Saskatoon council approves bike lane for Ave C and reducing speed limit in bikeway areas

Saskatoon city council has voted in favour of making the city more cyclist-friendly, giving a green light in a 6-5 vote to a plan to improve the infrastructure for walking and cycling on Avenue C.

The project has been in the works since 2022. It stems from council's 2016 approval of the Active Transportation Plan, which is intended to increase transportation choices in the city. The plan included an item of action to "develop a complete and connected bicycle network for all ages and abilities."

The city had conceptual designs drawn up for walking and cycling improvements on Avenue C from Spadina Crescent West to 45th Street West. In October 2023, the Avenue C bike infrastructure was ranked number 6 in the city's prioritized infrastructure list.

The recommendation before council breaks the project down into three phases:

The project includes a variety of additions and changes depending on the area, such as neighbourhood bikeway designations, protected bike lanes, curb extensions, shared pathways and widened bike lanes.

The plan is not without detractors, especially for Phase 3 of the plan, between 38th Street and 45th Street.

Some residents showed their support for the bike lane Wednesday and others voiced concerns. 

"Safety, cost and impact to business," were concerns highlighted by Keith Moen, executive director of North Saskatoon Business Association.

"Each year, Avenue C and Circle Drive is traditionally among the top five intersections in Saskatoon for vehicle collisions, often leading the way three times out of the past five years as the runaway winner for the most treacherous intersection in Saskatoon," he said.

He also criticized the total projected cost of about $8.8 million.

"It seems to me there is an easy solution to cut costs here. Just don't do it," Moen said at a meeting of the city's transportation committee last week.

Jason Hanson read to council from a letter written by Greg Yuel, a volunteer, philanthropist and entrepreneur in Saskatoon. Yuel said reducing the speed limit will make bikeways safer and active transportation more welcoming. 

"The City of Edmonton invested in a bike plan in 1993 on 125th St., allowing me to bike four-fifths of the way to my job from downtown on a dedicated street. Our city is 30 years behind, a simple solution in comparison to a city with identical climate and driving habits," he said. 

Jennifer Giocoli, a resident of Rosewood and owner of Precision Auto Body, was opposed to the project due to the cost, land acquisition that would be needed to make the project happen and the potential impact on businesses