Traffic in Victoria Park will be reduced to one lane starting June 30, allowing the other to be used by cyclists taking in the sights and enjoying the warm weather.
The City of Charlottetown announced details of the pilot project Friday, which was first announced during an open council meeting last month.
The cycling lane will close down eastbound traffic on Queen Elizabeth Drive from Fanningbank to the Victoria Park Pool. The pilot project will run until Sept. 30.
Mayor Clifford Lee said cyclists have become a priority in recent years because of how people are approaching the activity.
"Cycling has become much more than a healthy lifestyle choice. It's become a mode of transportation."
He said many places have the ability to accommodate cyclists with cycle lanes, as many roads are wide enough to accommodate them.
"A lot of these things can be done at little or no cost."
Mitch Tweel, chair of parks and recreation, said the cycling lane is the first step of a plan to make the city more cycle-friendly.
"Cycling in the city in the past has been a survival of the fittest."
Tweel said he's excited about the project.
"This is just one more way more people may enjoy what Victoria Park has to offer."
Kim Green, chief executive officer with Tourism Charlottetown said many tourists come to the Island looking for places to bike.
Cycling lane opens June 30
Cycling lane opens June 30
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Comments
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- Downtown Biking
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:42:25
Andy recognizes an interesting aspect of Charlottetowns situation, the notion of weaning people off of the use of cars to get to the downtown through inconvenience. Thats exactly our situation. We live and work in Summerside and, other than meetings(which I dread), we never go to downtown Charlottetown. We do not go there as a family any more than once a year, tops. Its just not worth it. Besides, with the cost of fuel, most people are doing their business fairly close to home.
If Charlottetown had a safe and interesting bike route however, we might bike there once in a while instead of on the trail. -
- Rhinoceros
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:40:42
Nice bike, Cliff.
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- Close
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:37:32
What do you think people do in countrys where there are no cars? Young and old alike walk, bike. run, etc.
The benifits of going this way, FAR outweights what people are doing now.
People young and old are so out of shape and lasey they can't even walk to the corner! If we had more of this put in place, just think of the benifits to people's health, money saved on gas, noise reduction Etc. -
- Just throwing this out...
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:34:15
Building on what Bruse said... Where do you propose these cycling lanes go? Traffic around the charlotetown is slow enough. If we close lanes for bikes then it will only get worse. Or wouls it be better to use the parking spaces for this idea! I mean there is definately far too many parking spots. The downtown and surrounding roads are too narrow as it is!
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- Ultimate sanction C'twn
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:32:42
Hey Ban Motorcycles!
Why bother? Just like in those WWII movies, you can always reach for the piano wire.
Just kidding, I think. -
- Andy
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:32:24
As a municipal taxpayer in Charlottetown, I'm MUCH happier seeing our limited tax dollars going toward opening bike lanes than continuing to provide hand-over-foot to a dinosaur (the car).
Don't you people get it? As if the high gas prices aren't enough to make you realize it, but cities EVERYWHERE are trying to reduce people using cars, and at the same time get people to become more fit.
This does both, albeit on a very small scale.
As for the complaints about Charlottetown not having wide enough streets. Sure, there isn't enough space right now for 2-way traffic on some streets if you plopped a bike lane down too.
But what if we started taking this concept further throughout the city? In the downtown there are plenty of 1-way streets. Just take a lane and make it bike only.
It's just like with the smokers - if you make their habit inconvenient enough, then maybe people will use cars a bit less. And maybe they'll get off their fat waddles and actually propel themselves somewhere.
A novel concept. -
- Sensible Shoes
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:29:29
One more strike against our seniors. If you want to go for a drive around the beautiful Victoria parkway, don't even think about getting an ice cream at the canteen unless you can run across the highway. I think it is lovely for the young, fit, and loudly healthy. But for you dear seniors, only if you can grow new hips, knees, etc, and buy a bike to enjoy it all will this be a good thing for you. It is nice to see the harbour from both directions....but then how much longer will we be around, right?
Good for the young and healthy. Someday you will have to depend on a car to get a weekly outing too. I hope they still allow cars somewhere pretty.
A question: Will this stop ignoramus' from biking or skateboarding on the boardwalk? It seems they can't understand the signs at either end of the walk and scare the beeejeepers out of us when we are able to walk the boardwalk. -
- DL
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:23:44
In response to Sensible Shoes from PEI....
I really do not see what you are complaining about. The outside lane will remain for those who wish to drive around the waterfront in their cars. As for the canteen, cars will still be able to cross over to the canteen parking lot. As for the rollerbladers on the boardwalk....well...haveing the paved cycle lane will now be used by those on rollerblades....few will want to choose the boadwalk over the paved road....
Oh...and yes....there is an error in the article....it is the WESTBOUND car traffic which will be closed down. -
- by law enforcement?
