I was quite disappointed to see the ‘beautiful’ new pavers put on Sample Rd as part of the Sample Road enhancement project.
Why? We are a family of bikers.
West of Lighthouse Dr- It was a great opportunity to add a bike lane, even if for just a short way.
East of Lighthouse Dr- Even my kids are vocally upset about this one. There is no sidewalk option on either side of the road so now they must ride through the bumpy brick the entire stretch. This is the only way to the park where they play sports as do so many other kids.
Everyone knows bricks are not biker or pedestrian (runner) friendly. In fact, a related issue was brought up about 2 years ago, stirred up by a Sun Sentinel article about how cities were addressing the problem of driveways extending through city sidewalks, instead of around. We (other bikers and runners) were upset because of the increase in homes (mostly builder projects) with driveways that extended to the road, removing the sidewalk. This leaves a patchwork of smooth concrete, driveway, concrete, driveway etc. For young bikers the sidewalk is a must and the uneven and inconsistent path led to many accidents. Our city leaders agreed to more strongly enforce that builders and homeowners replace the sidewalk as part of the renovations, not just extend the driveway. Now, just a short while later, the city has pushed it on all of us, with the West of LHP Dr being a potentially dangerous problem for young riders, if not now, then down the road when the bricks don’t lay as flat.