Dozens of residents packed a community hall on Saturday afternoon to learn about the different bike lane options being considered for their south Edmonton neighbourhood.
The City of Edmonton presented three options to residents about a bike lane between 106 Street and 119 Street. The bike lane will either run along 40th Avenue or 43rd Avenue.
The 43rd Avenue option would put a shared-use pathway on existing green space. It comes with a price tag of $2 million.
READ MORE: Edmonton community continues its fight against bike lanes
There are two options for 40th Avenue: one would be a separated bike lane with a raised median, while the other would be a shared-used pathway on the north side of the road. This option would cost between $12 and $17 million.
“It would require reconstruction of, depending on the option, half the road or the whole road,” said Dainel Vriend, a general supervisor in the city’s urban transportation department.
“That would take about three to four years to complete, which recognizes it is a significant impact.”
Bike lanes are controversial in Edmonton. Painted bike lanes on 40 Avenue were removed last year after public outcry over their safety and their impact on traffic flow.
But Vriend said there is demand for a bike lane.
“What we heard is that we should be looking at something physically separated. That it was the on-street bike lanes that weren’t acceptable. It wasn’t good for people with families and young children,” he said.
“There was a strong desire from, not just the ardent cycling community but also from people in the area, neighbourhood residents, that do like to ride their bikes to go to school or community league meetings.”
Cost seemed to be the main factor in the minds of residents as they mulled the options.
Ekkehard Kottke lives in the south side neighbourhood and cycles often. He doesn’t think any more bike lanes are needed in the area, but said he would pick the 43rd Avenue option if he had to.
Pat Sawatzky was an opponent of the painted bike lanes because she considered them unsafe. She supports bike lanes because it is a form of physical activity, but she said that needs to be balanced out with the cost to the city.
“Definitely something that’s separated and something that doesn’t cost too much to implement but actually does some good for everyone,” she said.
“Being a winter city, I think we only get so much use out of the bike lanes.”
Cyclist Greg Piorkowski said he prefers the 40th Avenue option because it is a more direct route.
“The tendency to put the bike lane on the side street, I think it would be the least costly option. But I fear it would be less used if it was less direct,” he said.
Councillor Michael Walters said he is committed to replacing the bike lanes on 40th Avenue that were removed last summer.
On the issue of money, he said the funding already exists for the $2 million option for 43rd Avenue. He said council approval would be needed if the $12 to $17 million option for 40th Avenue was selected.
Walters said once a bike lane option has been approved, construction could start later this year.
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