Hamilton cyclists say they should be consulted on city repaving plans that threaten to close the popular Cannon Street bike lanes for most of the summer.

A city construction notice alerted homeowners along the Cannon corridor this month that a $1.9-million repaving project will shut down the two-way bike lanes between James Street and Sherman Avenue.

On the upside, the project will eventually mean a smoother ride for both cars and bikes. There will also be safety upgrades to the separated-from-cars cycling lanes, including new barrier curbs and rumble strips.

But some cyclists say they were upset to learn the cycle track shutdown could last from May to the end of August. They also want to know why they weren't consulted on the plan — or alternative safe routes.

"It's great they are resurfacing Cannon. Everyone wants that," said Cycle Hamilton chair Kate Whalen. "But we were surprised to learn about the potential for a full closure for so long during the season ... We learned about it for the first time on Twitter."

The potential for a summer-long Cannon shutdown was also news to the city's bike-share partner agency, SoBi Hamilton. "We were not aware of this and it will obviously impact our riders and how we access bikes and hubs for rebalancing and maintenance," the group tweeted.

Ward Coun. Jason Farr said he hopes the project can be finished more quickly than the city estimate. Regardless, he argued it is "short-term pain for definite gains" — including "more robust" concrete separation between cyclists and cars in some areas where only flimsy "knock-down sticks" exist now.

"It's road construction. No doubt, it will be a pain in the butt for everyone," he said. "But I believe (cyclists) will be happy with the result."

The city recognizes the Cannon cycle track — the city's first long stretch of protected, two-way bike lanes — as a "vital connection" for cyclists travelling across the lower city, said spokesperson Jasmine Graham.

Once a pilot project, the three kilometres of separated lanes were made permanent last year on the strength of a report showing increasing ridership each year, including a summer peak of nearly 1,000 daily in 2017.

Cannon won't close completely during repaving because there are homes and businesses requiring access. But Graham said the protected cycle track and on-street parking needs to come out "in order to offset the reduction in traffic lanes during construction."

That's why planners are working to map a safe alternate path for east-west riders ahead of construction, she said. They have some time to do so — work won't begin before mid-May.

Still, she acknowledged there are "limited alternatives" east-to-west for bikes in the immediate area. (The city does not encourage cyclists to use the fast-moving, one-way arteries of King and Main, for example.)

Traffic planners are looking at potential alternate routes on the south side of Cannon — like Hunter Street, Stinson, Delaware and Maplewood — but more detailed updates are coming for residents, Graham said.

Cyclists should have been involved in planning for both the project and alternative routes from the get-go, argued Cameron Kroetsch, who spurred a growing debate by posting the recent construction notice online.

"I'm happy for the improvement, if it's an improvement that's worth it," he wrote. "Thing is, since there was no consultation ... I have no idea."

Cycle Hamilton is reaching out to the city for more information — and urging residents to weigh in with their own route suggestions, said Whalen. "We would love to be part of the conversation," she said.

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