Already with more than 50 kilometres of on-road active transportation infrastructure, the city continues to move forward with adding new routes.
Council voted Monday night to move ahead with adding a 1.2 kilometre designated bike lane along Gore Street between James Street and Neebing Avenue.
According to administration, bike lanes have increased the rate of cycling and have improved safety.
Data provided in a report to council shows cycling utilization has increased by 100 per cent on roadways with designated bike lanes since their implementation.
Since 2012, there has not been a single reported collision where a cyclist was riding in a bike lane. Prior to the installation of bike lanes, those roadways had a cumulative average of nearly seven incidents per year.
Last year between May 1 and Nov. 15 there were 32 reported collisions involving cyclists with riding on sidewalks a factor in 53 per cent of those cases.
Though she ultimately voted in favour of the resolution, Coun. Rebecca Johnson took issue with adding the maintenance costs of the new route, estimated at nearly $4,300, to next year’s budget.
Mayor Keith Hobbs said he wasn’t going to “bite his tongue” when it came to Johnson’s criticism of the costs, especially when compared to the scope of the total budget.
“Are you kidding me,” Hobbs said, adding the absence of cycling collisions in bike lanes for the past four years is “priceless.”
The resolution also included the expansion of the Windsor Street active living corridor. Stop sign configuration will be modified along Windsor Street between Algonquin and Rockwood avenues.
Stop signs would be reversed at the intersections Kenogami and Windemere avenues intersections, giving right of way to Windsor Street traffic. All-way stops would be installed at the Rockwood and Empress avenue intersections.
