Calgary advocacy group applauds Kensington Road improvements and cycle track reprieve – Calgary | 24CA News
Members of an area advocacy group in Calgary say upgrades to a highway in Kensington and the cycle observe alongside Third Avenue are as a result of residents making their voices heard.
The bike lane alongside Third Avenue was put in in 2021 as a brief detour in the course of the reconstruction of the Bow River pathway by means of Eau Claire. In June, metropolis officers stated they deliberate to close it down, which prompted a marketing campaign to save lots of the cycle observe.
Last week, town introduced it would hold a cycle observe open by means of 2024. The observe will now stay open on Third Avenue between eighth Street and fifth Street Southwest, however it could actually’t be saved in place east of fifth Street as a result of utility work.
Design work on a everlasting east-west biking connection will start in 2024 however Green Line development might complicate issues.
“I can’t say permanently what it would look like, but we are committed in 2024 to look at that longer range direction,” stated Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong. “I think the thing we want all Calgarians to understand is that we are working inch by inch to get to that permanent network.”
Across the river, work on Kensington Road is now full to enhance pedestrian and bicycle owner security. The metropolis says the adjustments are in response to findings from a current collision overview and site visitors evaluation.
“The changes are expected to reduce incidents and near misses involving people who walk, wheel, drive and take transit with negligible impact on traffic flow,” stated town in a news launch.
Kensington Road is now right down to a single lane in every route. Temporary site visitors calming curbs separate vehicles from bikes and planters with flowers have been arrange.
“I think the community started to say enough is enough and you have to do something about it. What they’ve done is an improvement. It’s by no means great, but it’s a step in the right direction,” stated Peter Oliver with Project Calgary, the group that began a petition to save lots of the Third Avenue cycle observe.
“Third Avenue is a big victory for downtown communities that really want to make their neighbourhood more liveable,” Oliver stated.
He stated each the Kensington Road undertaking and saving the cycle observe occurred due to neighborhood outcry.
“It still means that we have to remain active participants in the process to make sure they happen, and to hold our elected councillors responsible because otherwise it just wouldn’t happen,” Oliver stated.
The Kensington Road undertaking is short-term whereas town screens utilization and appears for suggestions.
The metropolis can be in search of enter on the downtown cycle observe saying it would additionally permit workers to pilot and check choices primarily based on classes realized from the short-term detour being in place over the previous few years.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
