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New suicide barriers on the High Level Bridge have prompted complaints from cyclists and pedestrians crossing the North Saskatchewan River.

Chris Chan, executive director of the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society, has a handful of suggestions that may ease the bottlenecks the new barriers have only made worse.

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“None of them are mutually exclusive,” Chan said. “They all have different timelines and different costs associated with them that make sense.”

He would like to see all the solutions eventually adopted, but by spacing them out over time, he hopes they will be more palatable to taxpayers and practical to implement.

Start by finishing

First, Chan says work on the $3-million barriers that began in September 2015 must be finished. They were scheduled to be done by June 2016, but the bridge remains with one side closed to foot and bicycle traffic, making congestion the norm. A tentative opening date of July 18 is now being suggested.

“If it’s looking like it’s not going to be open next week, then do what needs to be done to make that happen,” Chan said.

Therein lies the rub

The new barrier posts jut into the pedestrian and bike lanes. Chan said adding “rub rails” — additions to the structure that make the posts less likely to catch handlebars — would reduce collisions and increase safety without adding much additional cost.