Albany Bicycle Coalition, Inc.
127 S. Pine Ave.
Albany, NY 12208
August 14, 2015
The Honorable Kathy Sheehan
Office of the Mayor
City Hall, Rm. 102
24 Eagle St.
Albany, NY 12207
Dear Mayor Sheehan:
On behalf of people on bicycles (and those who want to be), thank you, the city officials, and the city’s contractors for developing the plans for Madison Avenue Traffic Calming. Your opening words at the July 29 “design meeting” made clear your commitment to the project and the development of a bicycle friendly Albany.
The only sustainable option for bicycle facilities that will get people on bicycles and on the street remains Protected Bicycle Lanes. These lanes on Madison Ave. will propel the City of Albany into the future and hone our competitive edge. Experience of other cities across the USA and the updated Federal design standards support this position.
In resolving the issue of maintenance cost, we urge you to look beyond this immediate cost to what will be the best long term investment through increased business and property values, improved health, reduced traffic and parking congestion, improved safety for all street users, and increased number of people moving (or returning) to Albany. Short term, the City can cover maintenance costs by reallocating DGS services within its current budget. By redirecting cleaning tasks from streets not requiring a 7-day cycle (e.g., many residential streets), we can maintain the new, redesigned Madison Ave.
Mayor Sheehan, we are faced with a decision with a 15 to 20-year future impact. The only option that will get the maximum number of people out of cars and onto bicycles remains Protected Bicycle Lanes. I urge you to embrace Protected Bicycle Lanes as proposed.
Sincerely,
Lorenz M. Worden
President
Albany Bicycle Coalition, Inc.
lorenzworden@gmail.com
Albany Bicycle Coalition 