SACRAMENTO — A handwritten sign in the window of The Antique Company in Sacramento reminds customers that the store is still open “despite” the city of Sacramento, and CBS13 reports on the installation of bike lanes. I asked for an answer.
This antique store on the corner of 21st and X streets has been a staple in the area for decades. More recently, bike lanes were added along 21st Street, and their installation removed public parking along the sidewalk in front of the building, further complicating operations.
A handwritten sign hinted at these changes, reading, “Despite the City's best efforts, we are still open for business. Please support us.”
CBS13 reached out to the business for more information and learned that the lack of parking is impacting the small business' bottom line. Customers have been ticketed and stopped from coming to the store because parking on 21st Street is difficult.
There is a parking lot on the other side of the road, but it is limited and shared by all the small businesses along the walkway.
Aikido Center Sacramento, another business two doors down from Antique Company, said the lack of parking is making business even more difficult.
“I think the biggest challenge for us is that we have students with disabilities,” said Matthew Flutie, lead instructor at the Sacramento Aikido Center.
The small business has been in business for nearly 30 years, but it wasn't until bike lanes were installed that accessibility issues began to arise, Fluti said.
To be clear, this is not a call to action for small business owners against bike paths. Fluti said this is a call for answers and insight, and he hopes small businesses will be considered in the city's decision-making process in the future.
“I think the planning for this bike lane could have included more input from the community, especially the business owners on this block,” Flutie said.
CBS13 brought these concerns to the City of Sacramento for insight and answers regarding the process for installing new bike lanes.
The 21st Street Bikeway is part of Sacramento's Central City Mobility Project, which will expand the network of protected bikeways on the grid and implement traffic circulation changes to enhance travel options for all modes of transportation. The purpose is
The project includes bike and walking improvements for 70 blocks in Sacramento. The changes are part of the city's Vision Zero initiative, which aims to reduce pedestrian casualties to zero by 2027.
Several business owners told CBS13 they didn't know about the bike path project until construction began. A City of Sacramento spokesperson told CBS13 there were at least eight community workshops and mailings were being sent to people within the project's reach.
“Achieving the Downtown Specific Plan and the mobility and safety goals of this project required the elimination of some parking spaces in the area. To address parking issues, staff , we had numerous discussions with business owners prior to the construction and implementation of the new bike lane. ”
— Gabby Miller, City of Sacramento Public Information Officer
Flutie said the message to the public is to not let parking get in the way of shopping or supporting local small businesses.
