CORNWALL – The city might not see any bike lanes created in 2015 but there’s a hint at possibly adding one to another main artery.
“We’ve had some success with some projects and some controversy with some others,” said Infrastructure Planning Division Manager Steve Wintle when speaking about Cornwall’s Active Transportation plan.
The indirect reference to the Second Street bike lanes, which has been widely debated in the public arena, prompted some chuckles from councillors at Friday’s budget meeting.
Wintle says the bicycle network has good links to the industrial park through Marleau Avenue and Industrial Park Drive.
But he says, after careful consideration and considering budget constraints, it makes more sense to maintain what the city has than to build new infrastructure.
Even through a project to add bike lanes to McConnell Avenue was pulled from the budget, he clued councillors into $67,000 sitting in a reserve as a result of a surplus from active transportation projects in 2014.
Councillor Elaine MacDonald put a motion on the floor to spend that money to add bike lanes on McConnell Avenue from Twelfth Street to Tollgate Road.
Wintle says the section of McConnell is slated to be resurfaced and it would make more sense to add the bike lanes while the job is being done.
However, Planning GM Stephen Alexander said the city may want to look at connecting links of the bicycling network between the Nick Kaneb and Cedar Rapids area.
The motion on how to spend the $67,000 was deferred until the budget committee gets more information.
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