Rabbit Brook Bike Trail links Moncton's north end to university area

A bike trail linking the north end of Monctonto the university area is in the final phases of construction.

Dan Hicks, thedirector of parks and leisure in Moncton, said the Rabbit Brook Trail is one of a number of trails planned to move bikes away from traffic.

Hicks said the trail would start on Carson Drive near the St.Hubert restaurantand end at the intersection of Wheeler Boulevardand Connaught Avenue

"The intention is that it will link up the Power Centre[on Trinity Drive]to the university area and it will grow from there as well," Hicks said.

Cyclists travelling downtown from the north end of Moncton are often forced to take the highway, or the often congested Mountain Road.

Dale McKenna bikes 100kilometres a week in the city and though it's illegal to bike on the sidewalk, he saidhe often feels it's necessary in order to be safe.

"I've almost got smacked with some glass object out of somebody's rolling truck.So if I wouldn't have gone on the sidewalk when I heard the truck roll up I would have gotten whacked on the back of the head," McKenna said.

Hicks said the city is well aware that some roads are not bicycle friendly.

"Unfortunately the streets have been built to the standard that they're built in, and it's very hard to build in bicycle structure after the fact," he said.

He added that'swhy the city is planning trails like these away from traffic.

"We do have a number of corridors planned and in the works to be able to link communities with the downtown core and vice versa."

Hicks said the new trail willbe completed in early fall.