Council reviews French Street bikeway plan, stresses equity and phased funding

City staff presented details for the French Street segment of the Erie Loop bikeway during caucus on the evening before a scheduled final-passage vote, saying the design follows the Active Erie Transportation Plan adopted in 2021.

Leanne, a member of the administration project team, said the corridor would run from 10th Street to 26th Street. "From 10th to 14th we will have two through lanes, parking and a protected bike lane; from 14th under the bridge to 21st it's a 6-foot bike lane with a 3-foot painted buffer; and from 21st to 26th we expect a single through lane with a shared sharrow as an interim condition," she said.

Jackie, who shared demographic data for the plan, said 19% of Erie residents lack access to a vehicle citywide and that share rises to about 30–50% in some neighborhoods downtown and on the East Bayfront. Staff argued those figures informed the project's emphasis on low-stress bike and pedestrian connections to jobs, schools and transit.

Council members pressed staff on traffic and parking impacts, particularly between 21st and 26th, where the plan preserves parking on the east side because many homes lack driveways. Staff said emergency vehicle access would be retained and that the interim shared-lane segment is modeled on similar streets (for example, sharrows on East 38th Street) pending funding to complete separation to 38th Street in a later phase.

Funding will come from grants rather than the city's general fund, staff said. The administration noted the project is being phased because available grant dollars must be matched or allocated as they are secured; the city cited an incoming Safe Streets grant as a likely near-term source.

Councilors raised concerns about motorized bicycles and scooters: whether the bikeways should accommodate them, and how to approach enforcement. A participant noted that state law requires licensing, registration and insurance for motorized vehicles used on public roads; staff underscored that the planned lanes are intended for human-powered bicycles.

Council members asked that staff conduct neighborhood outreach—particularly with active neighborhood watch groups and the Center City neighborhood—before final implementation. Staff committed to follow-up meetings with the neighborhood resource coordinator and additional public engagement ahead of the council vote.

The administration presented the bikeway slides in caucus to allow a shorter presentation during the public meeting; the project remained on the agenda for final passage later in the evening.