By Geoff Smith (@GeoffSmithLNN on Twitter)

Bike Boulevard to be extended, but drivers still adjusting

May 23, 2018 | 12:16 PM

LETHBRIDGE – The city will present plans to extend the 7 Avenue S. Bike Boulevard at the official grand opening of the corridor.

The project, constructed during the 2017 season, converted the route between 4 Street S. and Mayor Magrath Drive to a shared bicycle and vehicle corridor with a reduced speed limit. By the end of this year, it will cross Scenic Drive at 4 Street S. to connect to the regional pathway.

Along the bike boulevard, some intersections were converted to mini-roundabouts, while “directional diverters” were installed at two others. Those diverters force vehicle traffic on 7 Avenue to make a right turn onto the side street while allowing bicycles through. Northbound and southbound traffic at those intersections must stop, then turn left onto 7 Avenue.

Drivers still adapting

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It appears not all motorists are willing to obey the new rules. Tire marks on the sidewalk provide visible evidence of illegal turns, bypassing the diverters. Those intersections may also be adding to vehicle traffic on 7 Avenue, instead of reducing it.

Robert Kovacs, a senior project administrator for the transportation department, said some issues were anticipated. The goal is to de-emphasize 7 Avenue as a shortcut to downtown while allowing local traffic. He’s also aware of the illegal turns.

“We’ve been doing monitoring with videos and we’ve put up small barriers and stuff. But we still need access to wheelchairs… you just don’t expect to see cars driving on the sidewalk,” Kovacs said in an interview. “I’m just hoping that with more enforcement and with, we’ve got some nice educational pieces coming out, that drivers will be able to understand these new intersections better.”

Kovacs said drivers will have to adapt, but change is hard. He adds he’s less likely to hear the positive feedback people may have. The city plans to conduct a study about the bike boulevard, in conjunction with the University of Lethbridge.

“We’re going to get some good feedback from that particular study, as well as sharing it with the rest of the municipalities in Canada, about lessons learned that we’ve found on this job,” he added.

New signals to be installed on Scenic

Kovacs said by the end of this year, the bike boulevard will connect to the pathway system along Scenic Drive S. The corridor will be extended around the corner and follow 4 Street S and across Scenic, where the current flashing yellow pedestrian lights will be replaced with full traffic signals.

“That intersection, traditionally, has been very dangerous with 9 Avenue adjacent to the opening of that,” he explained. “You see a lot of unsafe maneuvers, and there’s a lot of collision data over the years.”

The project also includes closing off access to the intersection from 9 Avenue S.

Kovacs hopes to see people come out to the grand opening Sunday, May 27 at 2 p.m. Cyclists will take part in a ribbon cutting and ceremonial ride from 21 Street S. west to London Road Park. That’s where this year’s plans will be presented, along with details on the U of L study.

A pedicab carrying a local musician will lead the ride, and there’s free ice cream from Swirls for the first 125 participants.

Beyond the 7 Avenue project, Kovacs said the city’s planning department is looking at other possible corridors, but it’s just in the study phase with no actual construction for at least a couple of years.