Concerned Starkville residents sat quietly in their seats as they listened to a presentation about the proposed Lynn Lane bicycle path on Thursday.
Despite audience members being unable to formally present arguments against the bike path during the meeting, disagreement resonated among those present. Concerns were given in writing before and after the presentation.
Spokesman of the Sherwood Homeowner Association Kenneth Cook said his group is not against the bike path but is against the safety issues raised by its planned location.
“It’s an accident waiting to happen,” he said. “If you are getting out of our neighborhood, you would have to block the bike path.”
The bicycle and walking path should be constructed on the west side of Montgomery Street and on the north side of Locksley Way, Cook said.
“With the path being on the east side, I would have to cross two lanes of bike path and two lanes of the highway [to continue on the path],” he said. “We want people to see that we have an unsafe situation here, and it can be corrected.”
Intern engineer for Neel-Schaffer, Inc. Aaron McNeal said the feedback from the meeting is being reviewed along with the safety and economic issues.
“We definitely understand their concerns, and we are taking those into consideration in preparing the final conceptual alignment,” he said.
McNeal said he received good feedback from the meeting attendees.
“Some of the comments were for the conceptual alignment and some were recommending changes,” he said. “That’s what we are taking into consideration right now.”
McNeal said it will take one calendar year for the path to be built and the overall budget for the project is $1.5 million.
“When the prices come in from the contractors, that will determine how far the trail will be constructed,” he said.
The city of Starkville will also have to pay $300,000 for the project.
Ward 5 Alderman Matt Cox said he expects the requirement to be met.
“Our intention would be to use in-kind services instead of money,” he said.
Starkville in Motion President Devon Brenner said she understands the concerns of the Sherwood Apartment Complex residents.
“They are supportive of the path and want it in the safest place, and so do we,” she said.
Currently, there is a bike path that runs alongside George Perry Street and another that runs from University Drive to Barr Avenue.
However, Brenner said the debated path will be designed differently than those already constructed since it will accommodate both riders and walkers.
“It’s 10 feet wide, and it would be built for two-way traffic,” she said.
The route the path will take will connect many residential areas together, Brenner said.
“It’s already getting a ton of use now, but we are going to make it much more safe,” she said.