Proposal On East Second Street Bike Lanes Passes Committee
Trending
A proposal to add bicycle lanes to a portion of East Second Street received approval from the council's Public Works Committee on Monday.
If recommended to the state Department of Transportation, the reconfiguration during planned work in 2025 would eliminate parking on the south side of the street.
During Monday's work session, area resident Andrew Dixon spoke in support of the East Second Street project. As a bicyclist, he noted the "early success" of adding bike lanes to Washington Street in Jamestown and the "possibility that this offers to connect and provide an east-west avenue" on East Second.
Dixon said he hoped similar redesigns are in the works for Foote Avenue and North Main Street.
The project was discussed during the council's Finance and Public Works committees. The Finance Committee took no action as Chair Brent Sheldon, R-Ward I, said the project was being undertaken by the state DOT with no financial impact to the city. The matter was deferred to the Public Works Committee.
However, Sheldon again expressed concerns about the elimination of parking on East Second and its safety implications, noting the number of residences and businesses along that corridor.
At present, the reconfiguration would impact 1.75 miles of the heavily traveled road from East Fourth Street to Tiffany Avenue. The proposal calls for a dedicated bike lane to be added to the eastbound lane of East Second Street while the westbound lane would be widened to accommodate both vehicles and bikes.
Mark Roetzer, acting director of the city Department of Public Works, said the state will follow the recommendation of the city. He said the plan calls for the addition of striping along the eastbound lane of East Second to create a bike lane. The westbound lane, he said, would go from 11 feet wide -- the normal width of a travel lane -- to 13 feet wide to act as a shared lane for both vehicles and bikes.
During the Finance Committee, Councilman Tony Dolce, R-Ward II, indicated he was neither for or against the addition of bike lanes.
"That's the direction that the state's moving with all these new roads," Dolce said. "They want to make them bike-accessible. ... I don't have a strong sense either way. Bike lanes are nice to have."
Councilman Randy Daversa, R-At-Large, said the Public Works Committee voted to approve the proposal after receiving comments from the public, including Dixon.
A resolution recommending the bike lanes will now go to the full City Council for a possible vote.