JACKSON, Wyo. — In a special workshop Tuesday, the Jackson Town Council unanimously approved the continuation of the Willow Street Safe Routes project, which includes the re-installation of bollards on Willow Street to form a protected bike lane.

The seasonal project aims to improve and promote public safety and bike use which has become an increasingly popular mode of transportation for individuals and families around town.

Last year, the Town Council approved the bike network that encompasses Snow King Avenue and Willow Street between Cache Street and Gill Avenue.

Map of Willow Streets Safe Routes Project. Photo: Town of Jackson

According to local nonprofit Friends of Pathways, bike counts on Willow Street last summer in June and July totaled about 600 counts a day.

But at Tuesday’s workshop local business owners expressed their disenchantment with the seasonal bike lane. Their main argument: it eliminates crucial parking spots in downtown Jackson for customers, which ultimately hurts business.

Nevertheless, the Town Council gave the go-ahead for the project to return for another summer, backing the argument that bollards improve cyclists’ safety.

The protected bike lane with around 230 bollards, was installed by town staff and volunteers on May 26, 2022. Excluding staff hours, the total cost of the project was $56,000 in 2022. A town staff report explained that this included one-time costs for signs and bollards and recurring costs for striping and maintenance. This year, the estimated cost is about $23,000.

She's a lover of alliteration, easy-to-follow recipes and board games when everyone knows the rules. Her favorite aspect about living in the Tetons is the collective admiration that Wyomingites share for the land and the life that it sustains.