Bike lane plan causes angst on The Avenue

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Bike lane plan causes angst on The Avenue

Thursday, January 31, 2013

World photo/Christine Pratt

About even — Stick-on dots were used to express support for a proposal to make more room for bicycles and less room for cars — or to keep the current configuration on a one-mile stretch of North Wenatchee Avenue.

WENATCHEE — A city proposal to repaint the lines on a part of busy North Wenatchee Avenue to make more room for bicycles and less room for cars has left members of the public stuck in the middle of the road.

Strong opposition and support were both represented Wednesday at a city-hosted open house to discuss the proposal, which would reduce the number of traffic lanes from four to two from Fifth Street north to Miller Street to make room for bicycle lanes and landscaping.

Cross-town blues

The .81-mile stretch of North Wenatchee Avenue between Fifth and Miller streets carries more than 11,000 vehicles a day, according to city estimates.

That includes semi trucks, who choose the straight, cross-town Wenatchee Avenue route because it’s hard for their southbound big rigs to make a tight right turn onto Fifth Street and then a left onto Chelan Avenue — the intended cross-town route for trucks.

The Fifth-to-Miller portion of the avenue was last paved in 1998 and is overdue for resurfacing, city officials say. Repaving and other work will happen this summer, regardless of what the city decides to do with lane configuration, officials say.

— Christine Pratt, World staff

A decision on how to repaint the lines is only a tiny part of a $927,000 overhaul of that stretch of road already planned for this summer. The other option would be to preserve the current, four-lane configuration.

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More than 80 people signed the attendance sheets at the open house. Many more didn’t sign in, a city official said. Both business owners and a strong contingent of bicycle riders were present.

“My first reaction when I saw the plan was that with Pybus (public market) coming on, it was a wonderful way of expanding the downtown to include the businesses in this area,” said bicyclist Cora Sturzl, who coowns Chinook Music Service in East Wenatchee.

She and other cyclists said they’d welcome the plan for the increased bicycle access to businesses and restaurants on the north avenue.

Many business owners who attended flatly oppose the change.

“I don’t know why they’d want bicycles on the avenue when they’ve got the (Apple Capital Recreation) Loop Trail,” said Barry Bilderback, co-owner of both the Buzz Inn restaurant and the Joe’s Log Cabin tavern. “I think you’re asking for trouble. It will create more traffic congestion, and that’s not good for business owners.”

Gary Owen, Wenatchee city engineer

Gary Owen, a city engineer and spokesman for the project, said the proposal stems from a general public desire for city engineers to consider all forms of transportation, including bicycles and foot travel, when designing city streets and traffic patterns.

Feedback, pro and con, was about even at Wednesday’s open house, he said, but added that he’d spent most of that day fielding phone calls and emails from citizens who flatly opposed not only the proposal, but bike riders in general.

“I’ve had pretty much nothing but non-supporting feedback all day today,” he said. “Most were citing congestion and the Loop Trail nearby.”

Work this summer will include road resurfacing, improved curb-access ramps at intersections, better signing and improvements to storm drains and water mains. Grants will fund most of the cost. The remaining $238,000 will come from matching funds from the city, the presentation says. Restriping the lanes, one way or the other, would happen anyway and is included in the cost.

City councilmembers who make up the city’s Transportation Benefit District Board said they thought the reconfiguration could work, but told Owen to see what the public thinks about it.

Both he and Dan Frazier, director of public works operations for the city, said the proposal is just a concept. It would help tie that area of the avenue into a greater subarea plan for the city. But nothing’s been decided yet.

“I’m not interested in shoving anything down anybody’s throat,” Owen said. “We need to go through the process of considering everything before it’s a done deal.”

The City Council will ultimately decide the proposal’s fate. Councilmembers will likely discuss the proposal at one of their upcoming sessions, Feb. 14 or Feb. 21, Owen said.

The public still has time to comment on the proposal by contacting Owen at 888-3204 or gowen@wenatcheewa.gov, or via the city website, wenatcheewa.gov.

Christine Pratt: 665-1173

pratt@wenatcheeworld.com

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lonedog3 3 months, 2 weeks ago

"Gary Owen, a city engineer and spokesman for the project, said the proposal stems from a general public desire for city engineers to consider all forms of transportation, including bicycles and foot travel, when designing city streets and traffic patterns" Why is he catering to the MINORITY rather that the majority? This smells as bad as the WEA!

