Saskatoon's protected bike lane test rolls into high gear

After much debate between cyclists, drivers, business owners, and local politicians, Saskatoon's new protected bike lane test officially begins today.

The launch happens later this morning at Civic Square in front of City Hall as Mayor Don Atchison, city officials, and a representative of Saskatoon Cycles gather to celebrate the occasion.

The new cycling lane runs along 23rd Street from Idylwyld Drive to Spadina Crescent and is physically separated from traffic by parked cars, a painted bufferand flexible posts.

The test is a scaled down version, mainly due to construction in the city. The original vision of the project called for a simultaneous test lane on 4th Avenue, but it won't roll out until next year's cycling season.

The idea has also been a tough sell for some in the business community who worry about the potential loss of some parking spots.

The city will now be collecting various data to evaluate the lane including a count of how many people actually use the new protected corridor through downtown.

Permanent protected bike lanes are a reality in a number of Canadian cities including Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa and Calgary.

Other cities have joined Saskatoon in rolling out demonstration projects.