In Lakewood, there’s no shortage of activities and programs.
Even in it’s very design, Lakewood is walkable.
With over 180 miles of sidewalks and 90 miles of streets, Lakewood is recognized as Ohio’s most walkable city based on the nationally recognized ranking system Walk Score. An estimated 77 percent of Lakewood residents commute to work by car, while a combined 10% walk or use public transportation. Based on a 2010 traffic analysis, approximately 1,100 pedestrians and 225 cyclists pass through downtown in a typical six-hour period.
Lakewood’s Bicycle Master Plan was adopted by City Council in 2012 and has led to several significant milestones such as the installation of 16 bicycle signs and more than 50 new bicycle racks citywide, including the region’s first on-street bicycle corral. Funds have also been allocated to introduce shared lane markings or “sharrows” on Detroit and Madison Avenues.
The idea is to promote active living in Lakewood. And, fortunately, there’s no shortage of options.
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Active Living Task Force+-
The City of Lakewood appointed the Lakewood Active Living Task Force (Task Force) in June of 2014.
The charge for the Task Force was to conduct a comprehensive study and to create actionable recommendations meant to ensure Lakewood remains a community that is oriented towards active living, featuring cutting edge programming and opportunities that will continue to make Lakewood an attractive option for all age groups. Task Force members met diligently over the course of twelve months, gathering knowledge and expertise from local professionals in the planning, health, and research fields and conducting independent background research and benchmarking against other communities throughout the United States.
Primary research was performed through a targeted survey of recreation and active living providers in and around Lakewood. This Providers’ Survey, explained in greater detail in the Task Force Background Research portion of this report, yielded insight to the provider’s experience in Lakewood, and illuminated needs and opportunities that ultimately informed the recommendations in this report.
Trends revealed by the providers’ survey include that many providers face program limitations due to barriers associated with physical space, funding, social perceptions, and other resource barriers. Furthermore, the survey highlighted that many providers felt that they would benefit from coordinated assistance in addressing various organizational and administrative needs, obtaining and synthesizing user data, and in advertising. Better communication and coordination among providers and between providers and municipal institutions was also a trend.
The Lakewood Active Living Task Force shared its recommendations report with Lakewood City Council on Feb. 1, 2016. Here’s the report.
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Active Living and Lakewood+-
Even among the vast diversity of Cuyahoga County’s various communities, the City of Lakewood stands out: with its nostalgic front porches, dense network of sidewalks, engaging destinations, diverse populations, and strong sense of community, Lakewood has gained national recognition as one of America’s best suburbs. It is a community with deep roots, uniquely typifying America’ historic inner ring suburbs, yet Lakewood is also a place that embraces innovation and reinvention.
This is also true in how Lakewood as a whole—institutions and community organizations, residents, and businesses— approaches opportunities for active living and ensuring the health of its current and future populations. With inclusive and diverse community programming, services, infrastructure, and design, Lakewood has a host of opportunities to become a beacon in healthy and active living. Communities across the country are reexamining their active living opportunities in a more comprehensive fashion in order to become healthier, more vibrant and attractive places for residents, businesses, and community institutions. This is especially salient considering our nation’s epidemic of obesity and related chronic diseases.
Although health campaigns have been fighting the ills of sedentary lifestyle and poor diet for decades, national rates of obesity and related chronic diseases have continued to rise. As of 2014, 60% of adults and 17% of children are overweight or obese. Local health data reveals equally concerning health trends. The 2014 County Health Rankings ranked Cuyahoga County 65 out of 88 Ohio counties for health outcomes, 1 with 64.6% of adults in Cuyahoga County being overweight or obese. 2 In Lakewood, the mortality rate for heart disease was 251.7 per 100,000 persons, the highest in Cuyahoga County. 3 It has become apparent that traditionally individual focused health interventions designed to combat chronic disease have not been fully effective.
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Activities, Programs, Initiatives+-
In Lakewood, there’s no shortage of activities and programs.
Even in it’s very design, Lakewood is walkable.
With over 180 miles of sidewalks and 90 miles of streets, Lakewood is recognized as Ohio’s most walkable city based on the nationally recognized ranking system Walk Score. An estimated 77 percent of Lakewood residents commute to work by car, while a combined 10% walk or use public transportation. Based on a 2010 traffic analysis, approximately 1,100 pedestrians and 225 cyclists pass through downtown in a typical six-hour period.
Lakewood’s Bicycle Master Plan was adopted by City Council in 2012 and has led to several significant milestones such as the installation of 16 bicycle signs and more than 50 new bicycle racks citywide, including the region’s first on-street bicycle corral. Funds have also been allocated to introduce shared lane markings or “sharrows” on Detroit and Madison Avenues.
Biking Resources
