In response to public pressure from a group of concerned citizens, the city is revisiting its plan to scrap the upgrading of bike lanes along North Nechako Road.
At the request of city council, city administration is preparing a report that will contain detailed cost estimates of the Nechako Road repaving project.
"As far as I know, the widening of the road and the paving of bike lanes has not been budgeted," said Phil Mullins, part of the North Nechako Bike Path Committee. "We're hoping that this would be priority number one, because it's been a commitment in the Active Transportation Plan. The road resurfacing has been approved and the city has always said to this neighbourhood they will add the bike lanes when they resurface because it will save money."
As the only road link to connect residential areas and the Pidherny recreational site to Foothills Boulevard, a 2.6-kilometre stretch of North Nechako from Foothills Boulevard west to Bench Drive was identified as a short-term pathway priority in the city's Active Transportation Plan.
The city originally planned to also pave the section of North Nechako from Foothills to Rosia Road this year but that has been put off until 2015 to allow underground utilities work to first be completed near the trailer court. The revised project to repave North Nechako from Toombs Road to Rosia is not wide enough to allow for 1.5-metre paved shoulders used for non-motorized vehicles and pedestrians.
However, city transportation manager Flavio Viola said Thursday the Nechako Road project will not proceed until councillors have had a chance to see the staff report.
"We will not be paving until we hear back from council and we're shooting for the next month to have that ready," said Viola. "Once presented to council we'll act on their recommendations."
Supplemented by $2.7 million from the community works fund, council has set aside a record $9.8 million budget this year for road projects, and $7 million of that as to be used for rehabilitation of existing roads. Pittman Asphalt was chosen over three other bidders to repave the roads at a cost of $6.1 million, a contract approved Monday by council.
The Active Transportation Plan, approved by city council in October 2011 after extensive public consultation, estimated the cost of widening the 2.6 km length of North Nechako from Foothills to Bench would add $208,000 to the project.
While some paving projects require some roadbed widening to address safety concerns, Viola said the city's rehabilitation budget prioritizes length over width and does not cover the cost of extensive road widening.
"With road rehabilitation, we to get as many lane kilometres paved and we've found the best way to do that is to do a mill, overlay, pulverizing and pave," said Viola. "We've been able to do more projects that way than if we'd done full reconstruction on all of them. If it requires reconstruction and installation of bike lanes, we will do that, and those things are all considered when we look at the paving program. It's totally up to council."
Coun. Cameron Stolz said council is considering two options, either to make the road wide enough for bike lanes on both sides of North Nechako or to build a dedicated recreational trail similar to the one that runs along University Way.
"It comes down to a safety issue for me and because of that I fully support a separate separate trail along North Nechako -- it would be equivalent to having a sidewalk and bike lanes all in one," said Stolz. "It goes back to our core infrastructure, and our sidewalks and trails are in sad need of repair."
Stolz is hopeful the $500,000 cost savings achieved in the paving contract can be used to fund the North Nechako bike lanes to address residents' safety concerns. Two years ago, when capital projects were being identified, Stolz said city staff discussed the option of leaving out paved shoulders on Foothills as a way to reduce costs.
Otway Road not widened
Former city transportation manager Dave Bradshaw, who in late February took over management of the parks and solid waste division, says cost was an issue in the decision not to widen Otway Road to allow bike lanes when it was repaved last year from Foothills Boulevard west to the first CN railway crossing.
Bradshaw said there was no way to incorporate bike lanes without widening the roadbed using CN land set aside for the railway right of way, which would have added significantly to the cost. As part of this year's paving budget, the new pavement on Otway will be extended from the tracks to Otway Nordic Centre.
Prince George Cycling Club president Steve Wyer said the club will continue to push for a dedicated recreational trail along Otway Road entirely separate from the road to create a safer link at least as far as Otway Nordic Centre. But the highest priority of the club's urban cycling coalition remains the creation of wider paths along North Nechako west of Foothills.
"We used to take cycling club group rides down there but we just don't anymore because we don't know about people's experience riding in narrow situations -- we try to use roads where we can ride at least two abreast where's there's a full shoulder," said Wyer. "It's a super-flat road and it's perfect for commuting to get to town and we want people to come in on bikes."
