Protected bike lanes added to 2 streets in Moncton

New barriers now clearly divide cyclists from drivers on two of Moncton’s busiest roads -- Killam Drive and Vaughn Harvey Boulevard.

The upgraded measures, which include fresh green paint and barriers between lanes, are welcomed news for the cycling community.

“The advantage is it keeps us divided from traffic, you know, cars that way tonnes, you know, usually win when they encounter a cyclist so anytime we can keep them separated it’s a big advantage,” said Rick Snyder, the president at Mike’s Bike Shop in Dieppe.

He says most of his staff bike to work every day and having a safe space for cycling transportation is always welcomed news.

“Cycling is good for people, it cuts your carbon output and anyway we can continue to increase cycling it’s good for the environment,” he said.

Moncton City Council allotted $1 million in the 2023 budget for improvements to bike lanes with the new measured designed to improve bicycle safety.

Isabelle LeBlanc, the director of communications for the city, says all the improvements fall under the Active Transportation – Phase 2 project.

“We looked at best practices of what happens in different cities and obviously each street is a little bit different,” she said.

“The width is different, the traffic is different and so what was proposed there was deemed to be the best option for those areas and sometimes the green paint is sufficient and other times you need that physical separator to make a difference as well.”

LeBlanc says there has been work taking place across the city including on Vaughn Harvey Boulevard, Killam Drive, Dickson Boulevard, and St. George Boulevard.

“I think more and more people want to become active and as we densify our city I think there’s less of a need for vehicles and hopefully more willingness to use active transportation to get around the city,” she said.

Both the city and the cycling community said there has been an uptick in bicycle purchases in the last few years with everyone from avid cyclists to families getting on board.

With more people choosing bicycles as a form of transportation, making roadways safe for everyone is a priority.

“We want everybody to be able to enjoy and drive around our city whether it’s on four wheels or on two and council has been quite supportive of that and administration has tried to push that as much as possible as well,” said LeBlanc.

Adding, “We’re going to keep pushing bike lanes. We want to improve our entire network for the city.”

However, while some welcome the new roadway additions, they have also sparked conversation and controversy online.

“If you’re a driver and it impedes what you normally do, you don’t like it. It’s the same as anything, if something impedes what you’re used to doing, but they’ll get used to it,” said Snyder.

Comments on social media against the protected lanes point to things like cost, the inability to yield for emergency vehicles and the fact the poles will have to be removed all winter.

In support of the changes, many people have pointed how much safer they make the roadways for cyclists.

“We want to make sure that it is safe for people on bicycles, but we also want to make sure that motorists understand the importance of safety when it comes to cyclist,” said LeBlanc.

“We’re really asking motorists to be vigilant, to look, to be safe, to reduce speeds. It’s important and we don’t want any accidents to happen.”

LeBlanc says that City Council also just approved to complete the missing section between West Main Street and the new bridge over to Riverview and that another multi-use trail on Horsman Road has been postponed until 2024.

“We’re headed in the right direction is an understatement, but we just need more of the same,” said Snyder.

“We need more divided bike lanes, we need more protected bike lanes, you know and lanes that are connected to one another so you can leave one place and end up in another and not have to go in bike lanes, out of bike lanes.”

Budget deliberations for the city will take place in October, which will allow councillors to make a plan for 2024 when it comes to improving active transportation opportunities, specifically bike lanes.

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