City to install separated bike lanes

Pilot project seeks to address potential cyclists’ safety fears

WATERLOO REGION — A network of separated bike lanes will be installed across Waterloo Region as part of a pilot project that aims to get more people cycling.

Separated bike lanes, which are physically separated from vehicles and pedestrians, offer comfort and appeal to “interested but concerned” cyclists — representing about 60 per cent of the population. Those are people who are interested in cycling, but are held back by significant concerns, including safety.

“They say they are interested in cycling, but they are concerned about it,” said Michelle Pinto, engineer in training in strategic transportation planning.

“They’re not comfortable with our current cycling facilities,” Pinto said. “Painted bike lanes don’t cater to this group.”

Painted bike lanes are what we primarily have in the region, aside from one separated lane using a curb on Manitou Drive in Kitchener.

There is considerable potential to increase cycling in the region because more than 65 per cent of trips are less than five kilometres, the 2014 active transportation master plan found.

But since only about 0.7 per cent of daily trips are currently made by bike, distance is not the only factor. Public feedback consistently cites worries about safety, comfort and convenience as key factors in the decision to cycle, according to a report presented to regional committee on Tuesday.

The pilot project here would create a grid of roads, rather than one corridor.

“That way it can connect to multiple origins and destinations,” said Pinto, adding that potentially it could connect to popular trails.

The study would identify roads with adequate capacity and reallocate existing travel or parking lanes using temporary materials to avoid hard changes to the road. Key considerations for potential roads would be the effect on traffic and parking.

“The main idea will be to minimize impact,” Pinto said.

The feasibility and design study would begin in April and is expected to be completed by this winter when staff will report back to council with recommendations. Implementation of

the separated lanes would be planned for the spring of 2018, and they would be kept open for two summer seasons to provide an extended monitoring period. Then staff would report back to council in the fall of 2019 about whether the separated lanes should become permanent and on the potential to expand the network.

Coun. Tom Galloway, chair of the region’s planning and works committee, applauded the pilot study.

“I think we’ll learn a lot and hopefully set ourselves up for further implementations later on,” he said.

The study’s budget of $100,000 would be funded from the development charge reserve fund. Additional funding would be required in 2018 for construction and maintenance of the project, subject to council approval.

Staff intend to apply for funding from the Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program, a new five-year, $75-million program offered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities that is designed to encourage municipalities to better respond to climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

On Tuesday, the planning and works committee approved the project, which will need final approval by council at its next meeting.