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New Street bike lane report recommends removing bike lanes, reverting to 4 vehicle lanes

City staff are recommending that the New Street bike lane pilot project be ended, and the road be returned to four lanes of vehicular traffic.

Additional recommendations include:

  • consideration of cycle tracks on New Street between Guelph Line and Burloak Drive as part of the 2019 to 2028 capital budget and forecast, and pursuit of senior level
    government funding for the implementation costs.
  • add resurfacing and storm sewer replacement from Cumberland Avenue to Walkers Line in 2018 to the existing contract with King Paving for New Street and Drury Lane

The Committee of the Whole – regular, which includes all members of council, will be debating this item at 6:30pm, Nov. 27. Recommendations from this meeting go to City Council Dec. 11 for final approval.

Residents are encouraged to attend the meeting to speak in favour or against the recommendations. In order to speak at a Committee of the Whole meeting, individuals must register no later than 9:30am on the day of the meeting. To register, complete the online application at www.burlington.ca/delegation, email or phone 905-335-7600, ext. 7481

The staff report is available here: New Street Bike Lane Pilot Project

My Take: I support returning New Street to its original 4-lane cross section. Thanks to all the residents who provided your input and lived experience throughout the pilot period process. Regarding cycle tracks, my support will depend on where the bike lanes will be placed (beside the road, or in the boulevard), the impact on trees and greenspace, as well as the cost. Previous estimates of a bike lane in the boulevard were close to $8 million from Guelph Line to Burloak. We currently have many more urgent needs for funding in the city, for example transit which is used by far more people. Even if the costs of bike lanes are borne by upper government levels, there’s a limited pot of dollars and this project could displace other requests for funding we currently have.

Written by Marianne Meed Ward

I was inspired to seek public office because I believe, like so many of you, “I can do something about that” on the issues we face. As councilor, my role is to take a stand on what’s best for residents and go to bat for it. Pushback is inevitable from those who don’t have the community’s interests at heart. I will stand with you and for you, to achieve the best interests of our city, without caving to unacceptable compromise in the name of consensus.

29 Comments

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  1. There is a hydro right-of-way bike path- a lovely walking/biking space that I use for walking not far away from New Street ( and parallel to it) that has fresh air and trees and an air of tranquillity. Way better than bike lanes. I am so glad the bike lanes are going to be removed.

  2. The bike lanes on New St. were apparently a pilot project. For the time, money and effort to put these lanes in, could someone not have surveyed what the bike population was going to be using this road, it is seasonal, and with all the draft planning, official planning for all the hi-rise population being proposed, should be rocket science to any planner, that there needs to be road lanes widened, not take- aways for bike lanes. In saying this, I have reservations about too many high rises going into such areas with already poor traffic accessibility, and they have not done their homework properly on that. Wow!! No reversal on hi-rise developments once they are constructed. Hello!!!!!!!!

  3. It would be good to have something for bikes along New St
    That rail path angles off and is shared with pedestrians

  4. Why are they even talking about wasting $8,000,000 for so few cyclists? I though they would have learned from the waste of a couple of hundred thousand!!!!

  5. RT @MariannMeedWard: New Street bike lane report recommends removing bike lanes, reverting to 4 vehicle lanes https://t.co/oetTNFrBIQ https…

  6. Finally! Have had more close calls as a driver with that ridiculous lane narrowing at New and Walk… https://t.co/b3YPGbaWNl

  7. RT @MariannMeedWard: New Street bike lane report recommends removing bike lanes, reverting to 4 vehicle lanes https://t.co/oetTNFrBIQ https…

  8. Lots of room to expand sidewalks to create a safe bike path. Biker need a physical barrier between… https://t.co/VGfnvQeGcv

  9. That’s unfortunate. Seems like pilot didn’t get a fair shot due to constant mess of roadwork. Bad… https://t.co/So3Jy68H8u

  10. RT @MariannMeedWard: New Street bike lane report recommends removing bike lanes, reverting to 4 vehicle lanes https://t.co/oetTNFrBIQ https…

  11. That’s disappointing. As a city resident, and a cyclist who has been run off one of our roads rec… https://t.co/THSdXCRrnA

  12. RT @MariannMeedWard: New Street bike lane report recommends removing bike lanes, reverting to 4 vehicle lanes https://t.co/oetTNFrBIQ https…

  13. RT @MariannMeedWard: New Street bike lane report recommends removing bike lanes, reverting to 4 vehicle lanes https://t.co/oetTNFrBIQ https…

  14. Thank-you to the city and staff for giving new ideas an honest try. Thanks to the frequent travellers on New St for constructive commentary. It does seem the science proved the lack of uptake. R

  15. I disagree with this, personal experience was that the impacts we’re minor and mainly caused by th… https://t.co/RznERqschr

  16. That was poorly conceived. Good to hear. Lakeshore makes more sense however i’m sure the $$ would not like that idea.

  17. I would like the proposed $8,000,000.00 that it would cost for the improved vision of the bike lanes to go to public transit. This would allow many more people to stop using their cars. Isn’t this what the Councillors want?

  18. Putting the cycle track on the boulevard is the most sensible option–in fact, this was the concensus best option that I heard at the meeting at City Hall before the lane reduction was ever implemented. Most of us predicted accurately the nightmare that would be created with the lane reduction. DID THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL LISTEN? NO!!!!!! Hopefully this time they will. I share Marianne’s concern about the cost but as I explained to her, the lane reduction option imposes large costs on local residents and commuters, and I have to credit Marianne, she listened to us!

  19. Lol we told them that b4 it started should have paid me for my info i would at least spend the cas… https://t.co/pq8aguqUKt

  20. At last they listened to citizens. Thanks paint will be easier to remove than the 23 storey monstrosity they most recently followed staff on. One out of two is hardly a victory when the one we lost is so big and irreversible.

  21. RT @MariannMeedWard: New Street bike lane report recommends removing bike lanes, reverting to 4 vehicle lanes https://t.co/oetTNFrBIQ https…

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