No guarantee bike lanes will be built: Sudbury official

While the City of Greater Sudbury says it expects to see more cyclists on the road over the next couple of decades, it's not promising to build infrastructure to accommodate them.

The city’s transportation plan was presented to the public Wednesday evening. New Sudbury resident Arthemise Camirand-Peterson said currently, bike lanes are rare in her neighbourhood.

"They are not well marked," she said. "And those areas are being used for people to park on."

After reviewing the transportation plan, Camirand-Peterson said she’s pleased the city appears to be addressing her concerns.

The newest version of the transportation plan has bike routes planned on many of the city’s major streets – including Barrydowne Road and Lasalle Boulevard. The plan outlines roadwork the city would like to have finished by 2031.

Even with the plan, the city’s director of roads and transportation said there is no guarantee the lanes will actually be built. Bike lanes cost money, and require physical space on roads, David Shelsted said, adding the meetings give the city an idea of the public’s priorities.

"If we can’t build what’s on that plan, maybe we can put an alternative in place," he said.

Bike lanes will likely be constructed while roads are being widened or undergo repairs, Shelsted noted.

The plan calls for signs to be put up along some roads to warn drivers about cyclists, an option Shelsted called the cheapest and most likely to be done before new lanes are in place.