City Council members made the right decision, in our view, by not backing bike lanes on East Second Street at the expense of on-street parking for businesses and homes on the southwest side of the street.

As we’ve stated, removing the on-street parking on the 1.75-mile stretch of road would have been a pain for those who live in the area, particularly since there was no plan to replace the parking. We agree with the concerns over safety of The Resource Center clients, problems the lack of parking could create for East Second Street businesses and, frankly, the hassle for those who live in the roughly 30 homes in the area.

These are all problems that come with trying to retrofit roads designed for an automobile-centric world without being able to make the road wider. Adding bike lanes on some roads is like squeezing an extra three pounds of stuff into a one-pound bag – they just don’t fit.

The problems with the Second Street bike lane proposal don’t mean e-bikes, e-scooters and old-fashioned bicycles are going away. The trends are just the opposite. E-bikes and e-scooters are cheaper than cars and will likely have a growing niche in the way city residents get from one point to another.

We still see people riding in the winter because their bike is their main means of getting around. We have to remember that both the state and the city of Jamestown have backed the idea of Complete Streets, so bike lane proposals aren’t going away any time soon. Similar proposals will come up every time a state road is resurfaced – and it would behoove the city to be proactive rather than reactive. It’s time for a locally created bike lane plan that identifies the best streets in the city to place bike lanes that move bike and scooter traffic without creating traffic hazards for either riders or drivers. If off-street parking is being taken away to create a bike lane, then the city plan should identify ways to replace the parking without creating additional headaches. That may mean neighborhood surface lots, which come with logistical headaches of their own like plowing and other maintenance.

The city is about to embark on a new comprehensive planning process. It’s the perfect time to address bike lanes throughout the city in a holistic way, rather than the willy-nilly way they’ve been handled over the past year.

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