making it impossible to commute via the Metropark. Making it safer for those who use the park for what it is really intended.

When I attended the Clifton Road improvement meetings they said they had no plans for bike paths on Clifton Blvd., remarking that Lake was better suited. I was fine with that......

Of course I am biased because I live on Lake, but ALL the neighbors I speak to on Lake have one major complaint, the traffic,specifcally the speeders and the noise. This may sound obnoxious to some but Lake Ave holds the most expensive real estate in Lakewood and to have the desirability of that street lessen is not good for Lakewood on the whole.
Just a tiny quality if life issue but part of the Lakewood equation.
How about closing access to the shoreway from Lake? Reduce speed to 25 and allow parking on both sides during the day or some combo incuding a bike lane. All would reduce traffic speed and volume and increase the desirablity of Lakewood as a whole.
Would it not also be better to have traffic go through the business districts on detroit and madison or the 5 lane state route Clifton?
Sorry a little off subject but close.

I live on Lake, too. However, the pot is calling the kettle black. A lot of the speeders on Lake live on Lake.

As previously mentioned on this board, my opinion is that speed enforcement as well as enforcment of many other city laws/ordinances is seriously lacking in Lakewood. However, you do sound very obnoxious. Your street is not any more important than any other street.

If you think you are too good to live in Lakewood, maybe you should put your house up for sale before the speeders decrease its market value too much.

Doug