A majority of people who spoke out Monday at the Albert Lea City Council meeting said they favored the installation of the city’s first bike lanes on Front Street, though there were a few who opposed them because of costs and safety concerns near the schools.

During what was a public hearing designed to seek input about the proposed project, representatives of the National Vitality Center, Pioneering Healthy Communities and other involved residents showed their support for the project, touting the benefits that come from bike lanes.

The project, proposed for 1 1/2 miles of street on Front Street, would begin at U.S. Highway 69 and go through to Frank Avenue, where the route would connect to the Blazing Star Trail.

“Putting the Front Street bike lane in will continue to show the world Albert Lea’s commitment to vitality,” said Randy Kehr, on behalf of the National Vitality Center’s board of directors.

“We are currently seen as a leader in vitality,” Kehr said. “Our community continues to support these efforts.”

He said the council’s leadership played a critical role in the success of the AARP/Blue Zones Vitality Project in 2009. During the project, the city adopted its complete streets policy, amended the sidewalk assessment policy

Resident Neil Opstad said three years ago he began riding a bicycle after probably 30 years of not doing so. He started riding a flew blocks at a time, then a mile or two, or more.

Opstad said in his first year, he racked up 1,000 miles of bicycling — and he’s hoping to do more in the future.

“It’s really wonderful for your health,” he said. “Since I started riding a bicycle again, I’m amazed with the good health that I have.”

Resident Lynn Scheevel of Fourth Avenue, a member of the Blue Zones biking initiative group, said she hopes the Front Street bike lanes are just one of several bike lanes to come to the city.

When the group looked at the different roads for bike lanes, she said one of their major goals was to connect existing facilities. This does that with the Blazing Star Trail, the city pool and many of the senior living complexes in town.

and gave the Vitality Center a home in the Jacobson Apartments building.

These things showed “a strong-willed commitment to the overall well-being of your community,” he said. Now the council has a chance to lead again, Kehr noted.

Albert Lea Family Y Director Dennis Dieser read a letter from Joel Spoonheim, who was the Blue Zones organization’s lead coordinator of the Vitality Project in 2009. He could not attend the Monday meeting.

Spoonheim said he thinks Albert Lea has become a national role model and encouraged the council to continue in its leadership to make the city a healthier community.

Resident Neil Opstad said three years ago he began riding a bicycle after probably 30 years of not doing so. He started riding a few blocks at a time, then a mile or two or more.

Opstad said in his first year, he racked up 1,000 miles of bicycling — and he’s hoping to do more in the future.

“It’s really wonderful for your health,” he said. “Since I started riding a bicycle again, I’m amazed with the good health that I have.”

Resident Lynn Scheevel of Fourth Avenue, a member of the Blue Zones biking initiative group, said she hopes the Front Street bike lanes are just one of several bike lanes to come to the city.

When the group looked at the different roads for bike lanes, she said one of their major goals was to connect existing facilities. This does that with the Blazing Star Trail, the city pool and many of the senior living complexes in town.

Dr. John Schulz of South Shore Drive said biking is one of the best cardiovascular endurance tests there is. It is the No. 1 sport in the United States, with more people participating in it than any other sport.

He said it reduces risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, colon cancer and other health-related problems. It also improves mental health.

United Way Director Ann Austin, who is involved with the Pioneering Healthy Communities efforts, talked of a study about biking and walking and how it has increased since the 1990s.

“As a community, our choice is to ignore this activity or to do something about it,” Austin said.

Darryl Meyer, who is involved with an organization that serves the developmentally disabled, said he’s observed bike lanes in other countries and has seen the positives and negatives of them.

He said he’s seen countries where the bike lane is next to the curb; he’s seen bike lanes that are narrower that what’s recommended by the state; he’s seen countries use pavers instead of pavement.

Meyer said he thinks there needs to be some education to the community about driving with bike lanes as driving is already erratic for some drivers.

He added that while he’s in favor of adding the bike lanes, he thinks the city should take this time to do more planning and education — and to build its reserves.

People who spoke out against the bike lanes said they were concerned about limiting parking at Sibley Elementary School and Southwest Middle School and what the initial cost would be.

City Engineer Steve Jahnke said the initial cost of the project would be about $47,000 with additional annual maintenance costs of $15,000 to $20,000 per year for paint striping.

There would also be changes to parking.

