BUCYRUS — North Sandusky Avenue resident Mary Bolin’s voice was full of emotion Tuesday evening as she spoke out against a proposed bike lane during the Bucyrus City Council’s Health and Safety Committee meeting.
“I am here because I am against this. I take care of a handicap brother and a handicap sister. 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. You guys doing this to me will kill me,” Bolin said. “Are you guys going to come and help me get them in and out, I know you won’t. It’s not fair to me or these other people here. I pay my taxes like everyone else.”
Bolin suggested the bike path be installed on Tiffin Street where there are no alleys, parking or side streets. She said is not feasible for her to walk her handicap siblings 50 feet to the alley behind her house to get them in her van.
Lisa Alsept, also a resident on North Sandusky Avenue, asked if the Ohio Department of Transportation project plans only include a bike path to the U.S. 30 bypass.
Reser said he could not answer that because he did not have the drawings for the project in front of him to see where it ends and reiterated that those questions may be answered at a town hall meeting scheduled Jan. 10 at 6 p.m.
Kevin Myers, chair of the Health and Safety Committee, did answer her question.
“Lisa, the way I had it explained to me is that this particular part of the project goes up pretty much to the bypass and it will be a separate project for us to undertake to take it on out to the industrial park,” Myers said.
Alsept asked if ODOT is paying for the entire project to the bypass and Myers explained ODOT is paying for 90 percent of the scope of the project that goes from Perry Street to Melcher Street.
“At a later time, we would have to undertake the bike path going on out, so it is two separate projects,” Myers said.
Alsept asked where the bike lane will begin.
“People aren’t just going to get on the bike path at Perry Street, are they? Are there plans for the rest of it,” Alsept asked.
Reser said again the drawings and the city’s engineering firm, Brandstetter, will be at the meeting on Jan. 10 to explain.
Alsept said she wants the committee to know she is against it, not only for the inconvenience of losing the parking in front of her home but for the side streets that will lose parking to Sandusky Avenue residents that will have to park on them.
“If I have a family gathering, I am going to fill Emerson Street up,” Alsept said. “There is only room in my driveway for two cars, and they are small cars.”
Myers said he received calls from residents who live on the side streets who are concerned about the parking issue if the bike lanes are created.
Ray Thitoff, who lives on the other side of town on Ethel Street, was at the meeting to let the committee know the dangers of a bike lane versus a bike path.
“I obviously do not have a dog in the fight as far as parking goes but I want to talk about the safety aspect. I am an avid runner and run all over the city of Bucyrus,” Thitoff said.
He said the bike path on East Mansfield Street to Walmart is one of the most dangerous parts of the city and that vehicles are inches away traveling in excess of 35 miles per hour.
“I call it a bike lane because bike paths are separated from the streets,” he said.
He said if the proposed bike lane is anything like the one on East Mansfield Street, someone is going to get killed.
“I encourage all of you to use the bike lane out there, walk it, bike it. Go west so you can see the cars coming at you,” Thitoff said. “Numerous times I have had to jump out of the way because there are numerous cars coming over that white line.”
Reser said that particular lane is narrower because it is a walking path, not a bike lane, and that the bike lane will be a foot wider.
“A foot here or a foot there, it’s still dangerous,” Thitoff said.
Diane Miller, who lives on West Southern Avenue, said she does not think bike lanes and traffic mix well and is against the installation of bike lanes in the city.
“Someone is going to get killed,” Miller said.
Jerry Dolin said he draws the bike paths for the annual Bratwurst Festival bike ride and that the ride cannot go through the city because there is no safe way to route it.
“We start at Pickwick and go out through the county to Upper Sandusky,” Dolin said. “There are things the city can do to make it safer from that point on out, even though it is the county.”
Liz Dolin said she is for the bike lane to be installed.
“I think our city needs to encourage alternate forms of transportation,” she said.
Leonard Hord, who also lives on North Sandusky, said the city is going to get the funding for the paving of the street to the bypass whether or not a bike lane is created.
“We would not be here today if the city had not come up with this plan for bike lane and taking away our parking,” Hord said.
He also mentioned delivery trucks to businesses will be forced to stop in the middle of the road.
Reser said the deadline to give the plans to ODOT is not Dec. 14 as originally thought but the plans are due in February, allowing time for a town hall meeting Jan. 10 at 6 p.m.
“We will be able to answer all of the questions at that meeting,” Reser said.
The issue was tabled until the town hall meeting is hosted by the health and safety and finance committees.