ADRIAN — Adrian residents are once again pushing back against the city’s proposed bike loop, calling the current two-way design outdated, unsafe, and out of step with best practices.
The downtown Winter Street bike loop project drew heavy criticism during the June 2 commission meeting. Several speakers — including local cyclists and advocates — called on the city to rethink the two-lane bidirectional design, citing safety risks and flawed planning.
Critics said the current layout creates dangerous intersections, counterintuitive lane navigation, and choke points that exclude families, casual riders, and people with disabilities.
A resident and cycling advocate presented a redesigned layout more than a year ago, including detailed intersection diagrams and lane realignments. He said his feedback — submitted through the official survey, followed up with emails, and shared at open houses — was largely ignored.
Instead, the city advanced a version that citizens claimed failed the basic usability test. In field trials with locals, he said not a single person navigated the city’s current design correctly.
His plan? A switch to unidirectional protected lanes, wider paths for social riding, and protected intersections modeled after national and international standards.
City staff acknowledged that changes discussed at previous meetings weren’t fully implemented in the latest drafts. A follow-up meeting with the SmithGroup design team is now scheduled to address concerns before the final drawings are brought back for approval.
However, staff also warned that modifying the plan too late could risk losing grant funding — a claim public comment disputed, pointing instead to months of delayed action as the real issue.
This isn’t just a fight over lanes. It’s a debate about who public infrastructure is designed for — and whether community input is being taken seriously.
Final approval of the Winter Street bike loop is expected at the next commission meeting, with updated plans anticipated beforehand.