Scottsdale approves adding bike lanes to major street near Old Town

SCOTTSDALE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- Councilmembers for the City of Scottsdale approved on Tuesday the addition of bike lanes along a residential area that is commonly used to bypass arterial traffic along Scottsdale Road, near the Old Town Scottsdale entertainment district.

In a 4-3 vote, councilmembers voted to add more pedestrian-friendly features and bike lanes to a stretch of 68th Street between Osborn and Thomas roads. Project features also include left turn-bays, pedestrian markings, and an improved intersection at Osborn Road. Traffic engineers expect that the project will keep most of the on-street parking north of that intersection while adding turn lanes.

Councilman Barry Graham tweeted after the vote, saying that he tried to work up a “compromise that preserved the car lanes” but was unsuccessful.

On Tuesday, Scottsdale City Council voted (4-3) to eliminate 2 lanes from one of your major streets in south Scottsdale.

I tried to find a compromise that preserved the car lanes. Unfortunately, councilmembers made the issue about what they want—not what you want.… pic.twitter.com/KmBwTCz6v8
— Barry Graham (@BarrySGraham) March 23, 2023

City officials say that that section doesn’t see typically see high levels of traffic. The project is part of a continued “Transportation Action Plan” that the city created in 2022 in an effort to refine the existing transportation infrastructure. Under the city’s presentation, it notes that its agenda is to emphasize “livable streets and community” over “rapid traffic throughput.”

Concerns from opponents most detail traffic worries as South Scottsdale continues to experience, including new apartment complexes and small to mid-size businesses that encompass the community. However, the city says community members that sent in feedback on the proposal were overwhelmingly in favor of the project, and that members were given multiple choices to give their input.

Julie Uryasz, President of the Southwest Village Association, says that homeowners and residents in her HOA are also in favor of the project, which runs directly through the project location. “Contrary to what opponents of this project would like you to believe, we do walk bicycles and we push strollers into Old Town. This is one of the main reasons why we purchased homes along the 68th Street corridor,” Uryasz told the council during Tuesday’s meeting. She says some residents have already seen multiple car accidents in this community, including a deadly crash involving a pedestrian.