On February 28th, Mayor Bramson and I held a District 2 meeting for residents of the Pelham Road corridor. The meeting was well represented and allowed residents an opportunity to express their concerns on a wide range of issues, including development on Pelham Road, the proposed bike route designation by the City and traffic issues.
As a result of concerns expressed at that meeting, the City Manager has been asked to better enforce traffic and speeding regulations on Pelham Road, and to explore the feasibility and cost of introducing new tree plantings along the Pelham Road corridor. We will continue to follow up on these and other issues and will also take into great consideration other suggestions made that evening.
With regard to the proposal to designate Pelham Road as part of an official City bike route, I have argued strongly against such action based on the volume of traffic, number of curb cuts and the variety of uses on this important artery. This road is simply inappropriate for such a designation: it would not be safe for bicyclists and would introduce further complications to an already over burdened road. I voted against this as a budget item and will continue to oppose any such designation. At this time, as a result of the opposition by myself and Councilmember Boyle, and the outcry by local residents, Pelham Road and Echo Avenue have been moved from the Short Term route designation to the Long Term list for further review by the Administration.