TLDR; Bike lanes are cost effective, overdue in many neighbourhoods and create a sense of community. It’s time to keep up the momentum and build more. This is the year Edmonton can build on its commitment to active transportation and bicycling.







We’ve got construction wrapping up on the 83 Avenue bike lane this summer and testing continues on the new downtown bike network. But there are two milestone decisions coming which will really signal how dedicated we really are to being a city with bike infrastructure. The Edmonton Bike Plan (which used to be called the Bicycle Transportation Plan) is getting its first update in a decade. Obviously a lot has changed in Edmonton since 2009, as we have moved away from cyclists sharing lanes with drivers (which didn’t end up going so well) to now building actual separated cycle tracks that give cyclists their own space on the road. We’re even beginning to see talk of a bikeshare in Edmonton, allowing people who don’t own their own bike to cycle. This will be a major update to a key transportation plan at a key time, so watch for public engagement opportunities over the next year to make sure you’re helping shape our cycling and commuting future. The other big decision comes in April, when city council is likely to consider a southside bike network, similar to the one we have downtown. This would be installed throughout the Old Strathcona area, connecting the neighbourhoods of Strathcona, Garneau and the University of Alberta. There are a lot of good reasons to build this southside network right now. This vs. That Click to reveal additional reporting Whether you call it a bike network or bike grid, we’re talking about the same thing. It is a grid of bike lanes and connections within a neighbourhood, which could include multi-use paths (MUPs), that itself connects to Edmonton’s larger bike network. I think, however, since we have gotten used to calling it the “Downtown Bike Network” and this southside installation could operate in a similar, adaptable, fashion, it makes sense to call it a network too. Network and grid are pretty interchangeable as Edmonton just begins to build out its bike infrastructure though. Speaking of being “adaptable” here’s what that means: the barriers separating cyclists from drivers aren’t permanent. This is what we’ve got downtown. There are small, movable curbs, pylons and bollards and even planter boxes. If one of the streets needed to be closed for massive construction, for example, the pieces could be moved to the next street over if that was preferable to waiting things out. Or, if everyone refused to bike down 103 Street and used 102 Street, the City could also pick up and move things over if that made more sense for transportation efficiency. This is compared to permanent bike infrastructure like we have on 83 Avenue. The barriers separating cyclists from drivers there are poured concrete, they built right into the street, and we aren’t changing the route anytime in the near future without spending a lot more money. In this story: Communities that deserve bike lanes

City strategy is about bikes

The business case for bike lanes

Bike lanes stretch tax dollars

Time to make the move Building Community “Our streets are what bring people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds together. When residents choose to walk or bike to get places, we see one another’s faces. We can say ‘hello,’ smile, stop to catch up or plan an impromptu BBQ.” Julie Kusiek is passionate about making sure her neighbours have chances to meet one another, talk to each other and move around Queen Alexandra without a car. She lead a group of tireless volunteers for years in the QA Crossroads and Engage 106-76 projects, as Queen Alex tried to incorporate more active transportation – sidewalks and bike lanes – into the community’s neighbourhood renewal project. The work focused on 106 Street and 76 Avenue, both of which now have new bike lanes criss-crossing the community. “Making 106 Street and 76 Avenue into our neighbourhood’s showcase streets means that it is more pleasant to walk and bike, and that vehicles are moving just a bit slower too,” Kusiek says. “This makes the lives of residents who live along these streets better. They can more comfortably spend time in their front yards, creating yet another opportunity for neighbours passing by on foot or bike to say hello and hear each other because vehicle noise is reduced by slower speeds.” A new bike grid could connect southside communities already biking a lot more than others. Just 60% of people in neighbourhoods like Strathcona and Queen Alex use a personal vehicle as their primary mode of transportation and Census data shows rates of active transportation are up to five times as high as Edmonton averages. “What the QA Crossroads and Engage 106-76 project did was take an existing demand for walking and biking and find a way to build appropriate infrastructure to facilitate that kind of movement,” Kusiek says. More about Queen Alex in our story “Renewing Community” The southside bike grid could build on this work, giving neighbourhoods already biking a better, safer way to get around. Across Whyte Avenue from Queen Alex, Strathcona is about to undergo its own neighbourhood renewal, meaning streets and sidewalks will be completely replaced. Volunteers in that neighbourhood have also teamed up with the City like Queen Alex did and also have a vision to include more active transportation once concrete is poured. So, the timing for the southside grid is perfect (and overdue). With Strathcona renewal running 2019-2021, there’s even time to set up some pylons and counters this summer to figure out the best possible streets for bike lanes and connections to be implemented as part of the construction. Although Conrad Nobert, the co-chair of the Strathcona Working Committee leading consultation on that neighbourhood’s renewal isn’t quite sure we have to do much in the way of testing. (The committee is a partnership of volunteers and City staff.) “Installing good bike infrastructure is not rocket science,” he says. “We tend to act as if we’re inventing nuclear fusion or something when we put this stuff in, and that it requires pilot projects and tests to see if it will work. High quality bike routes are installed everywhere in the world, and they are successful if designed well. Edmonton now has some experience with their design, so I think they could be installed permanently, after a thorough consultation has been conducted, as renewal is being done. That said, a portion of funds should be held back for monitoring and a few tweaks once operations are observed for 18 months or so.”

Here's one potential idea for more bike lanes and routes on the southside (in blue), as proposed in a visioning document from the Strathcona Community League.

An example of how the downtown bike grid works. image: City of Edmonton