To the Editor:
The trial bike lane and one-way traffic configuration on East Bay Terrace, between 19th and 23rd Streets, has now been in place for approximately three months. After attending the last two Ship Bottom Borough Council meetings and reading the coverage in The SandPaper, I am increasingly concerned that this supposedly temporary arrangement may continue indefinitely.
The borough is studying traffic patterns along a four-block residential roadway. What additional information can realistically be gathered over the next six months, when bicycle and motor vehicle traffic will be at a seasonal minimum? How is traffic being evaluated? Are vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians actually being counted and observed? What specific criteria will determine whether this trial is successful? To date, I have not seen factual evidence demonstrating the need for either a dedicated bicycle lane or a one-way street.
Numerous safety concerns have been brought before the council at the past two meetings, with pedestrian safety being among the most significant. East Bay Terrace has no sidewalks, and pedestrians regularly use the roadway. Under the new configuration, there is considerable confusion about where they are expected to walk.
Should they walk in the bicycle lane or the vehicle lane? With bicycles traveling in both directions and motor vehicles restricted to one direction, the arrangement has created uncertainty that did not previously exist.
The bicycle lane itself raises additional concerns. Portions measure as little as 41 inches wide, raising questions about compliance with applicable state design guidelines. Additionally, the northbound bicycle symbols are painted near the center of the vehicle travel lane, creating further confusion about how motorists and bicyclists are expected to share the roadway.
The council has also received a petition signed by approximately 70 area residents and property owners requesting that East Bay Terrace be returned to two-way traffic. For the 26 years I have lived on East Bay Terrace, I have not been aware of a pattern of safety incidents that would justify such a significant change.
At a council meeting, Councilman Valyo stated that converting East Bay Terrace to one-way traffic had been under consideration for a long time. Perhaps that made sense when the former school was operating, with its school bus garage, bus drivers, parents dropping off and picking up students, teachers, and school personnel regularly using the roadway. However, the school has since been demolished, and those traffic conditions no longer exist.
Today, East Bay Terrace is a quiet residential street. The new configuration has created unnecessary inconvenience for homeowners and residents throughout the area, particularly those approaching their homes from the north who can no longer access them directly.
A temporary trial should have a clearly defined evaluation period, measurable objectives and an end date.
Residents deserve to know what is being studied, what has been learned, and when a decision will be made.
I urge the mayor and council to give prompt and serious consideration to the safety concerns and wishes of the residents who live here. Rather than allowing this trial to continue indefinitely, the borough should act to restore two-way traffic on East Bay Terrace, as requested by the petitioning residents and property owners.
Walter ArosemowiczShip BottomNovember 11, 2026
