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Council steers around dedicated bike lane decision

Will ploughing snow from bike lanes cost too much? Council asked for a report on costs before okaying plans for new bike lanes in 2013
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Will year-round bike lane snow removal push up the cost for dedicated bike lanes? Council decided to ask city staff to do the math before proceeding with a bike lane plan outlined in a new report by transportation consultants.

The City of Revelstoke put the brakes on a plan to eliminate parking on the east side of Fourth Street in Southside in May to make way for dedicated bike lanes.

The lane closure had already been approved this summer, but council balked at the final bike route design after objections from some city councillors at their Dec. 11 meeting.

They were considering a report by consultants Boulevard Transportation Group that presented a signage plan for the new segment of the bike route, which will include exclusive bike lanes on either side of Fourth Street in Southside. It also spells out new signage plans for the rest of the route, which runs from Arrow Heights to the Big Eddy.

The report outlined plans for signage and road paint to spell out the rules of the road at key intersections, such as the dangerous "CPR-Y" intersection at Fourth Street and Victoria Road. Other new signs would indicate driving is prohibited in bike lanes.

But Coun. Tony Scarcella raised objections at the Dec. 11 council meeting. He said an earlier version of the plan called for a seasonal route, but this one was for a year-round route including snow removal, which he said would add costs.

City CAO said he doubted the snow removal would cost more as the route is already ploughed.

However, council opted cycle the plan back to city staff for further comment.

Other key recommendations in the Boulevard plan include:

- New painted lane indicators will spell out the routes for bicycles through the intersection, including a dedicated safety area at Fourth Street and Victoria Road, as well as turning lanes through the Third Street and Victoria Road T-intersection.

- The report calls for curb extensions into the bike lanes where they meet with certain intersections, such as Third Street and Mackenzie Avenue.

- New signs will point out the route. Other signs will show that driving is prohibited in the bike lanes.

- Likewise, at the Big Eddy Bridge, a sign will indicate the path to the sidewalk. Cyclists are required to walk across on the sidewalk due to the grated surface of that bridge.

The decision to refer the question of cost back to staff means the report will come back to the council table for a decision sometime in the future.

 

The plan also recommended a final consultation with the Southside community about the changes, and it seems likely that consultation will occur if the plan moves forward.