The City of Edmonton has published a list of proposed bike route projects for the upcoming years. In particular, the City is planning two major bike routes in the central part of Edmonton. The Strathcona Route will connect the communities of Strathcona, Garneau and the University area, between Mill Creek Ravine and 112 Street. It will connect with destinations that include:

• University of Alberta
• Faculté Saint-Jean
• Mill Creek Ravine
• Old Strathcona Farmers' Market
• Shopping areas, attractions and festivals

The Downtown Route will connect the communities of Downtown, Oliver and Glenora, between 96 Street and 136 Street. It will link to destinations that include:

• Stanley Milner Library
• City Hall
• Winspear Centre
• Alberta Art Gallery
• City Market (104 Street)
• 124 Street and High Street shopping areas

These routes will be high-quality facilities that will make cycling more comfortable for all types of cyclists, from novice riders and families to experienced commuters. They have been identified as major bike routes because they: have high numbers of existing bike trips, serve major destinations, and there are frequent requests for bicycle routes in the area.

Public Workshops

Beginning in June of 2014, the City of Edmonton will be organizing a series of opportunities for citizens to provide input on these routes. Citizen input will be used to first help select a location for a bike route, then understand how to best make it fit within the chosen route, and finally to help determine what it should look like.

Old Strathcona Bike Route Public Workshop Date: Tuesday, June 17, 2014 Time: 6pm to 9:30pm (Note: program starts at 6:30pm) Location: Universiade Pavilion (Butterdome), 114 Street - 87 Avenue

Downtown Bike Route Public Workshop Date: Wednesday, June 18, 2014 and Thursday, June 19, 2014(choose either night) Time: 6pm to 9:30pm (Note: program starts at 6:30pm) Location: Boyle Street Community League, 9538 103A Avenue

Transportation Committee

On June 5, at 1:30pm, the City of Edmonton's Transportation Committee will be receiving the 2014-18 Bike Lane Infrastructure Plan report from Administration.

This follows from the February 2014 motion requesting:

That Administration provide the following report to Transportation Committee: A proposed 2014 - 2018 implementation plan for new bike lane infrastructure, including recommendations for an enhanced public engagement strategy and recommendations for enhanced public education programs by the end of June, 2014

This report will be presented on Thursday to the committee. Members of the public can request to speak at this meeting.

Report Summary

This report summarizes a proposed 2014 - 2018 implementation plan for bike infrastructure, public engagement approaches, and proposed public education enhancements.

Recommendation (from Administration):

That Transportation Committee recommend to City Council: That the enhanced public engagement strategies, outlined in the June 5, 2014, Transportation Services report CR_1032, be approved.

That the report on the results of consultation and evaluation on the 121 Avenue and 76 Avenue bicycle network, be deferred until completion of the consultation on major bike routes, neighbourhood bike routes being considered in conjunction with neighbourhood renewal/revitalization and shared-use paths, outlined in Attachment 1 of the June 5, 2014, Transportation Service report CR_1032.

Major Bike Routes

Two major routes within the central part of Edmonton are being planned (the "Downtown/Oliver/Glenora" route and the "Strathcona/Garneau/ University" route). Exact locations of routes will be revisited, in terms of where they were originally identified in the Bike Plan. There are several options for the location of each route. The original timeline of having a completed preliminary design plan done by October has been extended significantly to reflect an updated public involvement process.

Stakeholder interviews and public meetings will be starting in May and June. The new public involvement process will add some additional steps, including identifying criteria that the City will use to evaluate the location of each route. Those criteria will then be applied to several different options within the vicinity of the corridors originally identified in the Bike Plan (June). In September, once the location of the route has been identified, several options along each corridor will be taken out to the public for input.

A safety review is currently being conducted of the routes along 95 Avenue, 40 Avenue and 106 Street, for report back to Transportation Committee on September 17th. There will also be an operational review of the routes and alternative route options will be identified.