The Chico City Council voted 5-2 to reverse its decision to close the entire stretch of South Park Drive that runs parallel to Woodland Avenue to vehicular traffic.
In June, the Council had passed a plan to make this stretch in Lower Bidwell Park vehicle free. But car owners, residents and biking advocates all pushed back. Concerns included worsening traffic in the area, inconvenience for disabled people, and the loss of parking spaces on South Park Drive.
Ann Bykerk-Kauffman, a planning commissioner and founding member of Chico Safe Streets Coalition, said the potential loss of right-of-way for cyclists and pedestrians and the installation of maze gates were the biggest problems with the plan.