By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — Bike lanes continue to be a hot button issue as the Town Council heard another update on the town’s proposed Bicycle/Pedestrian Plan this week.
Town Engineer William Renault presented the latest updates to the plan. Police Chief Steven Skory, Fire Chief Michael Sullivan and Economic Development Director Erin Kokinda were also on hand to provide their feedback.
Renault began by reviewing the background of the plan. He said that the goals of the plan were to encourage walking, bicycling and rolling to key destinations throughout town, establish a plan that connects local destinations and surrounding communities through safe, comfortable and convenient routes, and to advance the Town’s Complete Streets Policy.
He talked about the various types of bike lanes recommended for different locations around town, including shared-use paths, protected bike lanes, conventional bike lanes, and “shared streets.”
At a previous meeting, the Town Council voted against removing any parking on Main Street along the Lake in order to create bicycle accommodations. On Monday night, Renault presented his latest design that would create a protected bike lane while preserving parking along Main Street from Lowell to Salem Street.
His plan calls for a bike lane between the sidewalk and the parallel parking for vehicles along the Lake side of Main Street. The plan would require considerable narrowing of the automobile travel lanes to accommodate the shared use/bike path.
Skory was also asked about the plan for Main Street along the Lake. He said he was glad to see that parking will remain as it will provide a safety barrier for the bike and pedestrian path. Also, he observed, if the parking were to be removed, those cars would just go somewhere else, like residential neighborhoods.
Councilor Robert Vincent said that, as long as the proposed 12-foot vehicle travel lanes along Main Street are deemed adequate, he was comforted that the Main Street plan enhances safety for all modes of travel.
Councilor Anne Danehy agreed. She said that enhancing accommodations for bicyclists was fine with her as long as it’s not done at the expense of any other group.
There were also questions about the plan for Church Street, where the addition of bike lanes would result in vehicle travel lanes of just 11 feet wide in each direction. Chiefs Story and Sullivan were asked their opinion.
Skory said that the width seemed narrow, but said it might have the effect of slowing vehicles down. Sullivan was concerned about the narrow lane width for larger vehicles, like fire engines and trucks.
Councilor Mehreen Butt reminded the board that the bicycle/pedestrian plan is tied to state funding.
Dombroski questioned the assumptions leading to the creation of bike lanes. He noted that most of the non-vehicular traffic around the lake consists of walkers, runners and people pushing strollers. There are “very few bikes,” he observed. He was skeptical of the idea that “If you build it they will come.”
“It seems like we’re solving a problem that’s not as significant as some would say,” he insisted.
But Councilor Julie Smith Galvin maintained that there was “solid data” to support the idea that cyclers will come if the infrastructure is there.
Dombroski also questioned the speed with which various concepts, such as bike accommodations, seem to turn into accepted proposals and then policies.
Renault pointed out that the Town Council did vote to adopt the Complete Streets Policy, but if the board did not approve any specific plan, it simply wouldn’t go forward. He noted that the latest version of the Bicycle/Pedestrian Plan calls for review of all projects by the Traffic Advisory Committee and the Town Council.
Dombroski wondered how this extra layer of review would impact the Engineering Department’s momentum in bringing projects forward to completion.
Renault acknowledged that going through the two boards would slow things down, but said that was OK “as long we’re getting it right.”
Councilor Michael McLane observed that when the Main Street plan went before the Traffic Advisory Committee, the TAC’s traffic engineer agreed with the idea of preserving the parking along Main Street. McLane agreed with Dombroski that concepts have a way of becoming presumed designs very quickly, and for that reason he preferred a project-by-project approach, rather than a town-wide plan.
Renault said that the latest modifications will be incorporated and the updated Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan will be reviewed by Skory and Sullivan as well as the TAC before coming back to the Town Council early next year for a vote. Public comment will also be solicited.