HAGERSTOWN, Md. — A proposal to add bike lanes along portions of the Dual Highway could eliminate on-street parking, prompting Hagerstown Councilman Kristin Aleshire to urge residents and business owners to weigh in before changes are made.
Aleshire said the Maryland State Highway Administration needs to hear from people who depend on the parking, particularly those who could struggle to find or afford alternatives.
“It doesn’t seem to me to be that there’s enough of a public awareness and engagement of this right now to give the state a real idea of just how impactful taking that level of parking off the street is,” Aleshire said.
He has participated in discussions with state and local officials, including a staff-level virtual meeting ahead of a more formal meeting with the highway administration.
Aleshire questioned whether the proposal, as discussed, would benefit downtown. His concerns include access to parking for people with disabilities, nighttime parking for residents and the cost of other parking options.
He also raised questions about how bike lanes would be maintained during snow and other weather conditions and how restrictions would be enforced.
Aleshire said his review of a 1954 agreement between Hagerstown and the state led him to believe the state has authority to make changes to the roadway. He encouraged those affected to contact state officials rather than wait until parking spaces disappear.
“I think they need to be sending emails and calling people now,” he said.
Aleshire compared the potential parking changes to the installation of speed humps near McDonald’s, saying many residents did not know about that work until it was finished.
“I just think this is one of those things where people that it affects aren’t going to know it until they go to park there one day and it’s no longer available,” he said.
He also warned state officials that residents would likely direct complaints to the city.
“You guys aren’t going to get the calls we are,” Aleshire recalled telling them.
Beyond parking, Aleshire questioned whether changes to the roadway would slow traffic as intended. He said drivers often accelerate after passing certain stretches, including areas near the police station and Burhans Boulevard.