EWJohn 3 months, 2 weeks ago

I guess if you want to decrease tourism and overall busniess in the area the bike lane is a good idea. Less lanes means more traffic congestion. I'll go to Staples rather than Office Depot. Sorry Buzz Inn. So where do the bikes ride elsewhere in town? They're going to detour down to the Ave. for that .81 miles of bike lane? Really?

lonedog3 3 months, 2 weeks ago

I would buy this if there were 11,000 bicycles a day on that stretch of road. How do the stores there get service delivery by the trucks? Sad the one city council member at the meeting could only say "well this will make them use the lower roads" This city council is no better than the last one.

seslar 3 months, 2 weeks ago

that area already doesn't have much traffic. If you drive down there on pretty much any given day, there are very few cars. I don't see how changing to 2 lanes from 4 is going to congest things to the point that they are backed up and I'd avoid driving there to shop. As for tourist, tourists seem to like it when cities are livable and walkable and yes even bicycle-able.

Don 3 months, 2 weeks ago

I have been paying particular attention to that area since this drama started. I can only imagine most of those posting here don't drive there. It is the only explanation for all the claims of congestion, which clearly do not exist.

FootballNut 3 months, 2 weeks ago

I drive there all the time and I agree that there generally isn't any congestion there and I want to keep it that way.

dryside 3 months, 2 weeks ago

I smell GRANT MONEY. How about trying this for a few days, in the Summer. Block thing off like they would be. 3 lanes. Bike lanes. No parking. Turn lanes, whatever. Try it for a week. Is that "Bike Lane" going all the way down Wenatchee Ave.? At leat Ballard and Lifeline will be close. NO SALE!

wonderstar 3 months, 2 weeks ago

I'm not going to stroll down the Avenue to the Feed and Seed store! Nor am I going to wandered along the Avenue until I get to one of the hotels. I'm going to drive unless this part of the Avenue gets as congested as the downtown section. Office Depot is not a "walk in" or "ride in" business. And the PUD is not like my favorite coffee shop. Please leave the Avenue alone so I can get to the businesses I need to visit!

Seacobra 3 months, 2 weeks ago

How many of them rode bicycles to the meeting......The signs always say share the road..not take it away. Reducing a roads capacity for vehicles does seem like it would increase economic development.

Don 3 months, 2 weeks ago

At least three people rode bicycles to the meeting because the bicycles were parked in the lobby. There could have been more that parked outside.

Don 3 months, 2 weeks ago

All this debate boils down to paint. That is all it is. Stripes on a surface. That paint, by the way, is redrawn every year or two because it wears off. If this turned out to be some horrible failure it isn't like it couldn't be easily fixed.

FootballNut 3 months, 2 weeks ago

The old saying is supposed to be "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Instead it seems Wenatchee's motto is "If it ain't broke, fix it until it is."

kyook 3 months, 2 weeks ago

If it simply boils down to paint why does it come with a price tag of over a million bucks (probably double that before it's all said and done)of taxpayer money?

If it doesn't work out, what will they do...just poke the "undo" button and make the road resurfacing, curbing and landscaping etc. just go away at the cost of another million bucks? POOF!

pratt 3 months, 2 weeks ago

The project price tag applies to road resurfacing, water and storm water improvements, curb ramps and other things that will happen regardless of how they configure the lanes.

nopockets 3 months, 2 weeks ago

I'm neither for or against, but I wonder how many of the nay sayers attended the meeting? That's where information is exchanged and opinions would be considered. City staff and council don't have to consider the rants that get posted here.

kyook 3 months, 2 weeks ago

I'm laughing out loud right now because nobody can be this naive. If they really wanted more input from the citizens, they would give more advance notice of the meeting and hold it in a larger venue designed to hold more people. The meetings are where they pretend to listen and/or care about public opinion right before they do exactly what they want to do anyway in spite of objections.

FootballNut 3 months, 2 weeks ago

I was there. I looked at their proposal and then gave them my written comments. I also put my sticker on the board voting to leave it configured the way it is now. No ranting and raving on my part.

lonedog3 3 months, 2 weeks ago

the meeting was intentionally set up so few if any could make it. There is no other explanation for the extremely short notice. Apparently the city council knows how insane this idea is and is trying to keep those that would stand for common sense and not special interests groups and insane wastes of tax money from the meeting. Sad thing is that like the WEA this moronic idea is probably already a done deal without the consent of the people that are paying for it. The city of Wenatchee has worked this way for many years and continues to do so. They want the cutesy rather than functional town and will stop at nothing to get it. I realize that most politicians all believe one phrase and must now learn it in politics 101. It is "If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough it will be believed" Seems the Wenatchee city council has learned this very well over the years. This statement should be carved in the entranceway to the city hall building and all the welcome signs.

ranchers 3 months, 2 weeks ago

**My suggestion: Any city council member who votes "yes" should be required to ride his/her bicycle to all future city council meetings for the next year, and then re-vote to determine if they still wish to continue with their "wonderful" idea.

