A busy section of Peterborough’s Charlotte Street, between Monaghan Road and Park Street, could be seeing major changes later this year.
New bike lanes may be installed on both sides of Charlotte Street and they may even be protected by plastic bollards.
The report is going to Peterborough city council on Monday night.
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“I’m really thrilled about the report going to council Monday for bike lanes on Charlotte Street,” said Lindsay Stroud, the manager of transportation and urban design at GreenUP.
“They have a plan to put lanes on Charlotte Street between Park and George Streets already, so this extension to Monaghan will be a huge improvement to cycling infrastructure in our city.”
The bollards are currently being used for increased sidewalk and patio space in the downtown during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The report states the bollards are being removed in mid-October and could be reused to separate vehicle traffic from the new bike lanes along Charlotte Street.
“Putting that type of physical separation means more seniors, children and women will use it,” said Tegan Moss, executive director of B!ke. “It’s so important for our community.”
Right now, the micro-surfacing of Charlotte Street is underway and is expected to be completed this fall.
Upon approval of the recommendations on Monday night, the pavement marking design for the stretch of road would include the new bike lanes and be incorporated into the existing contract.
“It will definitely provide more connectivity for people in Peterborough,” added Stroud.
“We’re really excited this plan is for protected bike lanes. Charlotte is a well-used corridor for cyclists. We know a lot of people there. By putting in protected lanes, you will get more interested, yet cautious cyclists on Charlotte Street and bring them into the downtown core and various locations.”
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The bollards, acting as lane delineators, would be installed seasonally beginning in spring 2021, the report states.
The addition of the bike lanes would mean approximately 36 parking spaces along the north side of Charlotte would be eliminated.
According to a previous parking study in 2018, the city found there was a low demand for parking in this area with a maximum of nine vehicles or roughly 25 per cent of available capacity, at any given time.
The curb cut program for properties wishing to construct separate driveways onto Charlotte would begin in the spring.
According to the report, there is strong public support for cycling lanes on Charlotte from Monaghan to Hospital Drive, however, implementation will require significant changes to the street, including the widening of the road.
It’s beyond the scope and available budget for the current micro-surfacing project and therefore isn’t being recommended at this time, the report states.
The city is also working on its Cycling Master Plan and Transportation Master Plan.
“They’re developing a new plan which will inform what the complete cycling network for our community will look like. That plan needs to be fully integrated into the Transportation Master Plan, that’s also under review,” added Moss.
“At a planning level, integrating these ideas into these documents and setting aside an associated budget annually for new cycling facilities is the most important thing the city can do.”
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