City of Saskatoon begins removing downtown bike lanes

City crews are already hard at work removing bike lanes from Fourth Avenue N in Saskatoon.

In April, city council voted to remove the protected bike lanes from the street after members of the public complained.

The dedicated bike lanes were added to the city's downtown two years ago as a way to keep cyclists safe and a way to promote cycling in the downtown.

Detractors were concerned about the lanes limiting parking spaces and creating an unsafe, confusing situation for drivers.

Previously, council had wanted to begin expanding the city's bike lane network by 2021, but that plan's timeline now seems to be up in the air.

Councillors voted 6-5 in favour of a motion to consult the public on how future bike lanes should be designed on Third Avenue, 19th Street and 23rd Street.

The bike lanes on Fourth Avenue N. will be removed in three phases. The work should be completed by June 17.