Both sides of Huntley Road in Lakewood and a bit beyond have been widened and striped for bike paths. Here you are looking south from North Avenue. across from West Beach as workers finish cleaning up.
Both sides of Huntley Road have been widened from North Avenue right in front of West Beach to Chicago Avenue, just south of the Lakewood Village Boundary.
There was a big fight at the Village Board level over whether to make a bike path wide enough to be safe on the east or west side.
The compromise is what you see.
Bike paths on both sides.
So far, there is no pavement marking across North Avenue to tell bike riders and walkers, plus vehicles on North Avenue where people should cross.
We in McHenry County are very fortunate to have better bike paths than roadways. Fortunately, not a lot of taxpayers take advantage of these arteries and they are very good alternatives for getting to work. I only wish that they would have had the foresight to wire them for heat in the winter.
Let’s see? The path is about as wide as a standard window, 36 inches.
The white painted lines appear as if the neighborhood children were each handed a piece of ‘chalk’ and told to make a nice drawing of partial arrows and something that resembles a bike.
There is NO margin for error between the ‘texting’ and cell phone ‘on the go’ dialers and the person on a tricycle.
What a waste of money.
If you were going to do this project, should have done it with a bit more fore site and common sense. Appears “Cheap” and dangerous!
Any takers as to how many new auto vs. bike wrecks will now result?
I’m not complaining about the concept, I’m astounded by how cheaply this was put together.
Must be another Erin Smith project?
At least the new ambulance contract should see plenty of action scooping up the bodies from the side or the road.
Perhaps a couple extra “Our Fathers” and “Hail Mary’s” can be recited by the victim as they wait for the Woodstock Fire and Rescue to arrive on the scene of what I’m guessing will prove to be a ‘Death Trap’ for those traveling on this very narrow stretch of what amounts to nothing more than a chalk lined ‘shoulder.’
Nothing another check for $125,000.00 of Village tax payer money couldn’t fix, right Ms. Smith?
Maybe Smith can sell off the ‘scrap’ metal from the mangled bicycles to buy more ‘chalk’ for the kids…. maybe add some arrows next time and “Beware of ‘Sexting’ drivers signage!!”
I saw the bike path yesterday for the first time and was shocked at how narrow it is. This will end up being more of a safety hazard than a convenience for bikers.
Money wasted in my opinion!
I’m not a fan of bike paths. I think the money could be better used for projects that EVRYONE could benefit from. They make it safer you say…. not this one! This is an accident waiting to happen.
This is just another example of people not working together. This is dangerous for bikers and also for drivers who dodge these bikes when they are on the roadway.