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State plan to add downtown bike lanes could remove on‑street parking, council cautions
Summary
City staff briefed the council on a conceptual MD SHA plan to add dedicated bicycle lanes through downtown by removing parking on one side of Franklin and Washington streets; council asked the state to study parking demand and consult local businesses and residents before finalizing plans.
Staff updated the council on a Maryland State Highway Administration concept to install dedicated bicycle lanes through downtown Hagerstown that would require removing on‑street parking on one side of Franklin Street and one side of Washington Street.
Jim Bender, summarizing the state’s early (5%) conceptual work, said the state will perform a parking‑demand survey and delay a public meeting until summer. Council members and staff urged the state and its consultant to engage downtown businesses, residents and daytime users; members cautioned that removing heavily used on‑street parking could have significant economic impacts for downtown merchants and residents without off‑street alternatives.
The council asked staff to request more inclusive outreach from the state, to pass along the city’s parking inventory (decks/lots) for the state’s study and to consider drafting a formal comment letter expressing concerns about removing parking without a public, local engagement process. Staff agreed to draft a letter for review.
