How to create more parking options while keeping bikers and walkers safe? Hartford is now trying to figure that out, but the proposal is being met with pushback.
Cyclists are showing up in force to Hartford City Hall to let the city council know they don’t want any restrictions with bike lanes.
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“It’s really important that people can safely get from point A to point B if they don’t have a car,” Jay Stange, a cyclist said.
He’s one of the cyclists worried about a resolution the city council is considering that calls for them to evaluate the impact of bike lanes in the city, particularly on small businesses. Councilmembers say some shop owners are concerned with how it affects foot traffic if people can’t find a parking space so they started looking into changes like time-restricted bike lanes.
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Stange says restrictions like that make the roads not as safe, pointing to stats from the Connecticut Crash Data Repository. It shows 230 fatal or serious crashes involving pedestrians or cyclists in Hartford between January of 2015 to January of 2024.
“People’s safety and their ability to attend events and go to businesses on public streets is way more valuable than one or two parking spaces," he said.
Councilmember Maly Rosado, who put forward the resolution, says it’s about finding consensus on tackling the issue.
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“The intention of this resolution is to hear from everyone and come to a solution where it works for every resident in the City of Hartford,” she said.
Rosado says she doesn’t want to remove any bike lanes and is willing to listen to concerns from cyclists with public safety being a priority.
“We want to make it better. We want to make it safer for the residents of the City of Hartford,” she said.
Stange says more accessible streets means a safer environment, which he believes can help businesses.
“People who walk, ride the bus, and ride their bike are customers of businesses and patronized businesses more often than people who try to park in front of them,” he said.
Councilwoman Rosado says this resolution is currently in committee and the process for that will take months.