HUBBELL PLAN: Bike Lanes Considered | News

The new turning and bike lanes on Ingersoll Avenue were met with little resistance, but a similar plan for Hubbell Avenue on Des Moines’ east side is not getting as much support.

The plan would change Hubbell Avenue from four lanes to two between East 18th and East 33rd streets. It would include a center turning lane and bike lanes on the outside.

The city insists that the configuration will cut down on the street’s high accident rate, but critics have trouble seeing anything but the bike lane aspect of the project.   

“They’re more interested in the bicyclists than they are the residents. The people that pay the taxes, pay for that street and pay their salaries,” says east side resident David Lynch.

Another east side resident has a different point of view. Angela McBride says, “I think the reaction here is fairly typical of when they’re considering lanes and trails, um, I think there’s a little bit of an overreaction because they don’t know, they haven’t experienced some of the benefits that we see in the other parts of the city and other cities.”

The city’s traffic safety committee will take up the issue at a meeting on July 10th.