Grand Junction council votes 4-3 to revert Fourth and Fifth Street pilot south of Grand and restore two driving lanes

Grand Junction City Council voted 4–3 on Aug. 20 to revert the downtown Fourth and Fifth Street pilot south of Grand Avenue to two driving lanes and remove the south-of-Grand bike lane, rejecting a roughly $250,000 amendment staff said would be needed to fit a bike lane through several curb pinch points. Mayor Scott Kennedy cast a yes vote; council members Ballard, Cole and Van Dyke joined him. Council members Balfus, Wynne and Stout voted no.

The city manager told council at the meeting that staff previously estimated about $250,000 to add asphalt, concrete and landscaping revisions at “pinch points” on Main Street to accommodate a bike lane south of Grand. That figure and the schedule to begin work the week of Sept. 2 were cited by council during debate. City staff said the physical work to restore the roadway would take approximately three weeks if the council approved reversion.

The vote followed nearly four hours of public comment during a meeting that repeatedly returned to the subject. Thousands of words of testimony were offered from downtown business owners, residents, cyclists and safety advocates. Some speakers…