Watch the cycle track debate online at Calgary.ca

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Several city councillors who don’t support Calgary’s downtown cycle track project in its current form said they will vote ‘yes’ Monday if the proposal is amended.

Until now, council has appeared split over whether to create a network of four barrier-separated cycle lanes in the city’s core on a one-year trial basis, for the cost of at least $9.3 million.

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Herald reporter Jason Markusoff tweets from council on bike lanes. Mobile users head to http://scrbliv.me/567135. Story continues below.

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At least four councillors — Gian-Carlo Carra, Evan Woolley, Druh Farrell, and Brian Pincott — as well as Mayor Naheed Nenshi have stated they are in favour of the project, while four others — Joe Magliocca, Sean Chu, Ward Sutherland, and Peter Demong — have either stated their opposition or expressed serious reservations.

In the lead-up to Monday’s vote, bike advocates have encouraged their supporters to focus their energies on the six remaining undecided councillors. On Sunday, Bike Calgary president Kimberley Nelson said she was as nervous as a kid on Christmas Eve.

“We have no idea which way they (the undecideds) might swing,” Nelson said. “They’re not contacting us. The only ones we know for a fact are on board are the ones who have come out in support.”

But while it’s still unclear how the final vote will play out, several councillors said Sunday they would support a modified proposal.

Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot said he doesn’t support the plan as is, but would be willing to accept an amendment that removes 1st S.E. from the network. He said he has concerns about emergency response times on 1st S.E., though he is in favour of the city’s overall goals for the cycling track and believes it to be a “modest investment” in alternative transportation.

“There’s a number of amendments that are going to be proposed by several of my colleagues,” said Chabot. “I’m of the opinion that it will squeak through, at least a modified version.”

Ward 6 Coun. Richard Pootmans also said Sunday he would support an amended version, though there are two stretches he wants removed from the network.

“Certainly Stephen Avenue Walk would be an area I have some concerns about, and 1st St S.E. north of the tracks,” Pootmans said.

Ward 3 Coun. Jim Stevenson said he had been leaning against the proposal, but he is now waiting to see what amendments will be brought forward.

Ward 12 Coun. Shane Keating said he could support the entire route as proposed, but only if the cycling lanes are shared with buses and taxis too.

“I’m not in favour of stopping it completely, I just think there needs to be some amendments,” Keating said.

Gian-Carlo Carra, councillor for inner-city Ward 9, said he’s still holding out hope the cycle track will be approved in its entirety — though he acknowledged more than one amendment is likely to come forward Monday.

“I think it’s going to be handled Dutch auction style, where we’ll vote on the whole proposal and then successive clawbacks on the whole proposal are going to be entertained until something sticks,” Carra said. “But I’m not entirely convinced we’re not going to get the whole thing at this point ... I think there are a couple members of council who have legitimately not made up their minds yet.”

The proposed cycle track would turn more than 7.3 kilometres of car lanes into barrier-protected cycle tracks in hopes of nearly doubling the number of downtown cycle commuters. City officials say that with so much inner city population expansion and job growth predicted over the coming decades, it’s necessary to get more people cycling — especially since the downtown can’t handle any more road expansions.

But critics worry about clogged traffic arteries and the loss of downtown parking stalls. City officials say the impact on traffic will be minor — about 30 to 60 extra seconds of extra traffic time during afternoon peak.

astephenson@calgaryherald.com