The city’s plans to install Bluebike stations on the cramped streets of Beacon Hill may have hit a speed bump, with civic stakeholders objecting to reduced parking and the addition of new bike traffic to busy Charles Street.

The Beacon Hill Civic Association (BHCA) published a letter assailing the city’s planned objections on August 22. Its leadership says adding Bluebike stations to crowded areas like Charles Street poses a danger to cyclists, pedestrians and cars no matter which direction the bikes depart.

“The proposed locations are hazardous for cyclists and pedestrians alike, whether the bikes are accessed from the street or sidewalk. If the cyclist pulls their bike out towards the sidewalk, there will not be the minimum five feet clearance for pedestrians, strollers or wheelchairs. If the bike is unlatched towards the street, the bike and cyclist will be thrust into traffic on an already overcrowded road,” wrote BHCA chair Joshua Leffler and President Colin Zick.

The city has been developing its current Bluebike’s push for two years under the administration of Mayor Michelle Wu, and the five-foot clearance the BHCA references is the city’s own guideline.

Beacon Hill is a particularly challenging location for siting new self-service racks. City planners look for sunny spots with clear sightlines, few utilities and plenty of extra space both on the sidewalk and in the road, a rarity among the neighborhood’s tight streets.

That’s why, as the city builds 100 new Bluebike stations this year to meet last year’s 25% growth in usage, Beacon Hill is only getting a handful of new stations. The BHCA’s tally has stations slated for the corners Charles Street shares with Revere, Pinckney and Mt. Vernon Street.

Separate documentation suggests the Boston Transportation Department has also considered one at the corner of Cambridge Street and Bowdoin.

The BHCA is instead suggesting the city satisfy Charles Street demand by expanding existing service racks nearby, such as the racks at the Whitney Hotel or Charles River Plaza.

It also suggests expanding facilities at the CVS at the corner between Charles and Massachusetts General Hospital, where the road and sidewalks open up a bit.

Whether Boston’s government will actually consider these options is another matter.

A streets spokesperson for the city said the 5-foot pedestrian clearance did not apply to the proposed locations since the racks would be in the parking lane instead of the sidewalk.

Traffic studies by the city suggest each rack would take the place of 6 metered parking spots, which compares favorably in the city’s eyes to the 141 average daily trips of existing Bluebike stations in Charles Circle. With the 12-hour availability of those spots, unless the average car is parked for less than half an hour, the new racks would be a net savings on trips.

That assumes, however, that demand will continue to scale as the city adds racks and that those bike trips will be from people who would otherwise drive. Perhaps more significantly the city’s explanations declined to address the BHCA’s concerns about having bikes pulling out into traffic and what reducing meters would do to Charles Street’s existing issues with double parking.

It’s possible the question will be deferred entirely until Charles Street gets a more complete overhaul. It’s hardly a biker’s paradise today given the tight sidewalks, busy traffic with little bike infrastructure and constant double parking. The city’s statement suggested planners may wait until new Bluebike stations can be added more holistically as part of a new layout.

“The Bluebike team is working closely with their colleagues who will be planning the long-term design for Charles Street and may decide to hold off on any new station on the corridor until the planning process is further along,” it said.