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 bike lane and parking changes aims to make corners safer: “Then imagine that someone, a pedestrian, cyclist, or driver, is seriously injured or even killed on this stretch of road due to a crash. Then ask yourselves, should such a tragedy occur, who bears the moral responsibility?”

Why it matters: Pine Street is a busy one-way stretch in the city’s center. Supporters said repaving offers a low-cost opportunity to add multimodal infrastructure that would benefit drivers, people who walk and those who bike — including residents who rely on alternatives to driving. Several speakers linked the change to the mayor’s age-friendly initiative and cited reduced crashes and calmer traffic on nearby streets that were restriped previously.

Public testimony and details: Speakers said the change had been part of a prior board decision in 2019 to modify Pine Street from Bridge to Webster to a single travel lane, and that the resurfacing had been scheduled for this summer. Resident Lauren Getz said she and neighbors gathered petitions supporting the project: “Lauren Getz, my neighbor, and I have collected 274 digital signatures supporting this resurfacing and new striping pattern for Pine Street,” she told the board. Other residents described frequent near-misses, recurring collisions at Pine and Brook, damaged utility poles, and safety concerns for children.

Board response and next steps: During the meeting Alderman O'Neil reported a stakeholder meeting that included DPW and planning staff and said the administration plans to apply for a Safer Streets grant to support a more comprehensive study. He told the board the Pine Street item would appear on the June 3 docket and expressed confidence it would pass. The board took public comments “under advisement” by motion of Alderman Tarrio, seconded by Alderman Barry, with the motion approved on a voice vote.

What was not decided: The board did not adopt an ordinance, award a contract, or record a final vote to repave Pine Street at the May 20 meeting. Several speakers urged not to delay the already-planned resurfacing; board members discussed broader planning and grant options but did not enact a construction authorization that night.

Community context: Supporters pointed to the results of lane reductions already implemented on Maple, Beach and Chestnut streets, saying those changes reduced crashes and calmed traffic. Some aldermen and residents asked that any repaving also consider extensions of traffic-calming measures further south toward Valley Street.

Evidence from the meeting: The public comment period on Pine Street included multiple residents from Wards 1, 2, 3, 5 and 11, a petition of 274 digital signatures plus about 50 physical signatures reported by a speaker, and repeated references to the DPW plan first approved by the board in 2019. Board members said DPW will apply for a Safer Streets grant to support comprehensive planning, and that Pine Street repaving with lane reduction and a bike lane will be on the June 3 docket.

The board’s action to receive and file public comment does not itself authorize construction; residents and aldermen will have an opportunity to review the June 3 docket item when it is formally placed on that agenda.