By the way, has anyone considered the fact that the same configeration of the roadways would be the very same winter and summer---have you considered that in the wintertime, snowplows have to plow snow to the center of the roadway (or what you have left of it)**

coolers53 3 months, 2 weeks ago

Just an observation, I live in East Wenatchee and had to go to the Sports authority and Lowes today. I left Lowes on purpose at 12:15PM and headed down the Ave South, the traffic was very congested on both lanes , both ways, at 12:25 I made it to the convention center and went through downtown, it was packed and had to wait at every light. Until I got to the 2 lanes again down by the bus station area , it all cleared up, My guess is that for that one little mile narrowed down to 2 lanes it will be a real mess, also I cannot see anyone walking or riding a bike down the ave in that area, bike lanes or not, it would be very dangerous. I would think the city council people should go out there at certain times and experience this them selves.

BenJCarter 3 months, 2 weeks ago

Brought to you by the same geniuses that thought the Town Toyota Center Parking plan was adequate. It's their Valley, we just finance it...

JSanford 3 months, 2 weeks ago

Creating safe travel corridors for cyclists is an important piece of the long-term transportation plan. To work solely within the 'automobiles-only' construct is to miss the boat on creating a more livable city. The network of bicycle routes in Wenatchee is wonderful. It's one of the outstanding qualities that sets this city apart from the rest of eastern Washington (let alone the rest of the United States.) Regardless of whether or not you ride a bike, it's something to be proud of.
I think the city is on the right track here, but I recognize the need for compromise between the different user groups. Instead of all or nothing, I'd suggest the following: leave everything the way it is between Miller and 5th Street. But from 5th to 2nd, reduce the road and add the marked bike lanes. This would provide a safe corridor for cyclists choosing to shop in the downtown business district by connecting to the existing route on 5th Street, and maintain the existing traffic pattern on the north end of the Avenue. Everybody wins.

lonedog3 3 months, 2 weeks ago

Jordan your argument would be great if I saw more than 3 or 4 bicycles there. Why would you rather destroy a traffic flow for the 11,000 plus cars and trucks for a handful of bicycles? Sad to say but our "leaders" (and I use that term loosely) need to stop bending over to please the minorities and pay attention to the majority. I will accept your argument when I see even 1/2 of the bicycles on that stretch of road. Also, If my mind serves me correct, there is a wonderful bicycle path very close that the bicycle riders carried on about for years until it was built (with tax payer money). USE IT!

JSanford 3 months, 2 weeks ago

lonedog, you are correct when you say that the Loop Trail is wonderful. I use it every day. Thank you for footing a piece of that bill.   And just so we're on the same page: the compromise I suggested involves a 0.3 mile piece of road. Google Maps predicts it will take you 43 seconds to travel that distance by car. Perhaps what you are suggesting (and what I have failed to understand) is that by changing the traffic pattern, your travel time could increase to as much as 53 seconds.

Dudleydoright 3 months, 2 weeks ago

But then what Jordan? Reducing traffic and business do NOT go together. I own a business in the section in question, I was there in the early '90's when they reduced downtown to two lanes and it killed sales, can I say it again? it killed sales. I am not the only one who has lived through that disaster. Now, there will be some in the business community who will go along with this foolishness, either they haven't a clue or they are a destination business where there are only one or two in the whole city and people HAVE to use them, but for the vast majority of us we rely on car count to drive sales. Reducing car count kills sales, it's that simple, had I known it twenty years ago I would have sued to stop it or demanded the total elimination of my properety tax bill because they stole tens of thousands in sales every year by their actions, do they care? Of course not, those sales simply went to competing buisiness and the sales tax burden simply shifted.

lonedog3 3 months, 2 weeks ago

and I am so glad Google maps can predict the travel time through a bottle neck of traffic. you were just joking weren't you??

Dudleydoright 3 months, 2 weeks ago

Every time I hear seemingly intelligent businessmen complain about the horrible traffic in front of their business I want to screem. Do these so called "businessmen" understand how valuable all that traffic is? Why do we buy billboards on North Wenatchee Ave? Because that is where many potential customers are. This proposal is terrible news for any of the business in that district who would kill for half as many cars as north of Miller and Wenatchee ave have.

Chuck 3 months, 2 weeks ago

Local leadership didn't listen or otherwise heed public opinion when it came to the Town Toyota Center, and now it seems their replacements are itching to follow in those footsteps.

One would think that after a taxpayer bailout they'd at least start to think twice before rushing headlong into the next big idea.

Sadly, there's little indication that such is the case.