By definition, a compromise is an agreement that gives those involved some of what they want but not everything; both sides are supposed to walk away having won some and lost some.
Bicyclists probably don't think of the deal to go ahead with a major repaving and repair project on Eighth Street between Barlow and Garfield as much of a compromise. There aren't any bike lanes, the thing they most wanted and expected; and there won't be any bike lanes along that stretch for a long time to come. Projects like this one happen every couple decades.
There was a compromise, of sorts. City officials plan to paint large symbols on the road (called "sharrows" by some bikers) that feature a large image of a bicycle topped with an arrow; they're supposed to direct motorists to share the full traffic lane with cyclists. They'll be painted intermittently along the road and coupled with "share the street" signs.
Fred Schaafsma, the safety and education director for the Cherry Capital Cycling Club, said the new Eighth Street plan is "better than nothing." He may be in the minority among local cyclists who are less than enthusiastic about putting their faith -- and their bodies -- in some signs painted on the road.
But with ground breaking on the project just a few weeks away, the "sharrows" were about the only choice the city had.
The Michigan Department of Transportation, which is in charge of doling out some $230,000 in federal stimulus money for the project, said the city had had years to plan for the Eighth Street project, and if it wanted to pull out now, it could kiss the stimulus cash goodbye.
Property and business owners along Eighth had been anticipating the project for a long time, and deserved to see it done.
So the real problem -- the one the city must resolve -- happened well upstream, when plans for the project cleared a series of hurdles with no one doing what someone in the know needed to do -- stand up and say "there are no bike lanes."
After all, the city's past and current master plans either explicitly or generally call for bike lanes along Eighth and other city streets; so does the regional planning project dubbed The Grand Vision.
So how this plan got this far without someone publicly pointing out that there were no bike lanes and let's talk about that is a mystery.
Mayor Chris Bzdok criticized city engineer Tim Lodge for not including bike lanes in the redesign. Lodge countered that lots of people had seen at least portions of the plan without bike lanes; he also said large trees along the route would have made bike lanes difficult.
That may be. But residents may wonder why a city engineer who is certainly aware of past and current master plans and the expressed desire of many citizens to have bike lanes didn't show more initiative and make the lack of bike lanes an issue.
That's surely what city residents can and should expect from a city employee -- someone who goes above and beyond to get the job done right and do his or her best to protect the public interest.
City, MDOT and Grand Vision officials and the public are going to get a chance to do just that this week.
A series of conceptual redesign plans for Division Street, aimed at making the street safer and less chaotic, will be presented at a public input session at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Hagerty Center, 715 E. Front St., Room B.
If you care about what the city will look like -- and how it should work for cars, bikes and people alike -- attend.
And if you see a huge hole in the plans -- like no bike lanes, for instance -- speak up.
Even if it's not your job.
