City Council has narrowed its focus on future bike lanes, and wants staff to study the pinch point of Stamp Avenue.
Mayor and council deliberated for more than an hour and decided the bike lane should run along the road, not the railroad tracks, and have asked city staff to cost out options on either side of Stamp.
Mayor Mike Ruttan says the bike lanes are part of a provincial transportation plan, and has no effect on local taxpayers
While $100,000 for the project comes from the province, the city’s half comes from money they receive back from gas taxes, which has to be spent on projects like bike paths, and can’t disappear within general revenues.
Ruttan says it’s important that the bike route be safe and efficient for commuters, and scenic for visitors.
The lane was originally supposed to be built by March, but staff will ask to have that deadline extended as they put together a full costing report and a recommendation for council.