As German Village officials observed last week, local residents have no shortage of opinions on how to improve South Third Street.

They packed the Meeting Haus at a public session Dec. 14 and weighed in on everything from sidewalks to the addition of a bicycle lane.

The current South Third Street master plan calls for improving the street — lined with residences, restaurants, coffee houses and boutiques — from East Livingston Avenue to Reinhard Avenue.

The standing-room-only crowd voiced enthusiasm for burying utility lines and getting rid of unsightly poles that clutter the thoroughfare.

Tim Bibler, chairman of the German Village Society streetscape committee, which is charged with guiding the improvements, said the cost is an estimated $15 million, which initially was seen as too expensive, given the other considerations.

“I’d like to say the funding aspect, we haven’t touched it yet,” he said.

The first step of the process is to get Columbus to authorize an engineering study, which would firm up details of the project, Bibler said. The hope is to be included in the next city capital-improvements budget, which will fund projects for 2013.

The issues of removing the asphalt along Third Street and adding a bicycle lane, a subject of mild controversy over the past several weeks, were welcomed by some and viewed with skepticism by others. Plans call for a 6-foot-wide bicycle lane on the western edge of the street between the curb and parallel parking.

Cyclists argued that brick creates an uncomfortable riding surface but supporters said a dedicated bike lane would benefit the cycling community.

Sarah Harrigan, who attended the meeting, said she liked the idea of a bike lane but wasn’t sure the configuration would work, citing the lack of a strong biking culture in Columbus.

“I think this is going to be new and different and I have some safety concerns,” she said.

Audience members also supported adding pedestrian lighting and fixing uneven sidewalks. Some asked whether pull-in parking, as opposed to parallel, would work better for Third Street.

Better signage also is among the proposed street improvements, though the issue wasn’t widely discussed at the meeting.

Bibler said the list of improvements has not been prioritized and that some measures, such as the bike lane, could be added or eliminated.

“We might find out it’s not practical to do that,” he said.