By Sam Borsato - @BorsatoSam on Twitter

Council Moving Forward with Proposed Bike Lanes

Apr 4, 2016 | 5:51 PM

LETHBRIDGE – Following a planning study that began in 2013, Lethbridge City Council has approved several recommendations for the growth of 6 Avenue South.

The entire plan involved three public engagement sessions, as well as research into future traffic volumes, safety issues and needs from motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.

Darwin Juell, City Transportation Manager, says there are some early projects that could begin sometime within the next year.

“We will likely start this year with 5 Street and Stafford Drive improvements to those dedicated left-turn bays. We don’t have to do anything other than paint some line geometric changes. Tenth Street will be done this year, or next year at the latest, with converting that to a right-in right-out and doing curb extensions so pedestrians can cross a bit safer.”

Other projects include roadway signage, street lights, planting new trees and providing an interim cycling route or bike boulevard along 7 Avenue South. The avenue is already assigned as a cycling corridor, but the only improvement has been to add signage so far. The next step is to lower the speed in that area down to 30 km/h, and add other “traffic calming” devices, like mini-roundabouts.

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It was already determined that 6 Avenue can’t handle cycling in the short term due to site constraints.

A landscaping budget for $175,000 was approved to plant new trees.

Those projects will be funded by the department’s existing operating budget and capital improvement program, at a total estimated cost of $2.9-million.

In long-term recommendations for future council decisions, the City will review 7 Avenue and determine if 6 Avenue is a needed cycling facility. It’ll also consider one-way protected bike lanes in the north and south boulevards of 6 Avenue at that time.

Juell added that following the first open house in the plan, he heard loud and clear that the public’s main concern is in multi-modal transportation. “We said ‘What are your priorities? What are your concerns?’, and we listened to them. Their concerns equalled to transportation was develop multi-modal. Don’t do just for cars, don’t do it just for pedestrians. Do it for cyclists, pedestrians and vehicles. To me, this is now the best example.”

As part of the resolution, Councillor Carlson made it clear that the transportation department can spend what is currently allocated to them in in the city’s budget. However, future funding allocations will have to be left until future budget decisions.

While the study is now complete, you can still view the complete details on the City of Lethbridge website.