FULLERTON : Bike Lane Proposal for Harbor Blvd. Fails

There will be no bike lanes on Harbor Boulevard between Brea Boulevard and Las Palmas Drive, at least not in the near future.

City Council members decided Tuesday to take no action on a proposal that called for the installation of bicycle lanes and the elimination of 54 parking spaces on the busy boulevard.

Mayor Julie Sa and Councilmen Peter Godfrey and Chris Norby said they wanted to please business owners along the proposed bicycle route who didn’t want to lose the parking.

“We’re talking about 54 parking spaces that are already there and I just don’t want to terminate that,” Sa said.

Some residents complained that the boulevard is too dangerous for bicycle traffic, suggesting that a bike lane be created on other streets. But others said a bike lane would make it safe for people to ride along Harbor.

“It’s awfully difficult to drive with bicycles,” said resident Allan Morton. “The point of the matter is these bicycles are dangerous.”

Councilman Don Bankhead said he would favor installing a bicycle lane for safety reasons.

“I really and truly believe that a city with marked bike lanes . . . would encourage people to live here. I think it has a positive impact on businesses. . . . It would be a route that would generate a lot of use.”

Council members said they would probably consider a bicycle lane again in the next few years.