After two years of meetings, community input, protests and a lawsuit, the first 1.5 miles of the 30th Street Bikeway is open to the public. Hundreds of safety and environmental activists, including Mayor Todd Gloria, celebrated the completion of the project with a bike ride on the protected bikeway on Aug. 1. Children were among the many cyclists taking advantage of the new safety measures.

The bike lane provides a buffer for cyclists through paint, plastic poles and in some places parked cars. Now, cyclists do not have to share the lane with cars on the busy street. However, certain sections are blocked by outdoor dining patios installed during the pandemic. Those permits last until summer 2022.

Opponents of the project worried about the loss of 450 parking spaces and the impact it would have on businesses. Save 30th Street Parking sued the city but a judge allowed the construction to continue.

In the fall, the city plans to extend the bikeway another mile to Adams Avenue.