Residents push Manchester board to move forward with Pine Street repaving and single-lane bike lane

Dozens of Manchester residents urged the Board of Mayor and Aldermen on May 20 to proceed with a Department of Public Works plan to repave Pine Street and convert a two-vehicular-lane section to a single travel lane plus a bike lane; board members said the matter will be placed on the June 3 docket.

The petitioners, who said the change was previously approved by the board in July 2019, described the lane reduction and new striping as a traffic-calming measure that would reduce vehicle speeds, improve sight lines, and make crossings safer for pedestrians and cyclists. “I am regularly bandaging people, bloody people, due to poor road design, which is why I'm thrilled Alderman Morgan assures me that the Pine Street resurfacing along with the new striping pattern will take place this summer,” said Amber Nicole Cannon, a Department of Public Works commissioner and a Pine Street neighbor.

The proposal’s supporters included residents who live, work or commute on Pine Street and neighboring streets. Jeff Rogers of Magnolia Road said the combination of lane reduction, a…