The City of Peterborough has its first protected bicycle lane and bicycle signal.
The lane is located on sections of George, Water and Sherbrooke streets downtown. It’s a reconfigured section of roads and sidewalks that will improve safety for all who use them, said city officials.
“It was a long and sometimes a bit of a painful process,” said Mayor Diane Therrien. “But it’s going to make this intersection and this whole area of town a lot better for drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, everybody.”
The $2.4 million project aims to improve safety for pedestrians and increase the number of cyclists. The city’s share was nearly $912,000.
On Friday, a ceremony was held to mark the occasion of the opening of the last section of cycling lane that connects Millenium Park and the Trans Canada Trail west to Sherbrooke Street and beyond.
“This first section of protected bike lane might be a short and an unusual one but it sets a precedent for what’s possible in our community and provides an example of what cycling infrastructure can look like,” said Tegan Moss, executive director of B!KE, a cycling education and support organization.
The city now has 75 kilometres of cycling lanes and multi-use trails.
WATCH: Cycling safely to work – some tips from Peterborough B!ke