As of Monday, 404 people have signed a Change.org petition that urges the “installation of bike lanes along Roosevelt Street between Fifth Avenue and Seventh Street.”
The Downtown Phoenix Plan, a city-planning policy adopted by the Phoenix City Council in 2008, calls for the bike lanes to be installed after Street Transportation Department evaluation and approval.
The roughly one-mile stretch of road within the Roosevelt Row Arts District is known for its unique, locally owned shops and an art-walk that takes place every first and third Friday of the month.
The petition, authored by Roosevelt Row Community Development Corporation board member Greg Esser, states that bike-lane installation would increase the safety of everyone visiting the area, including those on bikes, in cars and on foot.
Phoenix Bicycle Coordinator Joseph Perez was recently involved in a similar bike-lane project three miles away.
“The success of the road diet on Central Avenue between Camelback and Bethany Home roads indicates that the (Roosevelt Street) bike lanes would be welcomed and useful,” Perez said. “The city is analyzing whether or not bike lanes will fit on Roosevelt. There are a number of established practices that the city will look at when they analyze the request.”
Carly Logan, owner of Carly’s Bistro on Roosevelt Street and a vocal supporter of the petition, said she knows many people who would make use of new bike lanes.
“Several of my employees bike to work and many of my customers do, too,” Logan said. “Many of them have signed our own bike-lane petition that we keep behind the bar.”
Logan estimates over 500 total signatures have been collected between her own petition and the website’s.
Cory Kincaid is an avid bicyclist and resident of the Evans Churchill neighborhood downtown.
“Personally, I’m excited for the impact bike lanes would have on my own travel around the neighborhood,” Kincaid said. “Everything from trips to the farmer’s market and gym to connections to the Metro will be safer and more enjoyable.”
Contact the reporter at jmmarsh1@asu.edu
