‘Enough is enough’: Edmonton councillor shares dismay over social distancing road adjustments

Edmonton city councillor Mike Nickel said he’s “fed up.”

Nickel shared a post on Facebook Friday, expressing his frustrations over the adjustments the city has made to some of the roadways — turning them into shared-use spaces.

“Our mayor and some on Edmonton city council have completely lost grip on what is important right now,” he said in the post.

The city has made changes on multiple streets so people can practice proper physical distancing through COVID-19.

“People are relying on us right now to make decisions that will minimize the damage of this virus,” said Nickel. “You think we would be taking things seriously right now and use vital city resources and the power of our office properly.”

Nickel wrote there needs to be more leadership on how the city will rebuild after the COVID-19 crisis.

“There is NO consideration for the tens of thousands of Edmontonians who will slip into poverty. There is NO approach on how to deal with hundreds of businesses who will be unable to rehire workers or be able to pay their property taxes,” he wrote.

“Right now people are fatigued and stressed. We don’t need to be experimenting with our roadways.”

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On Victoria Promenade along 100 Avenue from 116 Street to 121 Street, the bike lane has been expanded and converted to a shared-use space for pedestrians and cyclists.

Pylons have also now been put up on Victoria Park Road — reducing driving lanes.

Along Saskatchewan Drive from 105 Street to 109 Street, traffic is reduced to a single lane with the north lane converted to a shared-use space.