Committee presses to keep shared-use paths in Antoine/Antoine/Hanlon design; drafts letter of support

Committee members reviewed a draft letter of support for the original multimodal design of Antoine Drive (a design produced in 2022) and raised concerns after learning Capital Projects is now favoring wider travel lanes and conventional sidewalks instead of the earlier shared-use paths.

Why it matters: The previous 2022 concept recommended keeping four travel lanes but rightsizing lanes to 11 feet and adding 10-foot shared-use paths on both sides to serve schools, transit stops and shopping destinations. Members said removing the shared-use paths and changing lane geometry to 12-foot “highway” lanes would increase crash risk and construction cost, and could reduce safe access for children and families who walk and bike.

What was discussed: Committee members recounted that the 2022 concept found traffic volumes did not justify additional lanes, recommended 11-foot lanes and proposed shared-use paths on both sides. At a more recent presentation, Capital Projects proposed larger lanes, removed the shared-use paths and suggested only sidewalks; members said the change appears to add roughly half a million dollars and introduce additional drainage and reconstruction requirements.

Committee action: The group reviewed a draft support letter that asks the city to implement the 2022 multimodal design and outlines potential adverse impacts of the alternative. Members suggested minor edits — explicitly calling out shared-use paths “on both sides,” referencing children and schools as beneficiaries and adding bullet points enumerating adverse impacts (added cost, drainage work and removal of protected space for bicyclists).

Next steps: The committee asked staff to finalize the letter with clarified dimensions (path widths and lane widths) and to submit it as formal BAC input to Capital Projects.