Proposed Fitzroy Street bike lane prompts petition from area resident

The city of Charlottetown is in the design phase of the Fitzroy Street bike lane project but not all residents are supportive of the idea. 

Jason White lives on Fitzroy Street and said he sees many cars parking there daily.

He said he's worried that the loss of parking spaces will mean more congestion.

White has started a petition to stop the project and said he hopes it will initiate some discussion.

As of Monday evening, a couple-dozen people had signed the online petition.

Petition to stop project

"You're taking an area that's already very difficult to park in and squeezing that and putting it into a smaller area," he said. 

A cyclist himself, White said Fitzroy Street is already safe for cycling and he would rather see other areas improved.

"I agree that we do need better cycling lanes in P.E.I. and definitely Charlottetown. The problem in Charlottetown is that there have been a lot of lanes developed all over the city already using the shoulder as access and they're not well maintained, they abruptly end," he said.

"If they want to spend cycling money, that money should really be going to these dangerous areas."

Removable barriers

The two-way bike route is expected to cost around $1 million, with half of that coming from provincial gas tax funding.

Ramona Doyle, the city's sustainability officer, acknowledges there are other areas that could also use improvements.

But said the city has heard feedback that a bike lane with barriers would encourage more people to cycle.

"There's lots of people that feel comfortable cycling with traffic, with motorists. But there's a lot of people who would become cyclists, or who would cycle more if they felt that they were safe," she said.

"So some of the approaches that cities across Canada are taking is they're … making infrastructure that is accessible to all ages and abilities, and that's really what we want to create here in Charlottetown."

Doyle said the barriers may be removed in the winter months. 

"Currently we're looking at the south side of Fitzroy Street and it would be separated from regular traffic by removable barriers."

Public input sought for design

If the bike lane goes ahead, it would serve as a connection between Victoria Park and the Confederation Trail. 

There is a public meeting scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 10, where community members are invited to give feedback on the design phase of the project.

The final design will then be presented to city council in February.

More P.E.I. news