Cycling advocates hold “funeral” for Midtown bike lanes that face removal as Mayor touts compromise

By Shannon Ryan

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    HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Cycling advocates held a “funeral” for protected bike lanes along Austin Street in Midtown on Sunday morning.

Some cyclists lay down pretending to be deceased as part of the demonstration. The macabre gesture was intended to demonstrate how they feel the City’s latest decision to remove the bike lane protections will impact public safety.

“The community wants this bike lane. It’s become an important part of biking for people who bike for recreation, to work, for exercise,” Robert Grobe of cycling advocacy group BikeHouston said.

Last week, the city began ripping out concrete barriers that protect the dedicated bike lanes along Austin Street.

Mayor John Whitmire told ABC13 the city planned to repurpose them into shared lanes with cars.

Whitmire said the decision came after several of his constituents said the bike lanes made it harder for them to live and work in the neighborhood.

Tuesday, several people spoke for and against keeping the bike lanes before the Houston City Council. Those in favor of removing the lanes cited issues with trash pickup, parking, and driving.

“I think it’s a fantasy that we will have a critical mass of motorists who replace their cars for bicycles,” First Lutheran Church, Houston Pastor Evan McClanahan said.

McClanahan told the Council that the bike lanes negatively impact parking for the house of worship.

Ultimately, pressure from cyclists steered the Mayor’s Office in a new direction. On Friday, the Mayor released a statement touting a new “compromise.” The city will keep a one-way dedicated bike lane along Austin Street while still removing concrete barriers.

“We don’t understand why, at a time when city finances are in the red, we’re spending our taxpayer money to not only improve things but to make things worse,” Grobe said.

Advocates like Grobe told ABC13 that they are questioning why the City is spending taxpayer money to remove the protected lanes amid a projected budget shortfall of $330 million when the lanes were initially funded with county funds.

Whitmire told ABC13 the decision was made because, “we’re listening to the constituents.”

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