Under the existing proposal, this would include no parking from Highway 69 to First Avenue, parking on only the north side from First Avenue to Spark Avenue, no parking from Spark Avenue to Euclid Avenue, parking on the north side from Euclid Avenue to Washington Avenue, and no parking from Washington Avenue to Frank Avenue, Jahnke said. School buses would be allowed to park only during loading and unloading of students near Sibley Elementary and Southwest Middle School.

There would be bike lanes on both sides of the street. On areas where there is parking, the parking would be closest to the curb, with the bike lane in between the lane of traffic and the parking.

Lincoln Avenue resident John Lang said he had a few concerns with the project.

He said he picks up his granddaughter from school, and he sees people start parking along Front Street and Maplehill Drive as early as 2:15 p.m. each day during the school week. This area along Front Street is proposed to have no parking with the bike lanes, except for school bus loading and unloading at the start and end of school.

Lang said if one child gets killed as a result of new bike lanes, he would support a lawsuit against the city.

He also said he thinks the city could a better way to the spend initial cost of $47,000 needed to build the project.

Resident Adele Helleckson said she was also concerned with the initial cost.

She pointed out that just seven months ago, the council had to decide whether the city would lose one or even two police officers because of tight finances.

Helleckson questioned how the city would have enough for this project if the city didn’t have enough for the officer positions.

She said there’s a lot of things in her own personal life that she would like to have but she first has to think about having a roof over her head. The same philosophy should be true for the city.

The City Council took no action Monday. It is expected to vote on the issue at its next meeting July 12.

City Manager Jim Norman encouraged people to contact their councilors with their opinions of the project before this date.

Look to Wednesday’s Tribune for more about the Monday meeting.

John Schulz of South Shore Drive, said biking is one of the best cardiovascular endurance tests there is. It is the No. 1 sport in the United States, with more people participating in it than any other sport.

He said it reduces risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, colon cancer and other health-related problems. It also improves mental health.

United Way Director Ann Austin, who is involved with the Pioneering Healthy Communities efforts, talked of a study about biking and walking and how it has increased since the 1990s.

“As a community, our choice is to ignore this activity or to do something about it,” Austin said.

Darryl Meyer, who is involved with an organization that serves the developmentally disabled, said he’s observed bike lanes in other countries and has seen the positives and negatives of them.

He said he’s seen countries where the bike lane is next to the curb, he’s seen bike lanes that are narrower that what’s recommended by the state and he’s seen countries use pavers instead of pavement.

Meyer said he thinks there needs to be some education to the community about driving with bike lanes as driving is already erratic for some drivers.

He added that while he’s in favor of adding the bike lanes, he thinks the city should take this time to do more planning and education — and to build its reserves.

People who spoke out against the bike lanes said they were concerned about limiting parking at Sibley Elementary School and Southwest Middle School and what the initial cost would be.

City Engineer Steve Jahnke said the initial cost of the project would be about $47,000 with additional annual maintenance costs of $15,000 to $20,000 per year for paint striping.

There would also be changes to parking.

Under the proposal, this would include no parking from Highway 69 to First Avenue, parking on only the north side for First Avenue to Spark Avenue, no parking from Spark Avenue to Euclid Avenue, parking on the north side from Euclid Avenue to Washington Avenue, and no parking from Washington Avenue to Frank Avenue, Jahnke said. School buses would be allowed to park only during loading and unloading of students near Sibley Elementary and Southwest Middle School.

There would be bike lanes on both sides of the street. On areas where there is parking, the parking would be closest to the curb, with the bike lane in between the lane of traffic and the parking.

Lincoln Avenue resident John Lang said he had a few concerns with the project.

He said he picks up his granddaughter from school, and he sees people start parking along Front Street and Maplehill Drive as early as 2:15 p.m. each day during the school week. This area along Front Street is proposed to have no parking with the bike lanes, except for school bus loading and unloading at the start and end of school.

Lang said if one child gets killed as a result of new bike lanes, he would support a lawsuit against the city.

He also said he thinks the city could a better way to the spend initial cost of $47,000 needed to build the project.

Resident Adele Helleckson said she was also concerned with the initial cost.

She pointed out that just seven months ago, the council had to decide whether the city would lose one or even two police officers because of tight finances.

Helleckson questioned how the city would have enough for this project if the city didn’t have enough for the officer positions.

She said there’s a lot of things in her own personal life that she would like to have but she first has to think about having a roof over her head. The same philosophy should be true for the city.

The council will vote on the issue at its next meeting July 12.

City Manager Jim Norman encouraged people to contact their councilors with their opinions of the project before this date.

Look to Wednesday’s Tribune for more about the Monday meeting.