Bryan city council members share their frustration with city staff about narrower driving lanes being built on William Joel Bryan Parkway (WJB) around Sue Haswell Park.
The unscheduled conversation was an extension of the council’s discussion during their January 9th workshop about whether to continue plans to add a center median on South College between Villa Maria and Carson.
City engineer Paul Kaspar cited studies showing the “traffic calming” benefit of narrower lanes.
Councilman James Edge and mayor Bobby Gutierrez said narrower lanes would make it more difficult for fire engines to respond to emergencies.
Kaspar said the 11 foot wide lanes would accommodate fire engines and large transit buses driving side by side.
Gutierrez, who lives in the WJB construction zone, expects when he pulls out of his driveway he will be stopping traffic in both lanes.
The WJB project also includes wider sidewalks that are called shared use paths. While councilman Paul Torres questioned the need for shared use paths, that was supported by Gutierrez and Edge.
Click below to hear comments from the January 9, 2023 Bryan city council meeting.