A SAFE LANE CHANGE?
A man crosses a deserted Whyte Avenue Friday. Advocates for pedestrians are urging the city to close down more lanes on roadways like Whyte Avenue and Jasper Avenue for use by walkers for as long as COVID-19 physical distancing rules are in effect.
Community groups would like more deserted streets available for pedestrians to use, including the city’s two main drags, to deter increased speeding and racing.
With fewer cars on the road because of the COVID -19 pandemic, about 1.3 kilometres of the city’s 11,800-kilometre roadway network have been opened to walkers and cyclists. Lanes on Saskatchewan Drive and the Victoria Promenade in the core have been closed to vehicles and converted to shared-use paths. This weekend, the city is further reducing driving lanes on Victoria Road and Saskatchewan Drive. Pedestrian access will be expanded next week.
But Sarah Hoyles of Paths for People said the additional space is not enough to prevent pedestrians from crowding. With most sidewalks spanning 1.8 metres wide, Hoyles said it is difficult for residents to adhere to the two-metre physical distancing orders without jutting out on the road.
The advocacy group is also asking for more pedestrian spaces throughout the city. Less than seven per cent of residents live within a kilometre of the current areas — Victoria Promenade between 116 and 121 Street and Saskatchewan Drive from 105 to 109 Street.
“When we have only two locations in all of the city, it actually invites people to congregate,” Hoyles said. “If the city doesn’t create space and extend sidewalks, people will take things into their own hands. It’s really vital the city is proactive.”
A significant increase in speeding throughout the city is of concern to Hoyles if residents do need to walk on the road to maintain distancing without any barrier between cars.
Reducing vehicle access on roads could help deter speeding as drivers would be more aware of sharing the space, she argued.
“When roads are not as wide, it causes drivers to have to look around and be more present,” she said. “We don’t want people to have to make a choice of possibly getting infected by being less than two metres apart or having to go out on the road.”
Deputy city manager Gord Cebryk told councillors Wednesday the city is considering reducing vehicle access on the east stretch of Jasper Avenue between 82 and 95 Streets to provide more space for pedestrians, but didn’t provide a time frame. Area Coun. Scott
Mckeen said he would welcome this move and hopes it would alleviate speeding and noisy mufflers revving down the street.
Advocates on the south side of the river are calling for the same action on Whyte Avenue where area Coun. Ben Henderson said he has heard stories of drag racing along the empty street. The Old Strathcona road is a main pedestrian destination where narrow sidewalks have been a long-standing issue.