Tulare Avenue bike lanes

A cyclist and ATP grant evaluator who rode her bike to the meeting; urged support of Class IV lanes, citing the region's air quality and her own experiences being harassed while riding.

Strongly opposed the bike lanes, calling them hazardous near Viva Blunt and Central Valley Christian schools and asking the council to revert to Class II lanes.

Lives on Tulare Avenue west of Demaree and supports the project and bike lanes, saying parking loss doesn't affect him personally and the adjustments are a learning curve.

Supported the Class IV lanes for safety, saying she fears hitting a child on a bike and that the community needs education and patience through the adjustment period.

Questioned whether outreach reached real commuters, noting most Visalians work outside the city and drive, and asked whether the presenters biked to the meeting.

Bikes the Tulare Avenue protected lanes almost daily with her daughter; says it's the safest stretch she rides and asked the city to keep investing in people-centered infrastructure.

Opposed the design, saying the parking-buffer configuration creates dangers for mail carriers, delivery drivers, garbage trucks, and pedestrians crossing the bike lane, and that he now avoids Tulare.

A lifelong bike commuter and civil engineer who rides the new lanes almost daily; asked the council to support staff's recommendation, calling the design safer for all users.

Cited data showing 14 Visalia kids are struck walking or biking each year; her five-year-old bikes to school daily, and she urged the council not to vote for the Class II alternative.

Presented crash statistics — 57 serious or fatal crashes a year, vulnerable road users at 38% of traffic deaths — and argued narrow lanes slowing traffic are working as intended.

Recounted a council member's earlier bike-trailer accident and asked the council to stick with the Class IV lanes for families hauling kids.

A recreational cyclist who used to avoid Tulare; the Class IV lanes changed his mind, and he can now imagine children safely riding to school.

Lives at Crenshaw and Tulare; asked for the Constitution Park crosswalk, said the mailer confused residents about parking loss, and asked the city to restore parking near CVC and cut the red curbing.

A civil engineer and CVC parent who opposed the design, saying school drop-off traffic will spill onto Acres and that CVC's larger enrollment wasn't studied.