We have assembled answers to the most commonly-asked questions and comments on the project during the public meeting and public comment period.
Q: What is the process for plan development?
A: Please see the Project Plan Update and Schedule section on the Bunts Road Rehab page.
Q: Do not narrow (or widen) the Bunts Road pavement width.
A: Except for the approaches at the intersections, the existing width of Bunts Road (between curb faces) is 28 feet between Lakewood Heights Boulevard and Detroit Avenue, and between 34 to 36 feet between Detroit Avenue and Clifton Boulevard.
The proposed width between curb faces for the length of the project will be 28 feet, allowing for an 11-foot-wide travel lane, a 10-foot-wide travel lane adjacent to the parking lane, and a 7-foot-wide parking lane.
Therefore, the pavement width between Lakewood Heights Boulevard and Detroit Avenue will remain the same, and the width between Detroit Avenue and Clifton Boulevard will decrease but will be consistent with the rest of Bunts Road. It will also meet the required travel and parking lane widths from ODOT Design Manuals.
Q: Do not decrease the amount of green space (tree lawn) on Bunts Road.
A: Upon completion of the project, tree lawns between Lakewood Heights Blvd. and Merl Ave. will be 6.5 to 7.5 feet wide, and between 11.5 to 12.5 feet wide from Merl Ave. to Clifton Blvd.
Between Detroit Avenue and Clifton Boulevard, the width of green space will slightly increase due to the narrowing of the existing pavement width by 6 to 8 feet.
All tree lawns will be able to support medium- to large-sized trees. The City plans to replace every tree that is removed, and plant additional trees throughout the Bunts Road corridor. Additionally, permeable pavers will be placed within most of the parking lane to produce a porous surface and reduce the amount of stormwater runoff.
Q: How will vehicular traffic be maintained during construction?
A: During construction on a given section of Bunts Road, one-way southbound traffic will be maintained with an 11-foot-wide travel lane. There will also be pavement adjacent to the travel lane available for the Contractor to use, and can also be used for delivery trucks, resident parking during driveway closures, and non-Contractor work hours, etc. Northbound traffic will be detoured to Warren Road.
Q: Will a left turn lane for northbound traffic at Franklin be included?
A: Left turn lanes in both northbound and southbound directions will be added to Bunts Road at Franklin Boulevard.
Q: Why not create the bike path on a north-south street with less traffic?
A: Bunts Road was identified by the Lakewood Active Transportation Plan as a corridor with the highest potential risk for bicycle and pedestrian crashes. Installation of the bike path along Bunts Road provides bicyclists and pedestrians a safe and comfortable infrastructure to provide year-round access to Lakewood High School, parks, local amenities, resources, and the regional network.
Q: All crosswalks at all intersections should incorporate curb extensions.
A: Bump-outs to reduce pedestrian crossing widths are being considered at all intersections.
Q: The project will remove my tree lawn, which is part of my property. How will I be compensated?
A: At no location will the entire tree lawn be removed from the roadway. The tree lawns on Bunts Road are located within the public right-of-way, meaning it is owned by the City.
Q: Why use audible signals? They do not belong in a residential area.
A: The recently published PROWAG (Pedestrian Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines) was developed by the US Access Board to create accessible routes along public streets. These Guidelines (R1307.4-5) state that “All new and altered pedestrian signal heads installed at crosswalks must include “accessible pedestrian signals” (APS), which have audible and vibrotactile features indicating the walk interval so that a pedestrian who is blind or has low vision will know when to cross the street.” The project is geared to meet the Active Transportation Plan Vision Statement:
“Lakewood envisions a complete and connected network for people walking and biking that provides year-round access to local amenities, resources, and the regional bicycle and pedestrian network. Lakewood envisions a culture of respect for all roadway users, and bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure that is safe and comfortable for people of all ages and people with disabilities.”
Q: Will the design include improvements to address the sidewalk in front of Giant Eagle?
A: Communication has been started with representatives of Giant Eagle to address the driveways off Bunts Road. Improvements to these driveways will be made after these discussions. See Items 4 and 5 in the Plan Changes section.
