CYCLING SOLUTION DELAYED

City to study Wyandotte St. options

Any discussion of a zigzag bike route through the east end of Windsor has been delayed until the city’s Active Transportation Plan process is complete.

At Monday night’s council meeting Coun. Jo-Anne Gignac asked that discussion of taking bicycles off of Wyandotte Street — by using a combination of roads to the south in Riverside — be referred to the upcoming active transportation study.

The $350,000 study and plan, approved earlier this month, is expected to go out to tender at the end of the summer and take about 10 months.

Jennifer Escott, co-chair of Bike Windsor Essex, expects the study will take longer.

“I think 10 months to be completed is very optimistic, it probably is more like 16,” said Escott after the matter was referred.

Administration had recommended a plan that would see cyclists travel south on Edward, then west on Edgar Street, south on Jefferson Avenue, west on South National Street, south on Pillette Road, west on Seminole Street and north on George Avenue to arrive back on Wyandotte — as opposed to just creating new bike lanes on Wyandotte.

More than a dozen delegations arrived at City Hall on their bikes and planned to address council on the issue.

Escott said she was disappointed the issue of cyclist safety on Wyandotte Street East was not dealt with Monday night, but is optimistic it will be eventually settled.

“We are certainly encouraged that when the public consultations for that plan come out, all the community and the business community come out and provide their input,” Escott said.

“I think we’re disappointed that the issue of cyclist safety along Wyandotte wasn’t addressed, however it’s not going to change a lot at this point.

“To put a positive spin on it, we’re really glad to see that council is taking the active transportation plan as seriously as they are.”