The Observation Deck

At the turn of the century Lakewood installed concrete sidewalks often before any paved roads went down next to them. Many of our homes were built with no need to think about installing a driveway because most did not own cars. Detroit and Madison developed and boomed around the electric streetcars until the 1950s. Though the love affair of auto-dependency has taken its toll on Lakewood, it held out pretty good maintaining its denser street grid, diverse and central mixed-use corridors with everyday needs and services, and neighborhood schools. Though cars have been king of the streets there had been doable RTA busing until recently. Walking and biking is doable but it depends on your situation and location whether this can meet all your needs.

As we enter 2010, many of Lakewood's decision makers seem to be following after the outmoded suburban sprawl model that makes a community auto-dependent and autos king of infrastructure design more than ever.

We are missing golden opportunities. You've heard the buzzwords like livable and healthy community, walkability, sustainability, low carbon footprint, green movement. Whatever words used to describe this new cycle, Lakewood is in a position to be ahead of the curve on this movement. Because Lakewood is already built for all of those things! We should be leading the way showing off heavily used public transit systems, complete streets where walking and biking are supported equally with autos, and neighborhood schools. Suburban sprawl was a wasteful, inefficient, bad idea. Lakewood’s layout is efficient, sustaining, and livable.

But we are not leading the way.

Our RTA Busing services look to be cut more than 50%. We are preparing to cut down to 6 elementary schools instead of 7 as was part of the original school master plan. And they are more located on the edges of the city. We are allowing Social Security to build a new building on Detroit Ave. with a back parking lot entrance only and restrict new restaurants on the number of serving tables they can have based on the number of parking spaces they have.

Are you okay with Lakewood becoming more auto-dependent?

I encourage you to check out this website. http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org

It gives information, resources, and news on what is referred to as “Smart Growth”. Their Mission Statement: Americans want fewer hours in traffic and more opportunities to enjoy green space; housing that is both affordable and close to jobs and activities; healthy cities, towns and suburbs; air and water of the highest quality; and a landscape our children can be proud to inherit. Smart growth offers the best chance we have of attaining those goals. To that end: Smart Growth America's coalition is working to support citizen-driven planning that coordinates development, transportation, revitalization of older areas and preservation of open space and the environment.

Say "Amen," somebody.

Mel, the city needs an organized effort to capitalize on this selling point.

It needs to be an effort with "back end"--broad, well-informed support from people who have built the use of those assets into their daily lives.

I think LEAF's Rutabaga Nights was a big public expression of the idea that a lot of people in Lakewood are interested in sustainability as it relates to food. I think many of those people share similar ideals in the way they get around. I personally know that a lot of them are walkers and bicyclists who like Lakewood because it allows them to take advantage of what you describe.

Ok I'll give you an amen. One of the biggest adjustments for me in living in the midwest (besides the cold) is the lack of useable public transportation. While it is fairly simple to get around Lakewood without a car, it is very difficult to get outside of the city limits in a reasonable amount of time. I think that we are a unique city. We are a city that people chose because you don't need a car to get around. Many people simply cannot afford cars or have chosen not to rely on cars and that should be a selling point for Lakewood.

I agree too...but what about other forms of transportation...what happened to the bike paths for Lakewood and bike racks...I have a scooter...what about more promotion for that mode of transportation...I get 100 miles per gallon!

Rhonda

Rhonda, my parents are scooter riders too. They love their scooter and it's a great fuel efficient vehicle that works well in a city the size of Lakewood. I would love to ride one but I don't think I could do my grocery shopping with one unless I invested in a trailer to go along with it.

Picking up on what Danielle said----
I think it would be ideal if public transportation in the Greater Cleveland area could be synergistic with other, non-auto modes of transportation. And, Lakewood is uniquely suited to this by its size and its residents lifestyle perspectives. Michael Gill's comments point this out.

Now, for the flip side -------- RTA.

The current emphasis on the elimination of the Community Circulators focuses primarily on public transportation dependent folks. While this emphasis is understandable it is upside down. RTA should view its mission as transferring transportation from private to public.

As I have posted elsewhere, this is what younger folks have experienced in other sophisticated metropolitan areas in the US and around the world. It is what is needed to attract that type of person to Cleveland and Lakewood.

