Huntington drivers, cyclists share mixed feelings on new bike lanes

HUNTINGTON, WV (WOWK) — New bike lanes along Hal Greer Boulevard in Huntington are stirring up excitement for cyclists and confusion for drivers.

The new lanes are part of the Hal Greer Corridor Project to improve connectivity and safety in the city.

Cyclists are saying they feel safer with the addition, but some drivers are saying they don’t agree with the decision to eliminate a car lane to make that a reality.

Huntington resident Dave Lavender uses the new bike lanes regularly and he says he believes it was a step in the right direction for the city.

“This is really exciting for cyclists, it just makes it an opportunity with more bike lanes to have more people using alternative transportation which you know is a lot cheaper than cars,” Lavender says.

However, not everyone shares that excitement. One driver who prefers to remain anonymous says “I just don’t see how taking away car lanes will help with safety… The changes on hal greer are confusing and I’ve seen cars almost wreck because of it.”

Lavender says he believes right now they’re in an adjustment period and traffic patterns will get better with time.

“Never judge a cake when it’s half baked, right? So this is a project that’s not done yet. I think this is a beautiful thing and that we really just need to hold our judgement until it’s completely finished,” Lavender says.

13 News reached out to the City of Huntington asking if they’ve received any complaints about the new traffic patterns. As of Thursday night, we have not heard back.

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