Councilor-at-Large Guerline Alcy Jabouin made it clear from the outset that she does not want to see any further installations of Bluebike stations in the City of Everett.
The Council ultimately took Alcy Jabouin’s request and sent the matter to the Council’s Ways and Means Committee for further discussion, representing a victory for Alcy Jabouin at least for now.
The issue arose during an order requesting the Council’s approval to accept a $43,000 grant from Second and Vine LLC for the purchase and installation of a Bluebike station at the Second and Vine Streets location. Bluebike stations provide bicycles for rentals for short trips.
“These grants coming in for these Bluebikes, can we reject them, because I think they’re ridiculous in the city, they hold onto trash, nobody cleans them out, and I don’t even think people ride those bikes anymore – they’re so annoying, we need to get rid of some of them,” said Alcy Jabouin, clearly articulating her opposition to the bicycle stations.
City Clerk Sergio Cornelio clarified that some of the Bluebike stations “are required through the Planning Board’s approval process” for new properties in the city.
“Many of the times, it was a condition of the approval of that building to help mitigate traffic and that’s why they’re adding them,” said Cornelio.
Alcy Jabouin then asked whether the property owner could relocate the bicycle station to “their backyard” and not on the sidewalks in front of the building.
Ward 2 Councilor Stephanie Martins suggested to “the Administration to rethink these conditions on the Planning Board, because I am not ant-bike – it’s great what we have, but perhaps we could be investing this into some other type of transportation.”
Martin offered the idea of using the grant money for “children’s free transportation to sports and activities, instead of just spending on new bike racks.”
Ward 5 Councilor Peter Pientrantonio asked whether the $43,000 grant could be used “for putting it toward our tax rate.”
“Why are we going to put these bikes out there? They are ridiculous and they are filthy and dirty,” said Pietrantonio.
With the Council voting to refer the matter to the Ways and Means Committee, City Council President Stephanie Smith requested that the city’s planning director be invited to the meeting to discuss the issue.