Tree Lovers: 1, Bikers: 0

The Alhambra Bicycle Lane Falls to the Canopy

March 2020

The city commission has unanimously voted to kill a project that would have added a 2.3-mile stretch of bike lanes along Alhambra Circle. The principle reason for the rejected proposal was residents’ concerns that trees would be lost in order to accommodate the lanes. The resolution to shut down the Alhambra Circle bike lane project was put forth by Mayor Raúl Valdés-Fauli, who estimated that some 22 trees would have to be removed.

The last attempt to add bike lanes to the city – along Riviera Drive in 2018 – was similarly rejected by the commission after objections from residents. Both rejections are a blow to the 2014 commission-approved Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan that outlines an expansion of the city’s 10.5-mile bicycle network with 34 miles of new bikeways. Proponents argue that bike lanes are needed to protect the safety of bikers and to encourage more non vehicular traffic.