Selectman Aaron Saunders said he disagreed that bike lanes are a goal of the town.
LUDLOW - The Board of Selectmen Tuesday gave its endorsement to a town open space plan, with the caveat that more review is needed of a proposal for bike lanes for the town.
Town Planner Douglas Stefancik said the selectmen’s endorsement of the plan is needed for the town to qualify for state and federal park land grants and grants to protect open space in the community.
There are park land grants to make walkways accessible to the handicapped and for parking pavilions, Stefancik said.
Selectman Aaron Saunders said he objects to a goal of the open space plan which states that bike lanes are a priority of townspeople.
“Bike ways would be ludicrous on Center Street,” Saunders said. “It would require the taking of private property.”
Saunders added, “There is no room for bike lanes on most roads in town.”
He said that if there was a choice between developing bike paths or playing fields, town residents would favor playing fields.
Selectman Carmina Fernandes said the town will not be eligible to apply for state and federal grants if selectmen do not approve an Open Space Plan.
Stefancik said that bike lanes can have the effect of calming traffic.
He said that in Belchertown many people ride bicycles along Route 21.
Stefancik said the open space plan says bike lanes are a goal of the town, but he said the goal is not binding.
Saunders said he objected to the methodology used by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission in helping the town conduct a survey that was used in developing the Open Space Plan.
He said the survey was conducted anonymously, and of the 300 returned, there is no guarantee that they were filled out by town residents or that one person did not fill out more than one survey.
Bike paths and bike lanes are mentioned 26 times in the Open Space plan, Saunders said. He added that Ludlow roads have too much traffic for bicycles.
Saunders said that in his opinion the survey reflects the “regional agenda” of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and not the priorities of the town. “We deserve better,” he said.
Selectmen said they will include with their endorsement of the Open Space Plan that bike lanes need additional review.
The selectmen voted 3 to 1 to endorse the plan, with Saunders voting against the endorsement.