LAKEWOOD, Ohio — Lakewood says it’s taking steps to improve safety after several crashes in recent months at a busy intersection.
The calls for changes at Hilliard Road and Madison Avenue intensified Monday when 2 toddlers were hit by a car while riding in a bicycle carrier.
RELATED: 2 toddlers in bicycle carrier struck by vehicle at Lakewood intersection
“The motorist claimed that they saw the bike, didn’t realize there was a trailer behind it, went to make the turn behind the bicyclist and clipped the trailer unfortunately,” Lakewood Police Chief Kevin Fischer explained to News 5 Wednesday.
He said the 1-year-old and 3-year-old suffered minor cuts and bruises in the crash. The driver was cited for failure to yield.
It’s the same spot where former Cleveland journalist Bill Safos was hit and killed while crossing in December.
RELATED: Family wants answers, neighbors want change after pedestrian killed crossing Lakewood street
Madison Avenue, Hilliard Road and Carabel Avenue all intersect in the area. Hilliard Road's speed limit is 25 mph, and Madison Avenue's is 35. Neighbors have said the flurry of traffic, crosswalks, and bike lanes at the intersection is confusing and dangerous.
“I kind of avoid walking in this area just because the crosswalks never align properly,” said neighbor Regan Tremblay.
Robby Organ added, “There’s always people trying to beat the light to get through or not paying attention or making a right on red or whatever. So it can be pretty dangerous. I’ve almost been hit multiple times.”
The avid cyclist and urban planning student pointed out faded lines where he said cars routinely drive into bike lanes.
“There’s a sign right there that tells you what to do. It’s so enraging,” he said, pointing to a street sign that directs drivers to use one lane and yield to cyclists in the bike lane.
Following Monday’s crash, the city announced several steps it’s taking to improve safety at the intersection. It plans to add high-visibility striping to crosswalks, paint the bike lanes green, and hire an outside engineering firm to find other solutions.
Neighbors told News 5 it’s a start, but they believe painting and striping won’t be as effective as infrastructure changes.
“We really need something to separate, physically separate, these bike lanes - whether that be flex posts, bollards, curbs, something,” Organ said.
Some have suggested implementing a crash analysis studio to scrutinize what’s gone wrong during recent crashes and develop quick solutions to address problems.
Others told News 5 they worry an engineering firm could take months to offer suggestions and the city could be too slow to implement them.
“What more needs to happen here before we make a much needed change?” said Cassie Organ in an email to News 5. “We ask the city to take the immediate steps necessary to prevent this from continuing by participating in a Crash Analysis Studio as proposed by Bike Lakewood in December and incorporate meaningful infrastructure improvements, which will require more than just paint.”
Lakewood Police said its statistics show that Hilliard-Madison has a relatively modest crash rate, ranking seventh for most crashes of all intersections in the city. The department has recorded 27 crashes since it began using its current system in 2018. The chief said all but the two most recent incidents involved cars only and no pedestrians or cyclists.
“Almost every single one of them has been operator error,” Fischer said.
Some neighbors believe more could be done to reduce errors. They’re advocating for quick action and more permanent solutions.
“There’s no reason not to do this,” said Organ.
Lakewood city officials said the bike lane painting and crosswalk striping will happen when weather permits. They said the outside engineering firm will work with the Lakewood City Engineer and safety forces to ensure that any proposed measures improve safety and do not give rise to unanticipated risk.
