APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – Appleton’s Public Works Department proposed some lane reconfigurations on College Avenue.

In the plan, left turn and bike lanes would be added to the road from drew street to Richmond street.

Appleton traffic engineer Eric Lon says, “As our downtown has continued to change and become much more residential, the community has come to us with many concerns about safety, speed, and mobility for all users. Our goal here is to try and take those concerns that we’ve been hearing and develop a solution that can work well for the entire community.”

Some residents are concerned about how the bike lanes will impact traffic.

Mike Kohl says, “I don’t know if I’d be for a bike lane on College Avenue. I mean, you got enough traffic when everything’s congested. I’d just hate to see what would happen if you get more bicycles on there.”

However, others think the new lanes are a great solution.

“I think it’s a positive change because I like to do recreation, and I think it’s safer for the bicycles to have their own space,” Appleton resident Karalee Sousek says.

According to Lom, if the plan is approved, the stripes on College Avenue would be repainted over the summer. The project would take about two weeks, and people could still drive.

Lom addressed concerns by saying, “the pros are safety generally. The ability to make safe left turns. Also, what we call mobility. Right now, we don’t allow bicyclists and scooters on the sidewalks, but we don’t really give them an alternative as to where they are supposed to go. The con is they increased congestion a little bit, so those are the priorities the community will have to tackle to decide whether this is the best fit.”

Lom also encourages Appleton residents to voice their opinions on the project before anything is finalized. The project is estimated to cost $130,000.