Emily Lindberg’s Story

Currently, 50% of my household is unable to drive and the other 50% wishes we didn’t have to. This isn’t because we hate cars. It’s because we value breathing clean air, maintaining our healthy bodies, and not being burdened by excessive transportation costs.
In 2005, my partner and I made the conscious decision to become a one car household. This one decision has affected every aspect of our lives; where we live, where we work, when we work, how many children we have, where our children go to school, which recreational activities we participate in, where we shop, the list goes on and on. We moved to Lakewood in 2011 and we love it here because it is so walkable and bikeable: in theory. However, over the years (but especially since the pandemic), it has become more uncomfortable to travel around our city outside of the protection of a car.
True, Lakewood does have miles and miles of sidewalks, but I often encounter obstacles on them that would be extremely difficult (if not impossible) to navigate if I had a disability. Even without a disability though, it feels like a dangerous game of chicken every time I step into a crosswalk. Unfortunately, this is a game that, as a pedestrian, I will lose.
Every time I get on my bike to take my kids to school, pick up a prescription, or present a storytime for the Lakewood Family Room, I run a series of complex calculations in my head, visualizing several routes and evaluating them for comfort and safety. For example, when traveling from my home to the Cove Community Center on the other side of town I will ask myself, “should I take Lake Ave. or Madison Ave. to travel East today? Both have painted bike lanes, which make them feel like slightly more comfortable routes than Clifton or Detroit.” Then I’ll think, “Lake Ave. probably has less traffic this time of day, but it also has a higher speed limit and less traffic lights than Madison Ave., which means motorists will be traveling at higher speeds right next to me. Plus, I usually encounter several lawn care trucks and trailers, not to mention Amazon and FedEx trucks blocking the bike lane on Lake, which will force me to move back and forth into the vehicle travel lane. But the Madison bike lane is often blocked with delivery trucks too, due to all the businesses.” Then I’ll think about things like construction or how many left turns I will need to navigate to determine if my route should be a loop or out and back. These are the types of mental gymnastics I must do every time I get on my bike just to arrive at my destination safely—I hope.
Therefore, we must create a network of complete streets in our community that creates an equitable, balanced, and effective transportation system that prioritizes the most vulnerable road users. People of all ages and abilities deserve the opportunity to travel independently throughout our region safely, regardless of their mode of mobility.