State Street Hazards

When, at the beginning of the COVID epidemic, the city transformed State Street into a pedestrian mall, I was delighted. It seemed like the perfect solution to a very problematic situation. However, as time has passed, this “solution” seems to be creating more problems than it has solved.

The combination of reckless bicyclists riding at unsafe speeds, the gradual encroachment of restaurants into the pedestrian walking area — even up to and sometimes partially covering the bike lanes — and the lack of enforcement of any laws covering behavior on the street have transformed what was once a pedestrian mall into a hazardous thoroughfare.

The one exception to all this is the block between Cota and Haley streets where anything with wheels (bicycles, roller skates, skateboards, and scooters) is prohibited. Why not extend the rules governing that block to the whole street and enforcing those rules? What began as a good idea has become a serious hazard. It appears that wheels cannot coexist safely with pedestrians and should be banned from State Street.