Protected bike lane opens in Saskatoon

Bicycle commuters in Saskatoon now have one more notch on their gears. A protected bike lane is now open on 23rd Street.

The bike lane runs between Idylwyld Drive and Spadina Crescent East in both directions, and is physically separated from the rest of the road by painted buffers and flexible posts.

A second protected bike lane will open in the summer of 2016 on 4th Avenue. The lane, between 19th Street East and 24^th Street East, will connect to the Broadway Bridge.

City council approved a proposal to move forward with the lanes back in March of 2015.

“Protected Bike Lanes provide another safe option for people to move around our downtown and are part of our continuing efforts to make Saskatoon an attractive, vibrant city, and to improve quality of life,” said Alan Wallace, the city’s planning and development director, in a written release Wednesday. 

The city will evaluate the project over the next 18 months to determine the impact of the lanes on the downtown area. A report will be presented to city council in 2017.

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  A cyclist makes use of the new 23rd Street bike lane in Saskatoon on Wednesday, July 15, 2015.