Despite a pretty good thunderstorm I attended the public uncovering of Cleveland's Complete and Green Streets program tonight.
The Ordinance, (Through Bike Cleveland)
Disappointed.
Most of the strategies, while steps in the right direction, (god I hate saying that all the time,) are really nothing new.
Mostly it involves paint: paint to segregate bikes and cars.
Also, on average, the plans call for reducing 4 lanes to 2, 6 to 4, etc., with a left turning lane AND on-street parking. Gotta have on-street parking!
Bike lanes are sacrificed to on-street parking in almost all cases.
One of the bold claims presented that I found interesting, (so interesting I didn't believe it,) was a statistic from left field somewhere that 57% of people would (was it try?) use alternative transportation if they could.
BS.
It takes a long process to separate yourself from the power that an automobile provides.
The power to:
carry things
travel quickly anytime anywhere in comfort
scream at people safely, knowing that no one can hear you or do anything to you if they did
live where nobody should just so you don't have to put up with people you don't like
Extremely powerful.
I'd put the number of people who would actually give up such power for any considerable length of time at more like 10%.
Shockingly, and I'm not exactly sure, but I believe the consultant actually said that streets are primarily for moving cars after all. It was hard to hear.
This was after I spoke up and asked why 100% of Cleveland's streets are accessible to automobiles and were there any plans to change that.
He seemed a bit surprised and annoyed.
I pointed out the suburban examples of self contained, walking shopping 'villages' such as Crocker Park and Legacy Village.
Just doesn't matter it seems.
Rather than actually take a chance on restricting automobile access, this plan seems content to preserve the ability of all vehicles, (now bikes too,) to move through, get in and more importantly get OUT of Cleveland on a daily basis.
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