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Council hears divided views on proposed downtown sidewalk bicycling restriction; staff recommend safety-first approach
Summary
At first reading, council considered an ordinance to require bicyclists to dismount on downtown sidewalks and in parts of Pennsylvania Park. Chief safety staff and parks staff raised liability and blind-spot concerns; residents and cycling advocates urged targeted restrictions and a consultant-backed non-motorized plan instead.
Petoskey City Council began first reading of an ordinance on June 1 that would limit wheeled non-motorized travel on downtown sidewalks and in parts of Pennsylvania Park, prompting a wide-ranging debate about pedestrian safety, merchant access and cyclist routes.
Director Carr, in a staff memo read into the record, framed the question as a public-safety and liability issue: "I feel this should not come before the safety of pedestrians," he wrote, citing "numerous reports of 'near misses'" and recommending that bicyclists park or walk their bikes through the downtown business district rather than ride on sidewalks. Parks & Recreation Director Kendall Clingelith provided a separate memo noting narrow sidewalks, blind spots and the rise of higher-speed ebikes, and urged a shared-use transportation plan rather than an immediate change to practice.
Several council members said they were sympathetic to merchants’ concerns about sidewalk congestion in front of storefronts and supported a measured approach that could include dismount requirements in narrow storefront areas and keeping the greenway through Pennsylvania Park open. "I am not going to be in support of any legislation or policy that is in favor of restricting bicycle traffic without a comprehensive plan of the alternative and bike lanes and a potential study," Council Member Lindsay (public comment) said, urging a consultant study and better signage.
Multiple public commenters — including business owners who want to avoid an unfriendly environment for tourists and cyclists who said they rely on the greenway to travel to work — recommended narrower, place-based restrictions (for example, in front of businesses) rather than a district-wide ban. Speakers also asked for clearer maps of the proposed boundaries and for robust public education and signage before any enforcement begins.
Council members agreed to pursue two parallel steps: (1) direct staff to prepare an RFP and scope for a non-motorized mobility consultant to update the 2015 plan and analyze alternatives for bike lanes, signage and shared paths, and (2) continue the ordinance process with an eye to an education-driven, complaint-first enforcement approach and potential short-term trial language. The ordinance remains at first reading and will return for further consideration.
