MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Bikes lanes are history on Riverside Drive right now, but hold on to your handle bars. Some pretty reliable sources told WREG bike lanes may be coming back.
As of right now, two lane traffic flows on Riverside Drive.
If you want to bike, you have to take the shoulders or pedal in the park, but maybe not for long.
Sources told WREG plans are in the works to add a modified bike lane back on Riverside Drive.
“I would be in favor if it is something modified where they think they can kind of get a win-win for both sides on that. I would certainly be in favor of that,” said downtown resident Dennis James.
The last the time the City tried it caused an uproar when the entire west side of the road was closed to nothing but bike traffic.
Ronnie Robinson, a 20 year cyclist, told us he rode the lane a time or two.
“There was never anyone down there. We took it down there, but it just seemed odd,” said Robinson.
After complaints by citizens and accidents that blocked traffic, the bike lanes were pulled.
Now sources say the modified version could put a bike lane going in each direction along with traffic.
The median divider would stay.
As WREG reported, that was the original idea for a bike lane before the city changed it.
We were told there could also be one entire lane of vehicle traffic in each direction turned over to bikes only.
Downtowner Tim Herburger didn’t think traffic was too bad with the first bike lanes, but he still has some concerns.
“I just wish they would make up their minds and pick one instead of wasting taxpayer dollars continuing to re-paint the road one way or the other. It’s kind of disruptive,” he said.
With a new bike path leading across the Harahan Bridge already in the works, many say the path looks pretty clear that Riverside Drive may soon make a connection.
“Maybe people will start using that to connect to the bridge that goes across the river. I can see that happening as well,” said Robinson.
We contacted the City of Memphis about new bike lanes on Riverside Drive.
They couldn’t confirm it and said because of the Easter Holiday no one was available to discuss it.