Bike lanes to be painted on Hilliard this fall
But don’t use them until April, mayor says
By Kevin Kelley
Westlake
Published July 12, 2006

City Council and the Clough administration have decided to add a bike lane to each side of Hilliard Boulevard, from the Rocky River border to Dover Center Road. The lines marking the lanes should be painted sometime this fall.

But just like one shouldn’t open an early Christmas gift until Christmas Day, Mayor Dennis Clough doesn’t want cyclists using the Hilliard bike lanes until the city officially inaugurates them in April.

This schedule painting the lanes in August or September but not putting them into official use until April is the result of a compromise Clough announced at the July 6 City Council meeting. The bike lane issue had created an unusual division among council and the administration.

When the bike lanes are painted this fall, signs will also be posted stating the they will not officially open until April, Clough said.

“The reason for that,” the mayor said, “is to get people used to the markings on the street so that when we do open them up next year, the motorists will at least have had some experience with the lane width on Hilliard Boulevard and the fact that there will be a bike lane next year.”

Both the mayor and Police Chief Richard Walling acknowledged that cyclists have the legal right to ride on the street, both now and after the lines are painted.

“We do believe that most people, when they would see that the signs say the bike lane is not officially open until next year, they would abide by it,” Clough said.

At a council committee-of-the-whole meeting June 28, the police chief argued his research indicated bike lanes alongside car traffic have not been proven safe. Accidents can happen when cars exit a driveway or a car fails to yield while making a turn, he said.

Walling told West Life he favored widening the sidewalks on Hilliard and putting the bike lanes there. He also said the city would need time to pass a number of ordinances regulating the bike lanes. Such ordinances would prohibit joggers and strollers from the bike lanes.

But Bob Parry, the city’s director of planning and economic development, said state law already recognizes bikes as legal vehicles which can drive on the roads. Parry, an avid cyclist himself, cited studies stating bike lanes are safe.

Council had already passed an ordinance June 22 approving a contract with Mar-King Construction to paint road stripes and crosswalks in anticipation of the opening of school in the fall. Striping of the Hilliard bike lane was added as a $12,150 option to the $172,385 contract.

At the June 28 committee meeting, council voted 4 to 3 to confirm the bike lane option after a lengthy, vigorous debate. Voting in favor of the bike lanes were Ed Hack, Ward 1; Jim Connole, Ward 2; Ken Brady, Ward 5; and Council President Michael Killeen. Voting against the lanes were Dennis Sullivan, Ward 2; Michael O’Donnell, Ward 4; and Nan Baker, Ward 6.

At the July 6 meeting, Baker said if such a compromise had been in place at the time of the vote, she would have voted for the bike lanes.

Also at the July 6 council meeting, Clough said he favors not only painting the bike lanes on Hilliard, but also a more ambitious, long-range plan of adding bike paths throughout the city.

Both Clough and Walling called the timeline the two agreed to a good compromise.

Walling said the city will form a committee to write ordinances regulating use of the bike lanes as well as educate citizens about related cycling safety issues.

“At this point, bicyclists can drive on any street in Westlake if they so choose, except I-90,” Walling said. “They do have to stay as far to the right as practical. It’s not going to stop the avid bicyclist from using the bike lane. What we’re going to discourage is the novice bicyclist to come out and use the bike lane until the official opening day, which will be April 1, 2007.”

The addition of the bike lanes means the car lanes on Hilliard will be reduced from 15 to 11 feet in width. Delaying the official opening of the bike lanes will give motorists time to become accustomed to the narrower lanes, Walling said.

“There won’t be as many people using the bike lane this year, but there will be some,” Walling acknowledged. “But next year, of course, when all the education is done and it’s advertised ... there will be a lot more people using that bike lane.”