City educating road users about new bike facilities

City staff were greeting commuters on Edmonton Trail this morning with coffee and a tips guide to help educate people about the new cycle track. “Education is an important part of our process when we implement new facilities,” says the City’s Bicycle Program Coordinator, Tom Thivener. “We want to improve safety and reduce frustrations when we change the road design by helping people understand the changes and how to use the road.”

The new two-way cycle track runs along the west side of Edmonton Trail N.E. between Memorial Drive and 2 Avenue N.E. People driving should look both ways before crossing the cycle track and yield to people biking. As part of the project, The City also added a new pathway on the south side of Memorial Drive N.E., between Edmonton Trail and 4 Street N.E. and a new shared lane connection to 1 Avenue N.E., which required some parking changes. The City reviewed the parking in the area and was able to reduce parking restrictions and add new off-peak on-street stalls to support area businesses.

Ward 9 Councillor Gian-Carlo Carra says, “This project is an excellent investment in this area and will help support the ongoing revitalization. I’m happy to see the unused road space being re-allocated to provide additional transportation options and additional on-street parking. This is something the businesses have been asking for and is going to really improve the vibrancy of this Main Street.”

Ward 7 Councillor Druh Farrell also supports the new infrastructure. “Every time a new cycle track opens in Calgary, we see more families, more women, and more children out exploring our city on two wheels. I am excited to see the Bridgeland cycle track helping to make cycling a safer and more accessible transportation choice for Calgarians.”

The Bridgeland cycle track, along with several improvements for people walking, opened on September 9, 2016, connecting the neighbourhoods of Bridgeland and Crescent Heights to businesses, the Bow River Pathway and downtown. Cycle tracks are family-friendly bike facilities, extending the comfort of the river pathway into the community, where most trips begin or end.

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