Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Traffic Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents urge enforcement, education after Uptown bike sidewalk incidents and Windermere crosswalk close calls
Summary
Business owners and neighborhood residents told council they are seeing unsafe bicycling and scooter use in Uptown and asked for enforcement and public education; an HOA representative asked for additional traffic studies and pedestrian safety review at McCorkle and a Windermere neighborhood crosswalk where a bicyclist was struck last week.
Two public commenters told council they want more enforcement and public outreach after repeated unsafe bicycling and scooter use in Uptown and close calls at a Windermere-area crosswalk.
Debbie Benally, an Uptown business owner of 19 years, told council she had documented near-miss incidents and asked the city to use social media and other outreach to remind riders that sidewalk bicycling is prohibited in Uptown and that cyclists must obey crosswalk rules. “Did you know that it's against the law to ride your bicycle on the sidewalk in Uptown? Many people don't,” Benally said, adding she laminated the ordinance language and distributed the sheets to Uptown businesses.
Savannah Renan, a resident and HOA representative for Windermere, reported her neighborhood’s HOA survey showed pedestrian safety and speeding were top concerns. Renan said two traffic studies inside the neighborhood have not met thresholds for mitigation and that she has personally had a close call at a curve and crosswalk on McCorkle; she asked council to consider additional traffic study and pedestrian safety evaluation. Councilors and staff said the city had already referred the Windermere concerns to staff for follow-up.
Why it matters: Uptown pedestrian safety affects local businesses and visitors; the Windermere request raises questions about neighborhood traffic calming and whether existing studies capture local risk points.
Councilors thanked the speakers and directed staff to continue enforcement and public education on bicycle and scooter safety in Uptown; staff confirmed the Windermere crossing matter is under review. The council’s public remarks noted that bicycles and scooters operating on sidewalks or disregarding traffic controls pose safety risks and that officers requested citizens use the non-emergency police line to report incidents.
No new ordinance changes or formal votes were taken at the meeting; speakers asked that the city increase targeted education, enforcement and, where necessary, additional traffic studies.
