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Council update: protected bike lane plan for Manhattan and Franklin moves toward council vote after residents press for action
Summary
Residents urged the council to build a protected Manhattan–Franklin bike lane with existing grant funding; a council member reported a revised plan and said the project will require a council vote to change Franklin Avenue’s direction and accept the grant.
Residents and cyclists pressed the Jersey City Municipal Council on Jan. 15 to move forward with a protected bike lane along Manhattan Avenue and Franklin Street, saying funding is in hand and the lane would improve safety and local commerce.
Danielle Didamo said the project already has grant money and a deadline extension. "We already have grant funding secured and the project deadline extended," she told the council, and asked, "So what is taking so long to write the ordinance needed to begin production of this protected bike lane?"
Daniel Udell and other speakers also urged the council to build the Manhattan–Franklin connection, saying bike lanes improve street safety and mobility.
A council member provided a procedural update during the meeting, reporting that a Dec. 31 meeting with Director Patel of the Department of Infrastructure produced a revised plan: a protected lane near Mosquito Park, "sharrows" (shared-lane markings) on Manhattan Avenue, and a protected, one-way configuration for Franklin from Central Avenue to Palisade Avenue. The council member said the proposal must come before the full council, and that changing Franklin Avenue to one-way would require a council vote to accept grant funding and change the street direction; they added, "we have one vote, that's me, and now we have to get to 5."
No formal council vote on the lane or on accepting grant funds took place at the meeting. Council members and residents said the next steps are to place the item on a future council agenda for consideration of the street-direction change and acceptance of the grant funding.
Speakers framed the issue as both a safety and equity measure: proponents cited survey responses and public comments they said showed broad local support, and said the lane would reduce crashes and boost business by making streets more walkable and bikeable. Opponents were not recorded during the public-comment period at this meeting.
Council members did not adopt an ordinance at the Jan. 15 session; residents said they would continue to press for a council vote to implement the protected configuration described by the administration.
