A new bike lane on Beacon Street has created a parking problem for recreation league users, according to Brookline Select Board member John VanScoyoc.

"Houston, we have a problem," VanScoyoc wrote on X on Sunday, July 12, posting two photos of the street. He said the bike lane rollout "fails to take into account parking needs of recreation leagues."

VanScoyoc did not identify which fields or leagues lost parking access, and no official town response has been issued. The Department of Public Works and the Transportation Board have not publicly addressed the complaint.

The conflict follows a pattern. In March, the Transportation Board paused a Chestnut Hill Avenue redesign that included protected bike lanes after neighbors objected to losing street parking. "We need to do our homework a little more," Transportation Board Chair Brian Kane told Brookline.News at the time.

Separately, the Pedestrian Advisory Committee noted in June that the Commission on Disability planned to discuss how parking-protected bike lanes affect handicapped access. A Bicycle Advisory Committee liaison had expressed surprise that the lane design causes problems for people with disabilities.

Town Meeting approved a $5.2 million DPW repaving budget with a condition requiring the department and the Transportation Board to better coordinate policies including the Complete Streets Policy and Vision Zero Action Plan, and to improve public communication on repaving projects.

Phase 2 of the Harvard Street paving project, which includes work on Beacon Street eastbound from Harvard Street to Pleasant Street, was scheduled to begin the night of Saturday, July 19. Whether VanScoyoc's complaint refers to that project or a separate, earlier installation is unclear.

Parking-protected bike lanes already exist on Beacon Street near St. Mary's Street.

No board meeting has been scheduled to address the recreation league parking issue. The Pedestrian Advisory Committee meets Monday, August 3, at 7 p.m. via Zoom.