Henry Street Paving

Letter to Saratoga Springs Council

Dear City of Saratoga Springs Council,

As the owner of Henry Street Taproom, I am writing to express my full support for the Planning Department’s proposal to add a two-way bicycle lane to Henry Street, between Lake Avenue and Congress Park, as part of the City’s Complete Streets Plan. The roadway would be transformed into a oneway street northbound on Henry leading to greater safety, functionality for a better visitor experience.

The change would be a permanent version of the 2019 pilot project, led by Barton & Loguidice, which improved mobility and accessibility along Henry Street. This work was recently corroborated by the 2025
Safe Streets for All/Vision Zero study by Stantec and the Capital Region Transportation Council.

Initiatives to increase the number of local transportation options, including creating bike lanes, have proven to be good for business in the United States and across the world. Bicycle infrastructure built in retail corridors improves foot traffic to businesses. A new bike lane on Henry Street would, at the very least, allow businesses to continue thriving as they are, and it would likely increase their success as customers would have more ways to get to our storefronts.

The Complete Streets Plan is aligned with the interests of businesses in Saratoga Springs. I look forward to discussing this initiative with neighboring businesses on Henry Street, and I am confident they will be on board too. Hopefully we can implement this new bike lane in the near future. Pictured on the second page is Stantec’s render of a complete Henry Street.

Sincerely,
Ryan McFadden

Vision of an Updated Henry Street

Site:

Henry Street is a minor two-way street with retail and restaurants, which have on-street patios during the summer months.

A pilot project implemented a two-way bikeway as link to Congress Park in 2019.

Recommendations:

Implement two-way protected bike lane on west side of street, continuing to Congress Park.

On east side of street, retain restaurant patio seating in summer with parking in winter.

Public Comment - Henry Street Paving Schedule and Bike Lane Inclusion Submitted by Bikeatoga

Good evening Mayor and Members of the City Council,

My name is Tina Carton, and I am speaking as the Advocacy Co-Chair on behalf of Bikeatoga, as well as many Saratoga Springs residents who walk, bike, drive, and do business along Henry Street every day.

Bikeatoga is concerned about the recently announced Henry Street paving schedule, and specifically about the absence of bike lanes in the current plan.

Henry Street is not just another roadway. It is a critical north–south connection for residents, commuters, students, and visitors, and it has long been identified by the City as an appropriate and important corridor for safe bicycle infrastructure.

Bike lanes on Henry Street are not a new idea, and they are not speculative. They are firmly grounded in multiple city-adopted plans and policies, including:

• The Saratoga Greenbelt Trail Plan, which was approved by this City Council and clearly supports bike accommodations on Henry Street as part of a connected, citywide network.
• The Henry Street bike lane pilot, which was funded in part by AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) and demonstrated that bike lanes can function on this corridor while supporting local access and safety.
• The City’s Vision Zero plan, which emphasizes proven, low-cost design changes—like dedicated bike lanes—to reduce crashes and serious injuries.
• The recommendations of the City’s Complete Streets Committee, which exists specifically to ensure that street projects safely serve all users, not just vehicles.

Given this strong policy alignment, re-paving Henry Street without bike lanes represents a missed opportunity—one that is difficult to justify when the City has already done the planning, the testing, and the public vetting.

Paving projects are exactly the moment when safety improvements should be implemented. Once asphalt is down, the window for affordable change closes for years, if not decades. Striping bike lanes during resurfacing is one of the most cost-effective safety upgrades available, and delaying them only increases long-term costs and community frustration.

Bikeatoga recognizes that street design involves tradeoffs, and we appreciate the work staff does to maintain our infrastructure. But we urge the City Council to ensure that Henry Street’s paving project reflects the City’s own stated goals—for safety, accessibility, climate responsibility, and mobility choice.

Tonight, we respectfully ask the Council to:

1. Revisit the current Henry Street paving plan.
2. Direct staff to incorporate bike lanes consistent with adopted city plans.
3. Reaffirm that Saratoga Springs follows through on its Vision Zero and Complete Streets commitments—not just in principle, but on the pavement itself.

Henry Street can and should be a safer street for everyone. Bikeatoga stands ready to work with City staff and elected leadership to help make that happen. Thank you for your time and for your service to Saratoga Springs.