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:21:46
will the city police be enforcing the cycling helmet law? Cyclists will need helmets and knee and elbow pads to ride on that pot-hole ridden puddle forming excuse for a road
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- IT Guy
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:15:24
I think this may be an incovenience to some, but if there is to be biking in Charlottetown, there needs to be a lane.
Biking in Charlottetown is not for the loudly healthy . Biking in Charlottetown is for people who are willing to risk DEATH to get from point A to point B. Really, if you want to get on a bike and be within the city limits you are runnung the risk of being forced off the road at any time. Not just crowded off, but physically hit and knocked off.
Heck, trying to cross the street when the walk sign is lit is sometimes an effort in trust. Biking is for the near suicidal in a lot of places.
For the person who talked about the elderly needing cars as biking with a new hip isn't good. There are a lot of healthy people on bikes that are risking needing a lot more than a new hip.
People, just becuase you are in a car surrounded by metal or plastic and other folks are either on a bike or on foot does not mean you have the god given right to bully them out of your way, even if they have the legal right of way.
No wonder people are fat, getting out and getting some exercise could kill you a lot faster than a few extra pounds. -
- Derek
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:11:50
Just curious where those who take their young 'uns to the playground, pool and splash pad are going to park, as they now use the shoulder of the parkway along the water side from the Brighton road corner to the end of the playground. Walking from the provincial government lot is too far for kids, and I don't think there is much parking available on Brighton Road or QE Drive. Does the new bikeway start at Brighton Road, or will some parking area remain (probably hard to do as there would have to be a place to turn around)?
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- Derek
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:06:20
Re-reading the story, perhaps it is the inside lane, not the water-side one, that is closing, as it says eastbound traffic on Queen Elizabeth Drive from Fanningbank . Perhaps it should say westbound ? There seems to be a discrepancy between the direction and the two end points, as one or the other is in the wrong order!
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- Bruce
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:05:00
SHARE THE ROAD I would like to see this happen a bike lane PAINTED on every MAIN WAY INTO the city. Trafic should not have to be closed to share the road . A cyclist has the same right to the road as a car, farm tractor or motorcycle. This is great for recreacitional use but WHAT ABOUT THE cycling commuter!
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- Get a real bike
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:02:17
Hey, did you see the bike the Mayor was holding up in the picture?
Complete with bozo brake levers (guaranteed not to work fast enough to save anybody) straight-from-the-dump special.
There are several good bike shops in the city, I'm certain they'd all take a chance on giving the Mayor a loaner .
Well, he's good for it , isn't he? -
- Wide Belly
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:00:17
I ride quite a bit and think it is a good idea to close the lane, but they should also pave it. It is full of holes and bumps and terrible for cycling let along roller blading. Right now you can swerve around the holes, but when it is two way bike traffic there will be no way to go around the holes. I for one will not be using it too often. But on the other hand they will pave a chunk of the downtown to accommodate a big bike race. I am all for the race, but if the city really wants to encourage cycling they have to make the streets better and not just close one lane and then say the city is bicycle friendly. North River Road is an example. From Queen Charlotte high school to the Queens Arms Corner is nothing but holes, ruts and bumps and out near the entrance to Walmart you take your life in your hands to cycle there.
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- Observer
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:59:45
Derek, this shouldn't have any affect on the parking in the outer lane. The inner lane is being closed off. You will still be able to pull over to the curb along the boardwalk, take your kids to the playground, and continue on when you're finished. You just won't be able to U-turn and go back towards Brighton Rd.
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- city cycler
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:53:55
Can't wait !
I only hope that this becomes a permanent multi-use trail and is linked up with comprehensive bike lanes around the city. We're so small and flat that biking should become the primary means of transport and buses should be the secondary.
That park roadway was a nice 1950s idea for park development (for the car) but those days are behind us (or soon to be).
Think about how much money would be saved by not having automobiles impacting that asphalt every year ! With record oil prices, asphalt is pretty pricey to be throwing down all over the place, especially on an island with no local aggregate sources. -
- Fed up withlocal liberal
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:50:25
How long will it be before these signs are covered with grafitti, something no better then what the dogs leave behind when they walk by.
Several have already complained to city hall over the last few months, and nothing is being done.
I want to see those caught, made clean up the messes they make on our property.
But too many liberal-thinkers would have nothing to do with that. -
- Brighton Road
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:46:56
I am for the bike lane ,BUT will the Police plse start enforcing radar and traffic offences on Brighton Rd,40 kph zone ..but they zip past at 60-80 and NOT one car stopped..in the 4yr I have been here...not including the motorcycles in the evening and weekends...noisy and fast....now with the increased traffic going west...will there be enforcement..???or will they occasionally drive by...and when asked to do enforcement ..they say that is for the Traffic Section...a terrible excuse..they are just as able to enforce the traffic act ..instead od driving by and taking in the sights..........
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- LA
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:39:57
Derek says walking from the gov't parking lot is too far for kids..I respectfully disagree. That little hike is good for them, in this day and age. I used to take mine from a lot farther away to get to the park, no problem! Fits in with the theme of physical activity too.
