OTR bike lane under review due to safety concerns
OVER THE RHINE, OH (FOX19) - The bike lane along Central Parkway in OTR is under review due to safety concerns.
According to Police, there were 62 car wrecks between 1600-2000 Central Parkway in 2015. Some believe the bike lane is to blame because what once was a through-traffic lane, is now a parking lane.
"They come around that corner, they come through the stoplight all of a sudden they realize this car in front of them is parked there and you hear the breaks just screeching," said Owner of Robin Imaging Bill Johnson.
Councilman Christopher Smitherman is calling for change.
"We don't wanna say no bike lanes on central but we want to find a solution, it could be that we double up a lane, that we use sidewalk space, I'm not against removing the bike lanes for a particular area for a particular distance," stated Smitherman.
But, some bicyclists want the lane to remain intact.
"That's beautiful protection, makes people feel safe, cars aren't afraid to hit the guys, the guys aren't afraid to get hit by the cars, more lanes, not less lanes, they're going in the wrong direction," claimed Paul Baxter with the Cincinnati Bicycle Company.
Smitherman says, it all boils down to safety.
"This is about safety and not someone trying to position against bikes," he said.
City administration is currently reviewing possible solutions.
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