Kitchener council approves downtown cycling grid

Kitchener council approved the new downtown cycling grid which is intended to connect the city’s core with adjacent neighbourhoods and regional cycling arteries.

In a release, the city calls the move a crucial step forward in its goal of ensuring that residents are able to walk, run, roll or cycle across Kitchener.

“This isn’t just about the strong local demand for active transportation,” said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic.

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“This is about planning for the thousands of people moving into the downtown core in the coming years.”

It’s estimated the new grid will cost $5.9 million as it builds off other popular trails such as the Iron Horse Trail, Spurline Trail and The Great Trail

The new 10 km grid will include 2.8 km of separated cycling routes that create a grid of east/west and north/south corridors through downtown, 6.6 km in bike paths connecting surrounding neighbourhoods to downtown, and a 0.6 km multi-use trail that will help connect the Civic District, Spur Line Trail and Olde Berlin Town neighbourhoods to downtown.

The city intends to add additional parking spots on Francis Street, Hall’s and Bell Lanes to replace some of the ones which will be lost on the protected bike routes.