Group of residents frustrated city going ahead with north-central Edmonton bike-lane project

Some people in north-central Edmonton are upset more bike lanes are being built despite their concerns. CTV Edmonton's Miriam Valdes-Carletti has the story.

Some residents of a north-central Edmonton neighbourhood are upset that construction of bike lanes and traffic-calming measures is going ahead after they voiced their concerns with city hall.

The construction is part of the city’s plan to expand its active transportation system, including building a protected bike lane on 96 Street from 119 Avenue to 124 Avenue.

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The city also plans to lower the speed limit in the area to 30 kilometres per hour from 40 km/h, eliminate some street parking and install traffic calming measures such as speed humps and curb extensions.

In May, neighbourhood resident Jeremiah Rawling and others asked the province to intervene in the city’s plans to build the lanes. They’re worried the changes will negatively affect parking, emergency vehicles and access for residents with disabilities.

Also that month, the group said it collected 262 signatures from residents in the affected area, with 182 households indicating their support, and had petitioned the city to stop the project.

Rawling says he’s frustrated and disappointed they haven’t been consulted about the changes to the street.

“The city is going to put traffic diverters on three intersections along 124 Avenue to divert traffic, including emergency vehicle access at the direct two points on this street that the fire department uses to access this neighborhood,” Rawling told CTV News Edmonton on Monday, adding he believes the city “is putting lives at risk” as a result.

Ashley Salvador, the city councillor for the neighbourhood in Ward Métis, said Monday the city’s plan to expand the active transportation network includes “extending and connecting existing infrastructure, and filling in some of those gaps to create a more cohesive and connected network.”

She said staff base their decisions on consultation and engagement that was performed before they proposed network expansion plans.

“Any time the city is looking at city-wide infrastructure projects and building out transportation networks, for active modes in particular, we’re primarily relying on a lot of the work that happened through the bike plan consultation and engagement that really set the stage for where we anticipate that network to start to grow (and) where we’re noticing gaps in the network that be should be filled in the medium term, interim and long term,” Salvador told CTV News Edmonton.

In a statement, Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen says the province supports designated bike routes but not at the expense of shrinking road capacity for drivers, emergency responders and businesses.

The province is reviewing the proposals in the area.

Dreeshen says he plans to meet with people in the area and with Mayor Amarjeet Sohi next week.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Miriam Valdes-Carletti and Jeremy Thompson