Opinions vary on Red Deer’s controversial bike lane pilot project.
And the City of Red Deer has heard them all.
A whopping 2,200 responses were filed by the pilot survey deadline of Aug. 17. The responses are being analyzed and compiled into a report for city council.
In early September, council will receive a final report on the three-year pilot project.
Transportation engineer Michael Williston said the report will form part of what the city’s Engineering Department will bring to council on balancing transportation needs in Red Deer.
“It’s great that we are getting all this feedback,” said Williston. “That’s exactly what we wanted to get.
“We’ve been hearing the public feedback over the last couple of years. We’ve adjusted the network to address some of those concerns. I think some of the changes on the road this year are reflective of that.”
In April, city council approved changes to the cycling network, including the removal of bike lanes on 59th Avenue from Holt Street to 70th Street, 40th Avenue between 39th Street and 52nd Street, and on 39th Street between 38A Avenue and 40th Avenue.
The pilot was given the green light in 2011 with a price tag of $800,000. While controversy stirred locally about safety and traffic concerns, the city won a national award from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for sustainability in February.