Phoenix staff weigh two 3rd Street bikeway designs as public urges protected lanes

City staff presented two options on Oct. 15 for a Downtown North–South bikeway intended to provide a continuous active-transportation spine through the downtown core.

The transportation, infrastructure and planning subcommittee heard from Director Brianna and staff who outlined Concept 1 — a permanent, concrete-curb protected two‑way bikeway with traffic-signal modifications and upgrades at the Union Pacific railroad crossing — at an estimated construction cost of $17,000,000. Staff also presented Concept 2, a lower-cost alternative estimated at $2,100,000 that would rely on parking-protected lanes and painted buffers, with the possibility of adding vertical elements later.

The study covers the corridor from Roosevelt to Lincoln Street and evaluated corridor options using traffic volumes, parking needs, corridor continuity and public input. Staff said more than 200 people participated in outreach (online surveys and in-person events) and that the preferred north–south route ranked highest in the evaluation criteria.

Public commenters were sharply divided. Advocacy groups and neighborhood associations including the Urban Phoenix Project and Phoenix Spoke People, several residents and neighborhood representatives described the vertical protection in the north-of-Roosevelt segment as a demonstrable safety improvement and urged the council to seek the higher-quality solution now. "Concrete curbs work," said Arjava Wall, arguing that physical separation "calms the street for everyone." Several speakers called for hybrid compromises such as using flex posts near the convention center while preserving curbs elsewhere.

Event and business stakeholders, including a representative of the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Phoenix Symphony, warned that removing a vehicle lane on 3rd Street could complicate ingress and egress for stadium and convention‑center events and increase drop‑off congestion for ride-hail services. "Taking down the car lanes on 3rd ... will certainly impact ingress and egress," said Amy Lynn Pierce of the Diamondbacks and asked the committee not to make decisions without further study.

Council members pressed staff on next steps and timelines. Staff recommended additional traffic analysis, targeted stakeholder engagement (including the Suns, Diamondbacks and Union Pacific), and coordination with planned pavement work that could lower implementation impacts and costs. Staff said Concept 2 could be implemented with local funds and be faster to build, while Concept 1 would likely require federal grants and a longer timeline.

The subcommittee did not vote to adopt a preferred design and requested more technical study and stakeholder negotiation before returning with refined proposals.

The staff presentation and public record show the project remains in the study and refinement phase; staff said they could bring a traffic study and an updated alternative back to the subcommittee, potentially in late spring or after recess, depending on data collection and stakeholder scheduling.