‘OPTION B’ IS BEST PLAN FOR FRAZIER RESET
The day after the deadly crash on Frazier Avenue in November, I visited the area to document the scene. When I arrived, I saw the family of the deceased grieving among the rubble, and I was filled with their anguish. The video I later recorded recounting that moment garnered more than a million views on two separate platforms and prompted an outpouring of stories and support from the community.
I’m not an organizer, yet I found myself connecting diverse networks of people. We attended a City Council meeting to advocate for a safer Frazier.
Last week, the city unveiled two proposals: Option A, the city’s preference, which will add 8 additional parking spaces and a bike path through Coolidge Park; and Option B, which I believe prioritizes pedestrian and cyclist safety.
I want to give five reasons why Option B is the best alternative:
› Relieves congestion: Congestion would be further exacerbated as a lane is removed and cars still share space with cyclists, escalating frustrations for both motorists and cyclists. Option B maintains the same amount of lanes for cars while providing a dedicated bike lane. For this reason, in the traffic study which informed these designs, CDOT recommended the designs included in Option B.
› Enhances safety: A dedicated bike lane creates a clear boundary between pedestrians and vehicles, reducing the risk of accidents. Without proper delineation, incidents like a child riding into traffic become more likely. While parking may create a buffer for part of this, vehicles create a visual barrier and increase the likelihood of someone stepping into traffic blindly.
› Cost-effectiveness: Both Option A and Option B are comparable in cost. Option A’s stated potential creation of a bike path through the park will add an unnecessary expense and fails to address cyclists’ needs along Frazier Avenue. We do not need more scenic routes adjacent to Frazier; that does not help merchants or make for a practical route. But most importantly, it will be an additional expense on already sparse city coffers.
› Parking concerns: Additional parking spots along Frazier impede traffic flow and pose safety hazards, as evidenced by numerous incidents involving parked cars in the CDOT report: 15 of 26 incidents last year were sideswipes. Moreover, within a five to six-minute walk of the area, there are upwards of 700 parking spots available to the public. Even the report from CDOT recommends the bike lane, stating:
“A reduction in on-street parking can be absorbed by the abundance of offstreet parking in the area. The left turn lane will also make access to driveways and off-street parking more accessible.” ›
Economics: With the impending closure of the Walnut Street Bridge, a safe pathway from the Market Street Bridge and Veteran’s Bridge will be a vital lifeline for bringing customers from downtown. The eight additional parking spots will hardly make a difference for the 120 businesses in the area, but the potential capacity of 7,000 people an hour brought in by a two-way bike lane could make all the difference.
Despite these compelling reasons, and CDOT’s recommendation of Option B, the city leans toward Option A, perhaps because of fears about business impact. However, similar transformations elsewhere in the country have proven beneficial, with reduced accidents, noise and increased revenue for local businesses.
While neither option guarantees perfection, Option B offers the clearest and most forward-thinking solution. This option will take us one step closer to a better Frazier: one which benefits motorists, pedestrians and merchants alike.