After years of controversy, city council approved a pilot project for downtown segregated bike lanes Wednesday.
The lanes will run east-west along Laurier Avenue between Elgin Street and Bronson Avenue.
Cyclists would travel adjacent to the sidewalk in each direction and be separated from motor vehicles by a physical barrier. The lanes are expected to be ready for cyclists by the end of the summer.
The decision comes after council’s transportation committee heard from 38 delegations – evenly split for and against, according to the city – three weeks ago and recommended acceptance of the proposal.
“If we look for perfection, we will never come to an agreement,” said Mayor Jim Watson in support of the project, noting that no less than 12 downtown streets had been proposed for the bike lanes, including Gladstone Avenue and Somerset Street.
One of the points of contention was the loss of parking spaces along Laurier Avenue, one of the busiest downtown thoroughfares. As a result, Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes proposed that city staff investigate the issue and come up with a solution.
Laurier Avenue was selected because it has the highest number of cyclists in the downtown area. City staff will monitor the pilot project over the next two years and report back to council with their findings. It will look at traffic impact assessments and a survey of businesses along Laurier, as well as cyclists that use the lanes. The project aims to help triple the number of bicycle trips in the city by improving cycling safety.
In other business, councilors were expected to approve a request by the Somerset Chinatown BIA that free on-street parking on Saturdays on Somerset Street between Bronson Avenue and Preston Street be extended until January 2012.
On Tuesday, council’s planning committee approved a zoning change to allow a 27-storey condominium tower at 89-91 Nepean St. The site was originally zoned for a 12-storey development.