Glens Falls Mayor Collins: Public Safety is not the neighbors’ decision to make

Chronicle reporter Ben Westcott writes: At the Oct. 11 Glens Falls Board of Public Safety meeting, Mayor Bill Collins argued that Public Safety shouldn’t consider neighbors’ opinions when making public right-of-way decisions.

The mayor said that if neighborhood opinion controls, “we’d never put a new sidewalk into this city, or a new bike lane. We know that anybody who doesn’t have a sidewalk today wouldn’t vote for one.

“We look at public safety, and we don’t necessarily take the desires of the resident that’s in front of that public safety.”

“What a neighbor would want in front of their property is based on their want of parking,” he said. “The fact is, that’s not necessarily something the Board of Public Safety would want to consider.”

He argued for an independent Board of Public Safety “that isn’t going to take the desires of the community — to make the best recommendation for public safety and the right of way. It’s not their [the neighbors’] property.”

To board members, he said, “You could live on Webster [Avenue], but you’re being asked to ignore the fact that you have parking in front of your house and you’re afraid of losing it.

“You’re supposed to be weighing in on what’s the safest thing for that street. And the public right-of-way guidelines are pretty clear that the bike lanes are the safest option of the two for pedestrians.”

Webster Ave. bike lane vs parking vote is likely on Tuesday

Chronicle Managing Editor Cathy DeDe writes: The Glens Falls Common Council is expected to vote at its meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 24, at 7:30 p.m. on the Board of Public Safety’s recommendations for improvements to Webster Avenue and the traffic crossing with Glen Street.

The meeting is open to the public and will be Livestreamed and available afterwards on Glens Falls’s YouTube channel.

The matter was tabled on October 10.

Webster Avenue residents strongly object to adding bike lanes that would eliminate all 80 on-street parking spaces.

They prefer a second option offered by engineering consultant Creighton Manning to include “Sharrows” or shared bike lanes that would not eliminate parking. That was acceptable — if less so — to the Board of Public Safety.

As for bringing it to the Common Council, Mayor Bill Collins said, “It’s not required.” He said he is opting to have the Council vote, rather than decide himself with the City Engineer, based on the two Public Safety recommendations.

Note: The Common Council Budget Meeting on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. is in person only.

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