VICTORIA PROMENADE PILOT

Many of you may have noticed some new bike lane infrastructure being installed along Victoria Promenade this weekend. The Victoria Promenade Bike Lane Pilot project was born out of the mobility lanes that were installed as part of Covid measures to give everyone safe spaces to move around our community. The current pilot includes two one-directional bike lanes, eastbound on the south side (where the mobility lane used to be) and westbound on the north side. 

I have to confess that I wasn't initially convinced by the proposed one-way bike lanes. I thought a better solution would be to have a two-way protected bike lane on the southside of 100 Avenue, which could have preserved parking along the promenade. Throughout June, I met with the project team and advocated for a two-way protected lane on the south side of 100 Avenue - I even drew sketches! Unfortunately, staff have shared that this solution isn't technically possible. Without getting into too much detail, there isn’t enough turning radius for drivers to turn right onto 100 Avenue with a bi-directional bike lane on the south side. 

While I would have much preferred the southern option, I think that the addition of any protected bike infrastructure in our community is a net positive by providing more and safer options to get around. I also think having the opportunity to test out this approach with temporary infrastructure will provide a lot of important information about how workable this approach is before installing any potential permanent infrastructure in the future. 

I certainly understand the many concerns I've heard, including a loss of parking that will result from the north lane. I know that parking is already limited in this area and appreciate those who worry that this may mean having fewer visitors or more challenges for accessing homecare. Thanks to your feedback, a number of additional parking spots along 117 Street have been opened up to help compensate for some of the spaces being lost, and the availability of parking will be an important impact to track as we go through the pilot phase. 

I also heard a number of concerns raised about the engagement process for the pilot project to date. I think those concerns are fair and that this experience has identified an important learning for the City when undertaking future projects in higher density neighbourhoods. Improved communication with multi-unit buildings is critical in ensuring all Edmontonians have a voice in our planning process, and is something that I'll be advocating strongly for going forward. Your feedback has already resulted in a commitment to a more robust approach to communications and engagement moving forward. You may have noticed a significant amount of signage over the weekend of July 8, sharing information about what was happening next. The City has also launched a communications plan to build awareness and share information about the project, which over the course of the pilot will include posters for building lobbies, social media, on-site signage, a mail out to residents, and more! 

Most importantly, there is an ongoing opportunity to share your experiences of the pilot through the City's Engaged Edmonton page. I strongly encourage you to sign up and provide your thoughts throughout the coming months. Your input will be essential in evaluating the pilot and informing future decisions.

Which brings me to a last important point: the pilot is temporary and no final decisions on the future of Victoria Promenade have been made. This pilot offers us an opportunity to test out one approach and ensure that any future permanent installations best meet the needs of our community.

Thank you again to everyone who has reached out to me and I look forward to the insights you will continue to share throughout this pilot.