Phase 1 approved for Paris-Notre Dame Bikeway across Sudbury

Greater Sudbury is creating major north-south cycling infrastructure across much of the city.

The city's Operations Committee recently approved construction of Phase One of the Paris-Notre Dame Bikeway. This segment will create a bike path from Wilma Street to Lasalle Boulevard.

The entire nine-kilometre Paris-Notre Dame Bikeway would run from the Four Corners in the south, to the Lasalle-Notre Dame intersection in the north.

The project has a total price tag of $20-million.

"People will use this [Phase One] section because of the destinations that are along the way," says chair of the committee, councillorDeb McIntosh.

The cost for Phase One is $3.5 million, but $890-thousand will come from a provincial grant. That grant, from the Ontario Municipal Commuter Cycling program, expires at the end of 2020.

Engineering Director David Shelsted says the city decided to begin the north segment of the path due to input that came from public consultation.

"Twenty-one-thousand people, representing approximately 13 per cent of the city's population live along this corridor," he said.

Thissection of the city also includes several major employers like Canadian Revenue Agency, College Boreal and Pioneer Manor.

The design of the bike path has it separate from the vehicular traffic lanes.There is alreadya small section of similar bikepath completed between York Streetand Walford Roadin the south end.

Shelsted says the two end points for the entire pathway(Four Corners & Lasalle/Notre Dame) are two of the city's busiest intersections.

"It's bordered by Ramsey Lake. It connects a lot of existing paths like Rotary Trail and the Ramsey Lake Trail and it provides connectivity in a north-south direction that currently does not exist in the city," he added.

"I think this is a fantastic opportunity to create a critical connection in our city," Councillor Geoff McCausland said.

"This has a potential to get people up to Lasalle Boulevard, which should be a lot safer to cycle on now that we have thousands of vehicles off of that and on to Maley Drive," he added.

"It's important to recognize again that this is very important, in that one-third of our population does not drive. Investments in pedestrian, cycling and transit infrastructure areimperative to help those people get to their destinations safely," McIntosh said.

"The cycling network is going to take time," sheadded.

"We need to get pieces, and they are going to come a piece at a time, and there's going to be phasing."

City staff had told councillors that between 26,000 - 32,000 vehicles use the Paris Notre Dame corridor every day.

"How many of those [residents] can we get off [the street]and into transit, on to bicycles, walking by improving the infrastructure," McIntosh said.

Sudbury city council still must approve the plan.If approved,Shelsted estimates construction of Phase One could begin later this year.