Berkley Approves New Bike Routes
(Crystal A. Proxmire, April 22, 2014)
Calling it a “pedal in the right direction,” Berkley City Councilperson Steve Baker and fellow elected officials approved new bike routes for the city.
The old bike route, established years ago, took residents on a leisurely, aimless path. In 2011 several cities got together to try and establish bike routes connecting multiple communities, but the effort was put aside due to the lack of obvious, yet safe, connecting roadways. But Berkley has revisited the idea, with new routes designed not just for leisure, but with two-wheeled commutes in mind. In 2012 the City’s Master Plan was amended to include a multi-modal transportation component.
“We need to make sure people can connect to our city as quickly and as easily as possible,” said Mayor Pro Tem Daniel Tebrack, noting that the routes take people to Huntington Woods, Royal Oak and Oak Park, and connect to Downtown Berkley.
Royal Oak is the only other connecting city with a bike route, so those who planned the route took care to connect to Royal Oak’s route. Input came from the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, the Environmental Commission, Public Safety and the Department of Public Works. Transportation Improvement Association, a regional group that tracks accidents and works to make roads safer, is expected to weigh in on the recommended signage along the route.
The city is preparing to release a mobile app, and part of that app will include being able to access the bike routes. Streets on the route include Webster, Catalpa, Princeton, Griffith, Mortenson and Buckingham.
Tebrack said that bike lanes would not be added to the streets due to on-street parking and maintenance issues. “This is something we can change over time,” he said. “Many of these are local streets, other than Catalpa. The feeling is that [lanes] were not warranted.” There will also not be sharrows added.
Baker said he rides around Berkley often, and hopes the momentum will continue towards making Berkley more bike-friendly. “I am a fan of sharrows, it does add to the character and gives a message that we care about this transportation,” he said. Sharrows are markings in the street that remind drivers the bicyclists can share the road too. The name is a blend of the word “share” and “arrows.”
Though some drivers get annoyed by bicycles in the street, that is where they are legally supposed to ride. “Same roads, same rules, same rights,” Baker said, explaining that drivers need to share the road.
Berkley Mayor Phil O’Dwyer repeated Baker’s sentiment, adding the bicyclists need to follow the rules too, including stopping at stop signs. “This is an important issue for Berkley. They have the same rules and are frequently ignored. The same rules apply to bicyclists, and they need to follow them, mostly for safety,” he said.
O’Dwyer also noted that bicyclists are not limited to using the bike route, which is essentially just a suggestion. “Our residents know we can ride on every street. We don’t need to meet up with one of these routes,” he said. He added that he too rides around Berkley on his bicycle.
Berkley celebrates bicycling each June with Lids for Kids, an event that provides free bike helmets for children through fifth grade. There is a bicycle safety course, moon walk, and other kid friendly events. The date has not yet been set for this years’ event.
For more information on the City of Berkley, visit http://www.berkleymich.org.