Biking system studied for Lorain

Group changes its name for better connection

Lorain Connected, formerly Lorain Active Transportation Committee, met July 13 to discuss the best ways to make Lorain a transportation-accessible city.

“This was the first implementation meeting we have had together,” said Kat Bray, health education specialist with Lorain County Public Health, which is part of the collaborative. “We wanted to gauge how each of the committee members felt about where we should go.

“Our goal is to make the city more accessible for biking and walking. The goal is to encourage people to stay healthy and make it more appealing for them.”

Bray said the group is organizing a bike share system.

“Bike Share, ‘Go Lorain’ will allow people to rent bikes out,” she said. “It will be just like taking out a book from the library. You just simply need a Lorain Public Library System card and you can take the bike out.

“Lorain County Public Health, the Lorain County Metro Parks, Lorain Public Library System and Lorain County Action are working together to make it possible.”

Bray said the bikes will be taken out from the Library System South Lorain Branch, 2121 Homewood Drive, and the Main Branch, 351 W. Sixth St.

“We are still working out the logistics of it, but the goal is to help people out who may not own a bike, or who spontaneously decides to ride one,” she said. “We will include the refurbished bikes with a map to help guide people through the city’s checkpoints.

“We plan to kick this off during a big event sometime in Spring 2019.”

Sara Tillie, health education specialist with Lorain County Public Health, said a large topic of conversation during the meeting was signage.

“We are deciding where to place informational signs throughout the city,” Tillie said. “This is referring to the big signs you see at parks along various trails. It would include areas of interest for bikers and help guide them to where they might want to go.”

“We are still working out the logistics of it, but the goal is to help people out who may not own a bike, or who spontaneously decides to ride one.”

— Kat Bray, health education specialist with Lorain County Public Health