Scottsdale City Councilman Barry Graham tried in vain to find a “compromise that preserved the car lanes” before his colleagues voted this week to eliminate them as part of a “Transportation Action Plan” that the city created in 2022.
On Tuesday, Scottsdale City Council voted (4-3) to eliminate 2 lanes from one of your major streets in south Scottsdale.
I tried to find a compromise that preserved the car lanes. Unfortunately, councilmembers made the issue about what they want—not what you want.… pic.twitter.com/KmBwTCz6v8
— Barry Graham (@BarrySGraham) March 23, 2023
The City Council approved the plan to add bike lanes and remove driving lanes near the Old Town Scottsdale entertainment district.
In the 4-3 vote, councilmembers approved a “more pedestrian-friendly” stretch of road on 68th Street between Osborn and Thomas roads.
“It makes perfect sense that the same Council that is allowing illegal panhandlers to take over the street corners and medians is taking away more lanes for vehicles,” one Scottsdale resident told the Arizona Daily Independent.
Arizona State Representative Matt Gress and Joseph Chaplik both expressed concern with the Council’s decision:
Very concerning. I don’t want our beautiful Arizona cities, like Scottsdale, to become wastelands like Portland or Seattle through limiting infrastructure designs like this. https://t.co/wEO3PPNAEh
— Matt Gress (@MatthewGress) March 22, 2023
Gress tweeted: “Very concerning. I don’t want our beautiful Arizona cities, like Scottsdale, to become wastelands like Portland or Seattle through limiting infrastructure designs like this.”
“#Scottsdale is rapidly going down the path of failed leftist cities. Like Portland, who voted for the same “road diet.” This is how you become Portland. #DaveOrtega #TomDurham @Solange4AZ @TammyCaputi,” tweeted Chaplik.
The plan appears to be based on the national Vision Zero campaign which claims as its goal traffic safety, but which opponents argue is simply another program to eliminate private vehicle usage.
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