Despite some controversy and mixed response from the Hallinan neighborhood regarding a proposed pathway along Hallinan Street from Hemlock Street to Cherry Lane, Lake Oswego City Council unanimously directed staff to press on with the project during a meeting Tuesday, Oct. 18.
The city initiated the effort as part of a larger program to add pathways to a community that seems to have few of them compared to other urban jurisdictions. City Council allocated $2 million to projects in the Forest Highlands, Hallinan, Waluga and Lake Grove neighborhoods.
Whereas the other neighborhoods expressed mostly universal support for pathways, a subset of Hallinan neighbors were opposed. They said traffic-calming devices aimed to curb speeding would be preferable and worried about reduced parking and a narrower roadway to make room for the pathway. According to statistics released by the city, neighborhood support vacillated from 54% to 64% depending on the pathway segment. In response to concerns about parking, the city kept space available on both sides of the street from Meadows Drive to Hemlock Street but narrowed the lanes. The city also said vegetation removal would not be required for the project.
Mayor Joe Buck said during the meeting that the concerns of the entire community — not just residents living along the proposed pathway — should be the primary consideration and that the project fulfilled the council imperative of bolstering routes to school. In this case, the pathway would create a place for students to walk to Hallinan Elementary School. He added that he did not buy the argument posited by some that pedestrian infrastructure would make the neighborhood less safe. He also added that the pathways provide a secure place to travel for the disabled.
"It's important when we're making policy decisions (that) we think of the most vulnerable among us and completing these infrastructure improvements is a big part of that," he said. 
While neighbors have felt that sidewalks do not reduce traffic speeds, assistant city engineer Stefan Broadus said that traffic engineering guidance posits that a narrower roadway is safer than a wider one because it causes drivers to travel more slowly.
A couple residents who testified at the meeting felt differently, saying that the street will be too congested and make the environment less safe.
"Come to our street and see how beautiful and safe it is just as it is," one resident said.
Councilors Rachel Verdick and Daniel Nguyen expressed a bit of hesitance due to the mixed support, but ultimately voted in favor.
"I also believe sidewalks are safer, especially when we're near elementary schools. It's going to provide more safety to students and families walking to and from," Verdick said.
The pathway projects are scheduled for construction in the summer and fall of 2023. 
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