Windsor city council defers Wyandotte bike-lane issue
Politicians want to see full transportation plan before making decision on Wyandotte Street
City council jammed the brakes on what was expected to be a heated debate about whether to install bike lanes on a stretch of Wyandotte Street East.
Cycling advocates have been pushing for the infrastructure, but a proposal from the city's transportation committee outlined a different bike route that zigzags down to South National Street.
Before the debate on the issue got going at Monday night's council meeting, the politicians deferred their decision until a larger transportation plan has been completed.
Earlier this month, council agreed to bump up the timeline for a transportation plan to the tune of $350,000.
This "doesn't do anything for Wyandotte or bike lanes on Wyandotte, however, it does tell us that council is taking the active transportation plan seriously," said Jennifer Escott, vice chairperson with Bike Windsor Essex.
BIAs support more bike lanes
The cycling groups started a petition calling for bike lanes on the street and have the support of two business improvement associations in the area.
Before Monday's deferral, Bridget Scheuerman, executive director for the Pillette Village and Riverside BIAs, wanted the decision to go back to staff in order to give everyone more time to discuss.
"Right now, the emphasis is on Wyandotte, but what we want to do is we want to have the city look at whenever they're doing any kind of road work, let's make it safe," she said. "Let's make it so that it's bicycle friendly, it's motorist friendly, and it's pedestrian friendly."
Scheuerman said reducing vehicular traffic to one lane in each direction would slow down cars and keep pedestrians in the area safer.
City officials have argued Wyandotte Street is meant to be a major artery, and point out the long term plan calls for bike lanes to go on Riverside Drive, as part of the Vista project.