Q: If the sidewalk on the west side of Bunts is replaced by a bike path, where will students that attend the High School walk?
A: The path being installed on the west side of Bunts Road is intended to be a multi-use path designed for use by both pedestrians and cyclists for transportation and recreational purposes.
Q: How will driveway access be maintained during construction? How will the residents be notified and what accommodations will be made to provide parking?
A: Full access will be provided to the Bunts Road property owners during the construction of the project, with the exception of short-term closures to allow for the removal and installation of the curb/driveway and sewer/water work. Residents will be notified by the Contractor in person and/or door hangers in advance of all closures. During the time that the driveway is closed, residents will be provided with on-street parking and/or parking on side streets. The city will maintain the Bunts project website and provide bi-weekly updates as construction advances for residents that sign up for email notifications.
Q: Will the crosswalks be restored to the brick material like others around the City?
A: The crosswalks noted around the City are usually colored concrete with a stamped brick pattern. The City has observed that the stamped pattern causes issues with disabled persons using walkers and wheelchairs. Therefore, this project will include the colored concrete within the crosswalk but will eliminate any stamped pattern.
Q: Will water, gas, etc. be turned off for any extended periods of time?
A: During the time when residents’ water service lines are being replaced, water service will be temporarily disrupted for a short period of time to allow the connection to the new watermain. Residents will be notified in advance as to when this disruption will occur.
Work performed by the gas company will be done by the utility owner and all coordination will be done through their Contractor.
Q: Will we still be able to receive deliveries and mail as usual?
A: The city will coordinate with the Contractor and individual delivery services to keep any disruption of services to a minimum; however, there may be certain times during construction that a disruption is unavoidable. In these cases, the residents will be notified in advance.
Q: How will lighting be addressed?
A: The project will include the installation of new decorative streetlights along the length of the street. During project design, lighting engineers will review the locations and spacing of the new streetlights to make sure that lighting is as evenly distributed as possible while maintaining necessary lighting levels.
Q: How will access for emergency vehicles be addressed during construction?
A: Close coordination between the City, Contractor, and Emergency services will be maintained at all times during construction. Emergency vehicles will be able to access all properties along Bunts Road at all times, with police closing road access for vehicles as necessary to provide priority to emergency vehicles.
Q: Is there a way to save more trees?
A: During design, each tree will be evaluated to determine if it can be saved with the current design; however, it should be noted that due to ODOT Design Criteria, all tree edges that are within 1 foot from the edge of the path, or within 1 ½ feet of the face of the new roadway curb, must be removed. In addition, the location of the property’s water and/or sewer lines that are being replaced may be located adjacent to or under an existing tree, in which case that tree will need to be removed. The city intends to replace trees and plant additional trees to increase tree canopy along the corridor.
Q: Can the bike path be made of another material such as concrete or porous asphalt?
A: Asphalt is generally used for bike paths. Concrete material and installation costs are generally twice the cost of asphalt; concrete cannot be repaired, so large cracks must be completely replaced. Concrete paths would also require jointing along the path which may affect rideability, especially as the path ages and joints begin to fail.
Installing porous asphalt would require a costly thick stone bed under the path to store and release the water that drains through the asphalt. A porous asphalt path would also require substantial maintenance to sustain the pavement so that the pores in the pavement remain clear and able to pass the water.
Q: Can the path be less than 10 feet wide?
A: The ODOT Multimodal Guide suggests a minimum path width of 11 feet; the Guide states that widths less than 11 feet “do not provide space for people to travel side-by-side and be passed by other users approaching from the opposite direction without increasing the potential for conflicts.” Although the path being proposed is less than the 11-foot suggested width, this is the width used on most Metroparks paths, and is the same width as the path that was installed on Detroit Road at Sloane Avenue in Lakewood.
Q: Will refuse collection and leaf collection services be disrupted by construction?
A: No. Refuse collection will continue as normal with the exception that collection will be generally at 6 AM. Leaf collection will be coordinated with the Contractor and will still take place during construction.
