Avon Lake looking to hire firm for bike lane safety study

AVON LAKE — The city is ready to take the next step in protecting cyclists riding in its bike lanes, announcing Monday that it is looking to hire the firm Mannik Smith Group to conduct a safety study on the Lake Road corridor. Representatives from Mannik Smith Group presented to City Council, showing some observations they have made during initial inspections of the road and discussing what could come in the future. "I think, improvement wise, if we can get funding to make those bike lanes to standard width and if we could somehow get some type of buffer out there, I think you would see a lot more use of the bike lanes themselves because (cyclists) would feel a lot safer riding in them," said project manager Pat Etchie. The firm's observations found the nearly 20-year-old Lake Road bike lanes to be about 2 feet narrower than the standard width of 6 feet that is used in many of today's lanes. Councilman David Kos said he will ask for passage of legislation approving the study in two weeks. Next year, a wider study on the entire city's bike safety is expected. This year's Lake Road study will cost the city $23,500, which Public Works Director Joe Reitz said is accounted for in Avon Lake's budget, and next year's wider study is expected to cost $21,000. Some of the possibilities that could come in the nearer future include "enhanced signs or constructing a median crossing," Etchie said. Lake Road is set to be resurfaced in an ODOT project in the coming years, which could prove to be a prime opportunity for longer-term improvements. Attention was called to bike safety in Avon Lake after two high-profile crashes between cars and cyclists occurred last year. Neither were found to be the fault of the cyclists or the city, but the incidents brought a renewed sense of urgency to make improvements. In May 2019, a Bay Village woman was seriously hurt after being struck by a car, and in June, civic leader Richard "Randy" Knilans was killed by a drunken driver as he rode in the designated bike lane on Lake Road, near Miller Road. The driver who struck Knilans, Sharan Carr, of Sheffield Lake, was sentenced to 3.5 years of prison time in January. Mayor Greg Zilka described Knilans as a friend whose death was tragic, but said it was part of the reason so many people both inside and outside of Avon Lake are interested in making improvements. "I was extremely impressed with Mannik Smith," Zilka added. "Looking at their success rate at getting funding itself is quite impressive. I think they are by far the best firm for us to work with and I'm very excited about that." The city held a meeting in December where residents and cycling advocates shared their concerns and suggestions to improve Avon Lake's existing bike safety measures. Some at that meeting said the recent crashes had them thinking twice before getting on a bike in the city. Many said it is particularly risky to ride along Lake Road, where they say drivers often exceed the speed limit. There have been four crashes involving cyclists on that corridor between 2017 and 2019, a number that is higher than expected. Some residents who viewed Monday's livestreamed meeting agreed on the dangers of that particular road. One resident commented to Council, via text, that the Lake Road bike lanes are often blocked by illegally parked trucks, a dilemma that has led to "ruts, cracks and crumble in areas." Reitz agreed, saying he is aware of the issue and needs to discuss it with the Avon Lake Police Department. Another resident commented via email that while walking along Lake Road, they have noticed trash and other obstructions cluttering the bike lanes, forcing bicyclists to ride on the inner edge of the lane and causing motorists to drive close to the center line to avoid them. Contact Dylan Reynolds at (440) 329-7123 or dreynolds@chroniclet.com. Follow him on Twitter @drey1357.