is no designated bikway.
(Photo: Jim Parsons/BikePortland)
Tonight the Beaverton City Council will vote on whether or not to stripe bike lanes on a 1.5 mile stretch of SW Lombard Ave between 1st Street and Denney Road. In addition to striping the road for bike lanes, the City of Beaverton is also considering removing on street motor vehicle parking on Lombard from 7th to Allen to make room for bicycle traffic.
Back in March, the city’s Traffic Commission voted 5-1 against striping the lanes, but instead of having the decision appealed by bike advocates, the City Council opted to hold a public hearing on the issue.
When that hearing was held at the end of June, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance reported a “weak representation from bicyclists.” Here’s more from a BTA blog post (emphasis theirs):
“Testimony from Lombard bicyclists and their supporters was few and far between in a steady stream of complaints, concerns, and opposition from Lombard residents, neighbors and motorists whose majority attendance at the hearing demonstrated a persuasive and palpable argument in itself.
The residents of Lombard Avenue were adamant in their “right” to park on “their street”.”
Another critic of the bike lanes, Henry Kane wrote a letter to the Beaverton Valley Times that said, “At issue is whether to forbid homeowners and guests parking in front of homes for the benefit of a handful of special-interest bikers.”
To learn more before you go, read the recap of the issues at hand from the BTA blog. Also, members of the BikePortland forums have been discussing this issue at length. You can browse the 31 posts in the thread here.
- Beaverton City Council Meeting
Council Chambers (4755 SW Griffith Drive)
8/16 at 6:30 p.m.