DOWNTOWN GROWS CYCLE FRIENDLY

City crew installs bike racks on Broadway

A crew from the city of Lorain’s Public Property Department has begun installing new bicycle racks on Broadway.

The bike racks will be added at locations including the Lorain Palace Theater, Speak of the Devil cocktail bar, United Way of Greater Lorain County and Union Town Provisions, said Drew Crawford, planning and zoning administrator for Lorain’s Department of Building, Housing and Planning.

Crawford reported on the racks as part of this month’s meeting of the Lorain Connected active transportation planning committee.

The group is led by Lorain County Public Health and the city departments of Engineering and Building, Housing and Planning, with representatives from Lorain Schools, the Ohio Department of Transportation, Lorain County Metro Parks and other organizations.

Another will be installed at the Lorain County Kayak & Paddle Sports Group, known as LoCo ‘Yaks, which operates at 138 Alabama Ave. at Riverside Park.

The Lorain Connected committee generally looks for ways to make it easier to get around the city on foot, bicycle or otherwise without using a car.

That plan will reconfigure Washington Avenue to add bike lanes running from the area around Washington Elementary School, General Johnnie Wilson Middle School and George Daniel Field, north to West Erie Avenue.

The city and Lorain County Public Health have collaborated on a number of applications to score grants that pay for bike lanes, sidewalks and safety and education programs.

Last year, Lorain added bike lanes on East 31st Street and West 21st Street.

This year, the city will use a grant of $179,000 to cover 80 percent of the cost of a new Washington Avenue Bikeway.

That plan will reconfigure Washington Avenue to add bike lanes running from the area around Washington Elementary School, General Johnnie Wilson Middle School and George Daniel Field, north to West Erie Avenue.

The city of Lorain Engineering Department also maintains a web page with information about the city’s active transportation planning process.

It includes links to city bike rack locations, the Lorain County Bike Map published by the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency and other resources.

PHOTOS BY RICHARD PAYERCHIN — THE MORNING JOURNAL A crew from the Lorain Public Property Department began installing “Go Lorain” bike racks Feb. 23on Broadway Ave. Here, from left, crew leader Russ Hellinger and motor equipment operators Rich Gonzales and Erik Pozik bolt the rack to the pavement outside United Way of Greater Lorain County, 642Broadway. The racks feature a metal panel with the word “GO” designed to look like bicycle tires.