BUCYRUS — People from all over the city made their way into Bucyrus City Hall’s lobby Thursday evening for an informational meeting regarding a proposal to create bike lanes on North Sandusky Avenue.
Several residents, like Leonard Hord, will lose parking spaces in front of their homes if the bike lane is approved by city council.
“Has anyone seen what parking is like when there is a show at the Little Theater? People have no place to park that live in the neighborhood and it will be like that all the time if we lose parking on North Sandusky Avenue,” Hord said.
Mary Bolin spoke at a recent council meeting against the possibility of losing her parking place in front of her home and attended the meeting Thursday.
“I take care of a handicap brother and a handicap sister,” Bolin said. “I have lived in my house for 35 years and never have I been told I cannot park in front of my home. I put handicap rails in to get them in and out of my van.”
Council president Sis Love said the city, along with local clubs and organizations, will create an alley and parking behind the houses on North Sandusky.
“We will not leave people without a place to park,” Love said.
Bolin pointed out that a parking space behind her house would be at least 50 yards away for her handicapped siblings.
“There is no way that would work,” Bolin said.
Bolin’s neighbor, Lisa Alsept, knows all too well how dangerous the stretch of road in front of her house can be.
“I have lived there 13 years and there have been five accidents, the last one was a fatal,” Alsept said. “None of them involved bicycles but can you imagine if they did. I don’t want to see someone get killed and these bike lanes will not be any safer than someone riding on the street now. A white line is not going to protect someone on a bicycle.”
Mayor Jeff Reser said the bike lanes are needed for people who work at the Industrial Park but admits they will end before the U.S. 30 bypass.
“They are part of a larger plan in the future,” Reser said.
Alsept said she has only seen one person riding a bike to work at the park.
“There are people who walk to work so why not put a sidewalk and lights out to the industrial park and leave our parking alone,” Alsept said.
Avid bicyclist Tom Moon said he has logged 123 miles already this month on his bicycle and more than 6,000 miles last year.
“I am against the bike lanes. If I want to ride on them, I would be riding my bike for 13 or 14 blocks, on the street, before I even get to the bike lanes,” Moon said.
Moon said bike lanes are not the same as bike paths.
“Bike lanes run right beside traffic which means sharp objects and debris end up in the bike lane,” he said. “It is legal for cyclists not to use the bike lanes.”
Bucyrus Police Chief David Koepke, who often rides a bicycle while on patrol in warm weather, said the bike lanes are not much different from riding on the street.
“People need to follow all of the rules of the road, whether in a car or on a bicycle,” Koepke said.
Oak Drive resident Liz Dolan is also an avid bicyclist and is in favor of the installation of bicycle lanes.
“I think they make cyclists safer because people see the markings and are more aware to watch out for people on bikes,” Dolan said.
Laura Rule lives on Ohio 4 North, approximately five miles past the proposed bike lane area.
“I came to this meeting because I don’t want to see people lose their parking that they have had for 35 years or more,” Rule said.
Rule said the semi-trailer traffic on Ohio 4 is unreal.
“Those semis are traveling 70 miles per hour by the time they reach my house,” Rule said. “I do not see how this area of Sandusky Avenue is a safe place for bike lanes.”
City Service Safety Director Jeff Wagner said the original plan for a town hall style meeting was changed to one with different stations to explain the project per representatives from the Ohio Department of Transportation.
“ODOT wanted the meeting to be done this way so that people’s questions could be answered in a better way,” Wagner said.
Drawings of the proposed bike path were on display by the city’s engineering firm, Brandstetter-Carroll. The city is paying for the architectural drawings.
“We won’t know how much they cost until we are billed for them, but the money will come from our miscellaneous fund,” Wagner said.
Bob Weaver, acting deputy director for ODOT, said ODOT is paying for the majority of the paving project on North Sandusky Avenue.
“The city has a certain amount of matching funds that have to be paid,” Weaver said. “It is too early to know what the final costs of the project will be.”
He said ODOT does not have any decision-making when it comes to the proposed bike lanes.
“That is a city project and will be funded by the city,” Weaver said.
Wagner said the city will be taking comments from residents about the bike lanes during the next 30 days. The issue then will be presented for consideration to the city council’s Health and Safety Committee.
Kevin Myers, chair of the committee, said he welcomes comments and questions from citizens and may be reached at 419-617-5900 or by emailing him at kmyers@cityofbucyrusoh.us.
Wagner may be reached at 419-562-6767 or by visiting the mayor’s office.
All council members and city administration contact information may be found on the city’s website.