Windsor Loop bike network plan outdated, some cyclists say

Windsor's council unanimously voted for new bike lanes on Cabana Road, but some cycling activists worry the city is now following an outdated blueprint for its bicycle master plan.

• Cabana Road bike lanes approved at cost of $4.8M

The nearly 5 km lane in each direction will be partlyseparated from traffic, but most of it will be inside a painted lane.

The project fills in one of three remaining gaps in the proposed Windsor Loop bike network.

"The Windsor Loop was introduced as part of the Bicycle Use Master Plan and it was a loop intended to go around the city proper," said Josette Eugenie, manager of transportation planning for the city. "We've had some expansion to the city since then."

A loop running around city limits, is no longer part of the plan, because the city has expanded since the plan was proposed back in 2001.

"This month, the BUMP, or the Bicycle Use Master Plan turned 14, which is a very long time for a plan," said Lori Newton with Bike Friendly Windsor.

Without any major updates to the original proposal, some cycling activists say the plan is falling behind the times.

"So much has changed, we've got bicycles on Transit Windsor buses now, but that wasn't happening in 2000," said Newton. "We can see the increased traffic, first of all we see more bicycles on the road all the time."

The city said it might revisit the plan within the next five years, but Robert Parent at Ambassador Bicycles, said too much planning and consultation can slow down what he sees as a simple solution.

"When it comes to cycling, you know, if you put that bike lane in, people are going to use it," said Parent. "I think we just need to move forward and get it done."