Wednesday, April 4, 2007

Lewis Avenue Sidepath


A sidepath is a wide, paved, roadside edge that allows bikers and walkers to move safely away from traffic. Sidepaths do not have a physical separation from the roadway, except for a white line. The following sidepath was constructed in Temperance:


Lewis Avenue Sidepath

Municipality: Temperance, Bedford Township

Trail Name: Not applicable

Trail Distance: 3.5 miles on each side of roadway; 7 miles total

Surface: Asphalt

Difficulty: Easy

Directions: From Monroe, follow Monroe Street (M-125) south to Luna Pier Road in Erie township .. Take a right and follow Luna Pier road/County Road 151 for just over 4 miles to Lewis Avenue. Make a left onto Lewis. The bikeway begins about two ­thirds of a mile to the south at the intersection of Lewis and Pickard Road. Although there are various possibilities for trailheads, the best choices appear to be Carr Park on the east side of Lewis near the north end of the bikeway or at the Monroe County Community College Whitman Center near the south end of the bikeway.

Description: While this is not a particularly natural area, I do think that this is a good example of what could happen in other areas of the county. On each side of Lewis Avenue is a signed and marked bike lane through the heart of Temperance. Lewis
Avenue is a busy road and bikers/walkers are not separated from traffic. The lane, however, is fairly wide and a family of five that I saw on the path had no trouble. Curbs might be a problem in Temperance and there do not appear to be pedestrian crosswalks at either end of the path. There are several restaurants and stores in Temperance to stop at for a drink or dinner.

Recommendation: This is a good place for residents of Temperance to walk or ride.

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