From Crooked Lines to Concrete Progress: A Big Win for Ampersand Avenue

Back in the summer of 2022, a group of residents and families spoke up.
They asked for safer ways to walk and bike along Ampersand Avenue — especially for kids heading to the Civic Center, the Bike Park, and beyond.

The Village listened.
Bike lanes were painted.
And, well … let's just say the execution became a bit infamous.

The wavy lines, the missing symbols and signs — the social media memes came fast and furious.
Some even mocked the idea of advocating for safer streets altogether.

But here’s the thing: pushing for a better community is never wrong.
Progress doesn’t always look perfect at first.
You have to start somewhere.

That advocacy in 2022 — the energy, the belief that Ampersand Avenue could be safer and better — set the stage for what’s happening now: real sidewalks are coming to Ampersand Avenue.

Not just a paint job.
Not just a quick fix.
Concrete. Curbs.
All the way from Broadway to Schroader's Field!

The Village of Saranac Lake, working with the Town of Harrietstown, is officially moving ahead with the Ampersand Avenue Reconstruction Project.

It's proof that community voices matter.
It’s proof that sticking with it pays off.
And it's proof that the people who spoke up in 2022 weren’t wrong — they were just a little early.

Here’s to safer streets, stronger neighborhoods, and the people who aren’t afraid to ask for something better.

Because progress might not always be a straight line — but it’s always worth walking.