Lakewood is pressing forward with a two-year, $21.58 million overhaul of Bunts Road that starts this spring, even as yard signs pop up and a resident-led petition tries to slam the brakes on a planned shared-use path. The project will rebuild pavement, curbs, and sidewalks, replace sewer and water lines, and add a 10-foot off-street path along the west side of the corridor. Supporters say the design will boost safety and create a year-round route to Lakewood High School. Critics counter that it will cost trees, complicate driveways, and bring more cyclists into an already tense mix.
Project scope and design
The city’s project page says the Bunts Rehab will replace the storm sewer and water mains, rebuild the roadway, curbs, and sidewalks from Lakewood Heights Boulevard to Clifton Boulevard, and install a 10-foot shared-use path on the west side of the street, according to the City of Lakewood. The city notes that the path design complies with ODOT's Multimodal Design Guide and includes buried electrical lines, new streetlights, and curb bump-outs intended to improve pedestrian crossings.
Neighbors push back
A resident-led petition opposing the shared-use path has collected more than 1,100 verified signatures and warns that the design will narrow tree lawns and create dozens of driveway conflict points, according to Change.org. Bunts homeowner Jeff Dudzik, who signed on to the petition, told The Land that a 2018 crash left him rattled, adding, "There won't be enough time to stop," in describing his concerns about driveway interactions with the new path.
Officials point to safety data
City planning documents and engineers say Bunts was flagged in Lakewood’s Active Transportation Plan as part of a high-risk network for people walking and biking, and that an off-street path fits a corridor with Bunts' traffic volumes. "The path physically removes bikers and pedestrians from the road and puts them on a wider path where a sidewalk had existed," Public Works Director Chris Gordon said in an interview with The Land.
Where the money comes from
NOACA's SFY2026 Annual Priority List shows $5,886,193 in Surface Transportation Block Grant funds committed to the Bunts Road rehab, according to NOACA. Local reporting says the rest of the bill is expected to be covered with state ODOT grants and city funds, as detailed by the Lakewood Times.
Schedule, trees and traffic
The city plans to split construction into two stages, with Phase 1 running from April 2026 to April 2027 and Phase 2 from May 2027 to November 2028. During work, one southbound lane will remain open while northbound traffic is detoured, according to the City of Lakewood project timeline. City officials have told residents that every tree removed during construction will be replaced, and that the plan includes mid-block RRFB crossings and other measures intended to improve sightlines and crossings along the corridor.
What supporters say and what to watch
Bike Cleveland and local advocates argue that the shared-use path will create a safer and more equitable north-south connection, and that off-street facilities generally reduce pedestrian injuries, according to Bike Cleveland. With construction notices already in mailboxes and tree-removal letters going out, residents and councilmembers are expected to keep a close eye on the bid process and the first construction phase in April 2026 to see whether the project delivers on its safety promises.
