Andrew Hollis has ideas. Good ideas. Sure, some are impossible, “pie-in-the-sky” ideas, but they’re all “man-wouldn’t-that-be-cool” ideas.
Hollis often offers these social media suggestions that deserve attention, too, because this local business owner – he purchased Wheelcraft in Elm Grove back in 2021 after working there for six years – is a native of Clairton, Pa., so his brainstorms come from a fresh, “outsider’s” perspective that once was unwelcomed in Wheeling and considered as unreliable nonsense.
“We’re from here so WE know BEST.” … “You’re a transplant … what do you know?” … “You can always go back to where you came from …”
Thank goodness such a moronic mindset has dissipated, and local folks now look forward to hearing creative concepts that have worked well in similarly sized towns across America. Like a skate park, bike trails, a dog park, and a splash pad, and who knows what come might next or from where the idea originated?
Thanks to his social media sharing, we know Hollis is hoping for proper bike lanes in the Friendly City, more preservation before demolition, continued growth in the local bicycle community, and a renewed city-and-citizen partnership that’s every-day focus is to maintain what we have and add what we don’t.
Too pie in the sky? That’s what some thought a little more than 20 years ago about Heritage Port, too.
How old were you when the training wheels came off your first bike?
I learned to ride without training wheels around the age of 4 or 5. My parents lived on staff at a Christian missionary school in Concord, NH at the time. After a few failed attempts in the grass, I got the hang of riding on two wheels on the gravel driveway behind the building.
I was so excited at the time and remember my dad saying, “Just keep pumping the pedals.”
As far as re-painting bike lanes in East Wheeling to connect the trail to Heritage Port, where and how do you recommend the City properly mark the paths?
So, Wheeling previously DID have bike lanes through East Wheeling, but they had fallen into disrepair and were never repainted when 16th and 17th Street were paved in 2021. At the minimum, I would like to see the old route re-established with green paint added and intersection crossings. I would also like to see the use of flexposts on 16th and 17th Street if they decide to use those streets as bike lanes.
The route I would like to personally see is:
Westbound: 17th / Jacob / 14th
Eastbound: Nailers Way / 16th / Jacob / 17th
Why has the e-bike become very popular in the valley over the past couple of years?
E-bikes have seen quite a boom in the past few years, and it’s nearly to the point where it’s a 50/50 chance someone is on an ebike when you see someone riding a bike.
In the Ohio Valley, many of the people you see riding a bike are simply using them for transportation and a way to run errands. They also have been popular with the aging population as a less strenuous and more fun way to get exercise.
What is your favorite route to travel for a bike ride around Wheeling?
So, I tend to ride the local city streets more than most cycling enthusiasts. I live in Woodsdale, (so) most of my rides tend to be a variant of a downtown loop, and tend to be under 20 miles.
An example ride would be: Washington Avenue to the bike trail; through Tunnel Green to Market Street; across the Suspension Bridge; then a loop around Wheeling Island and across the Fort Henry Bridge sidewalk;
At this point, I would have 2 options: 1) Out to 48th Street and back home, or; 2) Up Chapline Street and back home via National Road.
What are the best and worst parts of doing business in the City of Wheeling?
The best part has to be all the local support we get. People love to support local businesses in Wheeling and keep money in the local economy. Also, I feel like there are growth opportunities for businesses locally.
The worst part would just be an overall lack of population in the area to support more niche businesses.
