When walking, biking, or driving through Lakewood, you’ll likely find yourself on Bunts Road at some point. The street is a community hotspot connecting highways, high schools, homes, and stores. Bunts is a vibrant street, home to many parades and memories. Some find the street busy and sometimes dangerous; therefore, the city has announced its plans for a Bunts Road Rehabilitation Project, and perspectives vary.
With so much to be done, the plan may be confusing. Luckily, Public Information Officer Kevin Wayner shared information about the project and enlightened us on its plans, dates, and purpose.
“The Bunts Road Rehabilitation Project is a complete overhaul of the corridor’s roadway surface, water mains, sewer system and storm drains, curbs, and sidewalks,” Wayner said. “It will also include the installation of a shared-use path on the west side of the street for walkers, joggers, cyclists, and other forms of active transportation.”
The street’s safety and maintenance issues pushed the cause for the operation. Citizens’ engagement was not overlooked, although not all citizens in Lakewood participated in such processes and meetings.
“During the public engagement process for Lakewood’s Active Transportation Plan, Bunts Road was identified as a high-stress area for pedestrians and cyclists. The shared-use path physically separates cyclists from vehicle traffic, and other pedestrian safety enhancements like curb bump-outs, new crossing points and facilities, and pedestrian-led interval crossings are planned or are being considered,” Wayner says. The task aims to reduce accidents and improve the city’s water drainage system.
Although the initiative has good intentions, many residents, especially those who live on Bunts, do not support the plan, at least in its whole approach. Mary Burton, a mother and homeowner on Bunts, shares her thoughts on the project.
“This project should have had more feedback from the homeowners of Bunts,” Burton said. “As you can see by the signs, many of the homes do not want this, but it is being done anyway.”
Others agree — many homes on Bunts now display signs labeled ‘STOP THE PATH, SAVE TREES ON BUNTS.’ Many citizens also worry about the construction period; they worry that two years of rehabilitation on such a busy street could be stressful or hazardous. But, according to Wayner, the people did give input.
“The city solicited public feedback in several ways,” Wayner said. “In April of 2024, letters were sent to residents of Bunts Road to let them know about the project and invite them to a public meeting on May 7, 2024. The city engineer and the design firm, Osborn Engineering, were on hand to introduce the project and its two alternatives (the shared-use path option and an option that featured on-street bike lanes) and to answer questions from the public. This date also marked the beginning of the public comment period that lasted through June 9, 2024, where all people could submit their feedback in person or online. We received 95 responses. 56% preferred Alternative 1 (Shared-Use Path), 15% listed no preference between Alternative 1 and 2, 18% were not in favor of either option, 5% were okay with both options, and 6% preferred Alternative 2 (On-Street Bike Lanes).”
Of course, this information is valuable and supports the project, but only 95 respondents contributed to these percentages. There are also concerns for the environment and house values due to the removal of trees/tree lawn. Another resident, Brian Miller, expressed concerns about the trees’ environmental impact.
“I worry that cutting down trees will not only affect the aesthetics of the Lakewood street, but it also goes against the environmentally friendly ideals of Lakewood’s community,” Miller said. He does not see how the project fits into Lakewood’s trend of promoting ecological safety and sustainability.
Trees have already been marked with green ribbons to designate the ones slated for removal. Although environmental concerns have been raised, the plan focuses on improving the city’s water and sewer mains.
“The water and sewer updates are a major component of the project,” Wayner said. “The street’s water main will be replaced, and a new storm sewer line will be installed by the city’s consent decree with the federal government and the city’s Integrated Wet Weather Improvement Plan (IWWIP). The stormwater system will be upgraded with more catch basins (storm drains) in alignment with today’s roadway standards, and will be able to handle more water runoff. Additionally, a parking lane with permeable pavers will be installed on the east side of the street (by Lakewood High School, it will be on the west side of the street) that will more effectively absorb storm water.”
With the replacement of the water main, new water service lines on the city-owned side will be installed for each Bunts property. Construction will take place in 2026 and last for two years. In Phase One (2026), work will occur on Bunts Road from Lakewood Heights to Franklin; in Phase Two (2027), work will occur between Franklin and Clifton.
“We anticipated the construction for the new street being put in,” Burton said. “The major issue is that all of the trees along Bunts will be removed and the bike path will become a nuisance and reduce the value of the homes on the street. Who wants a bike path in their front yard!”
The response to construction is not favorable from all residents; in fact, many seem to dread the process.
With both positive and negative sides to the rehabilitation plan, citizens may feel divided. However, the project is set to continue, and we will see a shared path in the future. More information about the development is available at www.lakewoodoh.gov/bunts-rehab. Are you excited to see the outcome of this Lakewood operation?
