'Balderdash Of The Highest Order': Mill Street Reversion Panned In Worcester

WORCESTER, MA — Supporters of a redesigned Mill Street packed Worcester City Council chambers Tuesday to shout down a proposal to remove the city's first parking-protected bike lane — a design common in Massachusetts and across the U.S.

The key item up for debate Tuesday was from At-Large Councilor Moe Bergman, who wants to revert Mill Street by moving parking spots back to the curb. The road was redesigned to include a bike lane at the curb with parking next to it.

District 5 Councilor Etel Haxhiaj held Bergman's item — and several others related to Mill Street — delaying action until the council's next regular meeting. But Haxhiaj's holds didn't stop more than 40 people from speaking for hours about the changes Tuesday night, with a firm majority supporting the Mill Street redesign.

Public comment kicked off with Wayne Griffin, a former city councilor who was at the center of a local Facebook scandal last election season, citing a Registry of Motor Vehicles manual that instructs drivers to park no more than 12 inches from any curb. He was insinuating that the parking-protected bike lanes that put parking spots about 7 feet from the curb may be illegal.

"The only exception is if angled parking is allowed. Well, after you get hit, the cars are angled," he said, referring to several accidents where drivers have plowed into cars parking along Mill Street. Worcester police have provided data showing crashes have not been above average since the redesign was completed in December.

But Griffin was one of about six people who spoke against the bike lanes. His comments were followed by supporters, including WalkBike Worcester leader Karin Valentine Goins, MassBike Worcester program manager Alex Salcedo, Seven Hills Wheelmen president Dale Wickenheiser and Greater Worcester Land Trust Executive Director Colin Novick.

Novick said he was part of planning for a Mill Street bike lane dating back to the mid-1990s. The plan never materialized with no support from either the council or city administration at the time. Novick said he's been part of multiple planning efforts since then, and each one has called for expanding bike lanes in Worcester.

"We finally have the bike lane we've been looking for for 27 years," he said. "I would like to think we're not going to have to wait another 27 years until 2051 to make Mill Street work. I’m not sure I’ll be alive."

Resident Andrew Marsh had some of the most colorful words about Bergman's proposals, calling them "balderdash of the highest order" and "garbage" (pronounced with an accent as "gar-bahj").

Residents living along Mill Street also turned out to support the changes. Janis Tebo recounted several accidents she witnessed in her 50 years living along the formerly four-lane road, nicknamed "the speedway." In one case, she saw a man in a wheelchair hit by a speeding driver.

"We love it," Tebo said of the redesign. "We haven't had the drag races in the middle of the night by Mill Swan School."

Worcester isn't done with Mill Street debate yet. Bergman's request to revise the design will be back for discussion and possible action at the June 18 council meeting. Apart from moving parking back to the curb, Bergman is asking for an independent safety evaluation of the Mill Street design, and to have all similar designs in the future go through the council's Transportation and Parking subcommittee.

It's unclear if Bergman's orders have support from a majority on council. Mayor Joe Petty Wednesday morning said on the Talk of the Commonwealth radio show that he's "not inclined to go backwards" on Mill Street.

The new calls to revert Mill Street come as debate over the road is reaching the one-year mark. A former city council candidate in July 2023 asked the city council to stop work on Mill Street changes until more public input could be heard. That led to a July 31 public meeting with city officials on the changes. The redesign proceeded into the fall months, and the city is planning to make small changes this summer, including adding flexible plastic posts to better delineate parking spots.