The Juneau Assembly narrowly voted against leasing the West Douglas Pioneer Road to iRide Alaska for guided electric bike tours on Monday. But they may reconsider the vote at their next regular meeting, thanks to a rare move by one member.
Some North Douglas residents spoke against the tours, saying the road is one of the last spots left for locals during tourist season. Wayne Carnes asked the Assembly to prioritize local users of the road.
“While my property taxes are skyrocketing, somehow the tourists seem to be more important,” he said. “Over the past several years, I’ve had to give up areas in the summer to avoid the masses.”
iRide Alaska hopes to offer e-bike tours Monday through Saturday, three times per day, from May 1 to Oct. 1. Each tour would have 10 people.
Company representatives said they picked that location because of its distance from Juneau residents’ homes. They said the road’s width made it possible for ten people to ride e-bikes without interfering with other cyclists, runners or walkers.
Assembly member Wade Bryson voiced strong support for the tours. He said the size of the tours, local ownership of the company and their willingness to not offer tours on Sundays made it a good addition to Juneau tourism.
“I don’t think we could have had better applicants and a better tour at a better time,” he said. “They’ve done everything we’ve asked, including taking a day away.”
Assembly member Michelle Hale said she supported iRide Alaska’s idea, just not right now.
“I think we have a responsibility as an Assembly to weigh this in a much larger context,” she said. “We are facing 1.6 million possible tourists this year, and we are facing a community that is worried and very exasperated with the amount of tourism everywhere in the community.”
The Assembly passed amendments that would officially limit tours to 10 people and require iRide Alaska to notify the city manager of any accidents or injuries to people or pets.
Ultimately, the ordinance to lease the road to iRide Alaska failed, with four members voting in favor and five voting against it.
But in a rare move, Assembly member Bryson gave notice of reconsideration. That means the Assembly will have the opportunity to vote on the lease again at its next meeting on May 8.
During the meeting, Bryson said he is a partner with Juneau Bike Doctor, but Assistant Municipal Attorney Sherri Layne did not think there was a conflict of interest.
The headline and story have been updated. The Assembly will have the opportunity to vote on the lease again at its next meeting, but only if at least five members vote in favor of reconsidering it.