Having laid out my view of a mission for RTA I have to say it is doing everything wrong to achieve it. First of all, that agency has never demonstrated a 21st century understanding of public participation - to whit- The Observation Deck. It still relies on the decades old model of the public meeting during working hours which incidentally require transit dependent attendees to ride the bus the reduced service of which they are attending the meeting for.

As Jim O'Bryan has observed, we have the accordion buses on Detroit now. What lunacy!!!!! Eliminate the thrifty, nifty Circulators for a vehicle that just plain doesn't fit!

My final piece of evidence of RTA's policy of subtraction and civic diminishment is the Euclid Corridor Project. It has been the final nail in the coffin for a once thriving thoroughfare.

The current Lakewood Administration has taken good steps to protect Lakewood's interests vis a vis RTA. I would suggest it take it to the ultimate. Use Lakewood's influence and join with the other suburbs to totally replace the RTA board so that it represents people who "get it" in terms of public transportation. And then, hire management who will execute policies that will actually promote public transportation in Greater Cleveland and Lakewood.

Stan Austin

Mel Page wrote:Are you okay with Lakewood becoming more auto-dependent?

I encourage you to check out this website. http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org

.

It seems the Shoreway is back in the news:

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/12 ... est_s.html

Representative Skindell added a rider to a bill that will lower the speed limit on the Shoreway. This will permit the City to convert the Shoreway into a boulevard and increase access to the waterfront for the people on the Westside of Cleveland.

There has been some talk of extending the Health Line from Public Square to West Clifton in Lakewood. Even I might use that line to get to the Natural History Museum or Playhouse Square.

Here is a look at what was proposed for the Lakefront:

http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/la ... index.html

It takes awhile to load but it is worth the wait. I wonder who killed this project?

We travel a bit, and in Europe it is common for areas to be pedestrian-only (I'm not talking about the remote mountaintop villages, where it is common, but a lot of the larger towns).

I've read that merchants oppose this when it is first proposed, but praise it after it is effected, as apparently they get a lot more business from foot traffic, and have more space to set out displays.

But at the same time, I would guess that most of us who work, work outside of Lakewood, and feel we need cars to commute. In fact, that problem has worsened in recent years with so many two-earner families needing two cars.

What ever happened to Bike Lakewood? Still have a website but not much action on their site since 2007. Also, any news on the Clifton Boulevard Streetscape Enhancement Project? I recall this was to make Clifton more pedestrian friendly and adding a possible bike lane to Clifton.

It would also be nice to have sidewalks along all of Clifton Blvd and a way to walk or ride over the bridge to RR.

Bike racks and street scapes can't hurt. I think a bike/ped crossing of the Clifton to RR freeway would be especially popular.

But I think the most important infrastructure is human. Lakewood's infrastructure is already very good for walking and biking, and attractive to people who want to be able to use those forms of transportation. The key is to build awareness and community among those people, and to court more of them.

Who do you know who really ought to live in Lakewood?

Hey, Mike,

There actually is access on the Clifton Blvd. bridge over to RR. RR (I think) made an improvemen a few years ago, so if you walk on the north side of the Clifton bridge, you can now take a sidewalk (vs. the worn footpath of yore) down towards Battersea. It's a roundabout way to Detroit, though, the next access point is Linda Street. I run that way regularly. I suppose if I could get straight to Detroit, I wouldn't run as far!

Christina

Hellooo Christina.

Obviously I don't go that way.

Rhonda, have you tried this?

Michael,
No.......we ride our scooters across the bridge and also see many people ride their bikes over the bridge. It is not a bicycle or pedestrian friendly place...very intimidating! The speed limit and the appearance that Clifton Blvd is a highway on the Lakewood side does not help.
Rhonda

Rhonda loje wrote:I agree too...but what about other forms of transportation...what happened to the bike paths for Lakewood and bike racks...I have a scooter...what about more promotion for that mode of transportation...I get 100 miles per gallon!

Rhonda

You've got a gas scooter? During the warmer months, I've got an electric scooter I ride around on. I max out at about 15mph, though, so I stick to the sidewalks.
I've done the math and since I got it in June 07, I've put over 750 miles on it. I do my grocery shopping with it too. If I'm traveling around Lakewood (and its warm enough) I'm riding it.

But a little more on topic, I would love to see Lakewood make some changes to promote non-car usage. Walking and bikes are good exercise. Scooters are cheaper.