97th Street bike lane could be removed in favour of parking

A turf war is brewing on 97th Street between cyclists and business owners who say their bottom lines have been hurt by bike lanes installed two years ago.

"Everything stopped for us," said bar owner Dennis Fitzgerald. "It was almost immediate after the bike paths came in because people weren't allowed to park anymore."

Fitzgerald appeared before the city's transportation committee Wednesday to ask councillors to remove the bike lanes between 34th and 83rd Avenues.

While 9,000 vehicles use the road daily, between 43 to 89 cyclists use the bike lanes.

"It just isn't practical that they would shut down 97th Street and take all this away; take away all that parking," he said.

Coun. Mike Nickel said he thinks the route should move to 91st Street, which would cost between $450,000 and $770,000.

"Measured against employment and the millions or so in sales … this is just not the right place for a bike lane," he said.

Chris Chan, executive director of the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society, said the city should redesign the existing lanes to allow them to co-exist with parked vehicles instead.

The lane on 97th Street is the only route that allows cyclists to  travel  north and south across Whitemud Drive, he said.

"It lets a lot of people that work in that area as well as those whose lives are involved in that area to access it safely," Chan said.

The city estimates the cost of that option to be between $260,000 and $720,000.

Councillors will debate the lanes next week.

The lanes will also be looked at as part of an annual review of city bike routes.