Lakewood
www.bikelakewood.org
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Better Biking in Lakewood www.bikelakewood.org |
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Report Cycling Hazards to BikeLakewood! Please use this link to report unsafe road conditions to BikeLakewood and we will refer the hazard over to the proper authority for repair. Often, the departments who maintains the streets for city, county and state governments do not maintain streets with cyclists in mind. Nor do local government employees even know what conditions might be hazardous to cyclists. But we cyclists do. And most often, local governments are willing to rectify problems that are reported. After all, Ohio state law regards cyclists as equal users of the roads, so it would stand to reason that local governments are equally accountable for providing safe streets for cyclists. Lakewood's streets are not the best as we all know. But they are by and large safe for cycling. Perhaps the most potentially hazardous problem in Lakewood is cracks and separations in the roadways that run parallel to the direction of travel. Such cracks can knock a cyclist off a bike, but fortunately are not abundant. However there are instances of cracks in Lakewood's pavement that can be hazardous. Depicted below is a split seam in the asphalt on Lake Road, just west of Belle, looking east.  What makes this instance more troubling is that the crack appears just about right where a cyclist is likely to travel. To be safe, one should cycle to the left of the crack, so as not to travel in the "door zone" of the parked cars. However, some timid cyclists might not be willing to cycle so far to the left.. To be fair, BikeLakewood has not yet reported this potential hazard to Lakewood city officials. As most Lakewood streets are asphalt, we do not have the common problem of concrete slabs, poured around sewer grates, manhole covers and the like, that have shifted and can cause significant problems for cyclists. Another potential urban cycling hazard is storm sewer grates, and Lakewood might have at least some grates that are in need of replacement. Below is a hazardous sewer grate that was recently replaced on Marlowe.  Lakewood's Public Works Department has already shown its willingness to replace hazardous grates. Thankfully, this grate has already been replaced, and BikeLakewood is not aware of any other such grates in the city. But we have not yet surveyed the city either. If you see a similar grate (this one was marked "Madison Foundry") please report it using the link above and we will relay that information to the appropriate individual. BikeLakewood believes that very few such grates remain in Lakewood, if any. It is our intention to survey every street in Lakewood and report any other hazardous grates, so that they can be replaced during the 2007 construction season. |