SAN ANTONIO – A Northwest Side neighborhood was surprised when bike markings showed up on their street without their approval. The city said it's not as big of a change as they think.
Thomas Korenek has lived in his home near O.P. Schnabel Park for more than 30 years. There definitely have been some changes since then.
"Everything has been better. Up until now," he said.
Just last week his street was painted with bicycle symbols.
"I get aggravated when I see those drawings on the street," Korenek said.
He said the city's Transportation and Capital Improvements, or TCI Department, never told his community about it.
"We want them removed immediately."
He said speeding park goers have been a problem in the neighborhood.
"That's who we have the problem with. They don't realize the speed limit is 30 miles an hour, maximum," Korenek said.
Now, he's worried the new bike markings are sending the wrong message.
"They're going to make this a thoroughfare to get to the park a different way and then we're going to have all kinds of traffic," he said.
He shares the same view as the majority of the neighborhood. Many people who live in the neighborhood don't like the look of the pavement markings either. There are still spray painted lines and dots all over their street. They say it takes away from the look of the neighborhood.
"Looks like graffiti," Korenek said.
TCI Assistant Director Terry Bellamy said the new markings are not bike lanes. They're sharrows, which are safety symbols telling drivers to watch out for bicyclists.
"We worked with the bicycle community, we worked with different groups that talked about connectivity for bicycling, how we can show them how to get to certain places and that was one in that area," Bellamy said.
Unlike bike lanes, sharrows don't change where people can drive or park. Bellamy said that's why the city doesn't have to ask neighbor permission.
Still, the neighborhood's city councilman, Cris Medina said he didn't know about the new markings either.
"We were just as surprised to hear about what they were installing as the residents were, and frankly I'm a little disappointed in the city staff and TCI department for not getting out the word better and informing the residents as to what was going on," said Councilman Medina.
Bellamy says he plans to explain and work on this issue with both Medina and the neighborhood.
"We look forward to continuing to work with the councilman's office and the neighborhood, but our No. 1 goal is safety," Bellamy said.
