Construction begins on track to improve cyclists’ commute

A cyclist is seen riding on the outline of the bike track planned for 7 St. S.W. as part of Calgary's bicycle pathway system.

Commuters looking for a new, greener commute into the downtown core won’t have much longer to wait.

City crews have broken ground on the 7 St. S.W. Cycle Track project, a two-way bike lane running along the east side of 7 St. between the Bow River pathway and 8 Ave. S.W.

The pathway is the first segment of a wider network planned by the City of Calgary.

“This project is one that is responding to the rising number of people who choose to ride bicycles into the downtown,” explains City of Calgary Bicycle Coordinator Tom Thivener in a release. “We’ve seen cycling trips in the downtown rise 20 per cent over the past year and 35 per cent over the past five years. The new roadway will provide the predictable space for people who ride bicycles and those who walk and drive.”

The lane will be protected from traffic with a concrete barrier to encourage riders who would like to ride their bikes to work, but are otherwise intimidated by downtown traffic.

The city hopes the new track will provide for residents who are looking for transportation choices that have less of an impact on the environment.

Officials say the track fits in well with existing pathway systems in the city, connecting with the Bow River pathway and the Peace Bridge.

Those areas already have a typically high amount of bicycle riders using them.

Throughout this year, the City will be working with residents to establish the rest of the cycle network.

The cycle track is expected to be open in July.

The construction of the cycle track will be on the following schedule:

For more details, you can visit the City of Calgary’s website.