Hundreds attend ‘Bike-in’ to take a stand against street widening proposal
Published at | Updated atIDAHO FALLS – It started raining as hundreds of bikers began pedaling down South Boulevard in Idaho Falls Monday evening.
More than 200 people met at the corner of 22nd Street and South Boulevard to show support for the South Boulevard Bike-in & Walk-in.
“We hope to demonstrate to the city that we are passionate about our roads, passionate about safety, and that we really want to do the best for the people that are out here tonight,” Sarah Mueller, the event’s co-coordinator said to the crowd as it got underway.
The group was there to send a message to city officials: that the space between the white strip and the curb designated as a pedestrian zone is not safe against oncoming traffic.
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This is in response to the city’s proposal last month to possibly widen the road between 18th and 21st Streets in hopes of reducing traffic congestion and making certain intersections more accessible. White striping was added along the street last year to create a space for people to walk or bike.
The goal for Monday night’s bike ride was to ride between 17th and Sunnyside or ride all the way to the roundabout that connects with Broadway, and loop back around to Sunnyside.
Most of the crowd opted for the first option as rain started pouring down.
One driver seemed annoyed as the crowd began their ride, shouting “Go home!”
“We hope that city leaders who are going to decide about the future of South Boulevard will really pay attention to the number of people who are speaking out and attending these events,” Rebecca Long Pyper, the other co-coordinator, said. “There are quite a few people who feel strongly about the future of this street.”
Learn more about the city’s proposal on their website.