Mayor's Corner: Lake Clifton Shared Use Path Will Enhance Safety And Enjoyment
Lakewood continues to be rightly known as one of Ohio’s and even the country’s most pedestrian and bike friendly cities. We have a long history of being a highly walkable and bikable community, a place where those who prioritize these qualities – everyone from families with young children walking to school to those seeking an active lifestyle on foot and cycle – can find a home. The City of Lakewood is currently partnering with Cuyahoga County and The City of Rocky River to create an additional public asset on the Lake-Clifton Corridor across the Rocky River valley that will further enhance safety and enjoyment for walkers, runners, and cyclists.
The project includes a 1.25-mile segment of road and bridge from Webb Road in Lakewood to Linda Street in Rocky River. When finished, it will create a dedicated and separated shared use path for pedestrians and cyclists on this entire span, introducing Lakewood’s first trail fully separated from car traffic outside of the Metroparks. This will greatly increase safety while also offering walkers, runners and cyclists an opportunity to enjoy the vistas of Lake Erie and the Rocky River valley as they cross the bridge. The project is also intended to further address stormwater capacity in line with our overall Integrated Wet Weather Improvement Plan (IWWIP) and it will include new tree plantings to address our tree plan and overall environmental goals.
The project will be achieved by repurposing existing westbound lanes into the shared-use path and repurposing existing eastbound lanes into one eastbound lane and one westbound lane. Situating the shared use path on the northern portion of the project will allow better views for those using it. The plan will also add a mid-block crossing at Forest Road and a roundabout at the Lake Road intersection, both of which will help calm traffic and improve overall safety and access.
Overall, this project will greatly expand and enhance what began with the 2015 introduction of limited bike lanes from Lake Road to Clifton Road. This early effort was a good first step and created momentum, but its impact was limited and somewhat isolated. Now with the involvement of our neighbor to the west, Rocky River, and Cuyahoga County, this current project will make the shared use path fully cross the river, safely connect people on foot and cycle to the neighborhoods on either side, and address ADA compliance in the project footprint. In addition, there is currently no sidewalk for nearly a half mile on Clifton Boulevard between Clifton Road and Lake Road. This stems from a historical omission decades ago when Route 2 was extended through this area of Lakewood, and this project provides an opportunity to remedy that.
The budget for the Lakewood portion of the project stands at $9.6 million. Fortunately, 80% of the project costs are being paid for through Cuyahoga County funds, with the City of Lakewood responsible for a maximum of $1.4 million – this amount may be reduced as the County continues to pursue outside grant dollars. Rocky River and the County will be responsible for costs associated with the project in Rocky River’s municipal footprint. We are very grateful to the County Department of Public Works and its Planning Commission for their ongoing partnership in this exciting project. The County Department of Public Works will oversee contracting and construction administration for the project, with Lakewood Public Works involved along the way.
The City of Lakewood has also chosen to include additional work to address aging water mains within the project footprint, as doing them at the same time will save on costs for those necessary upgrades and repairs. Currently, our expectation is that construction will begin in late 2025 and run throughout 2026. Once finished, the new shared use path will be an important addition to Lakewood’s strong tradition of supporting safety for our walkers, runners, and cyclists and improving the overall quality of life for our residents.