The progressives, like Jack Petsche, are fixated on creating a Utopia every place they reside. Unfortunately, as we know, utopias do not exist and  when despite a 100% failure the progressives are consistently trying to find a way to make it work.  Apparently progressives are stuck in a mental state that is divorced from reality. For example creating bike lanes on all the streets so the citizens can bike to work and stop driving those evil SUV’s. Now where did this insane concept come from? Oh, it came from the same place that gave us WW I and WW II Europe; now that makes perfect sense.

European cities were created thousands of years ago many during the formation of the Roman Empire. The streets were laid out to accommodate foot, horse and carriage traffic and were narrow winding paths with multi story building on both sides. Now of course there were larger avenues  but the narrow lanes were very common. So European and all the worlds cities that were settled back then were densely populated communities with a infrastructure appropriate for the time they were created.

American cities started that way but because of the vast open lands the people rejected the dense crowed cities and spread out especially after the automobile  was invented over a hundred years ago. The result was that after WW II large portions of the working class moved into the open lands around the central cities forming “bedroom” communities. To support this thousands of roads were constructed and the Interstate highway system was created to speed up access as well. So the bottom line today is unlike European cities American cities are set up for cars and long commutes that are just not suited for bike and/or scooter traffic world.

So what we have today is a movement that would work in Europe but not in America bike lanes make absolutely no sense here!

Akron Beacon Journal      9-12-18

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

Hellish roads, good intentions

Kenmore Boulevard is no longer. It is Kenmore Street or Avenue with traffic down to one lane in each direction, parking spaces dropped into the center and bike lanes at the curb. The lovely boulevard which years ago featured streetcars on the median strip is gone.

Similarly, Canton Road, north of East Market, formerly four lanes of flowing traffic, is now two lanes with a turn lane in the middle and, of course, bike lanes on both sides.

The biggest mess of all is East Exchange westbound from the expressway past the university. Four lanes are now two, parking eliminated and, of course, bike lanes on the school side of the street. Traffic is constantly backed up to Carroll Street. Emergency vehicles get caught in gridlock trying to get to Akron General Cleveland Clinic Hospital.

Merchants must be losing business because of the lack of parking and congestion. To bypass this parking lot, you can go down Buchtel Avenue to the university and get downtown to another destruction project which will have traffic down to two lanes on Main Street and, of course, you guessed it, more bike lanes. Never mind all of the 20- to 30-year-old trees taken down.

These government “look good,” “feel good” changes are not in the best interest of Akron’s drivers. The

money would be better spent paving more of the city’s awful streets, along with painting lines on the expressway and other four-lane streets, Kenmore Boulevard excluded.

Dennis Murphy, Akron

Akron Beacon Journal      9-12-18

 VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

Nightmare on the boulevard

We were glad to see that Kenmore Boulevard was finally repaved. The crews did a great job. Then they put many gallons of white paint designating no-go zones over most of what was repaved. What were they thinking?

The designated parking in the middle of what used to be a much-used traffic lane is simply dumb. Traffic is forced into one lane each way and anyone turning (left or right) holds up that one lane. While adding a bike lane seems to be the thing to do these days, the way it was done is, again, dumb. Look for chaos when it snows.

How are they going to plow when there are cars parked in the middle of the street and how is anyone going to see all those dumb white lines when it snows? Someone’s dream of a bike-friendly boulevard has become a nightmare for anyone wanting to drive there.

Bill Collins, Akron

Akron Removes Short-Lived Bike Lane Experiment on Exchange

By TIA MYERS-ROCKER • SEP 27, 2018

The City of Akron is closing the newly installed bike lane on East Exchange Street.

Engineers for the city installed the double bike lanes in early August, before University of Akron students returned to campus. The bike lanes are scheduled to be removed October 11.

The Hands on Exchange experiment was an opportunity for the City of Akron to address roadway improvements in the area. They took one lane of traffic out and replaced it with a two-way bike lane. City of Akron Engineering Bureau project manager, Christine Jonke says she met with representatives from the University of Akron to discuss their needs.  Jonke says that Exchange Street is “almost a barrier between the students and the main campus,” so they wanted to bring both sides together.

Initially, the University of Akron responded well to the bike lanes, but the City of Akron wanted to hear from the public.  Walkers and bikers were encouraged to give feedback on the bike lanes using online surveys, website comments, and phone calls.

This experiment was not successful but Akron hasn’t given up they are going to try again in 2022 when more federal money can be used in wasteful projects that cannot work, nor make sense!