Mystery Solved

Thanks to a reader forwarding yesterday's post to his ride buddies, we now have an answer about those signs Cuyahoga Falls erected in The Valley in 2007.  If you missed the explanation in the comments on yesterday's post, here is a link to the webpage Dave Watkins developed in 2007 that talks all about the signs and the condition of Akron-Peninsula Rd.

I highly recommend reading his analysis and checking out his photographs as both are extremely detailed and informative.

As he says, this shoulder is not an official bike lane.  It was developed to provide a space for cyclists to use out of courtesy to motorists.  The City of Cuyahoga Falls inaccurately labeled this shoulder as a bike lane and required cyclists to use it in their jurisdiction.

As we know, being forced to ride in a designated lane is not safe for cyclists.  Having them available, however, does invite more people to ride on the road plus it requires that the road be regularly maintained, cleaned, and repaired.

I ended up driving out to Century Cycles (it was freezing and far away, ok?) in Peninsula last night as the Mr. was in need of a classier yellow jacket to replace the unsightly safety vest he's been using.  We took the opportunity to examine the shoulder and noticed that it is significantly wider (and often cleaner) in Cuyahoga Falls' jurisdiction than the areas passing through Akron.  So, they have made up for their mistake.   Unfortunately, many other sections of road, especially near the Sewage Treatment Plant, are in a terrible condition.  Hopefully, when the weather warms and dries up (if it ever does) Akron will address this area immediately.

Anyway, a big thank you to Dave Watkins for not only forwarding the link to the page which answers all the questions about Akron-Peninsula road, but also for being proactive and writing it to begin with.  His success with Cuyahoga Falls shows that sometimes all that is needed to improve cycling in the community is a little initiative from a cyclist.