City's bike plan includes 678 kilometres of new and improved routes over next 10 years
Network of 'active pathways' not meant solely for cyclists, councillor says
Edmonton is on a path to expand and enhance up to 678 kilometres of multi-use trails over the next 10 years, a city report released Thursday suggests.
The report is an implementation guide to The Bike Plan, which was released in September 2020. The guide looks at options to extend the network of trails to south-central, west-central and east-central neighbourhoods.
Only some of these will be separate bike lanes, which have been a source of controversy and strained relationships between cyclists and drivers in recent years, said Coun. Tim Cartmell.
A lot of the work will be filling in missing links to connect trails better or improve existing lanes, he added.
"The vast majority of the shared-use path network is nowhere near a road," Cartmell said.
For example, Mill Creek Ravine from the path peters out when it gets to 63rd Avenue.
"Mill Creek Ravine, which runs onto 91st Street, in a beautiful shared-use path that is nowhere near the road but has a gap in it that doesn't collect the ravine to the path."
Cost estimates range from $12.7 million to $19 million per year, depending on the pace of implementation, the report states.
Council will begin discussing the priorities at a Feb. 15 meeting, ahead of the new four-year budget cycle that starts in the fall.
Cartmell noted some areas — like the eight kilometres of downtown bike lanes — could have been better designed.
"It's badly done for both bikes and cars, no question," Cartmell said. "We gotta do better than that."
In contrast, the dedicated bike lanes built along 72nd Avenue, 106th Street and 83rd Avenue are more effective in meeting the goal of connecting trails and roads.
The report's name, The Bike Plan, isn't reflective of the goal to create active pathways that can be used by people with different mobility needs and means of getting around, from wheelchairs to skateboards, said Coun. Andrew Knack.
"We use that term purposely now," Knack said Thursday. "It is not just a bike lane, it is more than that. And so 'active pathways' is a very valid name for these lanes that we're going to be building throughout the city."
Knack suggested that the dedicated bike lanes on 83rd Avenue and downtown are the start of a bigger network of multi-use trails. The plan will address gaps in areas where there isn't a clear route, like 170th to 136th Streets, he noted.
"It's just one piece to the puzzle of making sure that everyone across the city has the option to choose different modes of transportation," Knack said.
Cartmell said that active pathways are a key player, alongside roads and transit, in how Edmontonians get around.
"Expansion of that network that takes some pressure off our other two systems, I think has value."